Rut behavior

[Bear55]

But this is Minnesota, guys! We don't have the rut or big bucks in this state, just a bunch of small spikes and does, remember?

Thankfully more and more guys are letting little bucks grow up and if you are lucky you can experince a real rut. Years ago you alwasy heard stories about big bucks chasing does but it was rare if you ever got lucky enough to experience it yourself. I'd say most of the hunters in this state haven't experienced all that much rutting activity that is common in some of our neighboring states. Its actually a sad story but hopefully times are changing and as people become more educated about deer hunting they will learn to let those young bucks grow up.

[96trigger]

Quote:

Now we have to remember that all of these phases can and do overlap so don't be suprised to see does bread in late Oct and bucks chasing does in late Nov.

I think when the last two overlap, hunting is at its best. You get bucks chasing and bucks tending, basically, you get bucks all over the place and like you said, at any moment one can pop up.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Originally Posted By: BRULEDRIFTER

But this is Minnesota, guys! We don't have the rut or big bucks in this state, just a bunch of small spikes and does, remember?

Thankfully more and more guys are letting little bucks grow up and if you are lucky you can experince a real rut. Years ago you alwasy heard stories about big bucks chasing does but it was rare if you ever got lucky enough to experience it yourself. I'd say most of the hunters in this state haven't experienced all that much rutting activity that is common in some of our neighboring states. Its actually a sad story but hopefully times are changing and as people become more educated about deer hunting they will learn to let those young bucks grow up.

Actually, I was being sarcastic because I think it's a bunch of bull-phoohie! There are plenty of big rutting bucks in this state and I know I see signs of it all the time. I just thought this thread was funny because of how much I read on here about there being no big bucks and no real rut in MN, yet there is a thread dedicated to rutting activity and talk of when the big ones come out to play and how elusive they are, ect..... Things that make ya go hmmmm....

I'm hitting it hard from here on out! Gots me some vacay time to burn and plans, plans and more plans! I can't wait until 4 O'clock!

[harvey lee]

Thats the best way to catch a nice buck. Spend all the time in a stand in a good area and wait.

[96trigger]

Quote:

Actually, I was being sarcastic because I think it's a bunch of bull-phoohie! There are plenty of big rutting bucks in this state and I know I see signs of it all the time

Some of us know that there are big bucks in MN, we see them every year.

Unfortunately, in some parts of MN, the time, land, genetics, or deer population are not the same. In some areas, their might truly be very few big bucks for whatever reason. It makes me thankful for where I am and what I get to hunt.

[InTheNorthwoods]

Quote:

Actually, I was being sarcastic because I think it's a bunch of bull-phoohie! There are plenty of big rutting bucks in this state and I know I see signs of it all the time

Some of us know that there are big bucks in MN, we see them every year.

Unfortunately, in some parts of MN, the time, land, genetics, or deer population are not the same. In some areas, their might truly be very few big bucks for whatever reason. It makes me thankful for where I am and what I get to hunt.

I don't think many of the people who make comments on the lack of big bucks in MN are speaking to the complete lack of big bucks, but rather to the idea that there are far less than there could be.

I currently hunt ND and MN. I hunt both private and public property in both states and run trail cameras approximately 300 days a year. In ND I have a far greater number of mature or big bucks on camera than I do in MN. However, I have found that the deer in MN in general have better genetics and much greater potential. The biggest difference is that I see far fewer bucks in MN attain the age necessary to carry big racks. It seems thath there is about a 2:1 ratio between ND/MN of bucks reaching 3.5 or better.

In my opinion, it has everything to do with the mentality of the hunters and in MN compared to ND. In MN, it seems like there are more "orange army" hunters, or guys that come out of the woodwork and hunt only the firearms season and stay out of the woods the rest of the year. There is nothing wrong with this, but they have a different mentality and more often than not killing a deer is what makes their hunt successful. In ND, you have to apply for a tag, and when you draw a buck tag I believe it makes people more selective passing on the small bucks. Additionally, it means that not every hunter can shoot a buck, so there is less pressure on the antlered deer.

