Best rut hunting ever!!! (northeast PA)
 

Me and my buddy hunted mon, tues Wed this week. All i can say is UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Monday My day started as I pulled up my bow at 6:05 am and watched a huge buck walk by me at 25 yards in the moonlight all I could see was huge white horns. (and this is in the mountains no farm land for miles). As day light approached there were numerous bucks chasing does and all of them were slammers but all were over 100 yards off!!! One as he walked off was outside his ears at least 4 inches on both sides!! Sounded like a bulldozer going thru the brush as he chased a doe round and round!! Then I look up and see multiple large racked bucks going round and round thru the wood like bird dogs chasing does. At 8 am out comes a really nice heavy high 8 point walks by at 20 yards away and I cant shoot cause its thru the brush!!!!. Then things quited down I ended up seeing another slammer too far out again at 3pm and saw a nice 6 point which i passed on and 2 other small bucks.

Monday ends with me going back to the truck talking to my buddy. He saw a 12pont, 10 point 9 point and three8 pointers plus a couple of scrubs. All were close but not shots presented. Between us we figured we saw at least 10 different shooter bucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday was slower (very windy). He saw a slammer buck again b4 shooting light and I saw 2 spikes. On the way out at noon we both saw a nice 2 year old 8 point that saw us before we could shoot. Tuesday pm I watched a big 8 breed a doe 60 yards away (that was a first for me that was cool) . I grunted and bleated for 3 days and could get any to come in. They would stop but just continue going.

Wednesday I saw a HUGE 9 point at 20 yards but he went the other way down the log road I was set off of and again there was brush in the way of shot. Made me sick this buck was HUGE. He was only like 18" wide but the horns were easily 18" off his head!! his back tines were easily 10-12" long!!!!!!!!!! and what MASS his bases were almost big as beer cans. I would guess 140 class plus.

Although I have not drawn the bow yet, this is by far the best rut hunting I have ever seen in my hunting area. (if somebody does not think antler restrictions do not work they should come and see what it has done for my area) I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS NUMBER OF QUALITY BUCK IN ALL MY LIFE and i hunt in the mountains not farm country!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cant wait till tomorrow and saturday going out again!!!

RE: Best rut hunting ever!!! (northeast PA)
 

Monday - work[:' (]
Tuesday - work[:' (]
Wednesday - work[:' (]
Today - work[:' (]

You' re a lucky guy!!! I won' t be up to Sullivan County for a while. Good luck. Put PA back on the map as a big buck state. Everyone is watching us.

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge

RE: Best rut hunting ever!!! (northeast PA)
 

S.W. Pennsylvania reporting in. I' m hunting Greene County.

Wow! What a week for you man!!!! That get' s me pumped up!! Last Friday and Saturday I saw four bucks and was praying that things would hold up for this Friday and Saturday...Two of the bucks were really nice. One was a good solid 8 point outside his ears a bit and the other buck was a wallhanger. Ten to twelve inch tines and bases like your wrist. Just awesome!! I also had two non shooters within bow range last Saturday that I played a little catch and release with. It was cool. Good practice too.

I' m with you on the antler regulations too. It has to help increase the age class of the deer we will be hunting. I had to pass on two bucks last year. I' ve been hunting little deer my whole life so having a better than ever chance at getting lucky with something bigger is great to me.

I was glad to see your report. Things still sound good. . It' s all day tomorrow and the next day if need be. Hope the wind settles a bit. It would have been dangerous out there today with the limbs breaking and what not. Good luck to ya! Jim

RE: Best rut hunting ever!!! (northeast PA)
 

You guys are making my envious. I sure hope they still have the antlers durring late archery. I havn' t been able to see the results of the antler restrictions, but I believe this is something we could have done on our own.

RE: Best rut hunting ever!!! (northeast PA)
 

3:15 A.M......Wind has died down....I' m outta here!! Good luck to all!! Jim

RE: Best rut hunting ever!!! (northeast PA)
 

Lucky devil. :D I won' t get out again until Saturday late morning/afternoon. I hope to see a fifth of the bucks that you did. ;)

RE: Best rut hunting ever!!! (northeast PA)
 

I have to agree. Wen' t up to camp in central PA for early muzzleloader. Just wanted to drop a doe but all I saw were shooter bucks! In the first morning my cousin and I saw 7. Then I get back to Lancaster and see three racks cross my driveway. The smallest was a huge 8 and the biggest was at least a monster 10 with no less than a 24 inch spread. PA is comin' back. I love the antler restrictions!

RE: Best rut hunting ever!!! (northeast PA)
 

Sounds like Dr. Alt was right about the antler restrictions. I was all for it and still support it. Now if he could figure out how to eliminate the does in the high concentration areas so that we can enjoy good ratios of buck to doe.

RE: Best rut hunting ever!!! (northeast PA)
 

keep shooting the doe' s.....i' ve gotting two of them allready 1 in oct muzzleloading and the 2nd last tue with the bow....and still have three doe tags left that will get filled.....and the buck will still have there antlers on till at least mid jan.........................bob

RE: Best rut hunting ever!!! (northeast PA)
 

doe bleat or rattle bag would have turned them...good luck