Rut Reports

[MattL]

I had a small buck chase a doe right past me this morning. Unfortunately it was on the way to the woods and I took her out with my truck. Messed up the grill, bumper, and passenger side quarter panel.

Once I got to the stand I had a 10 point come by around 9:30. He was still too young so he got a pass, but I have a date with him in a few years. I got out of the stand at 11 and an 8 point trotted through the alfalfa field about 50 yds away as I was shedding a few layers for the walk back to the truck. He was oblivious to my presence. I watched him hit the edge of the woods across the field and he made a few rubs before meandering off.

Overall its been slow compared to other years on this farm. I'm not too optimistic since 2 studs were taken off that farm last year and I have nothing mature on camera this year. But I will be hitting it hard the next 7 days because anything can happen this time of year.

[Shu]

Good night tonight for deer watching. 3 does hit the corn field and then one by one, bucks ran out to chase them around. 3 does, 3 bucks, one was pretty decent. Then 3 does came out on a different part of the field followed by a buck that chased them around for a bit. The next few days should be real interesting. Also had a big bear out in the field, would have thought they would be in a den by now.

[Stratosman]

Dead where I am... didn't see a deer last night or this morning, couldnt believe it, lots of fresh scrapes, all nocturnal movement yet it seems, gonna be real soon... Gonna hunt a different farm about 30 miles away tomorrow morning.

[st.croixfishin]

I managed to miss a nice 8 point this morning. Shot it for what I thought was 25 - ended up it was 32... Came in chasing a doe with two other small bucks. Went out for evening stand and planned on hanging a new set close to where I saw the buck go that I missed this morning. Turns out I could not even get to that area - on my way in I spotted a set of antlers just over the tops of some tall grass. Very well could have been the one I missed this morning and it looked like it was locked on a doe. Would have made a cool photo! Saw a few doe in another area, but didn't make up for the lost opportunity this morning. Thankful to have had the opportunity, just didn't turn out as planned. Overall, a fun day in the tree.

[james_walleye]

Tonight was much better for me. 6 does out in front of me for an hour. Finally a young scrapper came out and chased them off.

[B-man715]

Get your butts out in the woods now!

Had a great day in the woods. Saw a dozen deer, six of them were bucks. In the stand at noon, saw a decent 6 dogging a doe at 1:30. Then good action up until about 6pm. Had a bruiser cruise by at 60 yards through the brush Stopped him with a grunt, but he had other things on his mind

Passed on four bucks in range, the biggest was a spindley eight point. A great day in the woods, and I look forward to a bunch of all dayers over the next eight days!!

Most of the bucks were either dogging a doe, or following the scent of a doe that passed by.

Seen it all today, bucks chasing, dogging, rubbing, scraping, grunting, licking branches and even heard a 20 second spar (wish I could have seen it)

Deer were upwind, downwind, leftwind, rightwind..........they didn't care

Good luck guys! I look forward to seeing some pics of your deer hitting the dirt soon!

[matchset]

Get your butts out in the woods now!

Deer were upwind, downwind, leftwind, rightwind..........they didn't care

ohhhhhhhhhhhh man! i love it when the woods are a 3-Ring circus

[harvey lee]

Cant get my butt out yet until next Saturday but it will be all the better by then. Shot my archery buck way to soon this fall.

[Archerysniper]

I almost smacked 2 giants with the truck last night as they were chasing a doe into the property I had just left from hunting

[archerystud]

Saw 4 does and a small buck this morning. I've been hunting the same stand but it is producing so I'm having a tough time leaving it!!! Seems to be a lot of does in the area so I'm sure the bucks will be cruising through. I should have sat longer this morning but I have some stuff to get done.

Probably saw my other thread "Dang Does" but I had a nice 8 dogging some does last night. One of the does had to be real close, she wasn't getting too far ahead of him. Also found a BIG rub in another area I scouted out. I might also place a set in that area but I need to scout a little further in. I wasn't sure of the property lines but I got back home and realized I could have went in further.

[dave12341234]

saw a small fork yesterday midday, heading out right now!

[FishinFools]

11:30 this morning I nearly got run over by an 8 pt while I was mowing the leaves in the back yard. (south twin cities burbs) His neck was huge!

[the man]

The past few days been seeing does and three small bucks a spike, fork, and a six. Now its just a matter of time for the big boys to be on the chase.

