Originally Posted by
bronko22000
Well the rut is definately not on yet. I've been in my stand almost every day since the opener here in PA. I figured I logged in about 126 hours in the stand. The bucks have been making scrapes and in the past 2 weeks there seems to be a new rub around my stand almost daily.
The temps dropped in the evenings recently (27 degrees yesterday morning) but still warm during the day. Buck have just started cruising looking for hot does. The younger bucks are harassing the does and you may ocassionally see one chasing. But the bigger boys are waiting. I figure it will be about another week or so until the rut fully kicks in. It seems to be very late this year.
I have been extremely lucky lately in that I found an old RR bed that the buck use to cruise back and forth looking for doe. They can cover a lot of ground quickly and quietly. And it is in an area that no one bothers except an occasional grouse or turkey hunter coming thru. That is what you need to look for. An old logging road, RR bed, or even a ridge line that has a prevailing crosswind that the buck can use as they look for a receptive doe.
Oh Im seeing a few Bucks, but not the Buck movement that I should be seeing. Some times it not uncommon for me to see a dozen or so different Bucks in one day from my stand. Im on some old Buck travel routes and Doe Bedding ground runs that always produce Deer sightings. We know the Deer are there as we spot them at night in the Corn and Soybean fields, but the Warm Weather during the Day has slowed daytime movement way down.
It's just one of those years I guess, I still have another week to go and like I said Cooler Weather and Snow are comming and that always gets the Deer Moving and Fired up. Also Bow Season for me is Big Bucks or nothing, 130 Class or better, Gun Season is for Meat in the Freezer with the DMP (Doe Management Permits) so if I dont see the Buck Im after I go into Firearms Season with 2 Buck Tags to have for Shotgun and Late ML Season, I'll take a Big Doe or Two with the DMP Tags and wait out the Big Bucks then too.
(BP)