Are in pre rut or into the rut. I had 5 bucks in the backyard this morning fighting each other...4 of 'em were nice mid size deer. but the king of the yard was a big one. ...Looking at him he had a high fairly heavy rack still polished white They all tried him and he shut 'em all down...then he broke a fair sized limb off a tree cause I guess he didn't like it. 10 points eastern...I was surprised to see them as I haven't seen many deer this year. The doe are starting to show up alot too. How's the deer crop in your areas
Well the local Whitetails
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Sounds like heaven. Locally, the heat index this past saturday was nearing the 100 degree mark with regular temperatures in the mid to high 90’s setting records for high temperatures. Deer i see are looking for shade and water, not ladies or to fight.
charlie sherrill
Member
I've got a lot of deer behind the house, mostly does, yearlings and small bucks. Big boys don't show up until rut, around here usually late December through February. I feed them corn year round and over plant my garden because I know they're gonna get into it. Lots of acorns this year and they're already working on them. We have a couple a year that commit suicide by car. If the driver doesn't want them they go in my freezer. We eat a lot more venison than beef. We used to add miss cut bacon to the ground meat but found out a couple of years ago that a beef fat mix taste better.
Early deer started last Saturday, ends on Friday, 25.
Late deer is better as the doe go into heat and the bucks start the rut....
Late deer is better as the doe go into heat and the bucks start the rut....
Three Bucks hanging around Here. Two 7 pointers and a 8 pointer. all shined up getting ready for the Ladies.
We have does year round in my neighborhood and before the storms we had a few young buck strutting around. I'm in a hunting club on the coast and going there Monday (hopefully) to see what's moving. It's still too warm around here to see much.
The rut don't start till early Nov here. Rifle season for deer and elk opens the 26th and doesn't end till the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
As this lady and her sisters hang out in my yard.
in November guys like this come visit.
My wife finds it hilarious when I pack up my gear and drive off into the country side to go hunting for a couple weeks. Especially in view of the fact I haven't shot anything for years.
I am waiting for the monster buck or bull to wander close enough to a road that I can reach them with a winch. When I was 40 carrying a bull elk several miles out of the timber was no fun and 40 was 33 years ago. Even dragging a decent buck isn't in my plans unless he is uphill.
I did buy a 5000# Badlands winch and strung it with about 200 yards of 1/8" cable. I stick it in a hitch receiver and plug it in to my power jacks and have some small snatch blocks.
As this lady and her sisters hang out in my yard.
in November guys like this come visit.
My wife finds it hilarious when I pack up my gear and drive off into the country side to go hunting for a couple weeks. Especially in view of the fact I haven't shot anything for years.
I am waiting for the monster buck or bull to wander close enough to a road that I can reach them with a winch. When I was 40 carrying a bull elk several miles out of the timber was no fun and 40 was 33 years ago. Even dragging a decent buck isn't in my plans unless he is uphill.
I did buy a 5000# Badlands winch and strung it with about 200 yards of 1/8" cable. I stick it in a hitch receiver and plug it in to my power jacks and have some small snatch blocks.
I put in a new security system with motion-sensing cameras. Unwittingly, I wound up with "game cameras" installed all around the house. Somehow the Blacktails show up when you're not looking. How do they know???
The vermin have stripped all the leaves off my half dozen new plantings, and are now busy stripping my wife's 20 year old hydrangeas.
Can't shoot them, can't scare them (they just stare at me) and they've become used to expensive scent repellents. I think my only hope to save our landscape is a good slingshot and a bag of marbles or pea gravel.
Can't shoot them, can't scare them (they just stare at me) and they've become used to expensive scent repellents. I think my only hope to save our landscape is a good slingshot and a bag of marbles or pea gravel.
