Next Weekend... Rut?
 

Well I am heading up to NY to my property this upcoming weekend. Im getting a bit worried, because many people have been seeing rutting action for two weeks now... Do you think this up coming weekend with be a good weekend to "rut" hunt? Im thinking it might be just past the peak with many bucks already finding does already. What do you guys think?

Rutting
 

I ve seen 2 bucks in the last 3 weeks , 1st one was 3 weeks ago and was eating in the field right next to 2 does .
2nd was yesterday moning abought 2 hrs after lite .
He seamed to be on a mission and alone .
I tried gunting him in and doe bleats with no luck .
Almost seqamed to scare him a little ??
He was 350 yads away at the time ,,,,:eek2:

Tracker, when a grunt scares a buck, it could mean there is a much bigger buck in the area, and the one you are looking at is afraid of him.

Don't worry. While there has been a lot of buck activity in the NE, the vast majority of doe haven't come into heat yet. Basically the bucks are in rut, the does are not. Which is actually the best time (right now)to kill a big buck. They are on the move, scraping, scent checking doe groups, fighting, and chasing does , but actual breeding is approx a week to 10 days away. This weekend should bring very high levels of deer movement, and chasing action to most hunters in the northeast and midwest. Remember, the rut is a PROCESS that builds in intensity from actually the time that the bucks lose their velvet in early september, right on up till peak breeding.

Awesome! Thanks for reassuring me lol. I cant friggin wait.. the school days go by so slow! I think im gonna take anything 5 points and up, as long as the body size is good!

Come faster weekend :barmy:

This is one of the best responces to this question I have ever read.

For this weekend would you guys say rattle, or bleat? A combination of both? Whats more valuable to the bucks right now?

This is the time where you "let it all out." Everything you have in your bag of tricks. I lay a scent trail, doe in heat, and try to walk the long way into my stand, hoping any deer that crosses that scent trail will follow it in, and they often do. I also hang scent wicks in my shooting lanes, and I'll be doing rattling sequences every half hour or so, with grunts and bleats mixed in as well....You want to make it sound as if a doe just entered estous, and a couple bucks have already found her and are fighting for the rights to breed her. This will attract any age class buck, hoping to sneak off with the doe while the other bucks are preoccupied with fighting. This is the magic window that we wait all year for,...kinda like bottom of the ninth, game 7.....Don't hold back, or be conservative with your hunitng strategies. Good luck, buddy. Hope you get that first bow buck!

Awesome advice.. I will try all that you mentioned. Do you use code blue?

Code blue is good stuff....I usually cheap out and use the Primetime scents from H.S. ....they are way cheaper and they work very well. If they didn't work, I'd just pay up for the pricier stuff. Laying that scent trail (on a drag attached to your boot or a stick) is my all time favorite. Many times, I've done that early in the dark, and right at daybreak you hear the grunting first, then here comes a buck, nose to the ground, like a bloodhound coming right in. Every buck that comes in (even small ones) make the trail that much hotter, as any buck that finds it, now smells that other bucks have also found it and taken up chase. When I call, I like to start with a couple doe bleats...wait a couple minutes, then give a few deep grunts, then a loud snort wheeze....smack the rattling bag and work it hard about twenty to thirty seconds...then a few more grunts. Repeat every twenty to thirty minutes until I see a deer. before starting another sequence, be sure to take LONG HARD look all around you. Too many times I didn't look carefully enough and had a buck watching me that spooked when the guy in the tree started making all the racket! Keep your eyes peeled. Hopefully anything that comes in and circles downwind, will smell your scnet wicks and come in. Very important to be as scent free as possible right now, esp if calling like that, as big bucks wll circle in downwind. So you can't rely as much on a favorable wind protecing you from detection...you have to use best scent control practices adn hope they focus on the lures you placed out, and come in anyhow...which they often do. They get just dumb enough right now to lower that guard and their sexual instincts make them do things that they normaly wouldn't. And watch those does...they can be really spookish right now, with the bucks chasing them, and they will bust you in a second. Good luck!!!

Sounds good. What should I use for the scent trail attached to my boot? Rope? How much estrous should I put on that rope?

As for the snort/wheeze... Im kinda nervous about trying that... Does it scare other deer away alot?

Don't snort wheeze if a deer is close or looking at you. More as a stoppper if a buck is going by out of range and won't come to your grunts. Also makes your rattling more effective...mature bucks often snort wheeze in aggression before they charge another buck. I use small diameter rope or parachute cord to attach my drag. Just spray it with de-scent, and try not to handle the rag/ wick...or wear latex gloves. You have alot of questions, and that's great. I love to see kids so interested in hunting. I reccomend that you buy a subscription to deer and deer hunting magazine, and try to absorb everything you read. That magazine can teach you things that would otherwise take years to learn about deer behavior. Best magazine out there, imo. It 'll never steer you wrong. I live in pa and there was mega chasing action today. I'm sure ct is experiencing the same thing. Good luck, bud. This is the best time all year to get a buck! Hope those tips help you out, and if you get lucky, be sure to share some pics!

Yah, I cant stop thinking about hunting lol. And one more question.. You said you use a small rope and then said careful handling the wick. So I basically just tie a wick or rag to a rope and then that to my boot? Ive tried all sorts of scents and estrous before but never tried a drag. Ill be hunting at the property in NY where our family owns 70 acres. Mostly woods and a fiew small meadows. On average between a morning and evening sit I will see about 5 deer. I will look into that magazine. Thanks again for the advice. And I will definetly post pics after I shoot that nice 10 point this weekend. :s4:

Havn't peaked here in upstate NY yet! You should be coming at a great time!

Here in PA we definitely havent reached the peak yet as i think that will come this weekend or early next week so you should be in excellent shape for your trip. Use the advice that screamin gave as he gave a lot of good stuff. I also love using a drag with some doe in estrous on there and have seen that work many times bringing in deer that you would never see if you didnt use it. Good luck and make sure you let us know how you do!

Screamin Steel,
is right on the money. This is the same thing I'll be doing. The next 5 days should be the best days in the woods. Sit all day if you can. I actually sit over my food plot, morning and evening and sit near the bedding area from 10-2pm. The big boys will cruise these beds at this time.

It looks like it's going to be a warm weekend.. Hopefully the bucks will still be chasing a lot. Highs into the 50s :bash:

Well... The weekend went pretty good.. Except for the fact we saw very very few deer.. Normally we will see about 5 a day a piece. From saturday to this morning I only saw 3 deer and my dad NONE! Its weird, its like the deer all disapeared off of the face of the earth. No rutting activity what so ever. This weekend I expected to see the most deer up there I have ever seen due to the Rut. But no. Anyways, I still got a deer :s2:. Ive been watching this button buck for a few weeks.. Couldve shot him anytime but I wanted to wait for a bigger deer. Well, I decided to take him yesterday at 2:10 because I only had the rest of the evening and monday morning and I wasnt sure if I would be able to get back up there again for bow season. Pictures and full story to come tommarow.

My dad and I had the same experience....like they've disappeared. Feels like lockdown in Chautauqua County.