Woods Went Dead
 

Got a question about rut peaks and valleys. Around Oct 31 some guys had said they saw some chasing going on. I had not seen any sign of it and neither did a buddy of mine. We saw deer but no chasing. November 9 my buddy said he saw 3 bucks chasing. On November 11 I saw several bucks on does driving in and multiple bucks chasing in the stand. This morning (13th)... Saw a few deer driving in but nothing with them and the woods were dead. We had a cold front come in yesterday and the temps went from 65 daytime to 23... With a high of 40 today. I thought for sure they'd be moving. I've read there may be a lull because bucks could be locked on does for 2-3 days and then start searching again. What is your experience and thoughts? Thanks

When the bucks are chasing the does that is just the chase phase. Once the rut really starts there won't be any chaseing just a buck following a doe till she has gone out of heat normally 24 to 48 hours then he will find another doe in heat.

:D Al

The last time out (yesterday from 1:00PM-5:15PM) I saw nothing at all, and on Monday I saw one spike in the morning and one doe at 4:30PM. That's it!!!:sad: The Rut doesn't seem to have the pazazz (sp) it once had. :confused0024: For the record, I got most of my trail cam pics from the last week of Oct to the first week of Nov.

I was out in PA over the weekend Nov (9) and saw zip morning and night.

That was sort of my question. There was a lot of activity Monday. By activity I mean I heard grunts, saw 3-4 bucks etc... Even had one walked under my stand, look at me, grunt and then head out. This morning it has been dead. It. Could be one of those mornings I just don't see anything .... I was just wondering about rut behavior..

Just like the yoop said. Once a buck finds a doe he's not going anywhere. Just sits waitng with the doe. But you still may get a buck that just left a doe trying to find another.

The misleading part IMO is the bucks really don't have phases.....the does do.

Doe runs......bucks chase. When she stops running he stops chasing.

the does have phases and the bucks just react accordingly.

My wife has phases.

exactly...and I bet you react accordingly.

Yes, religiously accordingly!

Young bucks chase early cause they just don't know any better...

Experiencing the same in WI right now. If there are not a lot of big bucks in the area or small bucks for that matter the buck sign will not be there and nor will the typical rut activity. If there are very few does the same will happen. I have 2 different areas. They both are normally good, however this year seems to be a long drawn out rut which started back in late October around the 26th. In one area, where there are fewer deer, it seems like its done and the other where there are plenty of deer it seems like it is just getting going.

Had something similar happen to me as well! The weekend of the 26th I saw some chasing going on and have seen nothing since.

Someone was registering a nice drop tine at the gas station and said they were chasing pretty good all day!

This is what happened here in Virginia where I hunt.. Bucks were starting to chase a little on the 11th.. on the 12th that cold front you speak of came in. With that cold front came a lot of wind. All the deer I was seeing all day were bedded down out of the wind. This evening well yesterday evening now... about 3 pm the wind finally calmed down. At 4:30 I had killed an 8 pointer, the second buck I seen chasing does in an hour. Was wind a problem there also?

I don't remember a lot of wind. What just threw me off was how suddenly it seemed to stop. An experienced friend of mine said it should be in full swing Nov 13-14 but it seemed to be more like the 11thish.... I just figured the full on phase (if you can call it that) would be longer in duration. Where I hunt there is a high population of both bucks and does. I don't know the ratio. It's public land and for some reason has always produced a lot of nice bucks. You could nearly go back to the same trees and find fresh rubs (big ones) year after year. I was just wondering if that is "normally" the case.... It would abruptly stop? Or maybe the activity of chasing would ramp back up again. We are also nearly at 3/4 moon which may have an effect on movement times.

Don't know whats going on here in my part of minnesota, its currently our rifle season, and all we have been seeing are fawns. its like the bucks and does have just disappered. these poor fawns are looking so sad they just wander around like they have lost there best friend.. I remember a time when the rut was on you always saw does being chased by bucks all day. now I wonder if the deer have changed there courting ritual. it seem now when the does are in estrus they just stay put and the bucks with them.

Update with regards to OP
 

Things picked up yesterday. It was 26 degrees and we are nearly full moon. Saw a buck cruising early morning around 7 and then some does around 8. At around 9 there was major chasing going on. I saw a buck hot after a doe; pretty much at a dead sprint. About 15 minutes later another 8 point was cruising about 60 yards.... Hit the grunt tube a couple of times and he came right at me.

I am not sure what the difference is between Monday and today because it seems like the woods got quiet with nothing moving on Wednesday. Only difference was I gambled and didn't hunt a fsvorable wind which could have been it.

I think the rut is on here...I had a group of does around my game cam...now they are not around much...except after dark...and theres a few big bucks around chasing them off or around.

Smaller bucks chasing the doe's all over the place here today... big bucks still kind of hanging back.