So again, its not that MN doesn't have big bucks. We sure do, but the problem I see is that the young buck population in MN gets pounded much harder than surrounding states limiting the number of bucks that have the ability to mature.

I guess that is not the model I would like to have, but I am not going to tell people that if that is what they like that they are wrong either.

[vister]

i think half of the rut is a marketing scheme! to get fools like us to buy all of those special scents, wicks, the list goes on! sure there are different phases, but those are not date specific. its the general time of the year that we are supposed to be focused on. if you're not in your stand, you wont see a thing.

I've been laid off since mid february, and believe me, i've done a lot of bowhunting! but the action is just starting to pick up, as the seek phase of prerut is taken hold. once scrape and rub lines start appearing, things are happening.

but don't get me wrong, the next few days, this fool will have scents hangin from those wicks i mentioned earlier. anything to help!

[Bear55]

InTheNorthwoods you pretty much nailed it. No one has ever said we don't have large bucks, we just have a lot less of them than other states. As soon as the mentality changes MN can reach its true potential. I'm not sure how we got left behind but it seems like all the states surrounding us sure learn a lot faster than we do.

[gr8icefishinmind]

InTheNorthwoods you pretty much nailed it. No one has ever said we don't have large bucks, we just have a lot less of them than other states. As soon as the mentality changes MN can reach its true potential. I'm not sure how we got left behind but it seems like all the states surrounding us sure learn a lot faster than we do.

By many people shooting the first thing that walks by there stand!!! I would rather not shoot a deer, or shoot a doe, than shoot a small buck. People need to learn some deer management and that would help out tremendously!!

[Scoot]

Guys, I'm not trying to be a crab, but let's get this back on track... if you've got info on how "rutty" the deer are acting in your area or if you've got other info that's relevant, please share it. If you have info/opinions about QDM or the size of bucks in the state, please find an old thread that beat this to death or start a new one that does the same thing once again. Sorry, not trying to be rude, but that's not where I wanted this to go...

Have a great weekend and go shoot a big ol' buck!

[harvey lee]

Scoot, I'll give you a good report for North Dakota as soon as my son and his buddies get back from the ranch.

[Stratosman]

I'll be out all weekend and hopefully will have a good report..

[james_walleye]

I'll be out all weekend, it will be interesting to see if 3-4" of snow makes a difference tomorrow morning. It will be unique to hunt in that on October 24th.

[Wanderer]

Scoot,

Thanks. I was about to go there too.

I stopped at the little bait shop in St. Francis tonight to pick my doe and this time, buck scent too for this upcoming "Happy Time" we're about to be in.

I almost have a hard time believing I'll just be chasing grouse in the Ely area instead of being on stand! But the stand it is for the next few weeks after this one before I head to South Dakota and look for those "close" 200 yard shots. BTW, last year the week before T-day was pretty rutty in SD. Glass all you can but when you spy that running doe, look a couple hundred yards behind her to see if he's a shooter.

Happy Time coming up!!!

[ac777]

Was out tonight, saw about a dozen deer, no bucks though. A lot of the does were with fawns still and didn't seem close to being in heat. But who knows, have seen a few rubs around, but not a huge amount yet.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Sorry, my wise crack/attempt at a joke led the thread astray.... it wasn't intentionally done!

Was out tonight and a buck was seen cruising an open field by the road and a buck with a lone doe was jumped of the ridge we were hunting. Saw a few fresh scrapes, too on the way to my tree.

I'd say the "good times" are upon us!

[Archerysniper]

Whent to switch chips on my camera and found about a dozen scrapes on the trail leading too my stand/camera site 100 yard walk checked the photos and had 6 bucks for sure a few you could not see the head on and 7 does all this has been since sunday at 11am still nocturnal but it wont be long now.

