Vabowman

Ok I believe the rut is winding down very quickly in this area...I have been hitting stands that are typical doe areas, and actually have seen some fresh buck activity, just no bucks and a few does here and there....I had 2 fawns come rolling in at full speed last night and stop under the tree...no other deer came in...do you think a buck chased them off so he could get with mommy?? If this the case, then the rut is still active I assume? Do I still need to concentrate on funnels, pinches and bedding areas, or just find whwere ever the does are and keep at it?? or look for food sources and wait it out??

RockinChair

Tough to tell. IF, the rut is winding down then I would focus more on bedding areas and the trails between them and prime food sources hunting dangerously close to his bedding area cause if the rut IT winding down he'll be exhausted, pressured and moving primarily at night. If the bucks are still chasing hard I would keep at the doe areas. On the west side of the state our rut is just now peaking.

Vabowman

It may be the same here, b/c I found new scrapes and new rubs yesterday, just didn't see bucks...I know my brother in Pulaski called me yesterday and said his friend shot a nice 10 pt on the farm...he said they watched him breed 5 does on Wed!!!!

virginiashadow

Landon, I hunted a saddle yesterday with a lot of other ravines leading up and around a thicket. Saw a ton of fresh rubs(10-12 days later than previous years). I saw two does as I was exiting at 5pm last night, 50 yards off the area I was hunting. I will be back at it Saturday morning, early.

For me, if I can find bedding area close to food, it is gold. The major problem I am having this year is locating a consistent food source as the acorn drop is darn near NIL. I have been around a lot of smaller bucks, but am having a darn difficult time patterning any does, so my rut hunting has stunk.

RockinChair

Wow- that would be something awesome to see?

How fresh are the scrapes and rubs? If they are fresh then I would say that the rut is on it's downside simply because scraping and rubbing are predominately pre and post rut behavior.

hardcorehunter

Yea

GregH

I think you nailed it. For now you should still hunt the above areas. You will be looking for a buck that is in between does. The action will be slower, but a good one could come along. You just have to be there. During the "2nd rut" is when I start hunting food sources in the evenings.

Vabowman

I appreciate it guys....Greg, Im not sure when the second rut will occur here, but if it does happen I think it may be in mid Dec... but for the next week I will hunt food sources and close to bedding areas as I feel the bigger bucks are moving later and later everyday...

Hoyt_Viper

Landon,

Thats what I have done in the past week.. i have been noting the routes for feeding and water and changed my strategies to concentrate on these areas. My clover fields are filling up as the sun goes down, and last evening jumped a nice buck hiding out in the surrounding thickets.

After this weekend Im switching to the isalnds I showed you bordering the huge foofplots. I may start using my bow again since these are close quartersand away from the hunt clubs.

Dopler

We're entering the trolling period now, this is when most experts willtell you that you have got the best chance of scoringon amonster buck. The young kid fromSE OHthis morning who scored on the beautiful160" ten sounded like he found a trolling buck by the way it reacted to him.It's the time of year whensome nocturnalhogs will only show themselves as they are still way into the rut and they want to get the last of the 1st rut does. Travel corridors, funnels are good spots as trolling bucks tend to cover lots of ground.When a buck istrolling, I'veseen them walk downwind of wood lots on the open sidejust smelling the air, they know if there is a receptive doe they'll smell her just by walking the ondown wind side of the ground they are covering. Workingtransition changes of cover and working the downwind sideof parallel tracks of groundare alsogood places to be. You won't see as many buck this time of year but when you do, he's often a real dandy.