Virginia Rut Predictions?
10-21-2013, 07:01 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 168
Virginia Rut Predictions?
Guys,
Hope everybody is having a good start to their seasons. Has there been any rut predictions or activity. I'm talking about eastern to mid VA. I hunted Monday last morning and checked for buck sign...nothing. I hunted Friday night wife and she missed an 8 pointer with her bow. On the way to the stand I saw twelve scrapes and they were SUPER fresh and very large. No chasing or any rubs though.
I look forward to your responses.
Hope everybody is having a good start to their seasons. Has there been any rut predictions or activity. I'm talking about eastern to mid VA. I hunted Monday last morning and checked for buck sign...nothing. I hunted Friday night wife and she missed an 8 pointer with her bow. On the way to the stand I saw twelve scrapes and they were SUPER fresh and very large. No chasing or any rubs though.
I look forward to your responses.
10-22-2013, 08:25 AM
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Orange County, Virginia....
Posts: 556
A friend of mine said that Deer/Deer hunting mag predicts an early rut from this past full moon until the next. Not sure. Did see a young buck chasing a doe, but not much else other than a few fresh scrapes.
10-23-2013, 09:43 PM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Virginia
Posts: 705
I can say that the cold day today helped. Saw deer moving around at 4:30 until dark. No shooters, but I was glad to see some daylight movement finally. This little cold snap makes for some nice evenings in the woods.
10-24-2013, 05:14 PM
#8
Typical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 590
Originally Posted by Eyedr
Alsheimer predicted a late rut this year due to the late rutting moon. The prediction was that the peak would be right around Thanksgiving this year.
Man I was hoping it would be early this year.
I went out this morning. I saw two does at 9:30 and that was it. I have not seen a buck while hunting yet this year, let alone any chasing. I did find one very big scrape today. I am seeing a lot less deer this year than last year.
10-24-2013, 10:57 PM
#9
Spike
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Rockville, VA
Posts: 59
Im hunting in western Hanover/Goochland area and have a little honey hole I have been taking care of since August with some various stuff like food plot, corn piles, and getting out before sunrise and in stand. I have seen no less than 7-10 deer in my place every morning where I have seen some chasing, grunting, and mature bucks hanging out later this past week. Today with the cold weather I put out a doe in estrus bomb and had a mature, big rack buck show up grunting, stomping, etc. Unfortunately he skipped out about 5 minutes before I could make his body out in my sight. I did see a lot of rack in the moonlight, but it appears that this snap in weather has got the bigger bucks out trolling more than Ive seen the past few weeks. I did take a small buck today, but as far as the rut, all I have noticed is a small buck chasing and trying to mount a yearling doe. Im not sure if its the so called "pre rut, or if things are picking up, but the weather is going to play a big part of it. Im thinking (hoping) that around Halloween or the week after it should be kicking in, at least in the group that I am seeing on a regular basis.
10-25-2013, 06:22 AM
#10
Spike
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 68
Good to see some familiar names here. Haven't been out yet this year. REALLY looking forward to next weekend. Going in late to get a ground blind up and some shooting lanes trimmed. I don't know if this will alert the deer to change as they have been left alone all summer. Hope to see some good pics this season. Good luck to all.
