Strange Rut - 2013

[buckbstr_1]

I have a great spot to hunt and this year has been one lack luster year. I have only seen one mature buck and the rest have been 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 yr old bucks. The young deer are not really chasing and the 4 1/2 yr ld buck I saw was going into a bedding area. I have seen some chasing when I am not hunting, but the area I hunt in west tn has dried up as far as rut action. What are you guys seeing out there?

 

[roscopeecotrane]

Same here in southeast Giles. Finally saw a few rubs and some buck movement but nothing as far as a rut. Think it's still a week or two away IMO

 

[J Chapman]

I saw my first chasing yesterday in west tn. It's been a very strange year for me as well as far as the number of deer sightings.

 

[Bodine270]

I had a young 6 pt following a doe around for half an hour in view of my stand last weekend. He wasn't on her heels but he was staying within 20 ft of her. Still seeing young bucks together too. I don't think the rut has really hit yet in west Tn.

 

[shelbydeer]

Same reports for me , all this week I have seen several bucks feeding together and bucks with doe close by and wanting nothing to do

 

[Wrangler95]

Chasing has not started here,never seen it to be this late!

 

[DIRTTRAX]

All I've seen is small bucks still together and the does still grouped also.

 

[Bone Collector]

its weird here in Rutherford county too. I saw a young buck chasing on Nov. 9 then on Nov. 14th had a young 6 with his nose to the ground. I have seen rubs pop up, but hardly any scrapes.

Since Nov. 9th i have not seen a buck chase. I have seen 0 mature bucks, but had trail cam pics and a lot of the rubs on my place are on larger trees. Saw two does together on the 26th and no bucks.

This leads me to believe that the warmer weather we got the 2nd weekend in ML and opening weekend of Gun that we might have missed all the good stuff and they are now in peak breeding.

In Wilson Co. my brother caught a nice 8 pt out by himself on the 16th. but since then has not hardly seen a deer. Yesterday we hunted and we both seen the same crazy looking 6 pt and then i saw 3 does together just on the other side of the property line.

 

[Bone Collector]

I think something else to add here. we have had "trickle ruts" before. In those years, I don't remember seeing much "rutting" activity.

Personally I think if you're rut is normally mid Nov. through Thanksgiving, then that is when it most likely will be. Remember Thanksgiving was later this year.

My .02 is that the rut has come and they are breeding. Unfortunately, we didn't get as much chasing or as many opportunities to shoot big bucks this year.

 

[muddyboots]

Its been text book here. First two weeks of ml i could not go in the woods without seeing bucks and rutting activity. Then they got with does and it has been slow for 1 1/2 week. Im ready for the second wave and try tag out.

 

[cecil30-30]

best rutting activity ive seen in years if not ever.

 

[7wsm]

had 7 pt and 6 pt in food plot last night 5 doe the 2 bucks were 20 ft apart they.the 7 pt bumped the does out of the field and went right back to feeding like nothing ever happened does are still bunched up here with fawns.it beats me saw 30 doe and fawns 7 bucks yesterday and today.

 

[Mike Belt]

We've had bucks in all out chases and bucks just walking through an area paying no attention to the does. The big boys are on their feet more than without a rut but I haven't seen much in the way of rutting action. I see dried up scrapes and I see fresh scrapes. I just hung a camera over 3 big, fresh scrapes all under 1 tree this afternoon...along with my stand for in the morning.

 

[deerhunter10]

Been great where we hunt to just being extremely picky chasing going strong for three weeks now.

 

[156p&y]

They have rutted in Williamson county but I think were having a trickle rut this year. I've thought that before they even got to the chase phase just because the bucks were not territorial at all. We killed two 4.5+ year old bucks in muzzleloader, both of which we shot in their bedding areas and both deer were with other bucks. The does I've killed recently haven't had any fawns and their tarsal glands are pure white. I expect to see some good chases in mid to late December, but we just didn't see the chase phase this year in November. It happened but just not during the day.

 

[Planking]

Always seems like a trickle rut here.

 

[280longshot]

It has been very slow in Northern Hardeman county to say the least.
This is a new lease for me but all the other club members are saying the same.
It's been a weird year so far!!!

 

[W.Seay]

No rutting activity at our place in Somerville! It's been very strange to say the least!

