Rut

[hollandhunter]

Sometimes you can hear them chasing from several hundred yards away in the woods. Breaking limbs, loud grunting. Makes your heart start pounding hoping she brings him your way. I like that it can happen at any time. Some mornings I wont see anything then all the sudden when I'm about to leave all heck breaks loose.

Yep i like to listen off my back porch at nite this time of year. Almost every year i hear them grunting and chasing in the woods behind the house. Of course its dark and you cant hunt. But its still cool to listen. An of course when day light comes your chances decrease by what seems like 200 percent ha.

 

[Mr.Bro]

Wow 10 bucks per sitting! Be thankful for such a place.

That 10 bucks a day is usually after 4 or 5 days of maybe 1 or 2 bucks a day. These are all day sits also. Got to put the time in. All day everyday the week before gun season usually will have 1 fantastic day.
I'll be there.

 

[Oldrook]

4-5 years ago i had heard a few deer being chased through the woods earlier in the morning but the action slowed around 9:00. About 11:00 I was getting ready to move to another stand as the wind had switched directions. All of a sudden this doe comes blazing over a hill running right at my tree. Biggest deer I ever seen alive is chasing her. Looked like goal post for antlers. I’m grabbing my bow and mouth grunting trying to stop him. They go past and stop about 60 yards behind me and he breeds her. Eyes rolled back in his head. She walks right under me and goes out to 26 yards and lays down. He circles up hill and stands behind this cedar doing this grunt growl for 5 plus minutes. He finally starts moving, I draw, and he takes off running at the doe. Never saw them again. I was shaking so bad when I let down my arrow was bouncing on the bow shelf and sounded like a machine gun.

 

[EasyE]

Good thread, I love reading/hearing peoples stories about their hunts. This is what used to happen at check stations and places hosting big buck contests. I understand why Telecheck was put in place but we lost something special when we did it, and it made poaching easier.

 

[FF/EMT516]

I wouldn’t change a thing about having my kids and wife but I do wish I could’ve experienced the check stations. I know there’s Sanders Archery in Edmonson Co who people used to bring their deer and turkey to and they would post their pictures on their website and now I guess they do it on Facebook. I think they used to have a big buck and doe contest. And the Roundhill store in Edmonson Co I think also has a big buck and maybe do also contest. I guess that’s as close as you’ll get nowadays.

 

[Little FR]

I wouldn’t change a thing about having my kids and wife but I do wish I could’ve experienced the check stations. I know there’s Sanders Archery in Edmonson Co who people used to bring their deer and turkey to and they would post their pictures on their website and now I guess they do it on Facebook. I think they used to have a big buck and doe contest. And the Roundhill store in Edmonson Co I think also has a big buck and maybe do also contest. I guess that’s as close as you’ll get nowadays.

Uncle Lees does that. I’m not hauling my deer 2hrs though to maybe win.

The weigh in stations were like Christmas morning when I was a kid. Old men drinking coffee. Trucks lining up with big deer and little deer, everybody congratulating each other, no antler shaming. The game warden wasn’t chasing my dad down the road with his lights on.

Just a magical time.

 

[bdbrown66]

I was reading the other day that during the rut if you see a doe running though the woods like her tail is on fire that there’s a buck chasing her. Any truth to that? I figure it could mean that or something has scared her.

That's very true. Just last fall, I was in my stand on the first Monday of the season. About mid-morning I heard a commotion in the bottom below me, and two does came up out of there moving fast. I swung on them, but they didn't even slow enough to take a shot thru the trees. They hadn't been gone more than a few seconds when a nice 10pt came running up out of there, following them. He made the mistake of coming to a stop about 50 yards from my stand, and that's where he went down. During the rut, anytime you see a doe look back behind her to see if she's trailing a buck.

 

[Ezelkyhunter]

Good thread, I love reading/hearing peoples stories about their hunts. This is what used to happen at check stations and places hosting big buck contests. I understand why Telecheck was put in place but we lost something special when we did it, and it made poaching easier.