[riverrat63]

saw a 150 and a 170 chasing does the last 3 days and scraps and rubs are every were.

[bottom-bouncer]

Hey scoot was out last sunday seen some rubs and afew scrapes. monday morning on my way to work I had a decent buck cross the road in front of me nose to the ground and oblivious to the traffic coming at him.

[riverrat63]

there are ton of big deer in min, look in the p@y and b@c books there are more big bucks in your state then you think just because its not on all thows tv shows dont mean there not out there you just need to hunt hard and be smart about it just dont go out there for a couple houre then go back out at 3 hunt all day put out sent it dose work trust me i shoot a 150 last year with a drag line, i dont want to sound like i no every, i dont want to make any one mad im sorry if i do,

[Code-Man]

I was out on the stand last night. Just hung it yesterday and saw a wheat stubble field to the north of me. Had about 20 does out there and all of a son a big boy came out. Definate P&Y buck. got into the field and with how calm it was I figured I would see what would happen if I grunted. Hit the grunt twice and he dropped his nose to the ground and pushed every single doe out of the field. DOn't know if that was just luck or what but seems I hit a nerve with him.

[WestCentralGuru]

Ive been out every week since bowhunting opened. Sat in many different stands. Seen lots of deer early on. Let many 8 points and smaller walk. Lots of does and fawns. As of late, ive been hardly seein a deer. They have almost exclusively become nocturnal. The scrapes are not showing in my area yet. They just started rubbin up the trees a week or so ago. It shouldnt be long now, around halloween and it should get heated up.

[spivak]

this morning near Duluth, I had a nice buck circle behind me as he was cruising the woods. Back and forth through the timber. He jumped a small doe who wanted nothing to do with him. He continued on--I could hear him for a long time.

[james_walleye]

Well i was out this morning and this afternoon. I didnt look for rubs or scrapes in either spot. It was to and from stand and didnt see anything either time. This morning i had deer all over the place. First light a 2 year old 8-pointer came through at 60 yards with his nose to the ground. 1/2 hour later a little scrapper chased a doe and 2 fawns all over behind me. And about 8am another 2 year old 8-pointer cruised through.

This evening i went to a different property with the wind switch. About sunset a lone doe came through. 5 minutes later i see another lone doe browsing along. Then i heard a grunt and about 25 yards away is a half rack fork. He grunted for 5 minutes while watching her. Then she decided to trot right down in front of me and he went balls out to cut her off. He came right under my stand grunting and growling to beat the wind. Right at last light a 3rd lone doe came through and when i left and as i turned out of the field drive onto the gravel i saw yet another lone doe in the headlights. Lots of frisky activity, but all 1-2 year old bucks doing it.

[ac777]

I've been noticing the young bucks doing that as well, but havent seen mr. big around yet. You would think he wouldn't want the little guy to get in on the action before he does? Especially since I have been averaging about 12 deer a night on the one field I am hunting.

[Archerysniper]

Whent out tonight and had to sit the ground blind over my food plot due to the wind rattled at about 5:30 and at 5:40 could hear a buck rakeing a tree and grunted about 8 yards away in the thick prickly ash too thick to see him and he never came out of the thick stuff.

[FISHINGURU]

mr. big knows it isn't time for the real action to start yet...every year the young bucks get all pumped and impatient....but its on like donkey kong for the next two weeks!!

[koonie]

there are ton of big deer in min, look in the p@y and b@c books there are more big bucks in your state then you think

You may want to check the dates on those entries. We aren't in the top tier of big buck producing states anymore. Not that there aren't big deer in Minnesota but we aren't producing like we used to. I believe we could be THE top state for big bucks if... well that's another thread.

[Swap Buck]

Went out a checked my camera after a week. I now have four new bucks coming in that I have not seen all year. Fawns are still with there moms. But should be splitting up soon. Still no Mr. Big, but it won't be long now!!!

[DonBo]

New scrape in my hunting area the last couple days. Lot's of rubs around as well. Haven't seen him yet....