Rut

[saskfly]

Just curious as to what everyone else is seeing. Hear in North eastern Alberta haven't seen alot in the way of mature bucks, lots of smaller bucks, does and fawns. Haven't seen any bucks chasing any of the does yet. Hunted a good area for 3 days and saw few deer coming into the pea fields. Most of the deer I came across were in the heavy stuff foraging away. Managed to sneak up pretty close still hunting along cutlines and on old seismic lines. Hopefully a good snow fall and a dirty drop in temp will make the mature animals a little more accessible.

Good luck to all!

Just the baby mulie bucks with the does where we hunt down south this weekend. little 2's and 3's. Passed on a couple 150'' class bucks that were bedded all alone in the same area. Hopefully the big movements will start soon.
As for whitetails in the area, 5 does were all alone this weekend, saw 6 bucks bedded together a 1/4 section away (one 140'' buck, huge for this area) so they weren't chasing either. I know of three large whitetails taken this weekend though, pretty good for an entire season down here normally (im saying 160'' is huge by southern alberta standards, one greenscores around that).

[dan1]

Was out in WMU 350 on Thursday - not much for deer movement. Saw a few small rubs out in the woods - no scrapes. Tried grunting/rattling without any success. Hopefully more action next week when I'll get another chance to head out to the woods.

[Redspy]

Hunted around 314 and found the Whiteys were not moving all that much, the odd track in fresh snow here and there. Alot of Wolf and Coyote though, think the deer population is alittle weak this year.

[Jeromeo]

Hoping the rut starts swinging into gear around the 9th..... I go by the full moon.. Seems to work for me.

BTW, I haven't seen many bucks either.

[GoodTimes]

Every year we see the same thing. Last 2 weeks of Oct the bucks are following "routines" more or less. First couple days of Nov the bucks seem to disappear, then a few days later the does vanish too. Around Nov 11 or so all hell breaks loose.

On Halloween we counted 153 deer. Nov 3 on the same drive at the same time we counted 37. Tonight it was 11. In a few days it will be up over 100 again. Have any of you guys ever considered keeping a day to day hunting journal? I started in 2003 and it really opened my eyes to how much specific dates/hours of daylight affect deer and their patterns. This morning was the first time Ive seen a buck on Nov 6 since 2005, and Ive hunted Nov 6 every year. Since 2003 I have only seen a buck Nov 7 once, on Nov 8 I saw bucks in 2003,07,08 and 2010. Nov 9 only in 2004, Nov 10 in 2005 and 2008, Nov 11 every year except last year, and Nov 12-24 every day every year saw bucks. On Nov 17 in 2008 I saw a total of 13 bucks from a treestand and 50-55 does.

[handicap]

Was out on Saturday and managed to rattle in a young bull moose other than that a few snapping branches.Sat in my stand from 7:00-6:30 made for a long long day especially without seeing much.

[280Hunter]

That's very interesting GoodTimes. Thanks for sharing

[bigmeadow]

Saw a smaller buck running a doe this morning, it didn't last long. Then saw a MONSTER whitetail approx 700yrds away and a group of 5 doe by him and nothing indicating he was rutting.

[Grizzly Adams]

Found a scrape yesterday and lots of tracks, so she's starting.
Grizz

[archer8]

Hi All

Seen some single tracks and a small 2x3 whit tail I passed on ( nwaty to small and still early )

Red Spy --Im looking for some cow elk in 314 -- any sight of the ladies where you are hunting -- going out tomorrow --if not then 412 for mulie buck

Cheers

Thanks

Ian

[kropsbone]

Around the bowzone there has been scrapes for about week and half but nothing responding to calling yet,I think they got a little of sh#t kicking last winter. Going out today, ill report back what its looking like!

[buckbrushoutdoors]

Seen lots of scrapes up in northeast bush country.another week or so she should be rolling!

[BTK]

Rut is on in some areas. Drove up to a 140ish whitey and a doe bedded just off in a field with a smaller buck bedded down 50yrds off the road. Wide open stubble field, buck had his head stretched out trying to hide in about 10in of stubble, it was a nice effort but I could see him from 1/2 mile away. Parked my truck 50yrds from them and those bucks wouldn't leave until the doe left. Watched for about 5 min until the doe had enough of me gruntin and snortin

[gonefishin]

I've been finding scrapes for about 2 weeks now. Was out on Friday night and rattled in 3 deer (all from different directions). 2 stayed in the thick bush and wouldn't come into view (but I could here antlers on trees), the one that I did bring into view was a 150-class wt and he came in thrashing trees the whole way, and as he left he was raking fenceposts along a fenceline. Went out rattling again yesterday and made 4 stands... rattled in deer at 2 of them. Again, 1 wouldn't come out, but he was raking trees in the bush. The second stand brought in a doe with a small 5x4 nose to the ground, hot on her trail.

[GoodTimes]

Scrapes dont equal rut, Gentlemen. If anything, scrapes indicate that the rut is not quite in yet. When the does start going into estrus and the bucks start chasing them (what I call "the rut"), the bucks generally abandon their scrape lines and gallivant around chasin girls. Making and checking scrape lines is a "pre rut" activity. Lots of guys lump it all into one, some differentiate between the 2, I spose it comes down to a matter of opinion and how anal you want to be about definitions lol.

