2012 Rut Reports

[r00s7a]

I haven't been seeing squat in my area as of late. I take the backroads nearly every morning and evening just glassing meadows where they usually hang. Places where I usually see 10-20 does out nightly have zero. Can't put a finger on why exactly. My theory is since we had a bumper crop of acorns down here, they're more in the woods at feeding time than out in the meadows grazing. I could be totally off, but that's what I tell myself. My feeders have been unproductive and food plots are getting hit very little, which makes for great growth on the food plots! The deer that I have seen are acting pretty froggy, bucks seem to be chasing well. Ready to make me an all day sit in the stand tomorrow up in Clayton and see how that plays out.

 

[Okie4570]

I haven't been seeing squat in my area as of late. I take the backroads nearly every morning and evening just glassing meadows where they usually hang. Places where I usually see 10-20 does out nightly have zero. Can't put a finger on why exactly. My theory is since we had a bumper crop of acorns down here, they're more in the woods at feeding time than out in the meadows grazing. I could be totally off, but that's what I tell myself. My feeders have been unproductive and food plots are getting hit very little, which makes for great growth on the food plots! The deer that I have seen are acting pretty froggy, bucks seem to be chasing well. Ready to make me an all day sit in the stand tomorrow up in Clayton and see how that plays out.

Lock down already?

 

[r00s7a]

Don't think so... this has been going on for nearly a couple of weeks, about the time the acorns really started raining down. Not saying that couldn't be going on too, but I can't even get a doe to step out in the open so that I can shoot her off the road. There is just a drastic difference from last year and this year, I attribute a lot of it to the drought. You couldn't keep the deer away from feeders last year at this time. Now... crickets. Kinda glad though, we slaughtered them and it was too easy.

 

[CalOkie]

Frustrating, we had a very similar slow start to the season in Logan county where we hunt. I hunted every weekend in October and only saw a couple of deer, which is not typical for the property. I discovered the neighbor had planted 15 acres of soybeans. I guess the deer preferred the soybean food plot over the deer corn or acorns on our property. Fortunately, for us they are back on the property again. I'm sure you'll start seeing the deer again. It's just a matter of time.

 

[DEER 24/7]

bumper acorn crop,full moon,hot weather=no deer sightings

 

[makeithappen]

I agree with Deer 24/7. I've been seeing deer, but not as consistently as last year. A lot more acorns this year than last though, so deer have not been as concentrated.

 

[rlt7272]

bumper acorn crop,full moon,hot weather=no deer sightings

You nailed it.

Not much movement where I was black powder during the early morning/evening. Full moon/clear skies makes for a tough hunt.

 

[RidgeHunter]

Bumper acorn crop? I don't pity you goobers at all.

There's not an acorn on our place in Cherokee Co. Nothing. Second year in row with no acorns. All my (normally) hot stand spots are on acorn-laden ridgetops and on a normal year you're walking on a carpet of acorns. All you have to do is play the wind and wait for deer to come in feeding. This year sucks; I'm seeing basically nothing. I'd kill for a bumper acorn crop. I can't keep the deer off my favorite ridgetop on a heavy acorn year.

Plus the creek is just a few puddles (it flowed pretty much every year since the 80s until last year) and ponds are dry. Lots of water and lots of acorns are what make my place good. Take those away and it sucks. I hate drought.

 

[fishfurlife]

Several new scrapes around my stand this evening since my last sit in that stand Sunday.

Weather was nice this evening. I was skunked in a spot that I tend to always see deer.

NW part of the state.

I have not seen any of the rut activity that was mentioned in the NW part of the state. I have made 4 stands since Sunday morning and it has been pretty stinking slow each hunt. I plan to be out in the morning. and then am taking next week off. This weather sucks. I am really looking forward to what This weekend and next week will bring with this front rolling through.

I figure that the finger is on the trigger with pressure applied. It's just a matter of when it will break loose.

 

[Okie4570]

Several new scrapes around my stand this evening since my last sit in that stand Sunday.

Weather was nice this evening. I was skunked in a spot that I tend to always see deer.

NW part of the state.

I have not seen any of the rut activity that was mentioned in the NW part of the state. I have made 4 stands since Sunday morning and it has been pretty stinking slow each hunt. I plan to be out in the morning. and then am taking next week off. This weather sucks. I am really looking forward to what This weekend and next week will bring with this front rolling through.

I figure that the finger is on the trigger with pressure applied. It's just a matter of when it will break loose.

Interesting you should say, one of the guys who gave me one of the reports yesterday evening of seeing bucks chasing, was skunked tonight.