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Pre-rut and no scrapes

Jammintree

Jammintree

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2021
Messages
2,195
It’s early November and I’ve yet to see a single scrape open up. Usually by this time,
My hunting areas are on fire with hot sign. Granted, I’ve not actually gone out looking. So far I have made about a dozen hunts and my only current scouting is on the walk to and from stand sites. Along these routes there are usually a number of visible scrapes, so far none have opened up. I also have a couple trail camera on community scrapes - does have been tasting the licking branch and bucks are walking by scent checking them - but none have been pawed open. I’ve talked to a few hunting buddies in my region of New England and they have similar reports. What is the word where you hunt?
 
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I'm seeing similar here in western PA, kinda. I'm seeing rubs and scraping, but by this point we're typically seeing cruising and chasing but I haven't witnessed any. My cameras aren't picking up any bucks, last Saturday I had 36 doe come past my stand and only 2 spikes were seen. I've never seen a large number of doe at this point in the year that didn't have a buck in tow.
Obviously this is all arbitrary, they are out there, and I didn't do a good job scouting this year, and this was a really bad mast year for my region. But historical observation and info shouldn't be this different, something has them off for sure!
 
I’ve seen scrapes and some rubs, but I do feel like it’s seemed slow in the one area I know fairly well, but I figured maybe it’s all in my head and an excuse. Maybe that’s not the case? It’s also warmer than usual tho too.
 
Where I am in Mississippi it is hot and dry, and we normally don't start seeing scraping until mid-November. I would not be a bit surprised if our bucks didn't start scrapes until Thanksgiving. Our rut is December 15 to January 10 give or take.
 
Its super slow here to. Not much sign in alot of my good areas. Me and jason are having a hard time finding hot sign.
it is just one of those years it will either be a kind of trickle rut or just a bit later.
just seems the whole three srage rut period is never consistent.
I believe its just the Very Warm Weather that has a big effect on alot of things.
i know guys who hunt some big pretty cushy private areas and they are seeing the same.
so that just makes me think. Its gotta be the summer like temps.
everything was late this year. Even the acorns were very late to start dropping
 
finding them pretty consistently in NH.
Started looking fresh mid October and they were really getting hit at night last week. I pulled my cams before firearm opens as it is an advertisement to other hunters. Had a few new larger bucks that hopefully show in light ,unsure when to hunt them as it is going to be very warm again for a week.
I took a few days off last week but did not see chasing.
last night fresh vs last week fresh for comparison
 

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Phopkins said:
Go hunt. They're going to rut the same time every year. Every year. When a doe comes in the woods will come alive. Every year. If you blink too long you'll miss it.
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I am a believer in that it’s the same time as well, that’s why I think it may be all in my head haha.
 
My wife and boss agree I need to work this week @Phopkins
also I just joined the PBS and appreciate the encouragement.
I’ll be out as soon as I can peel out from work, by unsure of when to hunt I was hoping a cold front would make the decision very clear..
 
TreeCreep said:
My wife and boss agree I need to work this week @Phopkins
also I just joined the PBS and appreciate the encouragement.
I’ll be out as soon as I can peel out from work, by unsure of when to hunt I was hoping a cold front would make the decision very clear..
Click to expand...

In future years take the second week of November off if you're in the upper midwest. You'll see the most rut and cruising activity then. Start planning for next year now, imho.

Congratulations on joining PBS. Top notch bunch of people!
 
I haven't been in the woods hunting or scouting since I shot my buck on September 26th but I do have 13 trail cams out. I have seen no big bucks on camera since September. I have seen bucks on camera but there all small 2,4 and 6 pointers. A couple of my cams are on community scrapes too and still no bucks opening them up or checking them even at night. The big boys in my area don't usually start moving and chasing till about the 10th of November. Also we have been having way above normal temps for October and November so far. It's going to be 70 degrees all this weekend. Think I'll go fishing instead.
 
If you’re aware of this already, disregard, but is it possible that bucks are making scrapes, and falling leaves are covering them right back up?
 
Normally I go to PA first or 2nd week of Nov
It wasn’t in the cards this year .
I had 2 non hunt trips that ate my vacation time

Thanks and good luck next week!
 
Northern Wisconsin and I have been seeing scrapes / rubs for 3 weeks.
First two weeks in Wisconsin are prime rut.
 
I am a proponent of being early. Scouted our field last night which is loaded with food and on the edge of the marsh.
They aren't moving. It's going to cut loose soon, but it's trickling at this point. Lots of little deer.....tells me alot were bred later last year despite what we "saw".
 
DroptineKrazy said:
I haven't been in the woods hunting or scouting since I shot my buck on September 26th but I do have 13 trail cams out. I have seen no big bucks on camera since September. I have seen bucks on camera but there all small 2,4 and 6 pointers. A couple of my cams are on community scrapes too and still no bucks opening them up or checking them even at night. The big boys in my area don't usually start moving and chasing till about the 10th of November. Also we have been having way above normal temps for October and November so far. It's going to be 70 degrees all this weekend. Think I'll go fishing instead.
Click to expand...
My intel for these kind of things always seem to align with yours, my research over the years has yielded the same results, I’m expecting the middle of next week for the **** to hit the fan with buck movement, I’ve had a few cams get hot lately with good bucks moving still only at night and the young ones are just starting in the daytime, but overall I think things are slow all over from the normal patterns, if there is such a thing with the rut and deer.
 
My buddy's down here running cell cams are not getting hardly any deer pics since last weekend and then it was mostly night pics. Supposed to be 85 today and near that tomorrow. Front coming through tomorrow night and they are forecasting a pretty heavy rain and strong storms. Supposed to be out by daylight and high in the upper 60's saturday. Maybe that will get them up a bit. Rut sign hasnt really started don in the SE part on the public I hunt down there. Found one half hearted scrape line and a couple rubs in 13 miles of hiking but it is still early for it down there anyway.
 
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