# Rut is strong this year



## The_Typical_Type (Nov 6, 2015)

Rut's strong this year. Dog was outside this morning and a doe ran out of the woods, right at our dog, and into the woods. Then later today we saw some bucks trailing the doe, and got some nice pics on the trail camera.


Sent from my iPod touch using Ohub Campfire


----------



## Rainbow Record (Jul 13, 2012)

The_Typical_Type said:


> Rut's strong this year. Dog was outside this morning and a doe ran out of the woods, right at our dog, and into the woods. Then later today we saw some bucks trailing the doe, and got some nice pics on the trail camera.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPod touch using Ohub Campfire


witnessed the same thing letting dog out before bed in a fenced in area he bolts to the fence barking like crazy its dark but i notice a doe pinned up against the fence looking at the dog then over her shoulder and man he was a beast very large 10 point with a 2 inch drop on one side she would not leave the fence with the dog yapping and growling at her legs I was finally able to call him back in and let them complete their task 
p.s. live in city limits can't hunt probably get hit by car


----------



## Hook N Book (Apr 7, 2004)

Good golly. The exact same thing happened to the wife and pup this morning. A 6'ER and three others came right up to them as she was walking the pup. The neighbors kid was also out walking their dog when she saw them and started calling for help. LOL
And yes, I'm in the city too.


----------



## the czar (Aug 14, 2008)

In Washington County for last 2 days no rut at all no chasing nothing .more scrapes then a week ago but that's it


----------



## Rainbow Record (Jul 13, 2012)

the czar said:


> In Washington County for last 2 days no rut at all no chasing nothing .more scrapes then a week ago but that's it


I know what you mean the episode that happened were I live is in summit county and I hunt in portage county saw 15 deer with my son saturday night all were does and fawns not a buck around and no chasing went back on sunday and seen 3 does and a young 6 point no sign of rut and a few scrapes


----------



## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Last week my buddy watched a little 6 point walk up to a group of 5 does feeding in a cut corn field. There was no chasing, no dogging, no nothing! None of the does ran away. They, basically, paid no attention to that buck whatsoever. I went out hunting this afternoon and saw a dandy 8 point, but had no shot opportunity. It didn't seem to be following anything. No nose to the ground. It just seemed to be out cruising, and it cruised into the middle of a wide open cut corn field at 3:20 PM! A great vantage point to see and be seen. Also, neighbors in the area are reporting seeing lots of deer movement during the day. I have the feeling we are very close, so I've scheduled lots of time off this week. Good luck everybody!


----------



## The_Typical_Type (Nov 6, 2015)

The does on our property just ignore the bucks. As far as I know we only have 2 bucks between my 2 acres, the neighbors possibly 3 or 4 acre, and the other neighbors, I dunno' 1 and a half acres. They basically bed down in that general facility and they cross the street but who knows where they go. Funny that everyone else was having similar stuff happening! 


Sent from my iPod touch using Ohub Campfire


----------



## hogheadjeremy (May 28, 2010)

Here in Seneca county all I see are lil bucks just sniffing around. Any other reports?


----------



## Bluewalleye (Jun 1, 2009)

hogheadjeremy said:


> Here in Seneca county all I see are lil bucks just sniffing around. Any other reports?


I just spent the last week in the woods, and all I saw was basically what you saw. Just a few small bucks up and trolling. And really they weren't trolling very hard. I hunt in Tusc county. It has been a very disappointing rut for me. And with youth season and then gun season just right around the corner. My season is over... Until late season muzzle loader....


----------



## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

I may have been premature in my assessment. It occurred to me the other day that one of the unfortunate signs of the rut is dead deer along the highways. I haven't seen one yet this Fall. 

On the fortunate side, my buddy was able to send an arrow through a spike buck on Friday afternoon. Looked for him that night, and found him yesterday. My buddy kept saying he was a "little" buck. True, he wasn't much in the antler department, but Jeez-a-loo, what a big body! One spike was 8", the other 3". I think he just had wacky genetics and never would have a nice rack. This makes 4 different bucks seen there, and every one of them was all by their lonesome when they showed up.


