Rut report

[HOOK]

This weekend was very busy…this is what I call the slow chase phase, pre-rut. Saw 5 different bucks chase does and a lot of grunting going on, but they are not yet aggressive. A week and a half and it will be on!

 

[Gravey]

Hunted Saturday and saw 8 deer. All were alone and not sure what 2 were. The other 6 were bucks just cruising through. Saw several scrapes. Some were old and some had been hit recently. A few rubs as well.

 

[dogtown]

Quiet in roane county this morning. Sitting in favorite rut cruising spot with no deer so far

 

[whwood21]

Started to see some younger bucks at sunrise this morning. Saw three bucks and several doe, no sign of rut action yet. Saw a few nice rub lines and scrapes this morning on my walk through the woods in West Wilson county. They are slowly but surely becoming active.

 

[SteveJ]

Mostly small bucks cruising. A little chasing

 

[gatodoc]

In Rossville in west TN…does still in groups. Bachelor groups seem to have broken up. Seen bucks following does but not chasing. No new scrapes opened or old ones refreshed. Did have a buck tear heck out of a tree near me last night but couldn't get eyes on him.

Need more leaves to fall to improve visibility. Fall here is a week or two behind East tn and the rut usually is too.

Gonna pick up some condos and head back east on Monday, but I'll be back out here thanksgiving week. ThT looks like major rut time.

 

[BSK]

I was beginning to worry we had a very early rut, as the older bucks have really been off the scrapes for the last week. But looking at trail-cam video, and having seen a couple of chases, everything still looks right on time. Don't know why older bucks aren't hitting scrapes much but they sure are cruising. All the chases I've seen, even involving older bucks, has been pester-chasing but not estrus chasing.

 

[philsanchez76]

I was beginning to worry we had a very early rut, as the older bucks have really been off the scrapes for the last week. But looking at trail-cam video, and having seen a couple of chases, everything still looks right on time. Don't know why older bucks aren't hitting scrapes much but they sure are cruising. All the chases I've seen, even involving older bucks, has been pester-chasing but not estrus chasing.

Whew glad I aint the only one. I was beginning to get worried as almost all my cams are on scrapes at this point and they've been dead this week so far.

 

[musical hunter]

I know it's a bit early but thought I'd go ahead and start one. Post any chasing/rutting activity here. Location and experience please.

I'll start with this...had four does in my front yard yesterday morning. They moved one and 15 minutes later came running back thru with a nice 8pt chasing and grunting the whole time. I'm in Roane County.

I aint been out yet but I have seen a few big bucks chasing does across the roads

 

[BSK]

Whew glad I aint the only one. I was beginning to get worried as almost all my cams are on scrapes at this point and they've been dead this week so far.

Lots of does still with their fawns and no videos of does trying to chase their fawns away, which is a sure sign of a doe entering estrus.

I have no idea how important this is, as this is the only the second year I've been using exclusively video trail-cameras. But last year I noticed does generally spent the vast majority of their time at scrapes focused on the overhanging limb. That is until suddenly, about 5 days before the rut exploded, does became absolutely fixated on the ground scrape. They stood there for minutes with their noses stuck down the scrapes, inhaling the scent. IF (and that's a big "if") that is some indicator estrus is almost here, this year I noticed does with their faces in scrapes at my place starting just two days ago (Nov. 8th).

 

[1jamey]

Hawkins County here, the only sign of the rut I have seen is a spike lip curling out in a field Monday. All my scrapes are covered with leaves. Expecting it to pick up soon, I hope.

 

[Antler Daddy]

We saw two nice bucks trailing does on KY side of LBL this weekend. Kids just can't seem to shoot one.

In south Lawrence county, doe groups are together and I've got bucks hanging out together as well. Scrapes are everywhere!

 

[megalomaniac]

Still right on schedule on my places. Young bucks running does like crazy, 3.5yos cruising in daytime, and mature bucks visually and scent checking for does at first and last light.

Normal year.. a random doe comes in Nov 10th, by Nov 15th reliably a doe in heat is to be found, peak breeding Nov 18 thru 20. Same pattern this year as expected for long term trends thus far.

There's going to be a LOT of deer that hit the ground this weekend in middle TN based on weather forecast coinciding with the frenzy of the actual rut starting.

 

[huvrman]

Have pulled chips from four cameras over the last 2 weeks. Three were set to video and all have bucks chasing does. Bigger bucks are moving at midday and midnight. others are at all hours. Pretty cool to have the audio record bucks fighting just out of view of the camera. Or to hear does running in the leaves, then pass through the camera field of view, followed by a buck. Have never seen this much activity this early in the season. Folks better be in the woods now, as the window of opportunity may be closing earlier than expected.

 

[Bgoodman30]

The couple cool mornings right after Halloween there were bucks everywhere. Saw one of the biggest of my life while driving and several chases. Over weekend one farm bucks were running hard saw 5 losing their minds with their nose down, plus one mature buck. Hunted another farm close by Sunday and just saw small bucks cruising into the wind. Some pestering and chasing.

Today Nov 11 IMO is the best day of the season every year. I have seen one of my #1 deer between 11/10-11/12 the last 4 years in a row. Unfortunately my truck is in the shop and I am home today.. Will be there tomorrow even If I have to walk there, I fully expect the lid to get blown off this thing..

 

[Winchester]

I spent first 3 days of MZ in Wilson co. and the old mature does seem to be in heat, as bucks were actually locked down tending them, 3 different mature bucks sighted each tending a huge old doe. Now we stayed and hunted a fairly small area, maybe 50 acres, so it could be somewhat localized but rut activity was booming with new scrapes showing up daily. Rubs still at a minimum but I did watch a mature buck tending a doe actually make a good rub one morning. This area is thick with a high deer population but rut behavior is definitely ahead there vs here in East TN.

 

[UCStandSitter]

Up on the "plataw" I'm not seeing anything like this yet. Hoping that all changes starting this weekend. Other than a few small guys chasin, that's about it so far.

 

[Snake]

Seen a decent 8 point chasing a doe in McMinn Co. Scrapes abundant but not many rubs has seen a few though.

 

[gatodoc]

Have pulled chips from four cameras over the last 2 weeks. Three were set to video and all have bucks chasing does. Bigger bucks are moving at midday and midnight. others are at all hours. Pretty cool to have the audio record bucks fighting just out of view of the camera. Or to hear does running in the leaves, then pass through the camera field of view, followed by a buck. Have never seen this much activity this early in the season. Folks better be in the woods now, as the window of opportunity may be closing earlier than expected.

Where?

 

[huvrman]

Clay county