2007 RUT

[Legacy]

i dont know about you guys but i keep a bowhunting journal to help make better decisions on not just where and when but also rut timing.

for me i noticed scrape and rub activity increasing on the october 25 and witnessed

my first hot doe on october 27 (w/ 3 bucks in pursuit). for the next 2 weeks the rut resembled the traits of a classic trickle rut.

im curious when you guys observed the peak of the rut?

[goin deep]

I felt the rut was late this year. I hunt southeast Pa. and I saw bucks checking does all the way into the beginning of November. The does didn't seem to go into full estrus until the end of the 1st week and into the beginning of the 2nd week of November. I agree with your comment about it being a "trickle rut".

Brian(Goin Deep)

[W.W.IV.]

Legacy,the full moon was Oct.25 this year so the rut should have been going full bore by Nov.5th. but I think the warm weather slowed it up, there was still some going on the first week of gun season. They should have been in chase mode the 27th. I saw a big increase in scrap activity the second week of Nov.The first week of Nov. should have been right on the money for the start of the rut, Going Deep. Hope you guys had a good season. WW.

[Legacy]

is it a lack of hunting or lack of hunters, no one else witnessed the rut?

[Billy V]

It got crankin' for us down near Ithaca right about Halloween this year, and then was in full swing for a couple of weeks after that. The buck I shot the day before Halloween was on his way to check some doe in estrus lure I had put out and the weekend after Halloween I saw several bucks running does pretty hard. Lots of scrape and rub activity down this way just before Halloween too.

[seasquirrel]

I have not seen a good crazy rut in a few years. Just as the weather starts to get things looking good (I personally dont buy into the moon phases theory much) the weather changes and warms. They seem to lose momentum . I agree with the trickle rut concept. I did see some scraping and chasing but not that much. I would think with the lower population of does compared to years past in my area that the bucks would really be in competition for available hot doe in the area. More scrapes, fighting, chasing, grunting etc. I think the most accurate way I have been able to determine peak rutting activety is the massive falling of the larch (tamarack) needles. Just my thoughts.

[Yankee Troller]

I have seen better! The deer I shot with the bow I saw pushing a does opening weekend of archery. I saw that all season long, but nothing crazy like 3 bucks chasing a doe.