Rut activity??

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tntrkkllr

tntrkkllr

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SW TN
Has any one seen any rut activity in west tn? I've hardly seen any scrapes, maybe a couple young bucks trying chase a doe or two but even the bucks I've got on camera lately I can tell their tarsals ain't even changed color. Also getting pics of bucks in groups still?? I'm not sure what's going on round here!!
 
It was dead last weekend except for one chase that went on for an hour in an overgrown creek bottom field on our place.

Right before dark on another part of our place, a nice 3.5 had a doe hemmed up and wouldn't let her move.

Scrapes are just now opening up there in Henry county.
 
megalomaniac said:
WAY too early for west TN breeding activity. Another 2 weeks and you will be seeing some prerut action.
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This time Last year I shot two mature bucks one Saturday one Sunday both cruising for does just seems behind compared to last year, saw a lot of scrapes and chasing this time last year also I guess the warm weather got em not feeling it
 
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Yep, sure am. It's right on time about 30 minutes north of Jackson, right in time with the typical that we see. Seeing stained tarsals, chasing been going on for a couple weeks here, and a lot of scrapes over the last week and a half.
 
I'm on the border between Middle TN and West TN. Chasing has been insane this year (started in late September). Bucks were cranked to 11 over the weekend. Very little sign of actual estrus, but bucks didn't care. We saw multiple chases from the stand Saturday through Wednesday, and a crazy number of chases on camera.

Also noticed around the 5th that does suddenly switched their attention from the overhanging limb at scrapes to the ground scrapes themselves. In the past, this has been a very predictable harbinger of actual estrus in 5 days. So looks like estrus should kick off in mass around the 10th, which is right on schedule for a peak breeding of the 10th to 20th.
 
Northern Middle getting right. Watched buck bump does around monday. Seen multiple younger bucks cruising...had to work Tuesday thru Thursday....this morning seen two bucks chasing same doe...our observations and historical notes line up with BSKs comments...10th to 20th looking good...add in slightly cooler temps....its time.
 
In NE TN I saw an increase of bucks cruising after the cold front at Halloween. That whole week had bucks making scrapes and chasing does. I do not know if the does were in heat or the bucks were just horny. Last weekend 4 of the guys I hunt with shot bucks that were chasing. Since then with this warm weather I have not had as much activity on cameras or seen any chasing as well. I think with the cooler weather this weekend and next week are going to be good for rut activity at least here.
 
BSK said:
I'm on the border between Middle TN and West TN. Chasing has been insane this year (started in late September). Bucks were cranked to 11 over the weekend. Very little sign of actual estrus, but bucks didn't care. We saw multiple chases from the stand Saturday through Wednesday, and a crazy number of chases on camera.

Also noticed around the 5th that does suddenly switched their attention from the overhanging limb at scrapes to the ground scrapes themselves. In the past, this has been a very predictable harbinger of actual estrus in 5 days. So looks like estrus should kick off in mass around the 10th, which is right on schedule for a peak breeding of the 10th to 20th.
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@BSK We need to see some kill pics and a story. :)

I have seen no rutting activity here but still about 5 days before we start seeing older bucks on their feet during daylight cruising.
 
Y'all think this cold will kick some in gear to at least cruise? Here in west Tenn. Will be hunting a soybean field that will likely have 15-20 does out in it this afternoon
 
Have seen a 2.5yo running a doe who wasn't ready and a 4.5yo 120in buck checking does, but not running them. SE middle tn

Prob should have shot the 4.5yo, but didn't want to tag out in the first hour of my 2023 season.
 
TN Larry said:
@BSK We need to see some kill pics and a story. :)
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So far, just a bunch of 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 year-old 8-pointers.

My family farm is just for "entertainment" hunting for the family. They come in from all over the country (and even other countries) for 5-6 days at the start of MZ season and that's it for most of them for the year. Any buck not a yearling is fair game. We shoot a lot of 2 1/2 year-old 8-pointers, which we can "grow" with abundance.
 
Zero action in my part of northern sumner county, not even seeing many does. But I've heard others are seeing some better activity. 12 days until shoulder surgery so I'm hoping I get lucky this weekend.
 
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BSK said:
So far, just a bunch of 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 year-old 8-pointers.

My family farm is just for "entertainment" hunting for the family. They come in from all over the country (and even other countries) for 5-6 days at the start of MZ season and that's it for most of them for the year. Any buck not a yearling is fair game. We shoot a lot of 2 1/2 year-old 8-pointers, which we can "grow" with abundance.
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And there's not a thing wrong with that either. It should be all about having fun.
 
BSK said:
I'm on the border between Middle TN and West TN. Chasing has been insane this year (started in late September). Bucks were cranked to 11 over the weekend. Very little sign of actual estrus, but bucks didn't care. We saw multiple chases from the stand Saturday through Wednesday, and a crazy number of chases on camera.

Also noticed around the 5th that does suddenly switched their attention from the overhanging limb at scrapes to the ground scrapes themselves. In the past, this has been a very predictable harbinger of actual estrus in 5 days. So looks like estrus should kick off in mass around the 10th, which is right on schedule for a peak breeding of the 10th to 20th.
Click to expand...

Dead on. Pretty sure some does came in today. This afternoon was on fiyah..
 
I am SE Tennessee and the bucks were trolling around all afternoon. This rain and cool down must have set them off. I saw 6 different bucks this afternoon between 430 and dark.
 
30-06 type of guy said:
That 2nd one on your list?
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Eh I haven't decided if I'd shoot or not. I killed the buck I wanted this season during archery so unless he just gives me a ridiculous easy shot I probably won't target him. I'm fine filling only one buck tag and I'd like to see what the rest of the season presents.
 
tntrkkllr said:
Oh my gosh that first buck mad about it lol
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Hahaha yeah it was fun watching. I got about 6 30sec videos of him destroying everything he could. He'd made a scrape there the day before and earlier in the morning before he got mad, about three other bucks hit the scrape. When he came back in he was visibly angry lol
 

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