There is a way to get 'em gone but not if you live in a development. When they attack my garden, I shoot them with 7/8 ounce of #10 or 11 shot... after a few days of getting a burned butt...they do leave...when they return a week or two later another dozen reloads move 'em again. Generally they are 50 yards or more...I of course have no real close neighbors that are Bambi lovers...Game warden told me I couldn't shoot 'em like that...they belong to the state.. I told him to get the state's deer off my property.....
kozmic
Member
The bucks around us have still been together of late. Yesterday morning I saw a lone buck, but there may have been another close by that I missed. However, it's quite possible that they are pre-rut and starting to split up. Regardless, we have quite a few good quality bucks and some very healthy doe. I'm not a hunter, but it should be a very good season by us for those who do.
LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
They may become pets after a while, but eventually they will be pests. I always enjoy seeing the wild critters but I don't enjoy seeing my little garden after they are done browsing around.
On the other hand, probably the best deer I've ever eaten was taken around crops, especially sugar beet fields. Corn field deer are pretty good, too. They seem to know their produce pretty well.
On the other hand, probably the best deer I've ever eaten was taken around crops, especially sugar beet fields. Corn field deer are pretty good, too. They seem to know their produce pretty well.
They aren't good to eat.....
They aren't good to eat when they are wired up on testosterone like that, are they?
They aren't good to eat when they are wired up on testosterone like that, are they?
I have seen a couple of small bucks that were hit by cars which here in Ohio is a good indicator that the pre-rut is getting started. I have seen a few rubs along filed edges when playing golf another sign of increased activity. Last night the moon was so bright there were shadows cast from trees. Our first frost was this week.
We will start hitting the stands next weekend. The last week of Oct through the first week of November is usually the time to hunt since the bucks are running scrape lines seeking even though the does aren't quite ready yet. Scents are effective during this timeframe.
I haven't shot one in a few years since I won't shoot any smaller than I have harvested before. Deer over 150 inches are the exception even here in Licking County Ohio, so I find myself doing a lot of watching and very little shooting any more.
I am not sure how the drought has affected the deer this year, but I haven't seen the numbers I have seen in the past.
As far as taste goes and the high testosterone levels, my experience has been diet has the biggest impact. The corn-fed deer are much tastier than the acorn fed deer. You do have to be very careful not to get any of the tarsal gland excretions on the meat when field dressing a buck harvested during the rut. From my experience a wounding and chasing deer can result in poor taste as well.
Good luck to all !
We will start hitting the stands next weekend. The last week of Oct through the first week of November is usually the time to hunt since the bucks are running scrape lines seeking even though the does aren't quite ready yet. Scents are effective during this timeframe.
I haven't shot one in a few years since I won't shoot any smaller than I have harvested before. Deer over 150 inches are the exception even here in Licking County Ohio, so I find myself doing a lot of watching and very little shooting any more.
I am not sure how the drought has affected the deer this year, but I haven't seen the numbers I have seen in the past.
As far as taste goes and the high testosterone levels, my experience has been diet has the biggest impact. The corn-fed deer are much tastier than the acorn fed deer. You do have to be very careful not to get any of the tarsal gland excretions on the meat when field dressing a buck harvested during the rut. From my experience a wounding and chasing deer can result in poor taste as well.
Good luck to all !
We got hit with a "wasting disease", not sure if it only effects the whitetails. The only deer I see on a regular basis are Mule deer and they seem none the worse for wear. Saw a mother and daughter the other day and both were fat and healthy, bucks tend to roll in a bit later, couple years ago we had a trio of nice big boys. I walked up on one while he was down on the river, spooked him and was standing near his retreat path. He passed within twenty feet or so and gave me a nice long side-eye as we gained the top level of the lot, then spronged off in that effortless way they have. Later I thought about how smart I was, he was big enough to have given me more trouble than I could handle.
One of my buddies up on the hill shot a nice four point a week ago, sent in the neck glands and a tooth which is the requirement this year if you want to play it safe. The jury is out on whether or not the disease is transmittable to humans. Quite an inconvenience as the meat is currently sitting in his freezer awaiting notification whether it has the disease or not, then it can be processed. He's more of a summer sausage eater after he's eaten the back straps.