 

[in the dog house]

Just starting here in Lauderdale and Tipton Co. Next 4 or 5 days will be crazy IMO

 

[BSK]

From a hunting perspective, worst rut in many years (no chasing observed while hunting). Activity on camera was hot in late October and the first week of November. Shut down completely after that.

 

[Lost Lake]

I haven't hunted Maury county much except archery, but I've seen a lot of wide open chasing in Henry county opening weekend of gun, and I killed a nice eight Friday morning at ten o'clock chasing a doe like mad. Just was able to get him to stop for a shot with the 45/70.

Saw a nice buck all over a doe practically in my back yard in eastern Williamson county as well as some other sporadic chasing. Definitely been a weird year overall.

 

[bigrob]

I have seen 23 does the last 4 days not even a little buck. I have a mid 140s ten point on cam working a scrape three days ago ?

 

[Marlin308]

Middle TN - Like others have said we witnessed strong chasing by young bucks in early November, then a slow down. Never really witnessed estrous chases by mature bucks, but did manage to kill two mature deer so far. One was following about a minute behind a doe in Maury County the opening morning of MZ, the other was cruising for does on Black Friday in Marshall County. Pretty typical rut so far for our crew, maybe a little slow but its always something right? I think the trick now is to just wait them out and catch one moving from one doe to another. Can make for some long days in the stand but all you need is that one second...

 

[TheLBLman]

From a hunting perspective, worst rut in many years (no chasing observed while hunting).

x 2

This year I've done all my deer hunting in Stewart Co.
May be the absolute least intense rut I've ever hunted.

I suspect the super abundant rainfall may have played a role, as well as a poor acorn crop? Despite the poor acorn crop, the deer seem to be as fat & healthy as I've ever seen. This is probably the most honeysuckle I've ever seen growing, as well as many other deer "foods" that would normally be getting scarce by now.

Never before have I seen such a poor acorn crop coupled with deer having so little interest in our food plots and fields. They apparently just have an abundance of food, without acorns.

 

[Engine2c]

I believe it's just getting started here. But then again may already be breeding. Been a weird year for sure. Saw my first full on chase this evening and saw another buck with nose on the ground and grunting all the way. Mature bucks have vanished from my trail cams a couple weeks ago which is odd. I always get some daytime cruising pics but not this year. I haven't even got any middle of the night pics like always. I really don't know what to think.

 

[BSK]

From a hunting perspective, worst rut in many years (no chasing observed while hunting).

x 2

This year I've done all my deer hunting in Stewart Co.
May be the absolute least intense rut I've ever hunted.

I suspect the super abundant rainfall may have played a role, as well as a poor acorn crop?

We had a pretty good acorn crop once it was all said and done, yet still not visible rut by the time MZ opened.

 

[majg1234]

agree that it is a strange season,on our lease in Bledsoe county I have game camera pix of bucks breeding does in late October on four different cameras :o

 

[Nealmeally]

From a hunting perspective, worst rut in many years (no chasing observed while hunting). Activity on camera was hot in late October and the first week of November. Shut down completely after that.

I saw the same thing late October into November on my cameras. Looked like a wide open rut on my cameras.. Bucks chasing does everywhere. And I'm probably 1.5 hours south of you. It didn't really die off but it's kinda picking back up now. 2.5 year olds chasing some. But I still don't think the does are in heat yet. The bucks give up and go back to feeding or bed down.. Watched a 3.5 year old work a scape yesterday evening.. Who knows?? I'm just gonna stay after em..

 

[Pinwheeled]

It's funny how reports can be so varied even coming from guys in relatively close proximity.

Personally, I saw more rutting activity over Thanksgiving weekend than I've seen in my previous three seasons combined here in middle TN.

 

[102]

I hunt with guys who hunt Hamilton, Sequatchie, Frankiln, Coffee, Rutherford, McMinn, and most of us, Southern Illinois.

The acorn crop has been SPOTTY. Definitely not a heavy mast crop.

All of the deer we have killed (over 50) have been on the lean side of fat. No big rolls of fat observe while skinning. Not like years past.

THe most chasing we observed was in Illinois. In fact, the ONLY chasing observed by anyone, was in Southern Illinois.

I have said this for years. I believe there is a direct correlation between fat and happy does (and heavy mast crop) and a hard rut.

I also believe there is a direct correlation between lots of Spring rains and mast crop.
(i.e.-if turkey season is wet, mast crop is low)

THe closest thing we came to seeing chasing was late October, early November.