A neighbor of mine got a buck Sat.Oct 12th iwth bow and arrow and his neck was swollen from the rut. This was near Blackbird, De. and it was 8 point, like a basketball rack,, really it was in the woods behind my house...

Your right...things are really gearing up. Went last night and you'd a thought it was the middle of the rut..I had bucks chasing a good size doe around me for about a half hour! They were grunting and rubbing and running all around! One was a really good ten point. Has a chance to shoot but thought he'd move forward and give me more of a quatering away shot. Lesson number 1 = take first chance you get!!! Another was a 2.5 year old eight point. The procession was follow-up by two yearlings. Saw 15 deer total. Hunting an out-of-the-way white oak patch (it takes hip boots to get there!!) Acorns were raining down everywhere!!! They started coming in at 4 pm!

thank you

Boy, you're not kidding! I was in the middle of raining acorns last week and nearly every sapling was rubbed. Deer traffic all evening. When the acorns finished, the deer relocated somewhat. I did too and have been watching an earlier than normal rut here too. Rubs and scrapes are everywhere. The doe I killed yesterday morning was recovered less than a yard from a steaming fresh scrape!

Today's small bucks are tomorrow's trophies.