I am really starting to wonder what the heck is going on. This afternoon I got set-up in my stand around 2:30 p.m. and just got everything set-up when I noticed movement in the thick brush in front of me. I pull up my bino's and see a small 8 point cruising from my left to my right. I let out a doe bleat but it had no affect. I sat there listening to the sound of squirrels chasing each other till around 4:40 p.m. when I heard the sound of deer coming in from behind me. I turn and see a spike buck that visits me every time I sit in stand working his way towards me. As I am watching him I notice more movement and see a forkhorn following him. They stop and start browsing about 85 yards behind me. I am watching them in my binos and when I lowered my bino's I see another deer coming out of the brush.... big body.... it has antlers... wow! Around a 125" 8 point steps out. I figured that I was going to be in for a show, but much to my suprise, the three bucks just milled around browsing on the grasses on the edge of the swamp! The spike and fork horn start walking and they are working their way on a trail that will take them 20 yards from me. As I am sitting there, I see the big guy starts following them. The three of them get around 30 yards directly to my right and the spike and fork turn and head my way to feed on the crab apples that are falling all around my treestand. At this point, I am standing up, have my release hooked on my string and just waiting for him to step out from behind the tree limb that was covering his vitals. I just know that he is going to follow the little bucks and will soon be taking at trip to the taxidermist with me. Well, instead of following the small bucks, he stays behind the brush and keeps walking straight. He gets out to around 60 yards and is about to entire the thicket. I knew that I had to do something so I let out a grunt, no reaction. He starts walking away again so I gave a snort wheeze and he freezes. I am waiting for him to turn and head towards me when he flicks his tail, gets nervous and heads into the brush. This buck had a absolutely giant body, more than likely the biggest bodied buck that I have ever seen from stand, and he was the biggest racked buck that I have seen from my area this year. He has to be a dominant buck, yet he showed no sign of being ready for rut at all. He was with two other bucks and showed no aggression at all, plus he wouldn't respond to any calls or the Special Golden Estrus scent wick that I had hanging. I just don't know what is going on. I'll be set-up in the same area in the morning and I am hoping that he comes back through.
I was beggining to wonder the same thing, This week is supposed to be "THE" week, And I finnally saw a nice little buck chasing 4 does today. other than that... Nadda.
Same thing in NY. I hunted 9 days straight last week in NY and that warm front that came through really shut them down. Rubs and scrapes everywhere, but no real chasing/seeking/cruising during daylight hours to speak of. I did have a pig of a 9 pointer (130+, and at least 3.5) come through on me at 15 yards on Monday morning, unfortunately I was halfway up the tree in my lone wolf, and my bow was on the ground. It looked more like he was on his way back to bed late than cruising for does. Nothing on the camera either.......usually during that week in November most everyone at camp at least has an encounter with mature deer out and about during daylight. I'm betting it's probably getting really good around my camp in PA right about now. I think next year I'll likely try and get my vacation to fall into the 2nd week of November (as long as the PA season allows).
Rick, the rubs seemed to be minimal this year, I have only seen maybe a dozen total. I did see a bunch of scrapes, but they aren't really being used at all right now. I found several back in August and they were getting hammered daily, but since season opened in Oct. they have pretty much all disappeared. Last Tue. and Wed. when the warm front moved in, I actually saw my best deer/buck activity of the season. I thought that it was strange to see so many bucks up on their feet and figured that they were are cruising checking for doe, but after a little more investigation, I found that they were actually just heading to the crab apples to feed. Things should be rocking here right now, but the bucks are showing no sign at all of rut. I witnessed seven large doe feeding in a field the other evening and there wasn't a buck around. I watched them for a good 45 minutes and they didn't have a care in the world. In the past, the journals that my buddy keeps of our hunts showed that deer activity really picked up around Oct. 24th and carried on through the season. I havn't seen as much activity the past week as I normally do around Oct 20th. Its definetly hard for hunting, but I am trying to look on the brightside and hope that maybe it will mean that bucks are more likely to move when rifle season opens up.
