tucker610

Just got home a bit ago and had quite the night. The seek and chase phase appears to be on...

I saw 3-4 bucks (not sure if some were duplicate) and they were all shooters, which is a mature whitetail in my book (heavy 8 or better). They were walking quickly all evening. I had one buck who was very nice, follow a doe to 35 yards of my stand, but out of my shooting lanes. She continued her zig zagging walking and went the other direction. I could hear dear running in the ravine behind me. It was like being in a zoo.

Right after sunset, I had two mature bucks within 90 yards of my stand. One was thrashing a tree and the other was drinking from a spring. The one by the spring came within 45 yards and I think he caught some scent and turned around and trotted off. The wind had died and he was downhill and I think the thermals might have gotten me.

I only work one day in the next ten and what a way to start! I had some mixed emotions as the one very nice buck following the doe came so close to my stand. I almost didn't want to shoot, but he would have been very close to the nicest buck I have taken. He appeared to be a heavy, wide ten.

If you can go, this is the time.

highcountrysp

Well this morning I seen a small buck doing some heavy chasing. My buddy said he seen a monster buck doing some chasing in the cornfield next to the woods i was hunting. Seems like that cold from last night got them moving again.

Hotburn76

Had to work all weekend and unable to go out. My buddy went out this morning and shot a nice six pointer. He said the deer were moving all over the place all morning, even after he shot his deer. Going out tonight so hopefully it will be a good one. Good luck to all.

Hotburn76

Went out last night and seen six does. No bucks around at all? Does started to work their way towards me when one was about fourty yards awayand i was getting reading when another one got down wind of me and started doing the head bob dance and stopming her foot and after that it was all downhill.Can't go today its pouring rain all over ohio, not off until friday. Good luck all.

tucker610

Weather has been terrible this rut, so far. I have been off, but will not get into the woods today or tomorrow due to weather.

With the cold coming tomorrow and Thursday, things should really heat up.

Hotburn76

Well got off work today and realized we all got what we asked for, the cold and some snow fluries? Hope you guys are having luck. Cant wait to go out this weekend and freeze. This weekend will be a good and painful weekend. Its youth gun season and I promised my nephew that I would take him, only I usually have my deer by now. Oh well if he gets one it will probally feel better than if i did. I took him out when he got his first squirrel and that was pretty cool too. Any of you guys taking kids out this weekend?

thelupus

Last Sat. morning got to see some bucks chasing does around, but after thatI really did not see crap until Wed. Wed. morning I saw six, 3 of which werebucks butnothing really worth shooting. Mid afternoon around 1:30 saw a real nice buck far away, then a smaller 8pt came inaround 3:45. Right around 5pm I saw a huge buck, in my book he tied for first on the biggest buck I've seen on hoof (saw him once before, had no idea he was this big!) He got within 50 yards, just not close enough! None of the bucks I did see on Wed. were chasing does.

PointI'm trying to make, rut has been pretty fudged up this year. This weather has sucked til now! Just my opinon but it seems to me that the rut still has not really kicked in all that much, at least during daylight hours! Anyone else doing any good towards the end of this week?

Hotburn76

I agree with you lupus. I seen six does tonight and no bucks! my one friend said he has seen only a little day time chasing, but nothing major this week. The weather has really screwed with us this year. My nephew some how forgot about gun season and whenI called him tonight about what time to get him he was not home and at a friends house staying the night??? Guess i get to go out saturday!!!!!!

tucker610

In the last 2-3 days, I have finally started to see bucks cruising looking for does with their noses to the ground and moving quick. They are definitely seeking does and hauling butt doing it.

Hotburn76

Went out today for the youth gun season with my nephew and seen lots of does but the little guy was a little shakey with the single shot twenty guage. he took a couple of seventy-eighty yard shots but nothing got real close. I just helped him blame it on the wind. It makes me think of what went through my dads mind when I started at the age of nine. But off in the distance I seen a nice eight pointer running three does for about a half hour at around nine this morning. Maybe their is hope for this messed up rut this year.