Whitetail Rut Already?
 

My learned friend says it's happening near GP now. Any thoughts? It he drunk again? Seems early.

Depends on your definition of "rut". They're rubbin and scraping up a storm.

There really is no way to determine if you're friend is drunk again but I have not seen it yet. The cold weather is moving them around as I saw this in the morning while I was out. Soon.

Bucks are movin (looking for does).


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I'm seeing more pre-rut activity now. However it is not in full swing at all. The bucks are still herded up in bachelor groups

If it isn't it's damn close. Have had a few good sized bucks standing in the middle of the road daring me to run them over in the past few days. Not in a hurry to move either.

Yesterday evening I watched a group of 6 does come out of the bush about 150 yds from my deck followed be a small 4 point hot on their tails. Seems really early for here but I saw it with my own eyes.
He ended up chasing one of the does off into the bush 1/2 mile away. There was no doubt she wanted nothing to do with him but he was persistent.

So... as happens every year, the small bucks are itchin' to get going, but the Does aren't. another week to 10 days and the ladies will be ready, until then there will be lots of pre rut activity.

I watched a total of about 45-50 whitetail tonight, about 15 bucks. The smaller bucks were running around a bit, chasing does. Saw about a 150" buck chasing a doe as well so I'd say the bucks are thinking about it at this point. The 2 biggest bucks we saw, 160" and a 170"+ came in together at last light and weren't insterested in the does at all.

I would have shot the one but I was waiting for a bull elk to come in... It didn't and now I'm sitting here kicking myself! :sign0161:

Yep, just like a bunch of horny teenagers...
Pre rut.. yes
Full rut... no


Not where I am anyways. Mid month where I hunt to the end of the month is my sweet spot.
Settin up camp, wood chores, scouting.
I took a bull elk in Sept, freezer is full. Has to be a good buck to drop the hammer... if not tag can go on the tree. :)

nothing happening in my area yet with the WT bucks. Had a nice WT about a 1/2 mile away and I rattled he was not interested just kept grazing..Had a Mullie walking around yesterday looking a little dazed not knowing what to do. Haven't seen any young bucks yet,just the 2 older ones
Lots of does this year.One the quarter I hunt on I've got two groups 9 and 6 of does.

:sHa_shakeshout:

They were just getting the NDP’s GSA thing organized.

Saw over 50 deer in 2 adjacent fields tonight, all does and fawns. Didn't see anything with antlers though I'm sure there were some bucks among them but it was getting pretty dark, nothing running around chasing anything. Nothing with horns that were noticeable and that was what I was looking for. There were more deer in the fields across the road but also nothing chasing does or any decent horns I could see with my binos. All just feeding placidly. A little early yet for rutting.

I rattled in a buck opening evening and when I shot him another suddenly jumped to my left about 30 yards away. Almost shot it too thinking it was the buck I had shot at. Thankfully didn't. My buck was dead in it's tracks. There was a fresh scrape 10 feet behind him.

So two bucks were coming in within about 5 minutes of rattling. Rut might not be on but the bucks are interested.

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...07&oe=5A75E963

Scrapes are on the ground and the Rut is on. Peak rut will be another couple of weeks.

itll take me like 3 seasons to see that many deer, if not more.

Partner took down a buck this morning south of you by a few hours. No smell to him. I’d say it’s early


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Of course its early same as every it's pre rut

Every year it's the same discussion....it is! It isn't! It's prerut! It's peak rut! No it's not you missed it! It hasn't even started! Not here! Definitely here! It's on!

Ya we are pretty fortunate to be able to see the animals we do. Pretty selective so the deer feel pretty secure and there's a fair bit of pressure around us so if anything we should continue to see as many or more as the season goes on.

My daughter was pretty excited tonight, I had to hold her back as she really wanted to shoot a 5x4 that was feeding about 150yds away.

Nothing else to add then I take it?

Maybe people are out, HUNTING.. and seeing movement, excited to be out, and seeing bucks , and does..., the rut is coming..
My nephew shot a 150 class whitey tonight..
Exciting stuff come November for people..

Sheesh...go cook a snickers..

Congrats on a nice buck there big toad!!

Thx for sharin!!

Nope .... 20 th to 26 th for white-tail,s tiss the season in the Peace Country ... too much eggnog for your buddy !!! :)

Pbly the best way to determine when the breeding season starts is to find the very first newborn fawn in your area and count back a couple of hundred days. Has any one witnessed an April fawn ?

Encountered a buck with nose on the ground chasing two does last weekend in the tofield area.

I think its the pre-rut, but I think that the pre-rut can be just as good, sometimes better than the rut peak.

Peak rut there are plenty of does to go round, before and after a buck has to put on more miles to get what he's after.

I followed a monster track yesterday, not a little guy by any means. He was up and moving all day. He did a bit of scraping, but most of the time he would stop and look at any scrape he found and then move on. Never caught up to the bugger, he was really trotting along and kept crossing a river, I'd lose time looking for a place to cross... pretty sore today. Probably covered about 12 km, so yeah, even the big ones are moving around.

Defiantly not where I am. I just watched 3 bucks pass by my stand, none puffed up, and all travelling together.

Remember rut intensity is determined by herd dynamics. If let's say there is no dominant buck, and the social hierarchy is in flux, the pre rut period could be quite intense.

Are the does ready to be bred(peak of the rut) no chancey Mr. Whelan!

18-19 does/fawns in the field on the night of the 2nd. 3 different small bucks mixed in with the does. No chasing/pushing the does around. The one buck never even approached the does out in the field, instead walked the bush line and worked a couple scrapes.

New moon
 

Early November this year was expected to be good hunting, new moon next week will see good action for sure, but the breeding time will be as normal, 19,20,21, not that that's the best time to hunt though.
Good luck out there, it's a great time of year.

Here you go Dick .. Lot's more info to back this up


"The white-tailed deer’s spotted, wobbly legged fawns, weighing 2 to 4 kg at birth, are born in late spring. Although birth may take place from late March to early August, most fawns are born during the last week of May or the first week of June. On high quality range twin fawns are the rule, although single births are quite common among younger females, especially those giving birth for the first time. Triplets are relatively uncommon and quadruplets occur only rarely. On poorer ranges or after a severe winter single births usually outnumber double births and multiple births do not occur. "