So as I suspected earlier this year (late October/early November), the rut seemed to be running late. the rut activity seemed really low when it should have started by then normally. This theme has since continued, as the other night (December 1st) I had 2 shooter bucks pass in front of me at 17yds (already punched my buck tag, so all I could do was watch.) trailing each other single file right past me broadside. They were following a pack of 5 does that had passed behind my stand just a minute earlier. It was too tempting to not shoot them, so I did... with my phone I had a 3rd buck in my binos at about 90yds that was even bigger than the other 2 that scent checked the does before they came my way, but he wandered off in other direction. He was atleast a 130" deer. All this activity started at 3:45pm, which is rare for me to see ANY deer at that time, especially bucks. Anyone else notice a lot of "late rut themed" action?
They've been done for a while where I'm hunting. The bucks have been 100% nocturnal for a few weeks now. I have heard from many people that this season was really slow everywhere.
I'm wondering the same thing. this year has been slow. i did see some chasing at the end of nov. have not been out since due to work going tomorrow. i did lay out some corn the other day snd notice lots. of pee spots in the snow.
The main "Rut" is over. It was in full swing in early November. Eyewitness sightings and trail cameras can prove that rather easily. The second wave of does coming into estrus (fawns, unbred does (who come into estrus 30 days after the original 1-3 day period of being in heat)) were coming into estrus the beginning of last week (scrape activity picked up slightly but nowhere near 1st rut). The last of them are just coming out of estrus now. How much rut activity you see depends simply on your buck/doe ratio.