----------



## The_Typical_Type (Nov 6, 2015)

buckeyebowman said:


> I may have been premature in my assessment. It occurred to me the other day that one of the unfortunate signs of the rut is dead deer along the highways. I haven't seen one yet this Fall.
> 
> On the fortunate side, my buddy was able to send an arrow through a spike buck on Friday afternoon. Looked for him that night, and found him yesterday. My buddy kept saying he was a "little" buck. True, he wasn't much in the antler department, but Jeez-a-loo, what a big body! One spike was 8", the other 3". I think he just had wacky genetics and never would have a nice rack. This makes 4 different bucks seen there, and every one of them was all by their lonesome when they showed up.


I agree, so unfortunate about all the dead deer on the highway and back roads. Tell your buddy that I said congrats! Also I have seen a pretty nice size doe cross the street a little bit down the road. Hunting a little slower in portage county for me now, hopefully muzzle loader brings in more for me and some other hunters. Got to fill up my freezer!


Sent from my iPod touch using Ohub Campfire


----------



## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

The_Typical_Type said:


> I agree, so unfortunate about all the dead deer on the highway and back roads. Tell your buddy that I said congrats! Also I have seen a pretty nice size doe cross the street a little bit down the road. Hunting a little slower in portage county for me now, hopefully muzzle loader brings in more for me and some other hunters. Got to fill up my freezer!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPod touch using Ohub Campfire


Yea, thought the rut was a little weird is year around these parts. Think the 2nd rut will be a good one.


----------



## cbranig161 (Jul 25, 2014)

Was in muskingum co. hunting public land this weekend and seemed like the rut was still active. Had a doe come in and wind me at 40 yards and high tailed out. Then had a big 10 pt move in nose to the ground trying to pick up her trail. My buddy had a spike chasing 2 does and had a 8pt trailing them. Took a shot on him and found him a couple hours later.


----------



## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

cbranig161 said:


> Was in muskingum co. hunting public land this weekend and seemed like the rut was still active. Had a doe come in and wind me at 40 yards and high tailed out. Then had a big 10 pt move in nose to the ground trying to pick up her trail. My buddy had a spike chasing 2 does and had a 8pt trailing them. Took a shot on him and found him a couple hours later.


This is ironic in that I just got off the phone with my son. He is at work and was watching two large bucks fighting over a doe in a field across from his office.


----------



## cbranig161 (Jul 25, 2014)

fastwater said:


> This is ironic in that I just got off the phone with my son. He is at work and was watching two large bucks fighting over a doe in a field across from his office.


The third day of gun season last year I had a basket 8 chasing a doe in this same area.


----------



## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

The last couple years, have seen what seems to be an unusual amount of fawns being born very late. This year I had seven deer, 6 does and a button buck showing up here in the yard eating under the persimmon tree. Not one of them weighed over 60lbs. Saw several more very small deer while out on stand. 
Last years rut as well as this years seemed really strange. Bout the same as this year. Seems it was off and on but strung out and hard to tell when it peaked. But seemed it lingered on. Don't know what the reason is but I just wonder if some of these late born fawns just aren't mature enough yet to come in season but will be in the near future. 
Again, from what I saw around here, the second rut should be fairly strong.


----------



## supercanoe (Jun 12, 2006)

Our lower deer population means more available nutrition for each individual deer in the population. This allows more yearling does to reach the minimum mass required for breeding by the time the second rut arrives, resulting in more late born fawns.


----------



## turkeyt (Apr 13, 2006)

I had 2 good bucks on cam 10/30 10/31. Never got a pic of either one after that when, I pulled my cards on 11/11. The mast crop was terrible in most of southeast Ohio. The deer were moving closer to agriculture and fields after they cleaned up what mast there was. I believe this is why I stopped getting decent pics from my hardwood site cameras. When a lot of hunters put their stands in the hardwoods, they were not seeing as many deer as when the mast is good. The deer will leave or starve if they don't find a food source. I would say the corn feeders and birdfeeders would have been a good stand location. I think a lot of the breeding was taking place in the night because, a good portion of the rut time was very warm this year.


----------



## The_Typical_Type (Nov 6, 2015)

fastwater said:


> Yea, thought the rut was a little weird is year around these parts. Think the 2nd rut will be a good one.


Secondary rut is good! I have a doe but I gotta' get this buck!










Sent from my iPod touch using Ohub Campfire


----------



## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

The_Typical_Type said:


> Secondary rut is good! I have a doe but I gotta' get this buck!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That is a trophy for sure. Hope you bag him. 

Can usually tell when the 1st rut peaked,mark it on the calender and then just figure about 30 days thereafter for the second. This year was very hard to determine when it peaked. I know more bucks than normal seem to be still cruising looking for that late 1st rut doe.