[Redspy]

Originally Posted by archer8

Hi All

Seen some single tracks and a small 2x3 whit tail I passed on ( nwaty to small and still early )

Red Spy --Im looking for some cow elk in 314 -- any sight of the ladies where you are hunting -- going out tomorrow --if not then 412 for mulie buck

Cheers

Thanks

Ian

Ian, saw 3 cows during my drive west along Range Road 284 in some farmers fields (Nov. 1). I wasnt interested in shooting so didnt stop to ask the land owners. I also saw a post a few weeks back about some land owners around Cochrane.

Sorry I could not help more.

[curtisb]

I like the journal good times - I think I will start that immediately!
Food for thought for sure!

I've been seeing the scrapes since Oct. 17th. - Normal

I've been sitting in the stand:
Oct. 17, 18, 19, 20 - rattling - with no responses - kind of normal, although usually i can get some younger bucks to come in after the 15th.
Nov. 3, 4, 5, 6 - rattling and grunting - with no responses - not normal, normally I can rattle in a buck a day (minimum) over the first few days of Nov.
(cameras indicate more bucks around than does - not normal for my area...)

My Camera's are showing all bucks active between 1-3 AM. Still don't have a daylight video of a mature buck hitting a scrape. The does started peeing in the scrapes on the 28 - Oct, activity by does and bucks has increased 3 fold since the 28th.

Hoping on my next 4 off (17, 18, 19, 20) the bucks will be on the move during daylight hours - athough rattling doesn't prove as effective this late (or at least it hasn't in the past...)

[gonefishin]

Originally Posted by GoodTimes

Scrapes dont equal rut, Gentlemen. If anything, scrapes indicate that the rut is not quite in yet. When the does start going into estrus and the bucks start chasing them (what I call "the rut"), the bucks generally abandon their scrape lines and gallivant around chasin girls. Making and checking scrape lines is a "pre rut" activity. Lots of guys lump it all into one, some differentiate between the 2, I spose it comes down to a matter of opinion and how anal you want to be about definitions lol.

Don't think anyone mentioned the rut, just deer sightings, movement and activity. I'll wager that most people on here are aware of the difference between the pre rut and peak rut.

[kayaker]

Originally Posted by GoodTimes

. Have any of you guys ever considered keeping a day to day hunting journal? .

Just started. The data wont say much for a couple years at least but eventally I look forward to seeing any patterns.

I have been keeping a journal of big game kills since 1995 as well.

[ishootbambi]

Originally Posted by gonefishin

Don't think anyone mentioned the rut,

its actually the thread title....i know you do, but a lot of people dont know the difference.

[gonefishin]

LOL... i missed that, I was looking at the posts.

[Don K]

Scrapes are more 'pre-rut. We find rubs & scrapes usually beginning in early October. Once the rut kicks into high gear most bucks are to busy chasing does than tending scrapes. Put a camera on a good scrape mid October till now and you'll see a pattern. As the rut kicks in the pattern is out the window and often you won't see them again.

[saskfly]

I should be out Friday morning and hunt most if not all of my next set off. I was wondering your guys opinion on cattle and deer interaction. One of the pea fields where I had a camera up had lots of bucks coming in regularly. The field was swathed and then cattle were turned loose in mid october. haven't been seeing the deer in there like I usually had even though the cattle have since been moved.

My theory...and correct me if I am wrong, is that the deer will tolerate the cattle but in the area where I am hunting there is an abundance of food elsewhere other than my beloved pea field, so the deer are just avoiding it all togethor.

Still lots of swath untouched by the cattle so my hope is the does will start hitting it again once the snow/cold sets in (with bucks in tow of course).

Thoughts??

[Barbwire]

Found with my cams that deer disappear with the cattle around but it doesnt take them too long once the gang disappears from an area for the deer to return.

Looks like you and I are on a simalar shift Jeff... I too begin my quest on friday morning for 5 glorious days Taking a newbie out with me but he doest get to shoot my possible booner im after

Good luck in your pea field and hopfully your bucks return

Barbwire

[GoodTimes]

Originally Posted by kayaker

Just started. The data wont say much for a couple years

.

Exactly, but after 3 or 4 years when you look back at it, youl be amazed at the patterns you see on specific dates every year.

Somebody mentioned that they are seeing 1-3 am activity from the bucks. So am I. And I have been for the last 8 years every year from about Nov 5 to about the 11th. Although not the only reason, Im sure the sudden onslaught of weekend warriors and truck hunters that starts Nov 1 every year plays a huge role in this.

Ive compared my notes from around here to those if friends from: Calgary, Caroline, Brooks, Hanna, Peace River and Lac La Biche and they all line up almost identical. The only variance is that things seem to turn on 1-2 earlier in the deep south compared to up north.

[saskfly]

Originally Posted by Barbwire

Found with my cams that deer disappear with the cattle around but it doesnt take them too long once the gang disappears from an area for the deer to return.

Looks like you and I are on a simalar shift Jeff... I too begin my quest on friday morning for 5 glorious days Taking a newbie out with me but he doest get to shoot my possible booner im after

Good luck in your pea field and hopfully your bucks return

Barbwire

Thanks Jamie. And yes we are on the same shift. Im thinking some serious ice fishing this winter (Never put a single laker in the smoker last winter...brutal)