Well I finally went a week without hunting due to family being in town, and my hunting lease being about 1.5 hours away. However, I will be out on Thursday for a nice temperature drop in NoVA.

So what is the status of the rut?

Are the bucks locked down or are you still seeing decent movement?

Would you guys say this is a "slow rut" year?

I personally have seen about 1/4 the number of deer this year as compared to last year. I also haven't seen a lot of rut activity yet, although I know others have.

I hunted the 25th and 26th and did not see a deer. Talked to other people who saw action, so I guess I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm planning to head out after lunch. I'm hoping the deer will be moving after all this rain we have had.

I been hunting Quantico none stop but habe not see a deer in over 2 weeks the it has been a very slow rut and the deer are defiantly not moving much I hope the cold weather gets them up moving.

Went out this afternoon and did not see anything. Pretty frustrating as I figured the deer would move after the storm moved out. I also only heard one shot all evening.

Hmmm.... Here's my viewpoint on the season so far (I'll combine things).

Bowhunting: I don't know. I sold my bow and treestand a while ago and no longer bowhunt. One of these days I'll get back into it.

Muzzleloader: I don't know. I don't own a muzzleloader (yet), so I can't say.

Rabbit/Squirrel (small game) season: I've been out a bunch of times with my 3 yr old Beagle mix, and we've had a great time. Seen a few squirrels, but no rabbits. But it's fun to take my dog with me and let her run around in the thickets and pricker bushes trying to sniff out a rabbit.

Rifle season: I've been out to the GWNF 3 times so far and missed a beautiful 8 pointer on opening day. I was just sick... It wasn't the rifle or anything. It was me. I jumped, flinched, and/or pulled the shot, and shot right over its back.

Nov 19 (opening day) - 3 deer (2 does with the 8 pointer trailing right behind them). I missed the shot on the 8 pointer.

Nov 25 (black Friday) - Nothing. All the deer must have gone nocturnal in the GWNF.

Nov 26 - Again, nothing. All the deer must have gone nocturnal in the GWNF. But I did stumble upon a gross scene at a primitive campsite in the GWNF, where someone cut the antlers off a buck and left the carcass to rot, and skinned another one, removed the head, and left that carcass to rot too. Both were all clawed up and torn up by a bear. I called the Nat'l Forest ranger district and reported it. Sorry man, but, that's just nasty....

Also:

Cumberland State Forest - Too many deer hounds. Sorry guys... I no longer deer hunt here. You are outnumbered as a still hunter vs the deer doggers.

Various WMA's (Amelia, Powhatan, CF Phelps, Chickahominy, etc...) - Um, no. Better yet, HELL NO! Waaaaaay too many hunters, way too much blaze orange, and every single thing that moves is nocturnal. I gave up on the WMA's a long time ago.

Sorry guys... I call it like i see it...

Went everyday last week except Saturday, I think i spotted 6 deer the whole week, so doesn't sound horrible. 1 decent 6 pointer, where I was hunting i wasn't shooting unless it was a wall hanger "would have been a long pack out" the other all does, 2 i spooked up last week right before a front came in, and the other 5 were all in a field about 500 yards away as I was exiting the woods. Last year I think I saw a deer almost every day I hunted this year has been nothing compared to the last couple of years for me. Oh well, I still enjoy getting out there.