RE: Official Rut Thread
 

Wow I was doing some grunting and NOTHING. Course maybe it is just public land. The only thing I can think of is all the deer are off rutting on private land. :([&:]

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

I seen a nice buck in a feild about an hour before dark. I grunted and grunted and bleated and rattled and he never looked my way. I was watching him with binocs as i grunted and he slowly walked off.

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

well.... we had a nice big skunk.. my friend saw a doe bed about 70 yards from him but we found some awsome sign in a ""special spot"" i hunted a nice scrap line that popped up since last week and he hunted a rub line that he found in a funnel (also popped up since last week) talk about some HUGE rubs...... if only i didn't have work so i could lock it down everyday all day:(

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

Nice buck lefty. How manybucks do you guys get to take in MD?

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

So with the warm weather this weekend, how are you guys going to play it? Stay home? Or set up some place different than you normally would? If you all think my time is better spent at home then I might just go squirreling instead.:)

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

well i know i will be in the woods fri an sat.i cant wait for next week iam off the whol;e week ill be down shore hunting

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

We can kill 3 in Archery, 3 in ML and 3 in Rifle/Shotgun, plus 10 doe in each season.

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

I have been out for a good part of last weekend and all day yesterday and today. I would say the pre rut is in, but it is very slow. I see young bucks still making all the noise and not much from mature bucks at all. A week and a half ago they were going nuts, and bigger bucks were on the move.

Ever since this last weekend with the full moon it has been very sparse. I did see a nice six point all over the place today and he got chased away at one point by a slightly bigger one, but not much more rut activity that that.

If I had to make a prediction right now, I would say that the week of Thanksgiving is going to be the week when it all happens. I hope it is sooner, but right now I don't see it happening.

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

Wow the rut during the shotgun portion. That ought to be interesting.

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

I think I'm moving [8D]:D

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

We have liberal bag limits but there are no deer in this state.......no one should come here to hunt, especially on public land, I killed the only buck left on public land...:D:D

Like everyone has said things are moving a little slowly. Here in MD the temps have been toowarm just like last year. I have seen a lot of deer dead on the highway,I think any rut activity thats happening is happening at night right now. Next week is calling for colder temps that may get them moving more during daylight hours.

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

C'mon Bro... you know there's plenty of deer across the river.... I see 'em swim across to Ft Fredrick... I aslo see 'em on the other side below dam5

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

Southern MD,
in stand at 3:15, Does started to move 40 minutes before dark in the swamp bottom, previous to this they where nocternal from what I could see.

Slack

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

The full moon has the deer moving strictly nocturnal right now. Although I did take a nice 7 point buck Tuesday around 3:15 pm. He was making a b-line straight for a scrape no more than 10 yards from me. It does seem that the rut has started a little slow but it seems the area I am hunting the buck activity has really picked up over the last week as scrapes and rubs are really increasing.

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

If it's any help at all I spotted a few rubs on one of the trails on campus in Rochester the other day. Earlier tonight I was out walking around with my flashlight and scared myself ****less when I saw a couple eyes glowing about a hundred yards down the trail the rubs were on. I didn't get close enough to see if it was the buck, but when heading back down the trail to make sure he didn't get downwind of me I got pretty close to a few does. I've never gone out looking for deer at night before, and now I see why you aren't allowed to hunt with a light! One of the does let me walk right up ten feet from her standing broadside. I guess deer are like fishermen... they like shiny things!

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

Well the weather was warm this weekend so I went out with a friend and squirrel hunted. Saw a decent sized 5-6 point. Figures. I can't win.[:@]

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

Things have not been good lately around here in 7f. The woods seem DEAD! Heck even the squirells have gone silent.

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

Out today in central MD,
About 4:30 some yearlings moved through, 10 min later 2 large does where chased 30 yards off to My right,
10 min after that a gaggle of does and yearlings come through 30 yards to My left, followed By a large buck, 10 min after that he chases them all back through on My right, had does milling around till dark, at dark trying to come down with 2 that refused to leave the base of the tree.

With all that action I never had a shot :( Hunting in thick stuff on a heavy trail, problem is, none used the trail !!

Slack

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

Anyone having any luck or seeing any action this week? I just moved my second lock-on to a new location and am hoping that I have some luck tomorrow from about 12 til dark. I've heard of some rut activity from a buddy and his dad who got two bucks on Monday, but haven't talked to many others.

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

I think the rut is over or close to being over. I seen alot of action the end of october and 1st week of november. I went out sat, mon and tues and did not see any fresh sign or bucks chaseing does.
I may be wrong let's see what others think?

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

Guys, The does are Full NOW! On monday eve I tried a new stand where I need the perfect wind. Well, was only on stand 5 minutes and fawn showed up alone. I knew that her mother was either dead or with a buck in heat. It was the latter. For 3 hours I watched 7 different bucks fight overher. The main one was a mature 3 legged 9 pointer. I watched him actually breed her at 35 yards. A 2.5 yr old 5 point eventually worked her away from him. He bred her right UNDER MY STAND!! Two bucks actually went the whole way with her and I had no camera! I have hunted for 30 years and that was a first!! I wanted 3 legger as he was non-typical. This is central MD. The pre-rut was great where I hunt as the weather was cold. Does seemed to start comming in heat around election day and big bucks have been with does since then. I think there will still be some does during this weekends cold shot. Big ones should start trolling as fewer does are in heat and harder to find.

RE: Official Rut Thread
 

I doubt that the rut is over. If anything, the rut should be coming into more of a full-swing period now. The end of October and the first week of November was more of the "pre-rut" action, where the bucks are chasing the does around, but the does aren't fully ready yet. Now should be the time where a good majority of the does are ready to breed and therefore the action should be steady. This is just what I've observed over the last 12 years of hunting Maryland, so I could be wrong, but then again, I wouldn't say that the rut is an actual science either. Good luck to all who go out today, I'll be out.:D