Is it on?
 

Im getting sick of hearing this already. People in WI think the rut is in Full Swing. IMO......its still the chasing phase. Has anyone seen bucks breeding yet.....nope! They are dogging does because they can sense its getting close. Its like walking down the street and asking every lady to go home with you. 9 times out of 10 your going to get slapped but there is always that one. Im guessing 5-10 more days before a lot of breeding goes on.

I'd rather be hunting during the chasing phase than when the doe's are being bred. Because once those bucks get in lock down mode theres not much of a chance of seeing them. Id say from today on, esp this weekend will be the best hunting of the year.

Are you saying that if I walked down the street and asked ladies to come home with me that 1 out of every 10 would? :biggrin:

Hypothetically speaking, it was a bad metaphore is used.

Haha whats with the hostility?? Honestly I've hunted through the peek of the rut every year and I am still yet to see a doe being bred so I don't think seeing breeding is the big tell all. I had a buck chasing a doe full out over 3 weeks ago. A buck isnt going to waste his time runnin a doe when he knows she isnt anywhere close to breeding yet. They know when the does are coming in heat. There has been alot of cruising going on and maybe thats what your refering to as chasing? I consider cruising to be on their feet crusin all day checking does. I've seen and heard of alot of chasing going on and when I think of chasing I think of a buck or multiple bucks running a doe and that usually means she is coming in heat very soon. Does are only in heat for 24 hours so if bucks are on her tail and won't leave her she will be bred very soon. As a taxidermist I can kind of see what phase the bucks are in. Right now they are gettin out of the cruising phase and starting to do alot of chasing and breeding. Some bucks are still eating but most are starting to run. Most of them still have good fat and inner fat but some bucks are starting to run it down a bit. I'd agree we havent hit the peek but we will by the weekend. It will tail off fast into late next week. You wanna be out there hunting now when they are cruising and chasing anyways. Another ten days and its going to be alot of tired bucks laying with their does in the bedding areas just waiting for those later ones to. Been alot of bucks killed in the last 10 days and I think the next ten days are going to be just as good if not better.

quoted for the truth.

That would be a simile because you used the word like. :biggrin:

The pre-rut "chasing" is definitely on in Ohio. I saw numerous bucks at all times of the day and they were definitely dogging the does, scent checking. This is my favorite time to hunt. Good chance to get a good one.

Well, I can definetly say they are chasing, and to be honest I didnt think they were, until today. I work off of Hwy 41 and Shawano ave, heavy city, we have this "Back 40" we use for spare parts etc. and I get a call, and go to investigate, and sure as hell 3 Bucks (2 eights and one broken 6) were chasing a doe around the "Back 40", from the edge of the highway, and back. NEVER have I seen deer in that area in my 18 yrs of working there. So they are chasing.

in all honesty i have even seen any chasing in south western wisconsin, seems like my property just became a "dead zone" the last few weeks...

i live and hunt in solon springs in northen wi and the chasing has been really slow still seeing doe just feeding alone been slow up noth so far

Good friend of mine actually just watched a buck top a doe tonight across the field that he hunts in Central Wisconsin!!! I wouldn't feel safe believing that this was the first doe concieved because most breeding happens at night, and we don't know what happens at night... We are very very close to the breeding stage. I would say prime is today-the next 10 days. JMO

I saw some chasing going on for the first time on Sunday, mid morning. A 4 point was chasing a small doe. Haven't seen a deer since...

This years rutting moon (second full moon afer the autumn equinox) is Nov 21st. Almost three weeks later then last years. There will be breeding and chasing late Oct and early Nov but the most breeding and heavy rutting with occur during Thanksgiving week. Im getting my info from the October 2010 Deer and Deer hunting Magizine by the way. They are compairing this year to 1997 and 2005. If I remember right 2005 rifle season in WI was pretty good with a lot of buck sightings