By David Draper

Rut Reporter David Draper grew up hunting deer and small game throughout this region and presently lives on a family farm in Nebraska. Draper, former communications specialist for Cabela’s and an authority on the Great Plains, subsists on a diet of duck breast and venison. States covered: ND, SD, NE and KS.

Nov. 19: My friend Bryan from southeastern Kansas checked in this weekend with a report from his neck of the whitetail woods. Bryan spent all last week in a treestand and he agreed that between the early harvests and tough weather patterns, 2010 will go down as one crazy year.

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By Brandon Ray

Rut Reporter Brandon Ray is an expert on the region. Ray was born in Dallas and shot his first deer with a bow in Central Texas at the age of 15. The full-time freelance writer manages his family’s Texas Panhandle ranch, is a licensed New Mexico guide, and last year took a 184 gross P&Y non-typical trophy. States covered: TX, OK, NM.

Overall Activity Status Nov. 18: It’s been cold in the northern half of my region (NM, TX and OK). This morning, Nov 18, it was 28 degrees in Amarillo with frost on the ground. Deer were moving everywhere. I watched one buck cut across a CRP field at daybreak. He looked like a steam engine with clouds of smoke bellowing from his nose and mouth as he chugged across the open grass for some cover in a nearby canyon.

Yesterday morning, below freezing temps also, friend Chad Hammer hammered his best-ever buck in the TX Panhandle. Chad had an elevated view over a creek bottom. The first deer he saw that morning was this heavy-horned 9-point. The buck was alone, but had his nose to the ground in that classic bird dog fashion, either following the scent... [ Read Full Post ]

By David Draper

Rut Reporter David Draper grew up hunting deer and small game throughout this region and presently lives on a family farm in Nebraska. Draper, former communications specialist for Cabela’s and an authority on the Great Plains, subsists on a diet of duck breast and venison. States covered: ND, SD, NE and KS.

Overall Activity Status Nov. 16: I finally got to spend a full weekend on stand and I couldn't have picked a better time. While I was not able to hang my tag, I did get to witness about every type of rut behavior imaginable. We're at full peak here in the Panhandle, and from the reports I've been hearing hunters across the Great Plains are seeing the same.

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By Mike Bleech

Northeast Rut Reporter Mike Bleech has been hunting whitetails in his native Pennsylvania and throughout the Northeast for more than four decades. A Vietnam veteran and full-time freelance outdoor writer, Bleech has had more than 5000 of his articles published. States covered: ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, PA OH, MD, DE.

Nov. 17: Reports from successful buck hunters have slowed. This does not necessarily mean that there has been any let-off in rut activity, though. Some states are in gaps between deer hunting seasons. Elsewhere, long bowhunting seasons are taking a toll on hunting enthusiasm among the less devoted hunters.

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By Will Brantley

Rut Reporter Will Brantley of Murray, Kentucky, knows the region well. He spends 40 to 50 days each season in the Mid-South whitetail woods. Brantley shot his first deer at age 10 with a sidelock muzzleloader. States covered: KY, TN, WV, VA, NC.

Overall Activity Status Nov. 16: Rutting activity (actually, deer activity in general) was slower this weekend than it has been the last two weeks, at least in my neck of the woods. We had a long warm spell last week, and the calendar says deer should be nearing the peak breeding phase of the rut right now in this area, so slower activity was to be expected.

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By Rich Landers

Rut Reporter Rich Landers, a native Montanan and life-long hunter, is the outdoors editor for The Spokesman-Review in Spokane. He has written several books about the western outdoors and has hunted whitetails all his life. States covered: WA, OR, ID, MT, WY, CO.

Nov. 16: Eastern Washington's late rifle season for whitetail bucks will end Friday as rut activity swells throughout the region. God bless employers who don't care that you called in sick this week.

In Wyoming, the recent cold snap has helped accelerate buck activity and deliver successful hunts, including the one pictured above, to clients of G-Man Outdoor Adventures.

Big bucks suddenly seemed to be everywhere, said guide John Geiman.

"We watched as one buck made three scrapes along the hillside in front of us," he said. "The buck we harvested (above) was chasing a doe."

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