By Scott Bestul

We spend a lot of time talking about the importance of food sources now, in the weeks leading up to the rut. Bucks are starting to feel the testosterone buzz—I found a pair of fresh scrapes on a 20-minute scouting jaunt this morning—but let’s face it, tagging a buck right now means finding out where and what he eats. Oh, and having a good luck charm helps a bunch, too.

Minnesota bowhunter Chris Warrens headed out for an evening hunt this week armed with a solid knowledge of where whitetails were feeding, as well as a game plan. But the latter went out the window when Warrens’ 9-year old daughter, Cassie, asked if she could accompany him. “I was ready to head to a tree stand until Cassie wanted to go,” Chris says. “I decided to bring the ground blind along after that.”
[ Read Full Post ]

By Eric Bruce

Recent reports suggest that we are very close to pre-rut in South Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia, and some portions of Louisiana and Mississippi. Some hunters are still seeing bucks in bachelor groups--a late summer pattern that they haven't quite yet transitioned from. But more and more we're hearing about rutting activity. Bucks are laying down sign indicating that they are ready, even if the does aren't yet.

Last Monday was overcast and in the 50s all day long. It was a formula I thought that might not only get some deer moving, but would also stimulate some buck movement while it was still daylight. Having scouted a tract two days prior, I saw acorns scattered among the leaves on the ground. Most importantly, I saw an inordinate number of rubs along the ridge, and scrapes in several areas.
[ Read Full Post ]

By David Draper

The Great Plains region I’m responsible for as a Field & Stream Rut Reporter stops at the southern border of Kansas, but properly, the Great Plains extend much farther south onto the Llano Estacado of west Texas. So, I don’t feel out of line offering up this bonus report based on my experiences bowhunting in southwestern Oklahoma last week.

I was hunting just west of Cheyenne, Oklahoma, with Croton Creek Outfitters. I’d like to say the conditions made for some tough hunting, but Field & Stream whitetails columnist Scott Bestul and Yamaha representative Van Holmes, along with a few other writers and manufacturer’s reps along on the hunt, all tagged nice bucks within the first couple days. In what is becoming a nail-biting trend, I waited until the last afternoon before managing to punch my tag.
[ Read Full Post ]

By Will Brantley

That fierce cold front that dumped snow on the Dakotas swept through the Mid-South last weekend. Even though I was bundled up in long underwear (normally kept in storage until late October around here), I’ve found myself shivering on stand the past few evenings. We’ve had high pressure, blue sky, northwest winds, and crisp air. Big rubs are popping up everywhere in my favorite hunting spots, and bucks are working scrapes over on a consistent basis.

Trouble is, I haven’t seen a deer in several days of hard hunting. Frustrated after another round of bird and squirrel watching Sunday afternoon, I called my buddy Danny Hinton, the owner of the local archery shop here in Murray, Kentucky. He was singing the same sad song.
[ Read Full Post ]

By Eric Bruce

Overall Activity Status: Cooler temperatures are moving into the South, which typically stimulates more activity.  Louisiana hunters are seeing deer movement in the mornings, primarily with some seeing deer up and around  until 10 a.m. Dusk remains a good time to see deer if you can get a shot before darkness falls.  Expect increased movement with cooler weather, but also as it gets closer to pre-rut in South Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

Fighting: Bucks butting heads is on the increase.  One of my trail cams took the photo above on October 5, showing a spike and a seven-pointer sparring at about 7 a.m.  The same two bucks went at it again at the same location at 7 p.m.  It's doubtful the bucks were fighting over a doe, but likely just trying out their tactics and burning some energy. Bucks are definitely getting more testy as pre-rut approaches. [ Read Full Post ]

By Mike Bleech

From Maryland, central New York, and Vermont come reports of fewer rubs and scrapes. In Maine, reports do not tell of anything, but again this probably is just a matter of low deer density. Sign of all types is harder to find there, and fewer hunters are venturing deep into the northern forests.

Here in my area, the Allegheny National Forest, bucks were not showing themselves over the past several days, likely because of relatively warm weather. That weather took a down-turn over the weekend. A Sunday scouting venture turned up things of interest. The most significant sign was from the previous year. We found an area where a lot of rutting activity had taken place. There were places where a big buck had antler-wrestled with clumps of saplings, and rubs close by. This was in a place that had all the appearances of many other places where I have seen a lot of rut activity, often enough to call it a regular pattern (to the extent that I feel comfortable in stating it is a type of place where rutting bucks like to be).
[ Read Full Post ]