went out monday to take down my ladderstands and found fresh scrapes and horned trees everywhere. i think the rut is getting later every yr.

Many bucks in VA have already shed their antlers due to the dramatic decrease in their testosterone and therefore it is highly unlikely this is due to rutting activity. These late season scrapes and rubs are merely bucks moving back into their winter ranges from their rutting locations and are marking their territory. This years rut began the first full moon following the fall equinox as it does every year and it did fall later than it did last year, however, I don't really think it occurs later every year

srwshooter
It is funny you make this statement. Last night on my way home, I had to avoid a 8 pointer chaseing a mature doe and a inmature doe, right in the middle of a country road. Only the deer know.

in the valley most bucks haven't lost there antlers. i have heard about bucks on the charlottsville side of the blueridge mountains losing there antlers a few weeks back but, we hunt in nelson county the last day and the dogs ran 5 bucks to us that still had there antlers. a friend killed a nice 12pt that day. i've seen this late rut for a few years now in my area and it would sure explain seeing fawns in fall still with spots.

another thing here in the valley we are atleast 3-4 weeks behind charlottesville in our growing season, so why couldn't the rut be that far behind yours.

For the past few seasons I have noticed a 2nd & even 3rd rut here in VA.

the moon sure was bright for the past week and a half, perhaps thats what caused all the movement and such

woops,i should've been more clear, we have trail camera pics of bucks with antlers shed in Bath county and have heard of a couple of bucks that were mistakenly shot as does that had shed during the last week of the season

i can tell you this i've seen deer shed in years past on the eastern side of virginia before the end of january,but in 30yrs of hunting in augusta,rockingham,highland and bath i've never seen nor heard of any shedding before the season end. it may happen but i've never seen it. it was colder this earlier then in the past few years.

wahoo,where in bath do you hunt? i used to hunt warm springs /lake moomua area

We hunt on the other side of the mountain from warm springs in Millboro...about 30 minutes from warm springs itself, do you still do any hunting up that way?

I have never witnessed a second or third rut in the last 17 years here in Northern Virginia.