I posted this in the south forum earlier but I wanted more input. I was bow hunting last Saturday 10/10 here in central VA. We had rain and fog in the morning. We have not had much rain this summer and fall so that was the first weird thing to happen. The turkeys were gobbling which was a first for me to hear in the fall. However, what really got my attension was about 9:30 a.m. I had a doe come running past my stand with three small bucks(spike, 4pt and 6pt) behind her and two fawns behind them. Has anyone else seen any rut activity yet? I know it is early for this to be happening and I first thought that they were running from something or form me. They made several zig zags thru the oaks where I was sitting. The bucks stayed really close to the doe and seem to keep the fawns away. The whole group stayed around my stand for about 10 minutes before the doe went running off again with bucks in tow. I read an article in deer and deer hunting mag. about the rut being in two phases this year one in Oct and one in late Nov here in the south. I don't know how much credit i give that, but saturday was enough to make me re-think the article. Just was wondering if anyone else was seeing the same things or was I just day dreaming.

Kinda seeing the same in South eastern Va too. Had several does pass with buck not far behind. I was thinking much the same they sure looked like mid/late November deer? My brother took a large 8 the first Sat. He said the deer was raising quite a fuss, scrapes and rubbing branches. Pretty worked up for the early in the season. Good Luck

Up here in Northern VA, I haven't seen any bucks chasing does yet, but they are rubbing like there's no tomorrow. I've come across quite a few rub lines in the past several weeks. Arrowed a small buck opening day on one of these rub lines. Had 2 other does and a doe fawn with him. Took him at 14 feet! Keep me posted about the rut activity down in central VA.

The 8 pt I got Oct 2nd responded to rattling and ran two does past me, the night before I had a buck grunting while chasing a doe behind me.

Some does can always come into heat 28 days before peek rut, or bucks will do what bucks do, and may start chasing does early for no good reason, other than they are a bit anxious.

Nothing deer do suprises me anymore.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>