By Mike Bleech

With signs of a second rut peak in my area of northwest Pennsylvania on the ground in the form of fresh scrapes, I checked with contacts around our northeast region to get a handle on the overall rut situation.
 
In western New York, specifically at S&S Taxidermy Archery in Springville, New York, Brian Stedman said that a secondary rut has been kicking in for the past five to seven days. There are plenty of fresh rubs and scrapes. Earlier, though, his customers mentioned that the number of scrapes and rubs had been unusually few. The main peak in November was not quite as distinct as normal. [ Read Full Post ]

By Mike Bleech

Rutting behavior has been unusual this year, and more evidence of that comes from David Hartman, president of the New York State Whitetail Management Coalition. There are many scrapes and rubs in his southern Catskill region, but this year there is a new twist to it: Deer have been using pine and hemlock as licking limbs over scrapes.
 
“I’ve never seen them do that before,” Hartman said.
 
Bucks were chasing does during the first week of rifle season, which started November 17 in his area. But that has ceased. He attributes it to the normal behavior of deer being mostly nocturnal once firearms season opens. [ Read Full Post ]

By Mike Bleech

Overall Activity Status: Deer activity is better than it has been through most of this fall. It is not, however, universal throughout the region, nor is it a great deal of activity.

Fighting: Some hunters are still reporting signs of serious fighting. Robert Rogan, in Connecticut, noticed that a 10-point buck he has been chasing was missing 3 inches from its G3 tine. This seems to be awfully late for so much visible fighting. Signs of fighting seldom are found in great numbers.

Rub & Scrape Making: Finally, a report of rutting activity in Maine. From northern Maine at Matagamon Wilderness Camps,  owner and guide Joe Christianson said that bucks have been scraping for two weeks. I hunted with Christianson a couple seasons ago and took a bear that qualified for the Maine Antlers & Skulls Record Book. While there I saw more game than I usually see in the north. At least some of this I attribute to the acorn crop. Oak trees generally are so not common in the North Woods as they are along the East Branch of the Penobscot River.

[ Read Full Post ]

By Mike Bleech

Overall activity status: Deer activity has increased over the past few days. More dead bucks can be seen along highways. Deer are coming out into fields earlier.

Fighting: You do not have to see a buck fight to know one has happened. My scouting partner Mike Stimmell almost got into one.

We had been driving our regular spotting loop in northcentral Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest, seeing few deer, when Mike told me a story about an experience he had the week before while taking a hike to look for deer sign.

He had spotted antlers sticking up in a laurel patch and decided to practice his stalking since the wind was in his face. When he was within about 15 yards of the buck, it jumped to its feet in reaction to a sharp noise that came from a nearby drilling operation. On its feet, the buck was staring directly at Stimmell. Stomping its feet, ears back, with its head moving up and down, the buck was obviously in an aggravated state of mind. Stimmell could see why: Its' left eye had been badly injured and might have been gouged out. Blood ran down from the eye. Its' face also showed signs of a scuffle. It was clear the buck had been in a serious fight with another buck.
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By Mike Bleech

Overall Activity Status: Strange, strange, strange. There has been very little consistency from day to day, or from one place to another even where those places are not far apart.
 
Fighting: No reports lately of bucks fighting.
 
Rub & Scrape Making: In Maine, outdoor writer Steve Carpenteri said there’s “not much of a rut going on here. It could be over (might have been before Sandy hit). Very little sign, no rubs or scrapes.” Carpenteri has noted before that since deer density is so low, finding sign can be difficult.
 
Chasing: Andy Buschak, who hunts both sides of the Ohio/Pennsylvania border, is seeing more activity in northeast Ohio than in Pennsylvania. He has seen an increased number of rubs, but no scrapes lately. The only bucks he has photographed on trail camera have been of modest size. The only bucks he has seen from his tree stand have been small, and none were pursuing does. Nighttime has been a different matter. Driving at night, he has seen bucks chasing does. [ Read Full Post ]

By Mike Bleech

Tyler Wagner, whose trophy buck was reported in the previous posting, is now hunting in Ohio’s Fairfield and Hocking counties. The rut situation there has been much different from what he had been seeing before leaving northwest Pennsylvania. He and the group he is hunting with have seen numerous does that are in heat, and are being followed by bucks, some of which are exceptional.

“The woods just smell like a deer farm, “ Wagner said.

Friend and deer scouting partner Mike Stimmell used rut tactics to take this nice Allegheny National Forest big-woods buck on November 10.

“In the morning I set up with a clear-cut on one side and big timber on the other, a transition zone,” Stimmell said.

Just a couple days earlier while scouting we had discussed the habit of rutting bucks following edges where they are available. Edges generally provide much better cover than the timber or the clear-cut alone.
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