trailinone

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?

DeerHuntinDan

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.

nkyhunter

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.

trailinone

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.

DeerHuntinDan

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.

Wudayanuts

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.

manlaw

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!

IndyHunter83

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.

coolbrze0

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.

manlaw

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!!!