PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

Is it just me or are we a little late with the pre rut this year? By now I'm usually seeing the immature bucks doing a bit of confused wandering. Havent seen that yet on my spots even with the cold weather. I'm just wondering what you all are experiencing out there.

Maybe tomorrow will be different....

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

BT i havent seen anything yet, but my buddy hunts some prime time farm land and he told me that sat. he saw least a 3 1/2 yr old chasing a doe hard. and yesterday he was out w/ his brother and they had the video and i just got done watching it and a 10pt came right in to his tinks that he put out. did not offer a great shot and didnt stick around long. but in his area seems like the big boys are moving around some.
hope things pick up for you and me
good luck

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

Bob, I don't know what to make of things this year. I'm seeing zero rub/scrape activity in my areas. I slipped out of work yesterday and scouted a new area near work that usually holds a ton of deer. I saw a ton of tracks and droppings as expected, but the spots that are usually littered with rubs and scrapes are void of any such sign. I failed to find a single rub in the entire area. I did see a guy today with a nice heavy 8 point in the bed of his truck. He said it was just wandering by itself when it came in to him. I think the rut is going to occur after the season has ended.

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

livbucks....what part of pa r u in

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

hey guys I was in Green county saturday seen a couple does thats it !
was out fayette county no activity their either ! saturday i hope something is happening.

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

Things were slow up in our area of NE Penna for a while but this past weekend a saw a few fresh rubs and scrapes. Not the amount of most years, though. We usually have a rub on every other tree in the overgrown clearcuts. I still think it's a little early. I also saw a nice 120"+ eight pointer sparring with a spike out in a hay field.

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

I'd say we are definately into the Pre-rut here in Lycoming Co. Usually Oct 21 is coined as the first day of the "hard" prerut. Monday I saw a 2.5 year old wonder, Tuesday night same thing, Wednesday he was out again looking when a 4.5 year old kicked his arse. Tonight I watched a 2.5 year old aimlessly wondering, he was on a mission. It's picking up, I don't think we're late, right on time. It had been fairly warm which didn't help daylight activity.

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

I have seen a few youngbucks by themselves and some scrapes as well...I think each year the rut comes in a littlelater then the years before....Our calender system does not match that of the deers... Like todays date oct 24th falls on a tuesday next year the 24th on a weds 2008 on a friday..You see what I am saying...Every year is goanna be diffrent from the year before...Plus the daylight times and moon phaseschanges also year to year for the date....Just my 2 cents on the thought about the rut...

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

Allegheny County, Where are you?

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

I live about thirty miles west of Pittsburgh and I'm seeing scrapes and rubs everywhere in the woods. There has been a sharp increase in the amount of roadkill on my way to work near the airport. Usually that is a sign that the pre-rut has began.

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

I took a quick trip to Bradford County over Columbus Day weekend. On the second day of my trip I had a small 6pt chase a pile of does past my stand at 10am, grunting as he went. The next day he came in alone... his mistake. Taking him out on the four wheeler we found 6-8 scrapes within 100yds of my stand.

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

Where in Bradford County? I hunt and own near Canton........

Yes, they deer are moving in Bradford County. I have a large 100-105" 7 point on the property that has been scent checking does in one field we own, and Dan had another smaller 7 walk under his stand Sat morning that was out cruising. Next weekend should be good I hope. Maybe we will get another cold snap.

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

I am just not seeing any buck sign like i have in the years past.... I know there are around , just the amount of territorial rubs and scrapes are at an all time low , i usually see atleast a bunch of small trees that have been picked on by now , and im not even seeing that.... as for deer activity , the wind this past weekend blowing at around 17 mph in my area didnt help , saw the hind end of one as it walked in some thick crab apples , and that was it all weekend , not a whole deer was spotted by me..... i hope it changes soon , im starting to get really frustrated!

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

ok now were cooking !!! seen @ 3:00 today in a wide open field A buck chaseing a ALBINO DOE !! I SLAMMED on the brakes to watch he was going crazy don't know how big he was to far away but it's a good sign !

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

i have seen an increase in roadkill on my way to work this week 3 does in one day. I have also seen about 4 scrapes and a couple of rubs. I saw the buck that was doing them but he was a small one. Hopefully this saturday i see some of the bigger bucks i know are in the area.

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

Rick,

I hunt just north of you in the Columbia Crossroads - South Creek Area. I have been hunting that area for almost twenty years now. Ask me, the hunting has never been better. Sure I dont see 30 does at time any more but I do see decent bucks on a regular basis. We took a trip out spot lighting one night and I saw more 120"+ deer than I have seen in all my previous years combined. I only had 3 days, so I settled on the first legal buck that gave me a clear shot. Next year I will be staying a full week so I can be a little more picky about what I shoot.

MA_bwhntr

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

I hunt up in bradford county as well near le raysville. Last weekend i hit the can b/c i saw a small six about 100 yds out near some does. After i hit the can, he go all fired up and started chasing the does with the head down posturing check to see if they were ready. I also rattled a little which brought him in but my area has recently been logged so he was able to circle downwind and after checking with his head up and not finding any does he walked off (never winded me though which was good)

Very cool encounter.

We also saw a large 8 checking his scrapes along a field edge in the early evening about 6ish.

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

i think were very late

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

we're right on time. I've been seeing some buck sign not as much as years past but i've been finding it. I rattled a buck in tuesday night but was presented with no shot. They are on their feet the pre-rut is here. It usually kicks off good right around halloween so we're right on time here in somerset county.

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

The roadkills are everywhere the past few days! It wont be long now......

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

Iwould have to say that here in bradford county things are heating up.
monday the 23rdI had 2 small eights under my stand in the am, missed one at 30 yards then I hunted my other stand in the afternoon and had another eight walk past just out of range then a seven point came in chasing does and grunting the whole time. Here is a pic of the seven point.
I went up today around noonto take down my one standI shot the seven point out of and heard a deer walking in behind me grunting butI couldnt see him.

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

Sproul, try to keep it on the topic please! This thread is about PA hunters observations as to pre rut activity.

Not every thread about PA has to be turned into another wailing session about no deer in 2G!

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

i thought i was over on another topic..my fault on that,i am getting these off my e-mail and not watching topics..thanks for correction.

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

im starting to see alot of activity

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

yes, it started here in wmu 2g on my privateland on oct 21st..

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

Saw 4 young bucks this morning. They were trolling / wandering. That magic time has arrived!:D:D:D

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

I saw the first signs last night. A small 4 and 6 were chasing some does in a field nearby. I took a rideto a farm nearby where you can smell the estrus during the rut, but it didn't stink yet. I haven't seen that many roadkills either.

RE: PA guys seeing any pre rut activity yet?
 

Mixed emotions for me. Things are finally heating up and I'm leaving in the AM for 20 days:(. On the other hand, I'm leaving to go hunt Illinois:D