By David Draper

Overall Activity Status: With temperatures finally starting to dip late this week, deer activity should increase. Prior to that, warmer weather had daytime activity at a minimum, though a few hunters still witnessed some rut-related behavior. Neil Davies of Hornady traveled back to South Dakota for another reservation hunt, where he reported bucks were checking does, even if they weren’t too excited about it.

“Bucks were still sniffing and running does, but it was rather passive,” said Davies. “Young ones were still at it though. Did not see any breeding or fighting.”

Fighting: Davies experience mimics that of most other hunters I talked to, none of which noted any instances of bucks sparring.

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By David Draper

Overall Activity Status: Much like the weeks leading up to peak rut, post-rut activity has been highly localized. While most hunters have been saying deer movement has been low, a couple of contacts have encountered rutting bucks in the past week. This is most likely caused by a few lone does coming into estrus a bit later than the majority of the herd.
 
Fighting: Earlier this week I mentioned buck fights would most likely be a rare occurrence this late in the rut, but apparently deer don’t read. That’s one explanation for two separate instances of bucks caught battling in the past week. Over at Greg Wagner’s Nebraskland blog there are a couple of trail cam photos taken early Wednesday morning of two bucks twisting horns. From the looks of the bigger bucks neck, he’s still in full rut mode. [ Read Full Post ]

By David Draper

Overall Activity Status: Movement across the Plains states has diminished over the course of the last week or so as deer have gone to ground, caused by the dual effects of peak estrus and increased hunter activity. A week of warm weather hasn’t helped the hunter’s cause much, but an expected cold front should get deer on their feet and feeding as they recover from the rigors of the rut. Rifle seasons have ended or are winding down this week in the Dakotas and Nebraska, but Kansas gun hunters get another crack starting Wednesday, November 28 through December 9.

Fighting: Not surprisingly, I haven’t heard any reports of bucks sparring for about two weeks. What energy bucks haven’t depleted in the pre- and peak-rut stages will be reserved for a secondary rut in the coming weeks. Expect to see bucks hanging out together in fields as the need for feed outweighs the need to breed, but any late-estrous doe could send bucks into brief battles again.
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By David Draper

Overall activity status: From what hunters across the Great Plains are reporting, we’re in transition from the seeking to the chasing phase of the rut, where bucks are continually checking and chasing does. Every day, more and more does are coming into estrus, and that’s keeping big bucks busy as they lock on to a hot doe until she’s ready to breed. As Denton Rich of Mule Creek Outfitters in southern Kansas so accurately described one such encounter with an estrous doe late last week: “A dandy buck was working her like a cutting horse.”

These days, just before peak breeding or lockdown are when bucks are the most vulnerable, and consequently offer the best chance for hunters to tag the buck of a lifetime. Cliff Grindstaff of Old Fort, North Carolina, found that out when he intercepted this Kansas giant hunting with Twin Chimney Outfitters. As TCO guide Brenden Mick put it, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Time to stick it out in the stand.”
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By David Draper

Overall Activity Status: The very presence of this blog (and the entire Field & Stream Rut Reporter site) is proof positive that one of the most powerful tools for predicting the rut is social media. Earlier this week, my inboxes blew up with excited reports and probing questions from hunters who so far this season have been quiet. Now that we’re on the verge of things breaking wide open, it seems like every hunter I know is either in the woods or itching to find out what day they should call in sick. My suggestion: right now!
 
Why? From the Dakotas to Kansas, my contacts are checking in with reports of major deer activity, which is heartening since many of these same contacts were lamenting the lack of deer spotted even just a week or so ago. While EHD obviously took a pretty good hit from localized deer populations (Nebraska hunter Kurt Kaiser estimates he’s lost 40-60 percent of the deer in his area), bucks are showing up on camera and in person. It’s the peak of the pre-rut, and with a cold front coming on this weekend, I say we should all go hunting today. [ Read Full Post ]

By David Draper

One of the aspects of whitetail hunting that doesn't get discussed enough are the cases of the disappearing bucks. You hear reports every year of guys who get great bucks on camera in late summer, only to have them disappear for a month or more before they show back (hopefully) in season. The conspiracy theorist in me wants to think there’s some country-wide strategy session where all the big bucks gather to pre-game and share survival tips for the coming season.

In reality, a number of factors contribute to missing-buck syndrome, including changing food sources, shedding of velvet, and pressure from people who head into the woods to scout and hang stands. After the disappearing act, bucks will normally return to their core territory and, if a hunter is lucky, reappear under a treestand come deer season. 
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