NoVa rut?
 

Folks,
Has anyone seen any rutting or chasing action here in Northern VA? I live in Lovettsville and have seen what maybe and sorta and kinda looked like small scrapes, but no rubs. However, the does are still running together and no sign of bucks. Not even small ones! Whazup!

Seen a lot the last week & a half. Pre-rut w/ chasing started a little over a week ago, give or take. I'd say rut is in now for the next week. Watched a 150" class 13 pointer breed a doe 20 yds. from me Monday in Vienna (killed me that I couldn't get a shot) & took a 125" 8 pointer in McLean last night that was grunting & trailing 2 does. I've hunted 4-5 days/week the last 5 weeks & the weird thing is, normally I see a ton of deer hit on the road in pre-rut & rut. Saw some about a week ago (not nearly as much as normal), but not many since... I think these 70+ degree days we're having are keeping deer bedded down more during the day & they're moving more than normal under the cover of darkness when it cools down some.

Coolbrze0,
Thanks for the information. I'm glad you are having better luck in observing rutting action. Since I initially started this thread, I chatted with a few folks that hunt here on the Short Hills; they have not seen any action such as chasing or bucks running in the daylight either. I shared with them your report; it took they by surprise as they also are waiting for everything to start. Maybe we missed it! Blink and its gone!!!

Keep in mind, the does are here its just they have not demonstrated any rutting behavior. They are still in small groups.

I already have some meat in the freezer, however, I would like to get a nice buck to go with the doe meat, and, of course, its nice to see the deer running around in the day light as they chase each other.

Too bad for us! I guess I live in the twilight zone!

Drox,

I don't think you missed it at all. As you probably know, does will come into heat at different times and it could be your population of does aren't ready to breed yet. I have watched small bucks chasing, fighting, and scraping the last 48 hours in Manassass area but haven't seen on bit of evidence of the rut in Clifton or Oakton yet. Hopefully it will change this weekend and its getting ready to be go time for the majority of us. I honestly believe the does have their own agenda depending on their own bodies and that is why one particular location may have rutting behaviors going on and other places don't. Don't give up yet on the rut yet. This week should be good if you haven't seen any rutting behavior yet, especially after this heat wave.

Folks,
Update! Sorta.

The wife and I were in town doing our normal weekend shopping, and wammo I see the rut in full swing. For those of you familiar with NoVa, we were driving on Hwy. 7 approaching from the east (Dulles side) right at Potomac Station Shopping Center (think Best Buy) when this doe comes out of the woods full tilt with a buck right on her heels.

These two begin to weave in between the cars stopped due to the traffic signal. They were running around the cars like the cars were rocks or trees. The deer were totally oblivious to the moving cars and people! Wow!

In the end, they made it back to the woods unscathed! Dont know how, but there ya are.

However, meanwhile back at my stands, does walkng around like they are headed to a picnic. Like Flips2 points out hot here cold there. The does have their own schedule.

All the years I been hunting I have never seen anything like this.

Thank for the info!

We were in Leesburg!

Hey Guys,

I hunt Quantico 4-5 times a week and although I have noticed scrapes and rubs a bit I defiantly have not seen the big bucks up moving around during daylight hours...This is a weird rut I normally see bucks seeking & chasing more aggressive during daylight hours.

But I agree with "Flips2" the heat wave is killing us the deer are moving late at night and bedding most of the day....I have seen no rutting behavior in the Manassas area or Stafford area yet.

I think the rut is on it's way out right now. I've mainly been hunting Northern VA this year, 4-5 days/week & saw less movement the furthest this week went on. Of course, temps in the mid-upper 70s didn't help, but I still saw bucks w/o does & lots of does w/o bucks during the latter part of the week. Who the heck knows...

I think it all depends on where you are hunting. On Quantico the rut has not hit yet. No one has seen much in the terms of chasing going on yet. Last week was slow. Not many deer checked in and only a couple on the big buck board.

Had a few friends get deer today and they reported that they were cruising with their nose to the ground and out seeking. I think this week will be very good with the temps dropping.

Eyedr,

I hunted Quantico on Saturday November 7th and at 9:30 AM had a monster 9pt come by at 30 yards I was able to to hit him but I was unable to find him the blood just stopped and he ran 200+ yards I think I hit him high shoulder between the vitals/spine there was red clear blood and brown hair with fat.

He was just walking through the woods he was defiantly not in rut he was on alert and very much taking a troll he showed no signs of being in the rut......I checked my trail camera and on Monday November 2nd I had a big 6pt chasing a doe on my camera hard you could see he was panting she was defiantly a hot doe

So yes it is hit or miss very confusing some bucks are hot and some are acting very normal.......I'm trying to heal it never feels good to miss a monster buck :(

Oh forgot to mention the he was broadside at 30 yards and my bolt passed through him but the bolt only had fat and brown hair not really and blood....He did not start to bleed until about 40 yards he was bleeding good for about 150 yards then it just went down to drops..

