I leave for my first even extended rut hunt in ohhhhhhhh about 2-3 hours. I'm thinking based on field reports that the timing could not be better. The rut is about to pop fellas and bucks will be running hard very soon.
I hope you are right. I'm gonna be hunting hard this weekend and hopefully can get out during next week befor the Orange Herd enters the field next Friday. GOOD LUCK!!!
My gut tells me 1 week from now. For me the 1st week of November is usually slow, but from the 6th or 7th on, look out, it can blow up any day. Prime days are usually the 8th to the 12th.
I'm not seeing anything in se Iowa, almost all movement is still at night with the occasional buck at last light. Have not seen any chasing activity at all.
Just hunted 5 hours this morning and nothing. As I was coming out I saw some fresh scrapes nearby. I think a lot of these bucks are more scrape active then seeking. I had an encounter a week ago with a nice buck but he was making rubs and marking the area. I'm think at least a week from now. Could be a later rut this year. Deer and deer hunting mag estimated around gun season for it to peak.
Although I had a very close encounter with a very large buck tonight is say you are hitting it about right Tom. I'm too early. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk