What phase of the rut are we in I know its the pre rut right now but how far into it are we and is it too early for ratteling/calling and scents

here in PA we are just getting started in the rut, im not how far in you are but one thing i have learned isthe key to rattling now is to do it soft. just tickle them a bit. infact if you bash them together now and make it sound like they are full out fighting a lot of times you'll scare the deer and actually make them wise to your style of calling. imo

Here in Northern Idaho..


October lull for the big boys here.. feed/sleep bout it.. younger bucks are banging heads and rubbing up a storm. Scrapes are starting to pop up etc... its really the calm before the storm here in 3 weeks! This week and into next week the scraping will really start to pick up. Bucks will start seeking hard come about the 10th of Nov..chasing following that and then breeding those last two weeks and first week of Dec..

Good luck...

I saw a small 6 pointer lastnight chasing a young doe, they could have just been playing, but he was trotting along pretty good behind about 40 yards or so. Im guessing right now were getting towards the end of the seeking phase getting ready to go into a full blown chasin phase/rut phase by mid to late week. I rattled a nice fork horn in yesterday morning, he came running in, buit other than that havent really seen much activity at all this last week due to the crappy weather and heat. Lets hope Wisconsin cools off or well be looking at a repeat of last season. CRAPPY!

yea last season sucked for gun and bow man I hope it cools offf i got some time off of school at the end of the week and will be hunting then hope it cools down for that

It depends on where you are and your local herd. Do what they respond to best.

we are very very much in the pre-rut !!!

Around here in Ohio the bucks are getting hormonal, but they are 99% nocternal right now (at least the mature ones). Little guys are running around all day. The biggins are just feeding and bedding, but they are moving more than before. Next week or two they should really turn it on and begin to actually move with some sort of purpose.

This Saturday I watched a mature buck feed right past 3 does without a care. Obviously, no rutting activity as of yet here.

I've grunted in a couple of nice bucks. I haven't rattled yet. I like to rattle in the morning instead of evening hunts. It's just been to warm here in NC to see very much activity yet.