Bucks passing through

[DaveB]

Lease is in Fayette County, south west quadrant. Took the opportunity to check a trail cam Saturday AM. Very surprised-4 bucks maybe 5 I have never seen before. Yet I saw and heard zero signs of chasing. Has to be close.

 

[BSK]

A sudden surge of "new" bucks is very common right at peak breeding.

This has been one of the strangest ruts I can remember in my area. No visible chasing or rut behavior at all, yet we should be past peak breeding in my area. We finally witnessed the first bucks following behind does (at a distance) Sunday afternoon, but definitely not "chasing."

 

[DaveB]

Found a scrape, several of them actually, that had been worked very very recently. With the rain it was easy to tell how fresh they were. I have a trail cam pic of a Buck at 4:12 AM 11/23 maybe 40 yards from a fresh scrape and I want badly to put 1 + 1 together.

Bucks scrape during Rut?

 

[creativomjh]

I'm in east-central Shelby County and i saw A LOT of chasing this weekend. looked like a kids chasing each other in a playground on our lease. If you haven't seen any yet, it's extremely close!

 

[Bullfrog]

This has been one of the strangest ruts I can remember in my area. No visible chasing or rut behavior at all, yet we should be past peak breeding in my area. We finally witnessed the first bucks following behind does (at a distance) Sunday afternoon, but definitely not "chasing."

Exactly the same here

 

[BSK]

We never did see the first true breeding chase. This year's rut was definitely the most muted we've ever seen while hunting. All of the "wild" activity appeared on camera before MZ season opened.

 

[Winchester]

Same here, most subtle rut we have ever saw and we had some GREAT weather at what should have been the perfect time to see some daylight rutting action, never happened!

 

[BSK]

Same here, most subtle rut we have ever saw and we had some GREAT weather at what should have been the perfect time to see some daylight rutting action, never happened!

This has been the best November hunting weather that I can remember, but virtually no rut activity observed.

 

[tellico4x4]

Same here, most subtle rut we have ever saw and we had some GREAT weather at what should have been the perfect time to see some daylight rutting action, never happened!

This has been the best November hunting weather that I can remember, but virtually no rut activity observed.

So strange how much this varies from place to place in TN. Hands down, we've had the best rut activity in 12 years on our place in Wayne & Hardin.

 

[Andy S.]

This has been the best November hunting weather that I can remember, but virtually no rut activity observed.

As bad I hate to say it and furthermore accept it, this has been my experience this year as well; little to no observed rutting activity while afield during some of the best sustained cold weather that I can remember in many years.

 

[Winchester]

This has been the best November hunting weather that I can remember, but virtually no rut activity observed.

As bad I hate to say it and furthermore accept it, this has been my experience this year as well; little to no observed rutting activity while afield during some of the best sustained cold weather that I can remember in many years.

You guys are right, I even predicted a great rut with the weather forecasted, couldn't have been more wrong, on the rut anyway! The weather was the best I remember and the rut was the worst I remember!! :(

 

[user 14220]

I was always taught the rut happens at basically the same time every year depending on the latitude you are at.
When do the deer in Tennessee normally start rutting?

 

[BSK]

Correct Snowwolfe, deer breed at the same time each year, with each location having its own unique peak breeding dates. However, when peak breeding occurs, and when hunters see peak rutting behavior in daylight can be two very different things. Sometimes, the peak HUNTER-OBSERVED rut is different from actual peak breeding dates by as much as two to three weeks.

 

[TheLBLman]

Sometimes, the peak HUNTER-OBSERVED rut is different from actual peak breeding dates by as much as two to three weeks.

Often due to weather and other factors.
Not to mention, the best time to see cruising bucks is typically both immediately before and immediately after the peak breeding dates. (If a buck is actually "with" a doe, he's not roaming around looking for one.)

I would say the biggest single factor effecting what we see is typically the temperature. Although this year has been an anomaly for me, as we had cooler than normal temps, and saw less rutting activity than I can ever remember (while just the opposite would have been expected).

 

[BSK]

Sometimes, the peak HUNTER-OBSERVED rut is different from actual peak breeding dates by as much as two to three weeks.

Often due to weather and other factors.
Not to mention, the best time to see cruising bucks is typically both immediately before and immediately after the peak breeding dates. (If a buck is actually "with" a doe, he's not roaming around looking for one.)

I would say the biggest single factor effecting what we see is typically the temperature. Although this year has been an anomaly for me, as we had cooler than normal temps, and saw less rutting activity than I can ever remember (while just the opposite would have been expected).

This, exactly.

