Less/delayed buck sign this year?

[BringBackThe80s]

At this point, I have hunted Hamilton, Coffee, and Anderson Counties and in all of them seen *much* fewer rubs and scrapes than I normally see by this close to the rut. Even in the spot where a nice buck trailed me to my stand on the edge of his bedding cover yesterday, none of the normal sign is present.

I don't know how rainfall has been in West Tennessee, but in East and Middle Tennessee we are in a true drought with unseasonably warm temps for some time past. It has definitely squelched daytime movement, even when I could hear bucks grunting in thick cover but never leaving it. I don't know if that would explain lack of sign, though, when tracks are still being made at night.

Has anyone else observed a decrease or delay in buck sign this year?

 

[Southern Sportsman]

I have definitely noticed fewer scrapes and rubs than usual for this time of year, though it seems to be picking up over the last week. I haven't been too worried about it because we are seeing plenty of bucks both in person and on camera. But definitely fewer scrapes than normal in places where I usually see a lot. I've attributed it to a LOT more acorns than normal. I suspect they are still making scrapes and doing their thing, but maybe doing it in the timber where I'm less likely to see the sign instead of along trails and field edges like normal.

 

[BSK]

We're in the same drought, but I've never seen so many scrapes and so much daylight activity. But that is probably due to our massive local acorn crop. Bucks have a lot of excess energy to burn. However, rubbing activity has been slow.

 

[SpurChaser]

I definitely agree. I hunt a lot of public land and a small farm up near McMinnville. The buck sign up on the mountain is little to none. I'm not sure if it's due to the massive amount of acorns this year, or lack of rain. All the bucks I had on camera this late summer/early fall have disappeared. They're out there, but might not be moving as much because they don't have to go looking for food.

 

[Ski]

I've not noticed any difference in rubbing or scraping. The only thing that stands out to me this season older bucks stayed grouped up longer than normal and young bucks are still grouped. Seems older bucks are doing the bulk of the rutting, which is a good thing. Other than pestering does and light scraping and rubbing, young bucks are largely behaving like does. Sign of healthy sex and age structures IMO.

 

[Carlos]

There's been minimal rubs and scrapes in the Cumberland county area as well.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Drought in West Tennessee, but seeing plenty of scrapes. Haven't noticed any rubs, but honestly have not been looking real hard, just going to and from stands, sure they are out there though.

 

[deerhunter10]

We have more then normal scrapes less then normal rubs. Didn't see any rubs til the first week of October. I don't pay no attention to them, but interesting. One of our best farms historically, is tough on a year with a big mass crop but the sign is consistent across all of our ground. I have noticed some of my historically good spots for trail cameras had to be tweaked this year. Maury county bad bad drought.

 

[Carlos]

I wonder if it could be related to the dry weather somehow?
I can't recall a year when we've had such a lack of rain as we've had lately.

 

[BSK]

I wonder if it could be related to the dry weather somehow?
I can't recall a year when we've had such a lack of rain as we've had lately.

How about last year? Historic drought. At my place, from early June to late October it rained a grand total of 5 times in 5 months. Never seen such a drought. Very, very hard on the deer and habitat. Had virtually no rubs or scrapes.

This year, drought started in mid-August and is still continuing, but a great acorn crop and the deer are responding. Many studies have linked sign-making (rubs and scrapes) to the acorn crop (in acorn-driven deer herds - those that rely heavily on acorns as a primary fall/winter food source). The more acorns, the more sign. It is suspected that big acorn crops provide extra energy for bucks to burn, hence more sign-making.

 

[fairchaser]

Ames in West Tennessee there is a dearth of buck sign. Very few scrapes and even fewer rubs. Also not many tracks. If it weren't for cameras, I'd conclude all the deer are dead! In 10 hunts totaling 40 hours on stand, I've seen exactly 4 deer having hunted multiple locations. The cameras are showing 98% nighttime activity and a 1 to 1 buck to doe ratio.

I'm not sure what conclusions to draw from all this. It's just plain hard to see a deer, any deer. I'm putting all my hope in the rut.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

We are seeing plenty of sign, but our deer sightings are way down. I suspect it's due to the warmer weather. Most sightings are in the mornings when it's cooler. But I don't ever remember seeing this few deer in early November. I was thinking I was doing something wrong, but everyone else around here is seeing the same thing

 

[BSK]

We are seeing plenty of sign, but our deer sightings are way down. I suspect it's due to the warmer weather. Most sightings are in the mornings when it's cooler. But I don't ever remember seeing this few deer in early November. I was thinking I was doing something wrong, but everyone else around here is seeing the same thing

I'm really shocked by everyone's slow buck movement. Ours has been insane this year. For the first half of November, our older buck (2 1/2+) sighting rate in the afternoons has been more than double any previous year (35 years of data). Mornings good (in the top 30% of years), but afternoons off the charts.

 

[Ski]

I'm really shocked by everyone's slow buck movement. Ours has been insane this year. For the first half of November, our older buck (2 1/2+) sighting rate in the afternoons has been more than double any previous year (35 years of data). Mornings good (in the top 30% of years), but afternoons off the charts.

Every property is so different. I suspect it has something to do with cover. I hunt IN cover and have been seeing plenty deer. I'm not seeing them step out in the open since third week October.

 

[rem270]

Scrapes and rub are about the same as every year (a lot) if not above average.

 

[WilcoKen]

Wilson Co. Much less sign/activity for me. Its a different twist every year it seems. The twist this year is drought and heat. It's been a brown fall from the ground to the trees.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Went to turn my cell cam slightly this morning, and I walked past several fresh scrapes around the edge of the brush pile my camera is at the end of. If anything, there may be slightly more than normal in that area.

 

[muddyboots]

We have scrapes everywhere. I mean a ton. Very few runs. Tracks everywhere but very little pics or sightings.

 

[Creek bottoms]

Seeing bucks early, late and on cameras at night. They don't have to move far.

 

[huvrman]

Have hunted 8 time, seen 9 bucks, 14 does. All bucks were in various stages of cruising dogging, or chasing does. Scrapes just starting to appear. No rubs at all. Acorns everywhere. Activity from daylight to 1000 am and just before dark. Of the 8 sits, had only 1 where I didn't see a deer.