Buck activity

[TNlandowner]

Bucks are moving in daylight and making scrapes all over our farm. Just in time for the youth hunt ;o)

 

[Ski]

Same here. Kids should have a great year.

 

[74MOPAR]

Good deal, not much action at all around my places yet.

 

[cbhunter]

Bucks are moving in daylight and making scrapes all over our farm. Just in time for the youth hunt ;o)

Really picked up on other end of county as well. Last 4-6 days the cameras are pretty steady with bucks

 

[BSK]

Headed out to check cameras now. Sure hope there's some good stuff on camera!

 

[backyardtndeer]

Been up and down here seemingly with the temp swings. Monday and Wednesday were really good, both mornings were cooler.

 

[Winchester]

Kids are going to have a good wknd, can you imagine how good it would be if they could hunt the following wknd like it used to be for them!!

 

[REN]

saw 2 bucks cruising for does at 3pm yesterday around my house. First time Ive seen that so far this year. And they were cruising in wide open fields.

 

[30-06 type of guy]

I rattled up 2 sunday evening and had one push a doe by me afterwards. Yesterday I rattled up 3. Young ones but hoping I can pull one out for my son Saturday morning.

 

[BSK]

Daylight activity definitely increased. Scraping and sparring activity also increased. The amount of chasing the bucks were doing is really amazing. Bucks are going after any doe they see. More like early November to be honest.

 

[MUP]

Saw the first road kill buck yesterday on the way home from work, coming across Hwy 111 from Chattanooga. They're starting to get frisky.

 

[BSK]

Saw the first road kill buck yesterday on the way home from work, coming across Hwy 111 from Chattanooga. They're starting to get frisky.

I was shocked by the number of dead does on the freeway between Nashville and Dickson. Again, looked like early November.

 

[tree_ghost]

Daylight activity definitely increased. Scraping and sparring activity also increased. The amount of chasing the bucks were doing is really amazing. Bucks are going after any doe they see. More like early November to be honest.

Neighbor had 2 on camera a few nights ago. Both mature hill county bucks, fighting so hard it nearly ripped one's ear off! I figured there had to be a hot doe up there…

 

[Ski]

Neighbor had 2 on camera a few nights ago. Both mature hill county bucks, fighting so hard it nearly ripped one's ear off! I figured there had to be a hot doe up there…

I've seen 3 lone adult does in the last few days but no bucks on their trail. Movement is getting unpredictable in a hurry. We're in the rut!

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I was shocked by the number of dead does on the freeway between Nashville and Dickson. Again, looked like early November.

My wife told me earlier this week there were dead deer everywhere on OHB between Bellevue and Brentwood

 

[BSK]

Neighbor had 2 on camera a few nights ago. Both mature hill county bucks, fighting so hard it nearly ripped one's ear off! I figured there had to be a hot doe up there…

I've seen 3 lone adult does in the last few days but no bucks on their trail. Movement is getting unpredictable in a hurry. We're in the rut!

I've talked a lot about the "false rut" and what drives it, but usually the false rut is just that - false. However, conception date data often reveals that a small percentage of does actually do go into estrus at this time (one cycle before the "real" rut) and get bred. And I definitely picked that up on trail-cam this year. For about 48 hours I got videos of bucks going crazy chasing a doe. And this wasn't "pester" chasing, this was full-on breeding chasing. These actual breedings during the false rut almost always occur in years with big acorn crops. The extra nutrition and energy provided by the acorns allows a few does to be healthy enough to go into actual estrus one cycle earlier than other females. And we definitely have the acorns this year.

 

[hbg1]

Here I am down here on the Alabama line a good 6-7 weeks from the rut, y'all are killing me.

 

[Rem7600]

It's not a false rut at all. To me this is like what time is best to kill am, pm or midday. You find the answer that fits your needs.

Most turkey seasons I see a fawn, I expect mid April to August fawns drop. It's nature securing their future/ reproductive success rate. To me rut starts 3 week of Oct. Peak rut Nov7-Dec7

Ski could articulate better.

 

[XCR-2]

Saw a full on chase yesterday evening. 2 bucks on one day chasing hard, grunting, etc

 

[Rem7600]

Seen a lot of pestering yesterday myself

 

[backyardtndeer]

I was shocked by the number of dead does on the freeway between Nashville and Dickson. Again, looked like early November.

Wife had one hit the back end of our car this morning on her way home from work a little after 4am.

Saw a lot of scrapes yesterday morning on a walk, more than I have ever seen this early. Think the rut this year here will be over before muzzleloader season even ends.

 

[DEDDY]

saw 2 bucks cruising for does at 3pm yesterday around my house. First time Ive seen that so far this year. And they were cruising in wide open fields.

Exact same thing for me yesterday morning! Saw a 2.5 8 pointer pestering a group of does!!!!! It was in the big field behind my house

 

[BSK]

Exact same thing for me yesterday morning! Saw a 2.5 8 pointer pestering a group of does!!!!! It was in the big field behind my house

All my older bucks are just living in the food plots starting right around sunset. They are waiting for does to step out, and as soon as they do, the bucks go after them. I've never seen this much chasing this early.

 

[double browtine]

I've always thought that the best week to hunt were the first two weeks of November. Usually that last week of bow only before muzzy starts is the best week for all day sits if the weather is right for your stand site.

 

[DomG]

On the B/T side, wife captured a picture of a piebald spike, chasing a doe in our back yard today.

Farther down the road a little forkie was cruising. He was the first branched buck I've seen in 3 weeks.