If I didn't know better...Id think it was November.

[dcary7]

Ok just got home from hunting... I saw 7 deer and 3 toms. Unfortunately the toms were the only thing I had a shot at, but I didnt have a turkey tag (I will for next time). What I saw kinda confused me though. Around 6:30 I heard a snort/blow and two deer take off ... one i thought was an immature buck following the doe, but I wasn't certain. Then 7 oclock rolls around and I hear more snorting/blowing and in charges three does with a (lets just say "shooter buck" ) They trotted through briskly from one field on up to the next. .... if I didnt know better...I'd say the bucks were already chasing does... but I havent really seen it this early before... anyone else seeing this or was it just coincidence that they were running together from the cornfield to the alfalfa field? I know rut isnt really "fully on" until the first two weeks of November, but how early have you guys seen em chasing?

Thanks

Oh and I'll be repositioning myself for a shot at them in the next two days!

 

[IndianaSlim]

They were more than likely just horsing around. If you want to see action put your money on oct 28-nov 5. That's just my opinion though. Also, be careful of over hunting your favorite early season stand. All it takes is one bad encounter with a big deer to make him completely nocturnal. We stay out of our core areas until the last week of October. Talk about action when you get into a spot that hasn't been hunted all year!!!! Try it next year and you won't hunt any other way.

 

[windingwinds]

My local deer are laying low right now. Tons of sign though: rubs, scrapes and tracks. I suspect they will be more active as the fields come down......

 

[dcary7]

Thanks for the responses. Well that's the time frame i was expecting to see that. Just wasnt sure what they were doing the other night. I ground hunt and so I dont stay in the same area really. I had not seen this guy before... ever. So I really wasnt expecting him to come through. Where I'm hunting right now I haven't seen any "big deer" yet (until that one), but I have seen a lot of deer. I'm trying to get my first archery kill and put some meat in the freezer. so was hunting this spot up to try and increase my odds of getting my first kill. I've got my eye on a few other spots of the property come a lil closer to rut. I'm working with a 150 acres and all the big guys here are bunkered in pretty deep in the woods 90% of the time. So Im not venturing back there often yet. i will a couple times to try and get their movement patterns down (or a lucky encounter with em), but was just hunting an easily accessible field edge for now. I've got 2 stands setup back in there for later. I like ground hunting for the personal challenge, but if I'm looking for a trophy I know my odds are better from the stand.

 

[rgarner74]

September I start putting out blocks and cameras and find where their hanging out. Amazing how much they change areas from bow to gun season. All this happens before the shotgun blasts.