The rut is on here,the boys are moving in the day.

[Rembrandt]

Gun season in Iowa begins in December after the rut.....a reason we have a reputation for producing record bucks. Bucks are more visible and stupid during the rut, if it were during the gun season the older deer would be quickly decimated. Pretty much what has happened in many of the eastern states where few mature bucks exist in those young herds.

Bow hunted for the last seven days, some of the best deer activity ever. Rut is getting more and more active every day. Can hardly go more than 15 minutes without seeing something get chased through the woods. Nephew from West Virginia flew out to hunt last week, said he had never seen anything like it in all his years of hunting.

A few pics taken the other day, competition among the bucks has brought on a lot of fighting.

 

[sixgunner455]

I don’t think I’ve ever had a chance to hunt the rut. Comes pretty late in the Southwest desert.

 

[22250Rem]

Got a couple 8 pointers living around me. Have only seen them on trail cam pix and always at night..... Until early yesterday morning when I saw both of 'em during daylight hours, about 10 minutes apart. Both were seen following a doe. The Rut is on for sure around here.

 

[22250Rem]

Update:.. Out changing SD cards on two cams on my friends property this afternoon. Welcome to Rut City. After only seeing night time trail cam pix of bucks around my place and at my friends land, I now have a buck on camera 25 yards in front of a blind I have in his woods.... At 10:29 A.M. today. The view is a bit blocked but you can see a rack and in the left of the picture is an Ameristep pop-up blind that's been sitting there since April 2019. I know the distances in that area and he's between 20 & 25 yards from that blind. ( I have certain trees that are a known distance from the blind according to a Leupold range finder.). Gun season starts Sat. Nov. 21st and now I can't decide about hunting there in a shotgun / handgun zone or going to a rifle / handgun zone. If the rut will still be on by Nov. 21st I should probably bring the Redhawk 44 Mag. and sit in the blind. .. E.T.A. Anyone know how long the rut usually lasts ?

 

[Boattale]

It starts here in SWMO in the morning. The rut is in full swing. Looking forward to sitting in the shooting house drinking coffee and waiting for it to get light. Gotta love it!

 

[Bfh_auto]

I’ve done it a few times. I’d bet I’m not alone when I say I learned the hard way that it makes for WAY too much work if you’re cleaning them yourself. I’m not saying I wouldn’t do it again if conditions were right, but after the second or third time it gets easier to come to terms with letting them walk.

Unless they are like this.
My wife didn't want a buck this year. So she shot the first 2 little ones that came in.

 

[1976B.L.Johns.]

My wife didn't want a buck this year. So she shot the first 2 little ones that came in.

Meateater!!!