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Slow lousy rut/season

Bowman

Junior Member
45
5
What's everyone's opinion on a slow lousy rut this year?

Was thinking it was just my area, although after reading several boards in different areas, it seems slow everywhere? Just not seeing the number of good bucks taken across the boards, that this time typically brings. Seeing some here and there, but definitely seems like an off year everywhere?

I put in over 130hrs on stand and only saw 30 deer total, 17 bucks and 13 does. Nov 4th accounted for my best day seeing 1/3 of my total sightings on 1 day. I know previous EHD didn't help matters, so I try to keep it realistic with a 130 minimum, and the best I could of shot was a 115-120.

Every year most claim this timeframe we are in right now is the best for mature ones, but just not seeing it across the boards? My opinion, I believe the mature activity started way earlier than normal, and got this traditional should be good right now time, out of whack due to earlier activity? I even read on some boards where some are seeing no rutting activity, and are still waiting for it to begin? Are you kidding me, I believe it's pretty much over, and really don't see an uptick in activity until a 28 day cycle after the first round as some does recycle and the younger ones come in, which would put it around Thanksgiving? To me it's one of those so called trickle ruts, because it started too early, and will only come in spurts here and there. Unlike next year where the Full Moon falls on Nov, 12th, I would guess a very traditional rut with good activity the first 2 weeks of Nov., What's your opinion?
 
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Bowman

Junior Member
45
5
Best rut ive seen in a long time. guess it just depends on the buck to doe ratio.

I visit a lot of different hunting boards across the country, just not seeing the number of mature bucks taken, typically at this time, you usually see way more?
 

Lucky

Junior Member
494
31
Sunbury
I wasnt seeing much early nov rutting activity lots of small bucks up thru the 8th ov nov no chasing and just plain slow activity that changed for me on the 10th it was extemely windy in morn with gusts up to 25 30 mph but died down in early afternoon and around 2 pm had a beautiful mature buck walking with a purpose from one bedding area to another then a couple hrs later a nice main frame 8 pt did the same and was able to harvest him. In my area it definitely wasnt early and didnt seem to kick in till the 10th guess its just the area your in read a lot about others expierencing early nov activity but my area didnt kick in till the 10th.
 

Sgt Fury

Sgt. Spellchecker
I didn’t see any chasing while in the field but got some on my trail cam....all at night. Best rut I’ve ever seen was in 2010....bucks were chasing for about a week and it was non stop action all day long. I don’t think I’ll ever see anything close to that again. This was in Athens county on state land. My neighboring property owner in Vinton county did see some chasing about a week ago but it wasn’t over the top....just a couple young bucks chasing and one good buck chased a doe across a field.
 
This year has been so hit and miss. I haven't seen any real chasing action myself. I have had my cousin and buddy who I let hunt here, see some on the same afternoon after I killed my buck that morning. Have seen some on cams at night. Idk. Just an odd year for us period so could be anything causing the lack of day time movement on our farm: acorns, additional human pressure, new hunters on the east side. Who knows.
 
I totally agree, the worst hunting I have had in a long time. Several of us put in a lot of hours the first two weeks of November, as we do every year on the same property and it was horrible. Strange because this was the best weather for the rut that I can ever remember, but the worst hunting. I did look up one of the rut predictions that said the strong rut would be in October and showed even tending pretty much done by now. Very disappointing from all the food plot time, cameras and everything else, but at least I got out in the woods for relax time. Hopefully your right about the secondary and we have a great gun season.
 

Bowkills

Well-Known Member
2,577
85
Nw oh
I've been fortunate to work on roads where I hunt the last three years. It's been going on great here. Same as last year and the year before that....nwoh I thought it may have started a touch early but I saw another locked pair today. Later seeking phase has started for sure since the big boom with more single running alone....
 
I'm seeing a lot of scrapes, but only 4 bucks and only 1 of them is a 2 1/2 year old. The rest were 4 pt. or smaller. (n) This has been my luck since day 1.
I've seen 1 doe, all season...and 1 doe fawn and 1 button buck fawn (running together/assumed siblings), which doesn't count for anything.

We've certainly had the weather for it and the bucks that I do see are cruising around, but I have yet to see any chasing. :rolleyes:

Bowhunter57
 
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bigten05

*Supporting Member*
3,675
151
knox county ohio
rut was decent for us. but id say this weekend for the youth hunters some big ones will drop. i seen 14 does in the field last time i hunted and no bucks i know where i will be come gun week.
 

angelzd28

Junior Member
I have seen 1, count it 1 mature buck on stand so far and that was this past saturday, at about 9 am. In years past Oct 28 to about Nov 7 has been best, but this year is a mystery. I do believe the trickle rut is in effect. Luckily for me my Rutcation starts on Saturday and goes until gun starts. Hoping it gets better in the coming week. Although as stated before guys on this site have been killing it and its happening somewhere, just not by me........lol
 
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