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. 10: I’ve been relying on John Lubeck of Sioux Falls, S.D., to keep me up to date on what’s been going on in his neck of the deer woods. And while Lubeck hasn’t had a chance to connect with a South Dakota buck, a few of friends have, including Jamie Schmiedt.

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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.

It was literally the last minute of the last day of a fun, week-long hunt. The time was 7:17 PM on November 5, the last minute of legal shooting light, on the last day of hunting, when a 2 1⁄2-year-old 7-point whitetail stopped broadside 14 yards from hunting buddy South Cox’s brush blind. South had traveled all the way from California to experience Texas deer hunting. South never hesitated, bringing his custom longbow to full draw, anchoring on his cheek, and sending an arrow on its deadly mission. The buck went down in sight and South got to notch his first-ever Texas deer tag.

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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.9—Overall Activity Status: The heat has returned this past weekend, which coupled with high winds has deer movement spotty and inconsistent across the region. A few days of cool weather last week created a spike in rut activity that has since trended downward as temperatures have increased, but everyone agrees this is the week to be in the woods. Hunters, and the deer, are on edge as they wait for a break in the weather, which looks to happen later this week. All heck is about to break loose as we hit the peak of the rut in the coming days.

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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. 8: Of all the factors that affect the timing of the whitetail rut--length of day, time of year, moon phase--one that is often overlooked is weather. And, according to western Nebraska’s Kurt Kaiser, it’s the factor that trumps all others, at least when it comes to hunter-deer interaction.

“The weather has the most dramatic affect on the breeding season of whitetails,” said Kaiser. “Sure deer will still breed, but weather will play a big role in how much you, the hunter, will see of it.”
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By Rich Landers

Nov. 8: Remote cameras help hunters keep the faith in this transitional period. Colville, Wash., hunter Kevin Scheib could have been discouraged after scouting Friday for the Saturday's opening of Washington's late whitetail buck hunt. After five hours, he saw 10 does and 10 fawns, "but not a one had any dudes hanging around," he said.

But his remote camera showed two bucks in the area the previous night, including the one here (with trees in background). Even if the camera had not found its mark, traditional scouting methods were leaving little doubt that bucks were gearing up.
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By Anthony Licata

A guest Rut Reporter post from Editor Anthony Licata:

I'm bowhunting this week with Richardson Farms Outfitters in Brown County in southern Illinois, right in heart of one of the nation's best big buck regions.

Tim Richardson reported that rutting activity really picked up last week when a cold front moved in. All of a sudden his hunters and guides reported seeing a lot of big boys on the move.

This weekend the weather switched to a south wind and warmer temperatures, but with the rut cranking, the hope is activity will stay strong all day.

Yesterday, the F&S best day of the rut, was my first in a stand here, and action was great.

I was in an oak in a timbered creekbottom on the edge of a bedding area and a cut cornfield. Several draws and ridges came together here, making it a perfect pinch point.
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