bronko22000

This morning's hunt gave me a lot of action but something I've never seen before. Now I've seen bucks chasing doe and grunting before and I've been hunting for over 50 years. But this morning I saw a nice racked mature buck running all around the woods near my stand grunting like he was chasing. But, at the earliest, the rut isn't for three weeks and closer to 4 or 5 weeks away. There can't be any doe in estrus yet.
Is he just displaying dominance and staking out his territory for the upcoming rut?

MudderChuck

One thing I've observed is they aren't always punctual. I watched a Buck chasing a Doe on a naked hilltop in July once.

Erno86

The testosterone levels in a North Eastern whitetail buck should almost be max-out by now --- Though I'm not a wildlife biologist that could confirm that.
I'm speculating that rattling-up a buck is good from October 21 on --- At least here in Maryland.

A snort-wheeze from the hunter...might make that running buck stop for a shot; though bucks sometime do the same thing while chasing a doe; in order too coax her to stop for him.

The rut is sparked-on by the angle of the sun's rays that hit the deer's eyes.

bronko22000

Erno, like I said, I've seen dozens of buck chasing doe and grunting over the years. One year I was almost in the right spot at the right time. I had no less then 6 buck chasing various doe all around my stand. I thought I was going to get dizzy turning around in my stand trying to get an arrow in one. Last year, Nov 2nd, i grunted and rattled in a big buck. He came in ears laid back and hackles bristled. He was looking for a fight but got more than he expected. But this episode was just nuts. I have no idea why he was acting so crazy.

alleyyooper

It is called the chase phase of the rut here in Michigan, normally accues late Sept to Mid Oct. Much depends on the weather, cool mornings bright shiny warm mid days.

Al

Erno86

One year...I was just lucky enough to have seen (I was unarmed at the time) a real drawn out whitetail buck fight between two eight pointers; while a 10 pointer was looking on.

One morning...I rattled & grunt tubed in 9 whitetail bucks, without getting a single bow shot opportunity from my treestand.

November 3rd, is the day that the majority of Maryland whitetail does come into estrus.