One of my buddies up on the hill shot a nice four point a week ago, sent in the neck glands and a tooth which is the requirement this year if you want to play it safe. The jury is out on whether or not the disease is transmittable to humans. Quite an inconvenience as the meat is currently sitting in his freezer awaiting notification whether it has the disease or not, then it can be processed. He's more of a summer sausage eater after he's eaten the back straps.
Saw three does and a nice buck last evening while walking the pup. Buck was off by himself so nor chasing the girls yet…
This magnificent 2.5 year old buck was really fun to watch over the last two years. He was a nice fork-horn as a 1.5 year old and is actually legal in our Texas county though still too young to fit the intent of the size restrictions preventing the taking of "too young" bucks.
He's still in velvet here, this was taken about 6-8 weeks ago. He was really pretty once he shed his velvet. Didn't see him for about a week or so and about a week ago he's at the back retaining wall eating some protein and missing his entire right rack. Worse, by far, his right rear leg is broken four inches above the hoof and dangling. Heartbreaking. He's still around, saw him yesterday, but it's gonna be touch and go if he makes it.
Never did name him, I resist the temptation to get too fond of the neighborhood deer, but what a shame. Glad I hunt at the ranch 20 minutes out of town where they are less familiar.
Cracks me up when folks ask what challenge deer hunting can be after being around the "city deer" even in our quite rural setting. I don't feed the neighborhood deer by hand but probably could but when a deer at the ranch spots you, or thinks it has, from 350 yards they're gone so fast it makes your head spin.
If I had to bet I'd wager an earlier than "normal" rut this year too. They are unusually frisky already and it's just started to cool down.
Bryan
He's still in velvet here, this was taken about 6-8 weeks ago. He was really pretty once he shed his velvet. Didn't see him for about a week or so and about a week ago he's at the back retaining wall eating some protein and missing his entire right rack. Worse, by far, his right rear leg is broken four inches above the hoof and dangling. Heartbreaking. He's still around, saw him yesterday, but it's gonna be touch and go if he makes it.
Never did name him, I resist the temptation to get too fond of the neighborhood deer, but what a shame. Glad I hunt at the ranch 20 minutes out of town where they are less familiar.
Cracks me up when folks ask what challenge deer hunting can be after being around the "city deer" even in our quite rural setting. I don't feed the neighborhood deer by hand but probably could but when a deer at the ranch spots you, or thinks it has, from 350 yards they're gone so fast it makes your head spin.
If I had to bet I'd wager an earlier than "normal" rut this year too. They are unusually frisky already and it's just started to cool down.
Bryan
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this was taken a few weeks ago 2nd pic was taken late july if i can remember right
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This magnificent 2.5 year old buck was really fun to watch over the last two years. He was a nice fork-horn as a 1.5 year old and is actually legal in our Texas county though still too young to fit the intent of the size restrictions preventing the taking of "too young" bucks.
He's still in velvet here, this was taken about 6-8 weeks ago. He was really pretty once he shed his velvet. Didn't see him for about a week or so and about a week ago he's at the back retaining wall eating some protein and missing his entire right rack. Worse, by far, his right rear leg is broken four inches above the hoof and dangling. Heartbreaking. He's still around, saw him yesterday, but it's gonna be touch and go if he makes it.
Never did name him, I resist the temptation to get too fond of the neighborhood deer, but what a shame. Glad I hunt at the ranch 20 minutes out of town where they are less familiar.
Cracks me up when folks ask what challenge deer hunting can be after being around the "city deer" even in our quite rural setting. I don't feed the neighborhood deer by hand but probably could but when a deer at the ranch spots you, or thinks it has, from 350 yards they're gone so fast it makes your head spin.
If I had to bet I'd wager an earlier than "normal" rut this year too. They are unusually frisky already and it's just started to cool down.
Bryan
Here is the kind of deer we see in the backyard. This one was a few years back in velvet. My wife will text pics of shooter bucks to me while I am in the stand Somehow shooting them off the patio doesn''t seem right, even with a bow.
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