 

[Winchester]

I agree as well, but im becoming more and more positive every day now that our breeding has been delayed a little this yr. Im seeing bucks actually tending does Right Now! This is not off by a lot but definitely a lil later than normal. The kicker is I don't think its just a few late does, as others here have just started seeing the same. Bucks have increased their movement overall by a huge % in the last week, even making more sign (which still isn't much) than they have all yr. It just keeps getting stranger here!

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Very strange here too, Winchester. I usually see 5-10 chases a year as well as atleast 10 bucks cruising. This year = 1 cruising and 1 chasing!!! Not much sign since the end of October when things went wild. Heck, I cant see a doe for the life of me....just yearlings and 2.5 yo bucks. This has been since the start of muzzy. The deer dont start getting scarce until around the end of December here. We usually see tons of deer until then. No deer, no chasing/cruising activity, heck no does, nothing. I simply do not get it.

Might seem far fetched, but I am hoping our 2nd rut around the middle of December - Christmas (we usually see a fairly good one in our area) is wild for the lack of everything in November. Just odd!

 

[Boll Weevil]

Although this year has been an anomaly for me, as we had cooler than normal temps, and saw less rutting activity than I can ever remember (while just the opposite would have been expected).

Now here's a little tidbit I've really considered while checking the wind direction by SEEING my breath the last few weeks. This ain't been normal.

I very rarely recall the years I've been able to actually see my breath and worn COLD weather gear that also coincided with lots of big deer moving here in TN. I've accepted for years that our Dixie deer seem to move less when it's really cold...and will even drag my feet heading to the stand some mornings (they just move a little later). Is it possible that this weather pattern actually stifled daytime movement during the rut?

This is a good thought Mr. Parrish.

 

[BSK]

Too cold for daylight rutting activity? I highly doubt that.

 

[The_Utility_Dude]

Although this year has been an anomaly for me, as we had cooler than normal temps, and saw less rutting activity than I can ever remember (while just the opposite would have been expected).

Now here's a little tidbit I've really considered while checking the wind direction by SEEING my breath the last few weeks. This ain't been normal.

I very rarely recall the years I've been able to actually see my breath and worn COLD weather gear that also coincided with lots of big deer moving here in TN. I've accepted for years that our Dixie deer seem to move less when it's really cold...and will even drag my feet heading to the stand some mornings (they just move a little later). Is it possible that this weather pattern actually stifled daytime movement during the rut?

This is a good thought Mr. Parrish.

My observations this year are fairly close to normal. Half dozen chases observed or heard and half dozen bucks cruising. The main difference for me is that MOST of this activity has occurred from 11:00am EST to dark with the majority of that from 2:00pm 'til dark. The oldest buck I've laid eyes on was 2 1/2. Haven't seen, what I could be certain, was 3 1/2 or older. (not that I see that many older bucks but usually manage to see a couple each year) Time split equally between East TN and Middle Tn.

 

[Winchester]

Too cold for daylight rutting activity? I highly doubt that.

Ditto, cold weather and daylight rutting behavior go hand in hand.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Too cold for daylight rutting activity? I highly doubt that.

Ditto, cold weather and daylight rutting behavior go hand in hand.

One would think but there's a whooooole lotta hunters observing otherwise. Shucks, I don't believe it myself and had sky-high expectations with everything seeming to align perfectly. Everyone knows cold weather = an observable rut but this year those elements just didn't align for some reason(s).

Maybe it's not the cold weather at all but after reflecting on the Perception vs. Reality thread I had to rethink it. Our perception and expectation was that colder weather would result in a visible rut. For whatever reason, it simply didn't.

 

[BSK]

Our perception and expectation was that colder weather would result in a visible rut. For whatever reason, it simply didn't.

Exactly. And considering colder weather has equaled more daylight activity in the past, the question is, why didn't it this year? In essence, what is the "For whatever reason" you mention above. In my opinion, it wasn't the weather in November.

 

[TheLBLman]

We may never know the answer, and I doubt it's any one single thing, rather a combination of factors.

But the one single thing that seemed most unusual (among the factors) in 2013 was the regularly falling, abundant rainfall which produced more of a food supply (excluding acorns) than I can ever recall. Even with a poor acorn crop in my hunting areas, the deer taken in November were unusually fat & healthy.

 

[BSK]

We may never know the answer, and I doubt it's any one single thing, rather a combination of factors.

I agree. The "cause" for the poor daylight rutting activity is most likely a complex combination of factors.

 

[Football Hunter]

We may never know the answer, and I doubt it's any one single thing, rather a combination of factors.

I agree. The "cause" for the poor daylight rutting activity is most likely a complex combination of factors.

Odd to hear,Ive actually seen more chasing this year,NE Perry co,than in the last few years.Although the buck sign peaked early,very little during Nov.