I went out this afternoon and the deer were in the fields at noon. I had to get to my honey hole and moved on a few does. Wind was right and I watched the corn and the bedding area. I heard what I thought was sticks being snapped and turned to see 7 deer running around all frantic like. I raised the bino's and saw a 160's or better turn and slam into a smaller probaly 140's to 150's buck. I have never seen this before while in the stand. They locked up two or three times and the bigger deer ended up chasing the smaller in a circle and running him off. All deer exited going away from me to the south. Around 3:30 I here and see deer running in the distance and can faintly make out grunting noises. As the chase insues here comes the same group as before with the same monster chasing the girls around. They go to the edge of the field turn around and head back to the south again. i am pretty sure the 140 class was chasing in this group because I saw him going south panting like a track star and trying to keep up.
I have seen new rubs and scrapes very fresh. This is more rut activity than I observed during Nov. and Dec. I can only think it is the snow that has stirred things up. Same monster buck was with the does the night before in the top field. He is hanging around mature does and yearlings as well. Saw four bucks total and all were limping like pimps! What's going on?

I live in MO, and I don't know either. Found a fresh scrape last weekend, and this evening while running some errands, I witnessed a buck chasing a doe in an open field....

I was out walking around looking for turkeys last weekend and found about half a dozen fresh scrapes.

People around here are reporting a lot of scrape activity too so who knows. Haven't been able to get out much myself, too much dang work to get done with the snowy weather.

sometimes an early drop yearling doe will have a heat cycle in late dec. or january usually if she's bread she'll have one fawn that will be a late drop