[Nathansdad]

Things are picking up fast here in western Wisconsin. Buck numbers and size on my trail cameras the past couple of days has been off the charts. Somebody must have turned the switch on. Yesterday late afternoon I saw 3 does/fawn bust out of the woods thru a cut cornfield on a full out run and behind them was a large buck on the chase full speed and grunting loudly. Maybe we'll have a good intense rut this year? Hopefully they keep it up for a while.

[mabr]

They moved good tonight. had 7 in bow range and heard several bucks grunting out of site. Then got down with too much light (7 pm) and had at least 2 bust me as I took my first 3 steps from the stand Urggg.

[hunter322]

Was out workin on the stands tonight, deer sign everywhere! Saw alot of rubs, and scrapes. Heck one of the scrapes i saw was 4' in diameter! Checked the cameras and we got a nice giant on there and a bunch of little bucks but they are all nocturnal no day time movement yet.

[birdswacker]

Hunter, are you on the east or west side of 35? I'm on the west and not seeing squat.

[Bear55]

Worst last weekend of Oct in years, was on deer but no good bucks and very little buck sign in any of my spots. There has to be a hot doe somewhere pulling them all of them away from me.

[Stratosman]

Hunted am and pm in an area I havn't been in yet this year, a 100 yard wide funnel between two doe bedding areas, this morning 3 bucks, all 8's and 2.5 yo, a couple does. Nothing chasing or following. Tonight, 4 does and one little sixer. Should be a good week!

[B-man715]

Going strong in NW Wisconsin!

Here is a crappy cell pic of a big woods public land buck I dropped the string on this evening

Tomorrow I'll get some good daylight pics and post the story!

[96trigger]

Was better tonight. Had 3 deer feeding in front of my stand early. Kicked them out walking in. Had another deer below me, caught a short glimpse of it when I grunted. It wanted nothing to do with that. Couldn't tell what it was but it was not big. Had someone on 4 wheeler right at prime time in the field at the bottom of the bluff. Heard voices down below me, Idon't think that helped. Maybe someone got a deer down there. There is another stand 100 yards from mine across the fence line.

[Jeff13]

Hunted hard out all day. Nothing to show for it. Tracks and all over even hunted a fresh scrape tonight. Thought for sure it was going to happen today.

All my cameras though have all my buck activity between midnight and 2:30 AM the last few days though. A little disappointed today.

[96trigger]

Hang in there, that's how I felt yesterday. Its going to pop very soon, then the fun begins.

[no bait nate]

Hunted yesterday morning until noon. Saw over a dozen does working the areas all around me and had 4 different bucks show themselves. Two of the bucks showed withing minutes of rattling sequences. Very exciting having them rush in looking for trouble. To bad the biggest buck was only a tall six that will be great in a couple of years.

The evening was less eventful with just a handful of does working the field and a small fork trying to rub some bark with his tines. It wasn't working well for him but fun to watch from 10 yds away.

[hockeybc69]

4 of us hunted this weekend.... Not even a sign of rut while one stand.

5 cams, there is definitely more buck activity in the last few days...... all at night.

[hunter322]

birdswacker, i live on the east side of 35 and also hunt the east side of 35 down by hugo.

[Big Country]

Active bucks in the Duluth area. A friend had two bucks fighting in front of him a few days ago. When they finished he drilled the big 8 that dressed out at 190. Went with my son yesterday to an area my parents hunt. Bucks are tearing the trees up all over. Opener should be fun in these parts. BC

[Cheetah]

There were lots of small bucks being seen the past few days where I hunt. I finally had a couple come by me last night at 12yd and 5yd but couldn't get a shot on the one I wanted without spooking him. I saw one doe being chased hard by what looked like a big bodied buck on Friday night but I couldn't see the antlers from where I was. I'm planning on taking this coming Friday off again to get out in the woods.

[skee0025]

I was at my dads place over by Pepin WI this weekend and had Does chased through the front yard on both Saturday and Sunday night just at dusk. We also had a nice sized Buck walk out of a standing corn field at 1:30 in the afternoon.

[archerystud]

I missed a nice 8 this morning, inside spread out to the ears, decent mass and height. I guess you can still make rookie mistakes after 30 years of hunting. To be honest I'd like something a little bigger and it was a clean miss.

My peep wasn't turned and then I rushed the shot. But this buck had no idea I was there and he was cruising. He probably would have given me another shot except he could see me reaching for another arrow. I should have let him pass and I will be I could have grunted him back in. He was on a mission.

I'm going to switch to another property, I'll see what the action is like over there.