Pa pre-rut activity?
10-10-2008, 08:04 AM
#1
Giant Nontypical
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mont County, Pa
Posts: 7,368
Pa pre-rut activity?
I was wondering if any of my fellow Pa bowhunter's have noticed any pre-rut activity yet? I haven't even seen my first scrape yet, and still very few rubs. How about you guys?
10-10-2008, 08:09 AM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Phoenixville, PA USA
Posts: 5,541
RE: Pa pre-rut activity?
I saw a big boy make a scrape on Tuesday with a smaller buck hanging around to check it out once he was done. They were also bumping does and harassing them a little. I've also heard some guys hearing sparring and fighting and saw 2 1.5 year olds straight up brawling about 2 weeks ago. On the other hand, I too have seen very few new rubs this year.
10-10-2008, 08:53 AM
#5
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: masontown pa USA
Posts: 851
RE: Pa pre-rut activity?
Haven't seen to much rubbing in the places I usually do this time of year either.Kinda wierd though, Marylands season opened in mid sept, and I scouted with a buddy up there a week before the season, and we found a cr*pload of rubs on this one little flat. I couldn't believe it.
Keep tabs on the scrapes you find now, those sometimes turn out to be the ones they frequent once things start getting fired up in early november. The rubs will start showing up like magic here soon too. As long as we keep having thechilly nites, things will progress nicely. What sucks is the past few seasons, we've had some warm days in november that kinda slowed daytime activity. But the early mornings were a lot of fun.
Keep tabs on the scrapes you find now, those sometimes turn out to be the ones they frequent once things start getting fired up in early november. The rubs will start showing up like magic here soon too. As long as we keep having thechilly nites, things will progress nicely. What sucks is the past few seasons, we've had some warm days in november that kinda slowed daytime activity. But the early mornings were a lot of fun.
10-10-2008, 12:00 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Southwest PA
Posts: 1,244
RE: Pa pre-rut activity?
Just throwing something out here. There's been a lot of talk across this and other forums about early rut activity. I believe it is just boys being boys and like Rob said the bucks would be doing it in July if they could. But with that said, obviously, many are seeing different activities than they have normally seen in all of their years hutings.
So do you think this could be a result of a better buck/doe ratio in many areas? I know that was a big goal and it was way out of balance before all of the recent herd changes. Not trying to start a battle on what you think of AR/HR, just curious what everyone thinks a more balance B/D ratio does? and could it affect what a lot are seeing?
So do you think this could be a result of a better buck/doe ratio in many areas? I know that was a big goal and it was way out of balance before all of the recent herd changes. Not trying to start a battle on what you think of AR/HR, just curious what everyone thinks a more balance B/D ratio does? and could it affect what a lot are seeing?
10-10-2008, 12:25 PM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: masontown pa USA
Posts: 851
RE: Pa pre-rut activity?
I think it depends on the area. One placeI hunt has a nice size heard, plenty of deer, and the rut is basically a bunch of your typical 12" wide 8 pts' running around harrassing does from the first chilly day in october tillend of the season. An occasional 17-18" 100inch buck will show himself here and there, but it's mostly "teenagers" on the prowl. Another spot I hunt, which is about 30 miles from that place, is a differnet ball game. Again, a decent number of deer, but the buck herd is a little different. Better genetics, some older bucks too, and the rut seems to operate differently there.Everything just seems to be calm, the boom, one day you climb a tree, and some good bucks are on the move, fighting, scraping,trailing does and running the show likeitshould be.
Some places are still out of wack as far as the ratio goes, other places are ghost towns, and some seem to be sporting a good balance. We'll never get balance statewide, but it is better in some places, but not so good in others.
Some places are still out of wack as far as the ratio goes, other places are ghost towns, and some seem to be sporting a good balance. We'll never get balance statewide, but it is better in some places, but not so good in others.
ORIGINAL: Pops423
Just throwing something out here. There's been a lot of talk across this and other forums about early rut activity. I believe it is just boys being boys and like Rob said the bucks would be doing it in July if they could. But with that said, obviously, many are seeing different activities than they have normally seen in all of their years hutings.
So do you think this could be a result of a better buck/doe ratio in many areas? I know that was a big goal and it was way out of balance before all of the recent herd changes. Not trying to start a battle on what you think of AR/HR, just curious what everyone thinks a more balance B/D ratio does? and could it affect what a lot are seeing?
Just throwing something out here. There's been a lot of talk across this and other forums about early rut activity. I believe it is just boys being boys and like Rob said the bucks would be doing it in July if they could. But with that said, obviously, many are seeing different activities than they have normally seen in all of their years hutings.
So do you think this could be a result of a better buck/doe ratio in many areas? I know that was a big goal and it was way out of balance before all of the recent herd changes. Not trying to start a battle on what you think of AR/HR, just curious what everyone thinks a more balance B/D ratio does? and could it affect what a lot are seeing?
10-10-2008, 12:28 PM
#8
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Phoenixville, PA USA
Posts: 5,541
RE: Pa pre-rut activity?
ORIGINAL: Pops423
Just throwing something out here. There's been a lot of talk across this and other forums about early rut activity. I believe it is just boys being boys and like Rob said the bucks would be doing it in July if they could. But with that said, obviously, many are seeing different activities than they have normally seen in all of their years hutings.
So do you think this could be a result of a better buck/doe ratio in many areas? I know that was a big goal and it was way out of balance before all of the recent herd changes. Not trying to start a battle on what you think of AR/HR, just curious what everyone thinks a more balance B/D ratio does? and could it affect what a lot are seeing?
Just throwing something out here. There's been a lot of talk across this and other forums about early rut activity. I believe it is just boys being boys and like Rob said the bucks would be doing it in July if they could. But with that said, obviously, many are seeing different activities than they have normally seen in all of their years hutings.
So do you think this could be a result of a better buck/doe ratio in many areas? I know that was a big goal and it was way out of balance before all of the recent herd changes. Not trying to start a battle on what you think of AR/HR, just curious what everyone thinks a more balance B/D ratio does? and could it affect what a lot are seeing?
10-10-2008, 01:04 PM
#9
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location:
Posts: 145
RE: Pa pre-rut activity?
I shot an 8pt while it was working a scarpe on the first day. I have a stand up now over another large scrape for my roomate to hunt in the morning. The buck I shot was following a doe already too
10-10-2008, 06:10 PM
#10
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: North East, PA (outside of Erie, PA)
Posts: 769
RE: Pa pre-rut activity?
As of yet I haven't found a scrape or a rub. I know that they are they as I have plenty of pics onthe Cuddeback. Usually my area doesn't show much activity in the early parts...last year I only saw 6 deer the first 3 weeks. Then I finished the season seeing deer everytime in the stand with a total of 14 different bucks.
