Rut!!

[David Frank]

It's on boys!! Hunted this morning and saw 15 deer. 3 of which were bucks, and 2 of those were shooters for sure. The smallest was a basket rack 4x4. He was with a larger buck, couldn't tell exactly how big, but a shooter. They were both chasing the same doe pretty seriously, 2 yards from my stand at the closest, but the big guy didn't stop close enough for a shot. Could have shot the small one at about 3 yards! The other buck was the largest of the group was about 400 yards from my stand with a group of does. He didn't appear to be doing any chasing, but he was doing a little sniffing around.

[harvey lee]

Sounds like a great morning.I stayed home this weekend but thats ok as my granddaughter and I are going to carve 3 pumkins for the pumkin carving contest. This will probably be a better day for the both of us rather than myself going hunting.

Where I am hunting no one is going to get the bucks until I get there anyways.

Good hunting to all.

[David Frank]

Sounds like a great weekend spent with family. Can't beat that with any sized buck.... well, ok, maybe a real big one, but you know what I mean.

[harvey lee]

I know what you mean for sure.One day my little granddaughters wont be so little anymore and the big bucks will always be waiting for me.

But yes,those those bucks are addicting for sure.

[Stratosman]

Yeah its gonna pop real fast here too, was out this morning and had a small buck after a doe right away, then about 8:15 saw a nicer buck chasing a doe about 75 yards away, about 15 minutes later I hear a grunt and another buck on the trail of the same doe..nose to the ground running at half throttle.

Time to hit the woods everyone, it is on!

[smg04]

exactly what i want to hear! i have the next week off from work and plan on putting my 40+hours in sitting in my treestand

[DRH1175]

I will be out 4 days this week I am pumped! I took the weekend off for the weekday hunts instead. And right after that Firearms season starts! Seven days in the stand should hopefully pay off.

[matthothand]

I've noticed a definate increase in activity as well. I've seen a lot more buck sign and little bucks chasing does and bucks and does making lots of vocalizations. The bigger bucks that I've seen lately haven't been as intense as the little guys but that should change this week. Next weekend while everyone else is running around with guns I'll be hanging out with my bowtech for a few full day hunts in the duluth city limits. Hopefully find my trophy before WI firearms season.

[David Frank]

On my way out turkey hunting this afternoon at 1:45 PM, I saw a nice buck running wide open across a grass pasture after a doe. Looks like it could be a great week.

[Stratosman]

Tonight saw a very tall tined sixer, came within 20 yards, made a scrape and stood around for a while, there was a doe out in the hay field she saw him and quickly turned and trotted away, the six gave a quick grunt and off he went after her. Good times, not much I'd rather be doing right now than sitting in a tree stand with my bow.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

went to our rifle hunting area for the weekend and saw ALOT of scrapes! looks like its starting...

[Dahitman44]

Excellent.

I hope to make it out a couple of times this week, but with Halloween on Tuesday -- I don't know. I think they should move haloween back a week or two.

[David Frank]

I second the halloween move!

[fishermatt]

I hunted in northern MN this weekend (near Effie) and other than a few scrapes, not much rut activity. Saw lots of does and fawns, but no chasing was happening, even the fields we checked after dark had 20-50 does and fawns, but no bucks. What's up with that??

[rippinlips]

Hot hand

where abouts do you hunt in duluth I do quite a bit of bowhunting around there my brother in law lives right on the edge of hermantown and duluth and he has smoked a big 12 point last year that scored 146 7/8 and a 9 pointer last week that scored 164 1/4" there are a pile of deer in that city limits area I'm glad there thinning them out or at least trying to. While you've bing out have you seen any big boys.

[bigbucks]

Halloween could just go away all together as far as I'm concerned...

Went for only about 1 1/2 last night. Saw a small buck chasing a nice doe. They went by about 50-60 yards & I thought were gone, but I can called a few times & they came running back. The doe stopped at 40 yards in the brush & eventually saw me. I was sitting on the ground & guessed wrong as to where they'd come from.

[ChuckN]

I scouted and hunted on the family land near Land O Lakes State Forest, and the rut doesn't look good yet. 1 confirmed scrape and a small rub right next to it.

My dog and I did walk up on at least 2 wolves while grousin'. Had a stare down with one of them, before they circled me to get my scent. A lot of wolf poo around, and that sighting, makes me a little uneasy.