----------



## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

supercanoe said:


> Our lower deer population means more available nutrition for each individual deer in the population. This allows more yearling does to reach the minimum mass required for breeding by the time the second rut arrives, resulting in more late born fawns.


Bingo, my observations from over 25 years on the same farm is that the yearlings normally come in the 3rd cycle and the numbers vary greatly from year to year. Some great rut activity when it occurs.


----------



## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Lundy said:


> Bingo, my observations from over 25 years on the same farm is that the yearlings normally come in the 3rd cycle and the numbers vary greatly from year to year. Some great rut activity when it occurs.


That being the case, our 3rd rut should be a fantastic one.


----------



## SelfTaught (Mar 27, 2014)

Saw a small buck this morning on my farm chase a doe full sprint from 500yards away woods to across the road through our fields over the creek and lost site of them. Pretty cool to watch. 11:00am on Thanksgiving morning. & last year a guy shot a 10pt on our property on thanksgiving. Maybe i should be hunting turkey day mornings more often lol


----------



## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

We have experienced some tremendous rut activity with the yearlings in Jan many times. However I haven't had strong activity in Jan for the last 3 years. Maybe this year will be different, it all depends on how many late fawns actually come in.


----------



## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Lundy said:


> We have experienced some tremendous rut activity with the yearlings in Jan many times. However I haven't had strong activity in Jan for the last 3 years. Maybe this year will be different, it all depends on how many late fawns actually come in.


Has been the same around here the last couple a years. The 2nd and 3rd rut seemed about normal. But did notice, especially last year and this year a huge increase on the amount of late fawns. The number of small deer around here this year that weigh no more than 60lbs or so is incredible. And even before the rut peaked, they all seem to be herded up with no larger does in the packs.. Very strange!


----------



## seang22 (Mar 3, 2014)

I bet it would be good to sit right in the thicket late season


----------



## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

seang22 said:


> I bet it would be good to sit right in the thicket late season


Well...if that's where the does are at that are getting ready to come in season...absolutely. During all ruts, find the does ...the bucks will be there.


----------



## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

My buddy has a mechanic who has some incredible buck mounts on the office walls of his shop. He says he got most of them in the late, late season after the New Year. That means the 3rd rut! As he puts it, the bucks are running out of does to breed, and are running far and wide to find the few targets left available. Claims to see more action in January than November!


----------



## hogheadjeremy (May 28, 2010)

When do you guys think the secondary rut will kick in?


----------



## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

My opinion the second rut varies greatly based upon the deer density of the areas you hunt. You may see no second rut activity at all if all of the does that came in were bred during the first rut. The yearling does would not be at a point to come in by November and would not be available until typically January, if they come in at all.

When I have seen second rut activity it has typically been mid December, but I have never witnessed much of a second rut like I have the third where I hunt.

All of that said I've also occasionally seen bucks chasing does during our gun seasons. I watched one this past Wednesday chasing a doe all over the place.


----------



## seang22 (Mar 3, 2014)

I've never seen a 3rd rut myself... Not saying it's possible just never seen any action


----------



## supercanoe (Jun 12, 2006)

Deer density, available nutrition, and buck to doe ratio all influence the breeding cycle and if/when there will be additional breeding cycles. These variables can change drastically from one area to another. It would be hard to pinpoint a specific time period to hunt a late breeding cycle. Late season feeding patterns would be a better strategy to focus on.


----------



## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

buckeyebowman said:


> My buddy has a mechanic who has some incredible buck mounts on the office walls of his shop. He says he got most of them in the late, late season after the New Year. That means the 3rd rut! As he puts it, the bucks are running out of does to breed, and are running far and wide to find the few targets left available. Claims to see more action in January than November!



I can relate to this as well.

Have killed many cruising bucks during ml season in Jan. and with bow a week or so after ml season. Like your mechanic buddy , the first couple weeks of Jan. has always been right up there with the Nov.rutting activity with me as well. Usually watch the intensity of the Nov.,Dec activity to try and get a handle on what Jan. rut will bring. Can't wait for this year.
Like others here,have seen more continued chasing and New scrapes,rubs showing up daily. Saw two new rubs just yesterday and several fresh scrapes. The rubs were on very large trees. One about 8" across and the other measured about 11-12" across. Also witnessing old scrapes still being regularly maintained...more so than normal. Excited!


----------

