New rut activity

[deadeye]

Well, I made it for 5 days before I had to go for a woods "fix".  Yesterday I picked up the last to processed deer and went to the land to check things out and put some stands to bed for the season.  Pick up cushions loosen straps etc.  I saw squirrels, rabbits, grouse, and of course, deer.  I saw a few active scrapes and what appears to be a new rub. 

[Rebel SS]

Rut activity? More like "shred"! 

[glenn57]

Rut activity? More like "shred"! 

yea I'd say. I don't care how often you see things like that, sure gets the adrenaline going.

[K.O.W.]

I don't question the fresh rubs scrapes not this year. I found the same even what was rubbed off was on top of the snow scrapes in the snow. Now the snow is gone again but I found 30-40 rubs that were not present during zone 2 rifle season. Think about it tho ending November 11th is as early as it ever can be. This year a lot of late rut sign for sure.

[cookie]

so  is the climate change effecting the rutting we also had less  and later activity up here

[Jerkbiat]

Season did start fairly early this year. That may play some into it also.

[Boar]

first snow in oct, messed them up

[K.O.W.]

Agree with everything said especially that blistering cold weekend in October. Deer here vanished into the corn and finally tonight muzzleloading I learned that some are out finally and here's why maybe. Water. Finally snow melts and is gone here. Now ground solid ice no water option. Saw 9 tonight and at 4:40 they started coming out I do not have a scoped muzzy but of course the one at the end but saw more tonight then the entire 16 day rifle season these deer didn't even look at the cornfield ate green grass likely going there later but yard is acorn packed yet the deer never came. I usually set a yard trailcam nothing came first year ever yard has no crap in it usually it's active. It's been a weird year in a way. I can't believe the rubs I saw Saturday knowing my route etc knowing every tree etc sometime after rifle a buck or 2 idk just hammering trees now ???? I have decent muzzleloader faith this year also knowing the bucks were not shot up a bit. Caught maybe 20 different ones and few if any were taken. Come on combines !

[K.O.W.]

PS. All came out of open watered river bottom which makes sense ground is solid now. Snow is gone. Water is the factor as food is overly plentiful. If this is your scenario and have access to water/willow/tall grass etc you will notice way more deer sign unfortunately much of it made after legal light but off the road maybe a ways and could be $.

[cookie]

every year I see numerous rubs. This year the  areas I hunt were void of any rubs. Then I come across a fresh scrap and rub the second weekend of gun. The scrape was basically half way on a dirt road. All the leaf's were all over the snow covered road. It was pretty cool being the location. It was defiantly made a night.

[K.O.W.]

Not seeing anything new now. Deer are in the corn not coming out much if so they're back in before daybreak. Have seen a fair amount but buck wise no. There are no corn fields harvested in our area yet and they are tall enough and thick enough and rural enough to hide em. Next year is a soybean year so that will be way different. This wind this AM skipped muzzy maybe PM PS. Friend does have a nice daylight 9 pointer making a scrape last Tuesday wasn't long and a doe goes through with him. I think by now find where they're eating and get in range with wind in favor is about it pm hunts yet my muzzy kills r all AM idk but it never feels AM is better see way more at night but lone bucks in the AM during muzzy good luck we got a week left starting to wish I was a baiter maybe I'd be done tiring of putting on all the gear season is beating me up good now lol

[K.O.W.]

Bait no thanks. Ok maybe persistence is paying off saw 11 tonight could have shot a spike buck a doe and fawn were targets. The other 8 weren't in range but had the binocs on them no bucks. Then at the end of course one loner in the crp enough could not tell didn't really matter I have no scope even then not at 125 yards nope there's always tomorrow was able to slide out luckily this snow is soft stuff as quiet as tonight was. Is there a muzzy topic or forum to this ??? Anyway 11 was good only 1 fawn went direct into the standing corn they wanted browse and greens likely some corn later idk but they're not all in there at least like they were calming down more each day. The wind every night it seemed really sucked bad all November was hard to tell if it was that the corn both probably but now they're ranging around further and hope the squirrels don't get me in trouble for baiting lol. They're using my stand and tree etc as their nibbling spot I have hundreds of empty cobs they've dropped under me lol although that stand has been bad my other way across is river edge and where the deer have been. Good luck if you're going yet, each day is an opening day in a way now get after it !!! I did not like hearing a rifle shot at about 4:45 tonight bad vibe on that to the north. That's the east central Mn report lol

[deadeye]

Thanks for the update. Gives us a feel for what's happening out there in the wood and fields.

[Boar]

im gona sit sat even and see what come scratching in a harv3sted beanfeild.

[K.O.W.]

Tonight zero. Unreal, last night 11 ? So guessing calmish light sw wind mild in a way. These deer are daing fat. Corn central. I'm glad it's going to be cold I think they are that caked with fat they didn't need nuthin tonight or at least in any hurry to get there. But idk. I did hear a few at last light. 5:02PM now for a couple weeks if ur in da table. 35th sit of the season. With the pressure on these deer overall muzzleloader even with a scope is a fair hunt mostly. I don't even have a scope can't on a Thompson center black mountain magnum with black powder it is. But my stands have been in place precisely for 100 yard shots since the all season tag how many of you remember that $70 tag ? You could bow rifle or muzzleload me doing 2 and 3. I feel zone 4 was still best for the farm country hunting split the hunters up a bit. But I now reside in zone 1 thankfully 16 days of rifle and muzzy and it still takes a lot of things going right to score or even see a 3.5 year old or older buck. They make rare mistakes.  We know the rut is mostly a nocturnal affair or a bedded tight thing in season. It takes several factors in your favor pending your situation. Good luck we got a few days yet.

