This season is starting to remind me of last season. I'm seeing next to NO deer! I sat yesterday from 6:00AM-6:30PM and saw exactly one deer, a small spike at 8:30AM. Here we are, the last week in Oct and there's nothing to let you know the rut's on! Is anyone else in the SE Pa area experiencing this? I have all this week to hunt, so hopefully it will pick up soon. I'm not in now because I need to take my Pop to pick up his car at the shop, but I'll be hitting the woods later. PLEASE LET THE RUT KICK IN SOON!!!!!!! lol
GregH is right. I debated using estrous scent on Friday in NoVa and decided against it. Looks like a cold snap this Friday, I am hoping that kicks things off. As for last year, it seemed to me that the most seeking/chasing/rutting activity I saw in NoVa was on the day before muzzleloader started. I think we are still a bit early this year. I'm taking two days off work next week if weather permits hunting.
The chasing phase peak of the rut according to Charles Alsheimer is November 12. Patience. I haven't seen anything since opening day, Sept 15th.
I've seen quite a few deer, but almost always too far away and too dark to take a shot...and ive heard a lot of people say the same that you're saying (Im in Illinois). I've been seeing quite a few scrapes and was able to call in a buck with a bleet call over the weekend... All I can say is that while i've been frustrated as all hell since Oct 1st, at least im seeing that this hasn't just been me...for a long time I was worried that I was doing something wrong. I blame Global Warming =)
I'm hunting Southeasst VA and deer movement is starting to pick up heavy in the last few days. We're already seeing some smaller bucks bird-dogging does. New moon the 26th so it will be real dark at night and a nice cold snap this weekend, hold on to your bow and don't be sleeping in stand. I wouldn't wait til the second week in Nov. It's getting ready to get hot....jmo.
In MN i have been seeing little to no movement here the last 2 weeks, but this past weekend scouting i found a pile of new scrapes that have all been checked within 24 hours since i had checked them. The bucks are getting irritable and worked up. It's only a matter of time before day time activity explodes!
i live in western PA and it has been really slow for us as well. This year i was barely even seeing does early. It has started to pick up for my dad and i over the past week cause i called a 6 and a 9 point in using tending grunts and my dad saw 4 bucks with does in one evening. Just at the end of this week my buddy and i have found a decent number of brand new scrapes and rubs. so i would say we are on the virge!
Give it about another week and you should see the action starting to pick up. I'm seeing lots of spikes and forkies, even saw a spike try to chase a doe the other day. It won't be long. Blessings.......Pastorjim
The rut hasn't started, hence the not seeing it. Patience my friend...time spent in the stand though is always worth it. As they say can't catch a fish unless your lure is in the water. Good hunting all!
FAR too early to start considering the rut "slow". It hasn't even started. Although, judging by the fresh roadkills, things are picking up in the overnight hours. Saturday morning I found an EXPLOSION of fresh scrapes. I'm still very lacking in the buck rubs this year despite there seeming to be a decent number of bucks hanging around my areas. They just aren't rubbing this year, but they have started scraping pretty good.
You are about a week too early. I have not even hunted yet and wont until I start getting pictures of mature bucks during daylight hours outside of bedding areas and heavy timber. I have not even really seen the young bucks chasing yet. It should start getting interesting by this weekend. I watched a field full of does on Sunday evening and not a single buck sniffing around. Its just the calm before the storm.
