By Rich Landers

Oct. 14: Going into the second week of October, whitetails are generally consumed with eating and relaxing in much of the Northwest. That's likely to change Saturday, in Eastern Washington for sure, since it's the opening day for modern rifle deer hunting. Wyoming's season already opened, some of Idaho's deer hunts started Oct. 10 but most hunters will pursue elk first and turn attention to whitetails in November when the rut is kicking into another gear. Montana's rifle season is starts the third weekend in October.

Deer movements are fairly normal in Northwestern Montana, say's Kalispell hunter Ronny Nail, who's already tagged an archery whitetail do during the September season.

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By Brandon Ray

Overall Activity: Texas’ archery deer season opened on October 2 statewide. Properties with MLD (Managed Land Deer tags) can also start rifle hunting on the same date. Weather has been hot, 80s for highs most days, but I’ve been seeing bucks every time out. As expected, the first 30 minutes and the last 30 minutes of the day are best for deer movement because of hot weather. So far, I’ve sat four times, all in the afternoon. I’ve sat three times in a tripod stand looking for a specific 150-class 10-point in a river bottom. I’ve seen him twice, but both times he got nervous (probably smelled me) and slowly walked away well out of bow range. I’ve sat one time at a ground blind built out of native brush. That hunt was a success; details are in Daytime Movement section below.

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By Mike Bleech

Oct. 13: Dear Deer:

Mast crops are excellent. Not everywhere of course, but acorns, beech nuts, wild grapes, black cherries or other mast can be found across much of this region.

Yours truly, Deer Too

So go most messages this rut reporter has intercepted lately. Food is foremost on the minds of deer, with just a sprinkling of rut-related activity. A couple days ago a New York hunter reported seeing a big buck half-heartedly chase a smaller buck away from a does that most certainly was not in heat. The smaller deer ran off at the mere sight of the bigger buck.

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By Will Brantley

Oct. 10: “It’s gotta be true. I read it on the Internet.” Honestly, I don’t remember if that’s a quote from a movie, from something I read, or just something one of my buddies said, but it’s one of my favorites to repeat, especially when it comes to gleaning information from online hunting talk forums. From these places, I can glean a wealth of information on a variety of subjects: politics, religion, more politics, local news, guns, and of course, hunting.

I keep tabs on several of these forums, but only post on one from time to time, a local Kentucky hunting forum with a fair-sized following. Once I wade through the daily political banter and a few dirty jokes, it’s a great place to find pictures of successful hunters and conversations about literally all kinds of hunting.

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By Eric Bruce

All about the Dixie deer rut, from the swamps and pines to the beanfields and the Ozarks. Rut Reporter Eric Bruce has been writing about hunting and fishing for newspapers and magazines for 25 years and hunts deer all over the South, including near his Georgia home. States covered: AR, LA, MS, AL, GA, SC, FL

Overall Activity Status: Oct. 8: Things are starting off slowly as is typical. With ruts as late as January-February in some southern states, we won’t see rut activity for a while there. But check back here for updates.

Fighting: No reports yet.

Rub Making: Rubs are beginning to appear throughout the woods in parts of Georgia, but it’s quiet elsewhere.

Scrape Making: Nothing yet. Bucks are concentrating on food and not does. Bachelors groups are still being seen. Deer are feeding on soft mast; persimmons and a few remaining muscadines. Acorns are starting to fall and it appears they are falling earlier than usual likely due to the very dry weather. White, red, and water oaks are dropping in Georgia.... [ Read Full Post ]

By Mike Bleech

Big woods, rolling farmland, woodlot, swamp, ridge and valley--this region features every type of whitetail terrain imaginable. 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

Overall Activity Status: Oct. 1: Deer, especially does, are mostly in feeding mode. You should see some rubs and maybe even scrapes. Most bucks have shed their velvet.

Fighting: Bucks are still fighting, trying to establish dominance. Fights now may be vicious. Some bucks will bear severe wounds.

Rub Making: Rubs are increasing now. There is validity to the notion that bigger bucks rub bigger trees, but what you really want to find are rubs that spread into several trees or bushes. Some bushes will be torn from the ground. You may even see a buck with brush tangled in its antlers.

Chasing: Any chasing you observe now is likely playfulness,... [ Read Full Post ]