Kentucky rut
 

Just got home from hunting in ky all weekend. Gun season opened Saturday so I went up on Wednesday morning to do some bow hunting thinking they would be rutting. I don't know if it was just the weather or just a late rut this year, but I did not see any bucks chasing does as I did last year this time. I did manage to take a nice 8 pt with my bow on Thursday. At least he is nice in my book. I am hunting in Southern Kentucky just off the MS River. Any opinions on the rut?

RE: Kentucky rut
 

I hunted Owen County Kentucky this weekend. I did see a few smaller bucks, but they were not rutting at this time like last year.I think it is the weather up here.On Sunday there was one hell of a thunderstorm come thru from Noon till about 3pm.

RE: Kentucky rut
 

I know that in Northern Ky they have been in rut and are possibly in the "lock-down" phase. THe week leading into the rifle opener i had seen many big/little bucks chasing does on every bowhunt. Only saw 1 buck chasing a doe on saturday and 1 yesterday chasing a doe.

RE: Kentucky rut
 

I live in MS and am not able to monitor the rut up there like I would like. Maybe it was just not the right weather.

RE: Kentucky rut
 

I saw a lot more activity during the early season muzzleloader. You may be right on the "lock down" idea. I know the property I hunt is a fantastic whitetail property. Maybe it just wasn't my weekend.

RE: Kentucky rut
 

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only northern kentucky deer hunter that saw the same thing. I'm in northern Harrison County and I saw 7 different bucks, including 2 big boys, two weeks ago and this weekend it was DOE city along with little bucks harassing does.
What does "lock-down" mode mean? Can I expect to see things kick in gear?
Everything "DeerhuntinDan" and "NKyhunter" said was the exact same for me....And yes, I was swingin' from a tree in that thunderstorm....I watched 10 does in a food plot during the whole thing.

RE: Kentucky rut
 

Wudayanuts; what part of Harrison County you hunting? I'm hunting off US 36 in Northern Harrison County as well and I saw one deer a small buck! He came up to my stand around 7a.m. and it was a little dark so I could quite see him well enough through my scope to take a shot or see what type of rack he had. I heard plenty of shots but didn't see alotof movement at all we had a seven year old harvest his first buck right after sunrise and that was the only deer take from the farm I hunt. My assumption on all this is that deer are not in rut at all yet in this part of KY I used my Estrous Can and Hardwood grunt and he investigated but didn't really respondhe just walked off nochalant like nothing was going on. We need rain and cold weather to really get these deer to go into the rut then we will start seeing them in Kentucky. they are hitting the hardwoods and find the safest spot to bed down and are not moving!

RE: Kentucky rut
 

Used to hunt Carrol County. Rut always seemed to turn on about half way through the first week. Keep the faith boys and they'll be there eventually.

RE: Kentucky rut
 

We used to have a farm in Owen Co. until a few years ago. HUGE HUGE HUGE bucks on it! My brother is in NE KY, Louis Co., right now on a 7 day whitetail hunt, looking fwd. to hearing how it goes.

RE: Kentucky rut
 

I know what you mean coolbrze0 we hunted a farm a couple of miles from Kleber wma in Owen County and that resulted in BIG BUCKS!!!

RE: Kentucky rut
 

Well i live in lyon county kentucky and well the rut just seems to be heating up now iv seen some ok bucks chasing some does but it will come around the bigs one will show soon hopefully!!!

RE: Kentucky rut
 

I hunt pretty close to you all fellas as well.I live on 95 acres in Williamstown on 36 (cordova rd) in Grant County. I have seen some rut activity there as well but nothing like down on the river in Petersburg (Boone County). On my firt "all day sit" (Halloween) I saw atleast 10 different bucks and only 2 didn't have girls on there mind, 2 were shooters that i couldn't get a shot and I passed a 130" 9 pointer and the other was way to far.
On my second all-day sit down there was Nov.6 and it was action packed w/ rut activity. Saw atleast 15 different bucks. Every one had the ladies on their mind.Had a 120" 8 breed a doe at 40 yards andhad4 bucks chasing ONE doe. Haven't seen even a decent deer since that day down there........Which tells me there in the lock down mode. Usually lasts a few days. Time for them to breed and leave their "hot doe" and go on the hunt for the next one.

I hope that kinda explains what the lockdown mode is.

RE: Kentucky rut
 

The good Doctor is in western Ky close to Paducah ...I have been hunting Livingston Co ...have seen a number of doe's and young bucks hunting off a winter wheat field ...the young bucks have played a little with the girls but it appears to me the doe's arnt quite ready ...I have a friend here who has a butcher shop and he had 84 deer brought to him Saturday ...only 10 of the bucks had the necks starting to swell and none were stinking of rut ....

dd

RE: Kentucky rut
 

I hunt down in Pendelton county and last year during gun season there was so many deer up and moving you couldnt even keep track. I think all weekend I seen 8 deer and zero bucks. I did take a nice doe on Sunday.

I seen a alot of activivty the week before gun season opened so who knows. The bucks might already be in lock down mode, or the big swimg of the rut hasnt happened. Hopefully this weekend proves better.

RE: Kentucky rut
 

They say that bucks might not be in the same stage as others I guess this is true. I'm hunting in Union County, Ky. and on Saturday I saw 2 small bucks chasing does. I took a nice 9 pointer that evening. He came in to a group of does that were at my stand. He grunted then started scent checking them. Thanks to him looking for love my arrow found its mark. Good hunting.

RE: Kentucky rut
 

Hey Manlaw, what road do you hunt on near the Kleber WMA. I hunt nearby off of Rt. 227 in Owen County, near the Rich or Kleber WMA myself.

RE: Kentucky rut
 

I just got back from hunting all weekend in Kentucky as well... I don't think all the deer are rutting yet. Plus, the warm weather and high winds didn't help... Saw 5 deer in 3 days - all small, non-shooters.

Although, my nephew dropped a nice 8-point, which should score around the 130s with his bow and one of my buddies dropped a monster 16-pointer in Hardin County that greenfield scored 194 or 196, I don't recall. It's huge.It will be easily a top 5 kill this season inthe state. I don't have pictures yet but I have a friend that's supposed to be sending me some.

RE: Kentucky rut
 

Not sure what road it was off sounds quite familiar, it was out in BFE; some guy named "Bo owned the farm he was a friend of my Dad's and was nice enough to let us hunt my dad got a nice 9 pointer that should've been a 10 due to a broken tine.