Lockdown
- Thread starter WilcoKen
- Start date
Winchester
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Wow, I hunted that area last few days and while the occasional chase was seen (mostly young bucks) most bucks still by themselves with Does just starting to run the fawns off. My son killed a good 9 pt last day or Archery and he too was alone. I do look for the top to pop off this week and heavy chasing to start any day.
I had a doe and a yearling up out in a food plot this morning up on the mountain in east TN, I've been watching for her to run the young one off but not yet. My niece in Cumberland Co. did have a good sized buck in her yard this morning in daylight which is unusual for her. I think its creeping this way for sure.
WilcoKen
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It could be a couple of exceptions Im seeing. But yesterday a nice 6 bedded with a doe. And then another good buck guarding a doe. He ran off a spike and went back to his doe. A buddy hunted this morning right next to our lease and woods were dead as could be.
Bone Collector
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My nephew shot at a big one Saturday AM wide open chasing in Watertown. I haven't hunted Wilson this year. In Rutherford we're usually aligned. This year does are still together, bucks are alone and it just seems to be starting. I swear each year it is a week early or a week later. It hardly ever stays the same days in November, but it is always within that 14 day window when it fires up. Issue is I can only take so much time off and guessing on which 5 days is hard when one year it is around now (10th) and next year it is around the week of the 17th.
Last year I took off this week and they cranked up around the 18th (big bucks). They haven't shown this year yet, so maybe just maybe I got it right. Of course just may be a down year, so we'll have to see.
WilcoKen
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Used to be Thanksgiving week was fire here. But like you said, each year is a new wrinkle. 74° again this Saturday I see now.
people get excited when they see a few isolated early chases. I live a deer oasis that i can watch hundreds of deer out my window each day and i can tell you for in southern middle- the week after Thanksgiving is when the biggest most mature bucks will really be covering ground, possibly looking for does that havent been in heat yet
Locked down in Illinois
Outdoor Enthusiast
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I am seeing similar in Smith Co. I started seeing mature bucks chasing does on 11/1 during daylight and lots of activity last week.
There is still some good movement but mainly seeing young bucks cruising with less of the older age group. I think the older class bucks are locked down with does.
I did slip in on an estrous chase in a thicket with three bucks around a doe. I couldn't get a clear shot on the biggest of the bucks.
Bone Collector
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For Rutherford, Wilson and Williamson it is earlier than that. It is before Thanksgiving. Issue is on my personal property (closer to Cannon County) where I have years of data and lots of cellular cameras running every year around Nov 5th - 10th larger deer start to show up. Then just after the 10th or the what will be the week of the 17th this year, bigger deer show up. Always with a doe, never leaving her side, until they disappear. then they pop back in 28 days or so later to see if anything is leftover.
This year on different properties it seemed like the week leading up to and the weekend of the Juvi hunt I got a lot of bigger bucks on their feet during daylight. Before that they were all night pics. Now they haven't shown up in 2 weeks. No way they all got shot. This observation is for more than one property in the same county (Rutherford) and the properties are all in relatively the same area.
Bone Collector
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they're getting whacked here on highway 96, I-24, and John Bragg Hgwy. Saw one this morning small 8 pt.
I am leaning towards thinking that peak breeding in the primary rut has already happened here, about 30 minutes north of Jackson.
Right on time, Veterans Day
DeerCamp
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It would be extraordinarily rare for the rut to have been this early. It would take something like a catastrophic drought and maybe not even that.
I'm only 30 miles from you and scrapes are just starting to heat up. We are still 10 days away from breeding really kicking off.
I'm not saying you are wrong, just saying it would be extremely unlikely that the rut is over for you
I got my first buck following on camera tonight. Its one we've not seen yet this year.
Rut timing is area specific to the does in that area. I didn't say it was over, but rather the peak for the does using our farm has likely already passed, or in other words the bulk of mature does have already had their first estrous cycle this season.
I was seeing full blown chases, bucks locked down with does too from 10/29-11/2. Haven't seen anything like it since.
We decided to hoof it in to a new spot I found tomorrow instead of messing with the boat. Hopefully the boy will pop one in the morning and be ready to hunt for a buck this weekend. One of the old timers down by me gave me some info that may be helpful.
Outdoor Enthusiast
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I had the same thing of my cameras. I thought it was odd and maybe just excess energy from the acorn crop, but it appears that it was legit.
megalomaniac
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Not quite full lockdown yet on my farms... but very close. About 20% of the does have already been bred id guess. The 2 mature bucks we've killed so far were tending does, but the bulk of does arent quite in yet.
My normal lockdown is Nov22 thru 26
This year it should be Nov 14 thru 20.
Never seen the rut deviate this early before.
LOTS of frantic chasing of unreceptive does by 2.5yos and even a few 3.5yos. Have seen three 3.5yos tending does as well that weren't shot . LOTS of shots heard past 3 days... way more than average despite the 20mph winds.
My normal lockdown is Nov22 thru 26
This year it should be Nov 14 thru 20.
Never seen the rut deviate this early before.
LOTS of frantic chasing of unreceptive does by 2.5yos and even a few 3.5yos. Have seen three 3.5yos tending does as well that weren't shot . LOTS of shots heard past 3 days... way more than average despite the 20mph winds.
Outdoor Enthusiast
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That's one thing I haven't observed - I have heard very few shots in my area. It may be due to the wind noise but usually opening weekend of MZ has lots of shooting. I heard one shot nearby and that's it.
DeerCamp
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I'm aware that it can vary, and I'm saying that would be very unusual. In order for peak breeding to already be over you would be talking about a lockdown phase being 2.5 weeks ahead of the rest of state.
Is this a usual pattern for your farm?
Usually earlier, yes, but not quite as early as this year.
My trail cams have been blowing up today on the mountain. I've had activity all morning and our contractor who's building a house out there had two bucks walk through this morning. This is in an area with extremely skittish deer and they're walking right past our guys doing construction in broad daylight. This also tells me the does aren't in heat, yet. I've had a half dozen does on camera this morning and the bucks were leaving our place heading up the mountain side.