[Rebel SS]

im gona sit sat even and see what come scratching in a harv3sted beanfeild.

Chupacabra? 

[deadeye]

I wasn't particularly fond of the "all season" license.  I have a lifetime rifle license so I had to pay for it again to use the all season license. 

[K.O.W.]

Understandable deadeye and likely understandable why I loved it lol. Could pursue that older buck and leave those 2.5 year olds and younger alone plus I'd go zone 4 both weekends then zone 1 then muzzleload. Either connected or ate it buck tag only I believe. Man in old zone 4 days I chose first weekend 2 day season often seeing 20-30 deer that wkd every year and connected every year for 17 years. The last -7 years have not been anything remotely close to what that was like and now I get 9 or 16 days and muzzleload. Man I miss those days when a noon buck was common

[K.O.W.]

New rut activity idk. I have heard of a few bucks fighting at a few bird feeders in the Fridley,MN area metro ish but think it's fairly over with. I'm not sure if doe fawns can get bred do you think the earlier the doe fawn is born in May the better the odds it would ? Have no idea likely doesn't matter lol. After 35 sits I am getting a bit over analyzing. I do need to fight to the bitter end I guess. More voodoo. I grabbed a trailcam I had out watches 1 of my shooting lanes that criss cross my 2 main stands. November 20th at 7:36 AM which was 2 days after season closed there was a shootable or attempted blast. I would imagine I run one over next it's been a bit sucky.

[deadeye]

Studies show that in the Midwest about 50% of fawns are bred in the fall.   Perhaps that's why we saw so many "dry" does this fall.  Last year there was an abundance of fawns so if half were does and half didn't get bred, there will be a bunch hanging around.

[K.O.W.]

Will do my best as time allows to figure out loading up pictures but saw a doe fawn come out of that standing corn and low and behold a buck was with her sorta idk ? He followed her some and then they luckily split up I had just stood to climb down with 4 minutes of light within a minute he was 50 yards broadside looked her way and season over. Not great 7 points 165 ish dressed. Saw 3 fawns at 4:30 then nothing until I looked middle of the hayfield at 4:59 pm ish 5:01 texted the deer camp boys season over. I would not say he was chasing her but then again idk also assuming a doe fawn in binocs at that hour just guessing as small as that deer was. This guy had a pretty good neck on him idk. 5 for 5 with the Thompson center no scope etc just practice and practice had a great rest to shoot off made the difference nearly missed low but jerky straps loin it is !!!!! Sit 36 paid off wow I can shave etc in my eyes the bucks r game for a female but they r sniff testing food areas for one this guy was headed for the usual scrape area wasn't headed food way his belly was stuffed with corn throat u name it secondary stand paid off !!!!

[K.O.W.]

Man I'm exhausted. Every weekend since November 3rd plus week night after work sits. I guess maybe if u have enough bucks around and the corn is what it is they don't all maybe bust your stand spots I've seen 3 bucks all by this 2nd option stand in the last few days in legal light so they have mellowed out a lot since the main rut and rifle season. I really was doubting it could happen and then connect. It was one impressive smoke cloud black powder etc kaboom wow he really is a trophy after all those alarm clocks cold missing out on that 8 pointer Monday just voodoo cursed and persistence route to stand etc convincing myself to keep at it last night I saw 0. Good luck if you're still after one ! Like Clint Eastwood I just had to hang em high!

[K.O.W.]

He's in the air. Man. When I think back now the snow got him. In east central MN we have enough snow if you're high enough up I'm maybe 8-10 feet only but looking down I could see him good I did not need binocs lol on him been seeing a lot of small goats so he was no doubt way larger not that he's a giant. I figured him for that 8 pointer from Sunday night but no tho similar. Time to boil the water to clean my muzzy and store it up for the year and honestly pray I get something solid by rifle next fall so I don't have to spend the $ on a muzzy tag and the time and do you guys recall Tom Coughlins face NY giants football coach during that freezing bitter game ? That's my face in the picture idk all these days out in that dam wind really beat the hell out of me. I am extremely thankful for what hangs out in the mighty oak. Went from what the heck am I sitting out here again for ? To maybe maybe hammer back quietly stay on the target. Then venison it is huge lean oh mercy certainly corn fed living in that dam cornfield with buddies mega deer and there's 10-11 fields standing in the immediate area and rifle was a clunker for most good luck guys I'm wind whipped as ever.

[K.O.W.]

Im still beat up. Load unload load unload get dressed do it again and again etc. Alarm clock blaring, really took a beating. My processor did A+ work for $204.00 for what he did I'm amazed it weighed 167 pounds in its popsickle state. Got a good photo of him to post in my jet sled will figure that out soon kinda one handed got trigger thumb bad of all things climbing stands was awful but didn't want to Doctor during season wife didn't like that lol. That corn and all others still standing so wintering deer roosters turkeys in A+ shape. Saw 3 bears run into the one. Food heaven.