Hickman County Rut Update?

[DeerWhisperer]

I hunted all last week, seen very little activity where I hunt, seen 1 buck chasing on Sunday Morning, outside that just a few does.

I am hearing about all stages, some still seeing chasing, others seeing nothing.

What is the consensus?

 

[Appleman]

Slow

 

[JCDEERMAN]

The main part is over at our place in Hickman. Bucks are now cruising and rubbing like crazy. Will pick back up here in about 15 days. We saw bucks chasing a little early this year. Probably just because they were on their feet being that it was cooler than normal.

 

[BSK]

The main part is over at our place in Hickman. Bucks are now cruising and rubbing like crazy.

Hope that's the case at my place this weekend! Should be "end-of-rut" cruising by then.

We saw bucks chasing a little early this year. Probably just because they were on their feet being that it was cooler than normal.

I strongly suspect that was the case with most of us who saw early activity.

What part of Hickman is your place in?

 

[JCDEERMAN]

The main part is over at our place in Hickman. Bucks are now cruising and rubbing like crazy.

Hope that's the case at my place this weekend! Should be "end-of-rut" cruising by then.

We saw bucks chasing a little early this year. Probably just because they were on their feet being that it was cooler than normal.

I strongly suspect that was the case with most of us who saw early activity.

What part of Hickman is your place in?

This past weekend, I was finding rubs on cedars the size of my thigh all over the place. I saved one location and snuck out there Friday morning in the rain. As soon as it started getting light, all I could see we're these big rubs. I literally got my binoculars out and every cedar tree in the hollow and point I was on was torn up. Talk about getting excited. Saturday evening, I saw two nice 2 1/2's cruising. They covered 2 whole ridges within 20 minutes. Another one of our hunters saw several yearlings and 2 1/2's with the same behavior.

Our place is about 8 miles SW of Centerville "as the crow flies". We usually see a lot of activity of bucks up to 2 1/2 years old during muzzleloader. But it never fails, the 3 1/2's and older start moving a couple days before the start of rifle and do so until the end of Thanksgiving (which is probably a week or so after yours). We then see a big surge around the 10th of December and that lasts about 2 weeks....obviously not as explosive as the first.

It's funny when I hear locals around there talk about bucks chasing here and there, but when asked, they say about 5 miles this way or 10 miles that way. Now when they see those bucks "around the loop" as we call it, I try to get down there as soon as I can.

 

[vonhogslayer]

Shot a nice eight chasing a doe real hard sat my buddy saw a biggun with his nose to the ground yest. And a big ten was seen today,saw two different yearlings yest. Eve lookin lost so ill be gettin up early tomm! This is on primm springs rd

 

[BSK]

The main part is over at our place in Hickman. Bucks are now cruising and rubbing like crazy.

Hope that's the case at my place this weekend! Should be "end-of-rut" cruising by then.

We saw bucks chasing a little early this year. Probably just because they were on their feet being that it was cooler than normal.

I strongly suspect that was the case with most of us who saw early activity.

What part of Hickman is your place in?

Our place is about 8 miles SW of Centerville "as the crow flies". We usually see a lot of activity of bucks up to 2 1/2 years old during muzzleloader. But it never fails, the 3 1/2's and older start moving a couple days before the start of rifle and do so until the end of Thanksgiving (which is probably a week or so after yours). We then see a big surge around the 10th of December and that lasts about 2 weeks....obviously not as explosive as the first.

Yup, sounds like our places are about a week apart. I usually get a last burst of mature bucks cruising during daylight the first week of December.

 

[981kirk]

I had 2 shooters this past weekend. I had a nice 8 pt 18" wide came straight up a ridge next to me and never stopped. Nose to the ground. Sunday morning I had a doe run past me and about 20 sec behind her was another shooter. He never stopped or slowed down. A guy on our lease shot a good 8 pt last night. Another guy hasn't seen anything. We are thinking the rut is over now and looking for the 2nd rut on Dec 20th-26th or so

 

[turk870]

Shot a nice eight chasing a doe real hard sat my buddy saw a biggun with his nose to the ground yest. And a big ten was seen today,saw two different yearlings yest. Eve lookin lost so ill be gettin up early tomm! This is on primm springs rd

seen a nice ten at the house with the wood fence on the left when your headed down the rd.and a nice 8 (upper 130s was seen on my place on russells branch couple weeks ago,the kid couldnt get on him)havent been abel to make it over there yet..back before mzl had a 150in deer cross tarkington rd in front of me..so there are a few in that area..

 

[CopperHead77]

Seeing very little rutting activity so far,first few weeks of Dec. are usually when things start cranking up around here(primm springs also).

 

[BSK]

Seeing very little rutting activity so far,first few weeks of Dec. are usually when things start cranking up around here(primm springs also).

I find that simply amazing. I have several clients in the Primm Springs area, and all of them experience a peak breeding timing of right around Thanksgiving week. Basically, right around the opening of gun season. It never ceases to amaze me how different rut timings can be between areas near to each other.

 

[mfisher]

I got a big bodied 2 x 3 10 days ago. He was not cruising at all. The next week saw a couple 4 points cruising and 2 does running on the ridge acrossed from me, never saw a buck on their trail. The lease is in Coble.

 

[vonhogslayer]

Saw notta this am ,my friend saw two small does and a bobcat ran them off,....lockdown.....

 

[BSK]

I got a big bodied 2 x 3 10 days ago. He was not cruising at all. The next week saw a couple 4 points cruising and 2 does running on the ridge acrossed from me, never saw a buck on their trail. The lease is in Coble.

Just remember, not all bucks will be doing the same thing at the same time. In addition, some bucks are just not active breeders and not all does are going to be in estrus at the same time.

I think too many hunters think that every deer in the woods is going to be going crazy during the peak of the rut. That just isn't the case. Just the maximum amount of rutting activity occurs at this time, even if that means just 30-50% of deer observed are displaying "rutting type" behavior at one time. Away from the peak, it may be only 10-25%.