There are definitely a lot of deer in the area, just not rutting activity.

[Captain B.R.K]

Question about the rut:

When the rut is on, would it best to use some doe urine scents to make a trail into my stand from the main trail the deer use? Or do I need to have a good idea what trails the deer are using and hunt over them?

[harvey lee]

I dont use much for rut scents but I know alot of people do.I dont usually concentrate on the trails to much after the rut starts.The bucks will be chasing the the does anywhere they go if they are hot.

I would just find a area with a high population of does and hunker down and wait.This time of the year dont be afraid to sit in the middle of the day.If the weather and temps are cool the bucks will be pushing them does alot.

[Stratosman]

For a scent drag the best thing to do would probably be to take a route through the woods to your stand avoiding bedding areas af course. Bucks aren't going to stick to any certian trail and will wander between bedding and feeding areas in search of hot does, and if one picks up the scent, he might be lured in, ..Harv has it pegged, don't worry about trails and get into a high percentage area, like funnels, neck-downs ect between bedding areas and sit as long as you can.

[eagle_3464]

The rut is deffinately on. Driving to work this morning I saw 4 does in a field with 2 bucks. The bigger of the bucks was chasing the smaller away from his girls. They were grouped pretty tight in a plowed field with no real reason for them to be there other than the chase is on.

[Captain B.R.K]

I asked the question because I haven't had trail cams out lately and I was on the piece of land I might possibly hunt 2 weeks ago and saw lots of scraps. On every trail that goes through the woods, there were scraps.

Unfortanately I will be looking at bow hunting with slug hunters and I won't be able to hunt in my favorite spots in this particular woods. I just want to try and increase my odds a bit....doesn't sound like it will hurt- with the scent and the painful waiting.

[Stratosman]

Hey ya never know, something might get pushed right to you.... I was out from 1-dark today and saw only two, one doe about 2:30 and a 6 or 7 at 4:00 that made a rub and came to about 20 yards, he'll be nice next year if he makes it through the onslaught.

[roosterslayer]

I was out on monday mid morning up in carlton county just to hang a scent dripper with some hot juice and saw an awsome choclate antlered brute only 75 yards from my stand chasing a doe, and when she led him to thicker cover i slipped in quick, and out just as fast. i found a sweet funnel between a beaver pond and a field and my stand sit small ridge looking over the whole thing. i am so pumped i cant hardly stand it!!

[HC Eye Hunter]

I took off the midweek and went bowhunting. Most of the deer movement I found started early afternoon from 2PM to sunset. I have been finding a lot of fresh scrapes and it appears the bucks are just starting to get cranked up. It should be a great opener and we should see alot of buck activity from this point forward.

Good luck all!

[walterman]

Mainly movement in the early afternoon to evening but the rut is on. Seen many bucks in the last week, none within close bow range for me to feel comfortable taking the shot. Rub and scrape activity has also increased alot. Good luck to everyone this gun opener and be safe.

[fishinNhuntin]

I've seen plenty of deer bowhunting lately, almost every time out, but no bucks. Obviously with all the fawns I see with the does the bucks are there...somewhere. This thread seems to indicate that the rut sign should be out there, but I'm seeing nothing, no rubs or scrapes. So here's a theory I've been pondering in my head as of late: I think the buck:doe ratio is really screwed up in the area I hunt. So bad that the bucks don't need to do all these things to establish a breeding dominance....there's plenty of does to go around.

Any thoughts?

fishin'

[Studer]

Where we hunt the rut is on!!! Scrapes everywhere. Can't wait until morning. I think I will go to sleep at 6 tonight.

[matthothand]

It is on like Donkey Kong. Lately all I see is bucks...which is great. I'm lovin' it. I've taken four does so I don't have to worry about shooting a doe that may have a buck on her trail. Passed on a 130-140 class 8 this am and saw him again tonight just out of range. His neck was almost bigger than his chest! In the last four days scrapes and rubs have taken over the woods I hunt and like I said have only been seeing bucks. It's on.

[Stratosman]

hunted from sunup till noon, then 2 until dark, saw 12 deer four different bucks, passed on two bucks and 4 does, no shooters...but the deer were moving, most activity was between 10-12.