Just wondering if anyone has seen any signs of the prerut yet. I'm heading down to Central Illinois next weekend and wonder if anybody has seen or heard anything yet. I think we have a good cold front coming through midweek so I'm hoping that will be the trigger. Any thoughts or ideas on when you think it will be starting please let me know. Thanks!

I am in central Missouri and we are seeing more buck activity. Mostly running the field edges and leaving a rub or two. I think we are still a week away from a decent pre-rut yet though. Late this week the weather cools off a lot and should be good hunting.

Good luck.

I'm in North East Adams County(IL) and Tuesday(Oct. 18) night my 8yr old and I sat in a ground blind watching a cut corn field with LOTS of volunteer corn coming up and saw 19 deer. 2 were 2.5yr old bucks that chased some does out of a draw then started fighting each other rather seriously!! Not just tinkling the horns but all out fighting...So yes I would say this cold snap has some pre-rut activity starting!!

Thanks guys, heading down to Central Illinois tomorrow and wondering how much the deer will be moving. Looks to be a little bit warm but pretty cool nights. Hopefully this will get them moving under my stand. I am quite excited for my first real hunt of the year!

I watched a fork horn chasing 2 does under my stand yesterday afternoon. The does were browsing acorns but the aggressive little buck had different ideas. From all the Illinois reports that Im getting from locals around here, YES, the pre-rut is on! The rain & cold this week did the trick.

I think pre-rut is starting. Checked cam down in McDonough Co. that I have on the "perennial scrape tree" & getting many more pics over the last 1-1.5 weeks. Had some big boys show up, had a 2.5yr old tend the scrape, had 2 basket racks pushing each other around - if it's not here yet, it's awful close!!

Anyone see anything worth reporting this morning?

I could not make it out this weekend. My buddy did. Sat morning he saw 7, 5 were bucks. He rattled in a nice 120" class 8 pt. So if this is NASCAR the green flag is out.....its on. This be a Northern IL report.

Yesterday around 4:30pm I did a rattling sequence & had a basket rack 6pt come barreling in about 5 minutes later. He came in all puffed up with his chest out & ready to fight. He hung around for about 15 minutes & then lost interest. He's lucky to be living.
Also rattled again at 5:30pm & had a little 4pt chasing a doe & her yearling come to me. Never had a shot on the big doe & I let the buck walk. But both times I rattled I had deer come in within 5 minutes.

Pre-rut is definitely on in Central Illinois.

I didn't see anything like that this weekend in Fulton County. Rattling and grunting came up empty. I think the warm weather was not helping at all. Oh well, I'll be back the first weekend in Novermber and by then I think the woods will be nuts. Did see a fair amount of scrapes and smelled a hot doe which I thought was very unusual but wow, walking through you couldn't mistake it.