I'm out in the mountains near Winchester. No sign of rut here yet at all. Not seeing much sign at all, very few deer, and hardly any gunshots. Haven't seen a buck yet while on stand. Weird, hope it picks up. Normally this time of year things are much different. Hopefully this little cold snap will get em going.

Quantico, too bad. The high hits are tough, but often its over the spine and they will live. Hope you see em again.

Shot this bruiser cruising for does yesterday at 2:30 p.m. in Northern VA. He's def. rutting, neck was super swollen & he smelled rank. That's 2 wall hangers in the last 2 weeks & it's not even gun season yet. Seen 4 other deer that are between 140-160, maybe 165 in the last 3 weeks. Prob. won't be seeing them much longer... WV - I hear ya, talked to a buddy that's been hunting HARD in Marshall & he said the same thing. Nada at all, rubs/scrapes just in the last 3-4 days. Been seeing scrapes all over PWC & FFX the last 2-3 weeks & rubs for much longer than that.

Im in Fauquier and also hunt great falls va. And have been seeing lots of chasing and I was lucky enough to bag a nice 8 pt. Sunday. He was grunting behind a doe.

Man coolbreeze, that's a hammer! Congrats man!
I'd love to have a place in Nova... that is where the big ones are. Beautiful scenery in that first pic. 140-165... man I'd be happy with 100 right now!

Good luck guys.

Yeah well... I ain't connected on one of them yet :) Just a nice solid 8 pointer & this guy.

Well that one might not score super high, but dang it is a monster. I love that rack! Looks like a hoss of a deer too. Good luck on (gulp) a big one. LOL

I hunt Rockingham and Augusta and have yet to see a rub or scrape. I did kill a real nice 10 point Nov.3rd, my friend tells me he is now seeing scrapes on his farm, so they are starting up.

I watched a corn field till dark this evening an never saw a deer with all this darn wind. I hate hunting in the wind...deer don't move much either.

As I was leaving driving up the road there was a small rack 8 point in the road, he just went over in the corn field a ways an looked at me. Like Mike said hopefully the colder temps will get them moving again.

I hear ya toytruck. I still haven't seen a scrape, and only a couple rubs. Last evening I saw my first bucks while on stand ...

I had a 4" spike walking along about 50yds away and all of the sudden he looks back and stares. He then starts to thrash a mtn laurel and is kicking leaves all over the place. I knew there had to be something. Out pops another buck about 40yds away... a 9-10" spike. The smaller buck laid back his ears, stiff legged his way over to the other and proceeded to fight him, and run him off. He was the dominant buck! LOL, all of 75lbs. The bigger one might have been 90lbs. I just sat there chuckling, borderline on crying. I swear, you can't make this stuff up!

Boy I love living in big deer country! :sad:

Ok folks,
At last I see some signs of the rut here in Lovettsville. Last night about 15 minutes before shooting time is to come to an end, I hear a bunch of action coming down the hill. Leaves rustling, snorting, trees crashing...then there are deer everywhere. I see three bucks...not huge...but at least one was a shooter. I gave everyone a pass as it was so exciting...not to mention I have decided to take only does unless a really nice buck comes around.

I still have not seen ant rubs or scrapes! I dont know what to make of this season. Definitely one to rememer.

BTW, way to go Coolbrze0!

I haven't been seeing any rutting activity where I'm hunting in PW & FFX Co. for about the last week now but my buddy in Marshall says there's chasing like crazy there. Weird, that's only an hr. from where I'm hunting, seems like they're 2-3 weeks behind me...

Maybe its working its way west. I'm still not seeing any rutting activity at all. :(

Hope everyone is having a great season. The most activity I saw was the second week of November. The woods I hunt literally exploded after the rain stopped that week. I killed two wall-hangers on the 10th and 11th. The best rut activity I've seen in LONG TIME. It really did feel like I was on a hunting video as I had non-stop action for close to 6 days in a row. During that week I hunted Central Virginia, NoVa, and Southern Virginia. ALL regions had the same amount of heightened rut activity so I really don't think it was a trickle/sporadic effect. I'll just leave it at this, if you were/are lucky enough to find a red oak dumping acorns, or an uncut soybean field; that's definitely the place to be. Was really great to be in the woods this year for almost three weeks straight.

VA

I'm seeing some fresh rubs now, still no scrapes. One tag left hope to fill it this week with a big ole doe.