Illinois Progress

HAZCON7 · 10-25-2005, 03:27 PM

Can we start a thread for Illinois Rut / Buck Progress???
What is working / what is not / etc

What is working now...
This morning(10/25) I had a shooter buck come in over 100 yards to a doe bleat (primos rubberneck.) He left then came back again after another round of doe bleats.

What didn't work ...
He paid no attention to buck grunts, young or old, nor to rattling, light or heavy.

What didn't work ...
A friend put out some dilute doe estrus and scared the begeezus out of a buckand 4 does.

Anyone else in Illinois care to chime in???

salukihunter · 10-25-2005, 03:39 PM

I went out on Sunday morning 10/23 and had a small buck come in chasing 3 does. I thought this was a little early but who knows (maybe he's like me, a youngin' lookin to have fun, haha).
Anyways, i too used a doe bleat and it seemed to work because after heran off with the does he came back to investigate. He may have also been following a trail from another doe though because there were several in my area that morning. All just a little too far and out of my comfort zone. Good sign though if they're chasing already. Can't Wait!!!

Orion in IL · 10-25-2005, 04:10 PM

Saturday evening, 10/22, had a mature buck storm into a freshly cut corn field to check the 9 does in the field just before last daylight. (Did not respond to my grunt call).

At dark, two more bucks entered the field and the three had a stand-off for a minute or two.

On Friday, 10/21, I had two young bucks spar for a few minutes over a harvested bean field. Nice to hear the tickling of antlers.

Haven't seen many bucks in the AM (only in the PM).

Heading back down to the property on Nov. 2, 3, and 4, - not liking the forecast though - too warm (62 degrees).

I can't make it the following week since I will be traveling for work.

Not sure if I believe in the late rut predicted for this year (Nov 15th ish).

I'd say we are on track for Nov. 7th or 8th.

Good Luck.

HAZCON7 · 10-26-2005, 06:38 AM

Great - anyone else care to share?

hunter25 · 10-26-2005, 07:05 AM

Saw a nice 10 ptr a week and a half ago. Did not respond to my grunt call...in fact, I think it may have spooked him.

Will start using some rattling & grunt sequences this weekend (10/29 & 10/30)...never know what you might stir up...it's getting close to that time!!

titleist_03 · 10-26-2005, 09:20 PM

As soon as I got to work today 6 does came busting out of a fence row across a corn field. Then a couple mintues later a little fork horn came across after them. I would say in another 1-2 weeks the big boys should be starting to chase pretty hard.

Vogt_51 · 10-27-2005, 12:12 AM

I think we are pretty close to the pre-rut, or at least that first "false" rut.....I read that somewhere around 10% of does go into rut at this time.....So far my unlce, who hunts about 5 miles from me has seen 2 nice bucks chasing does....and I saw a130-140 class 10-pointer chasing a doe hard on tuesday morning. Between me and my dad, who usually hunt together within a couple hundred yards out of stands.....we have been rarely seeing my movement at night....However, I did see a HUGE 8-pointer through some thicket some 80 yards away at dusk on saturday night. I would say that with his mass and spread he was over 140. I cant be 100% though because of the thicket and the light conditions.
I havent noticed any bucks really reacting to anything at all....perhaps I am not blowing good calls, technique wise, or maybe they just dont care around where I hunt. I use the primos great-big can, and usually dampen the noice a bit....and I sometimes use either the Truetalker, or some no-name buck grunt. Like I said, maybe its me, maybe its not, but so far I have got no results out of those.....and rattling as well.

LETS KEEP THIS GOING!! THIS IS AWESOME!!

Jeff K · 10-27-2005, 05:34 AM

10/23 Had 2 bucks come in the morning, grunted and bleated to one, did not care, and rattled and grunted to the other, and he kept walking.

I have not seen any bucks since sunday, but does I have, single does walking through the woods. No bucks behind her, but she was a little skidish, and jumpy, a black walnut fell in the back ground and she jumped from the noise.

The big boys are cruising at night and early in the morning still, little guys might chase, but thats it. 1-2 weeks and we can expect some midday movement from those big boys!

titleist_03 · 10-27-2005, 06:26 PM

I saw a 150 inch deer trotting through a corn field this morning at 1130 am then a 140 inch deer trailing two does at 330 this afternoon. I think the big boys are starting to move a little more during the day. Like someone else said, I think this is kind of the false rut. The full moon last week might have brought a few does in early. Around the next full moon they should be chasing like crazy!

bolton22 · 10-27-2005, 07:12 PM

Yesterday(10-26) I saw a couple little scrub bucks chasing does....Nothing responded the doe bleets(the BIG CAN) but the little bucks came in to the grunts(tru-talker)....Then I shot a doe on just general movement with no calls.....