Agree we lost a ton when they did away with them. Wish they would bring them back. Highly doubtful etc I know but those hangouts and stories etc did a lot for the experience and the mom and pop shops.

I know will comment they were inconvenient but I have to say if your that dang busy you got to prioritize

 

[Ezelkyhunter]

That's very true. Just last fall, I was in my stand on the first Monday of the season. About mid-morning I heard a commotion in the bottom below me, and two does came up out of there moving fast. I swung on them, but they didn't even slow enough to take a shot thru the trees. They hadn't been gone more than a few seconds when a nice 10pt came running up out of there, following them. He made the mistake of coming to a stop about 50 yards from my stand, and that's where he went down. During the rut, anytime you see a doe look back behind her to see if she's trailing a buck.

View attachment 106231

Nice deer!!!

 

[racsr]

I was talking with @Little FR the other day about how everyone talks about the rut being magical and whatnot. I’ve never seen anything special happen during the rut. I know y’all have been talking about deer fighting. But what’s something cool or just plain crazy you’ve seen happen during the rut or just hunting in general?

In 1989 I was hunting a piece of state owned land with my Dad. He was in his 70s with a bad heart we planned of going in about 1/8 mile and take a 90 degree left turn. And it was as 3/5 mile out to the other dirt rd Well I could not see him in the thick brush about 500 yards in. I made the turn and hunted my ray out. I shot a doe and dragged it to the rd. I waited for him for almost 3 hrs no show my deer was loaded in truck so I left a note where we were to meet and went for help. I was back in 35 minutes and there he was smiling ear to ear. He had shot a big doe and had to defend her from a 6 point yearling that was trying to mount her carcass. After about 1hr he got tired and shot the buck. Both deer were almost 1 mile straight in he never too the turn. And guess who had to drag them out. Lol

 

[FF/EMT516]

In 1989 I was hunting a piece of state owned land with my Dad. He was in his 70s with a bad heart we planned of going in about 1/8 mile and take a 90 degree left turn. And it was as 3/5 mile out to the other dirt rd Well I could not see him in the thick brush about 500 yards in. I made the turn and hunted my ray out. I shot a doe and dragged it to the rd. I waited for him for almost 3 hrs no show my deer was loaded in truck so I left a note where we were to meet and went for help. I was back in 35 minutes and there he was smiling ear to ear. He had shot a big doe and had to defend her from a 6 point yearling that was trying to mount her carcass. After about 1hr he got tired and shot the buck. Both deer were almost 1 mile straight in he never too the turn. And guess who had to drag them out. Lol

And you’d do it all over again too. Good memories man

 

[William Hayes4]

2020 on opening day of gun I had the craziest sit. Does and bucks running everywhere, bucks fighting, making scrapes. I missed a giant with my bow, and I’m still losing sleep over it.

It's amazing how many times you go over the "miss" in your head when that happens

 

[supergoat80]

Funny thing about this time of year. Farm A the hunter claims the rut is on fire farm B next door hunter claims we had an early rut or we missed it. All it takes is one hot doe to determine witch farm you’re on A or B. You just have to put the time in this time of year. I hope all of you guys get to experience farm A this year.

 

[Adam Gabrielli]

As long as I’ve been hunting I’ve never seen a buck breed a doe, until last year. I’ve hunted GA for 20 years and seen plenty of chasing, sparing and scrape making. But last yr up in KY, the rut was way different. Tons of seeking, chasing and it all culminated with a target buck breeding a doe outside of bow range on 11/10. My vacation calendar is now centered around the week leading up to the gun opener.

 

[EasyE]

As long as I’ve been hunting I’ve never seen a buck breed a doe, until last year. I’ve hunted GA for 20 years and seen plenty of chasing, sparing and scrape making. But last yr up in KY, the rut was way different. Tons of seeking, chasing and it all culminated with a target buck breeding a doe outside of bow range on 11/10. My vacation calendar is now centered around the week leading up to the gun opener.

That’s one thing I’ve never got to see.