I saw 4 good shooter bucks on my property from Friday- Sunday. None of them were chasing does. Two of them came out in my food plots while does were present. They came about 10-15 yards out looked around and went back in the woods. The other 2 were just cruising thru the woods. The does were doing their thing and the bucks were somewhere else. From that I gather most does aren't ready yet. This weekend should really be interesting. I HOPE!! it has to bust loose soon.
Seems to be what the better part of the state is saying. Small bucks seem to be getting antsy but does and the mature bucks seem disinterested at the moment. It took me going on public land yesterday to see my first antlers since Halloween weekend. Like you said, it has to do something soon, sooner rather than later preferably.
Same up here in Northern Illinois. I have seen a lot of 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 year olds with the exception of a 150 class eight a week ago that was pushing a doe. That deer should have been in my truck but a Trespasser had impeccable timing. There was also a 140 class ten that night that came through and a huge ten at dark. Since then a lot of does and small bucks moving about. This morning I saw the same 150 eight at about 80 yards just after first light, grunted and he could care less. I know a few who have taken bucks recently and all have been right before sundown. Yesterday I had a 110 class nine that was chasing a doe for twenty minutes throughout the immediate area until giving up and walking by me, this was about 9:15am and had me thinking it might be turning but today found no such activity.
Maybe old Charlie Ahlzhiemer does know what he's talking about. He said it was gonna be a really late rut this year.
Here is what the D&DH calendar is showing, if these images aren't allowed let me know and I'll remove them. November December
Good luck this weekend! Good thing our season ends this saturday, i'd hate to be able to hunt prime time (sigh!)
I've seen at least 4 bucks on the tails (chasing) of does in the last 3 sits.....with 2 bucks (at least 2) being mature. It's quite the show, here, now. Or, at least it is in this little woodlot. Hope it warms up for you, soon.
I've saw 5 mature bucks this year so far. 4 of which were chasing and the other one who Is the oldest of the 5 was bedded with a doe. The older buck of the bunch here I've saw 3 times. October 28th- Evening sit. 2 hours before dark he walked right through a group of 3 doe's with no Interest In the least with them. He had more Interest In a 3.5 year old buck that showed his face suddenly. November 2nd- Morning sit. Saw him bedded 40 yards away from me with another doe. November 4th- Evening sit. Earlier In the day I bumped him In this spot where I put up a new stand. When I bumped him he was bedded with a doe. Saw him 4 hours later from this stand by himself. It's definitely going on around here. Best of luck John with your bucks.
Same for me John... haven't seen a hint of anything opening up yet, and I just rolled in from one of my best rutting spots.
I have seen 0 mature bucks this year. I talk with the game biologists all the time where I hunt and they said they have had a steady stream of bucks checked in over the past two weeks. Not a lot of bucks but slow and steady, like the rut seems a bit more spread out. I talked with a guy two weeks ago who killed a HOSS buck as his nose touched the rear of the doe in front of him.
