Came across this and thought some of you might like it...that was one busy beaver!!!

Love the Cow among cows... photo.. !

Hey fellas, when would you say the chasing phase of the rut occurs in Alberta and do you think this is a better time to be able to get a shot at a MONSTER as he won't be laying with a "hot" doe and not on the move?[:@]
I'm hunting from Nov 13th-18th thisseason,so I'm committed. Do you think next year I should hunt a week sooner or lateror am I good?Only aboutthree and a half weeks to go, I'm PHYCHED!!!!
Oh yea, don't tell me what I want to hear, just the truth!

I dont live in Alberta, but I would say your good. MAYBE a couple days earlier could be good, but your earliest point of hunting should still lie in the chase phase. Never know tho, ive been known to be wrong

shed...it's actually a little rag horn bull. Look closer (but it's hard to see his spikes).

ag...there has been much debate on this subject (for years) and on other websites. Really I think it's like saying if I go to the casino on Saturdays, will I be more likely to hit a jackpot? Seriously, you can take all the scientific data about daylight, combine it with the moon phases and correlate it to the rut and come out with an approximate date of the rut. Throw in the weather and who knows??? I only say this because I have hunted here my whole life and have yet to see a specific time that they are consistantly the same (especially in what area). Some times I've seen them rutting down south the first part of the month and up north they haven't even started to rub/scrape. Really I'd say it's about 98% luck that the big guy will be where you will be at the same time. 2% is you (or the equipment in Skeeters case). I switch it every year hoping to hit it right one of these times. Funny enough, I picked the same date as you for this year. We were about 2 weeks late last year (from what the locals told us) and 1 week early. This is how it works...plan your trip according to what your outfitter tells you (he knows best in his area if you trust him). Pray to the Gods that they send a decent buck down your trail (with or without a doe). Shoot and be happy!

Last year I was driving home from work on the last day of the season (in the City) only to have a big mule deer run right in front of me chasing a doe! Prior to that I saw very little rutting activity as I was hunting, remember Nov was extremely warm. That just goes to show you how it's very difficult to pick & choose. Even for those of us who live here it's really a crap shoot! Good luck and doin't second guess yourself, just have a blast!!!

Yes sir JD...I see the rackagenow..hes a baby-bull among "slow elk" then!

Thats what we call moocows in these parts anyway.. Was he in feeding or something??? Great photo nevertheless.

No, I pushed him out of the bush and he ran to safety in the herd. Here's a better pic of his "horns". Too bad there is no season in this area. I think he's the only elk in 100 miles.

JD nice pics.That is the smallest spike I have ever seen(horn wise)! Love that pic of the beavers handy work and the bow! JD, I swear if I didn't have bad luckI would have any[8D].

early in, can't help you with timeframe for your hunt. Like mentioned your outfitter would be the best source. I personally believe that rut happens around the same time every year, the only difference in seeing and not seeing this activity is in the weather! It is also my opinion "Rut" is feast or famine, so I don't let be the end all/be all to harvesting a whitetail buck. InsteadI look at ways to be more productive based on the cards I am dealt. In warm weather I get back into transition, preferably in some travel corridor near the bedding areas that leads to food. During the chase phase is where I have most of my success with rattling/calling mature bucks in and concentrate mid day hour doing so. Low lighttime is either spent on food sources orin staging area near them. I mentioned in a earlier post that Nov 15th is my most productive day, this just happens to be the hard chase phase more times then not where I hunt in the forest/forest fringe area. The 18-20 is usually when I see them paired in this area, to me that means rut bell has rung. Good luck, stop worrying about the rut, instead pray for - temperatures and white stuff...LOL

Here is a pic from the othermorning of a gaggle of yearling whitetails. This is just one group of them, unfortunately the zoomed out picture they look likedots but must have been 50 or more, as this pic I'm sure has around 20 of the little guys in it.Not 1 set of horns or a mature doeamong all those deer...little early for such a sighting!

Hey guys hows everyone. Buck down. Got a 5x6 last staurday, real good mass, not bad tine length. not much for spread. I hummed and hawed over him for quite awhile but decided to take em. I will post up ythe pics as soon as i get the film developed. I put a quick tape on him and got him in the low 160's, need to remeasure though. Other than that been teachin alot and coaching football. Got a big playoff game this saturday in carrot river, think i am more pumped than the players. Anyways good luck to u guys i will try and get on here again soon.

Good going Hia. I'm sure a 160 class didn't need too much hummmin & hawin[:-]Sounds like a good one in my books...can't wait to see the pics. I'm actually starting to jealous of you Saskatchewan bunch[:'(]Any one hiring draftsmen over there? I'm sure I could by a good chuink of land in Sask. for what my house is worth nowHere's a question...if I'm from Alberta and move to Sask. do I have to cheer for the Roughriders? Funny thing...I bet no one has ever moved there from hereHalf of my office is from there though!!!