the past few weeks I've seen deer and good buck sign. the last few days nothing! no fresh scrapes no does no droppings. what happened? I have no where else to hunt so I guess I have to stick it out. this happen to anyone else at rut time? I'm freaking out!
It's happened to me before. Actually, every year about the tail end of the rut though. I get does galore and a few bucks all year until about mid November. My estimation is that the property I hunt is rather small (80 acres) and thin. The 80 acres to the east of me is thick, thick, thick. There's a neighborhood to the north and about 2 miles of nothing but open cattle pasture to the south. So my assumption is that the deer are normally passing through my hunting area because it's a funnel between the neighborhood and the cattle pasture. Some food source must change about mid november and cause the deer not to be traveling this way anymore. I've learned it and become adapted to it. What size piece are you hunting, what are the food and bedding situations?
October lull. I'm just starting to see deer again after a week-10 days .
Happens every year to me. From new York to Idaho.
That happened to me last year. I put out a trail camera and got a great picture of a very big lion. :scared:
Does may be holding tight in cover as being stressed by the impending rut.
My very intense hi traffic set has been dead the past week where only those deer excluded from the rut are showing up.
Captured 900 pics, singles not bursts, on Thursday night at a particular ground set. Anticipated a great hunt Friday evening and saw only a single doe.
Keep the faith.
Its tough hunting with no fresh sign but i ll hang in there.
All the time.
I think part of it is the deer go full nocturnal at times.
The deer are somewhere. I look at the season like a book. You gotta keep turning pages (readjusting). I'd never stay in one "area".
Plan your season to stay with deer. I'd never hope they just reappeared. This isn't to say some days aren't better than others.
Also so much depends on out of your control influences so you need multiple areas imo
11/7 – 11/20: 70% OF MATURE BUCKS MOVEMENT DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS: LIKELY TIME TO SHOOT NEIGHBOR'S BUCK
10/20 – 11/5: TYPICAL MATURE BUCK DARKNESS MOVEMENT
Full Moon!
QuoteOriginally posted by frank bullitt:
Full Moon!
Rutting moon, yeah
QuoteOriginally posted by Friend:
11/7 – 11/20: 70% OF MATURE BUCKS MOVEMENT DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS: LIKELY TIME TO SHOOT NEIGHBOR'S BUCK
10/20 – 11/5: TYPICAL MATURE BUCK DARKNESS MOVEMENT
Luckily I'm off 11/6-11/11. I'll be putting the above to the test.
Im feeling better with this info
That is exactly what I see too. My trail cam in my best spot showed a lot of activity for the past 2-3 period but it slowed just a few days ago. I had 11 different buck pass by, scrape, feed or linger there. The day or so prior to hunting it activity almost stopped. I only saw one buck while hunting it for 3 days. I expect things should liven up at any minute. Or season ends this saturday.
It could be anything. We did have a huge moon. Not sure what that did. Also we had hard rain and swirling winds.
It heated up yesterday again! New scrapes and bucks chasing! Crazy how this works. Be back tomorrow.
Go get em! Oh, and post pictures when you put the smack down on one.
The breeding has started and the does that are close to ready are locked down with bucks and the ones that aren't have found cover. In a few days it should break loose again.
Another buck chasing! Its still a good spot