The Rut

[PA DEER]

Have you hunted in PA during the rut. What dates? Did you rattle? Where you successful? Any recommendations for us?

[ub1243]

i don't bow hunt pa. but we have seen bucks breed does during buck season.
it really depends on your doe/buck ratio. if it's close you will have a better response to the horns.
if it's out of wack, you may not do so well.

as for peak time, i'd say the first half of november.

around me it gets nuts the week of halloween till mid november, you should be about the same. some say the moon has a lot to do with it. can't say either way, about moon phase. it's always the same dates. the moon does effect what time of day they like to move, but to me, not the intensity of the rut. it's temp and dates.

[hobo]

I have good luck in last week of archery usally 2nd week of Nov.Saw at least 7-8 shooter bucks last 2-days of bow season last year-most trailing does.I arrowed nice 8-point on last day.I have hunt Clearfied county last seven years at Little general lodge -always see decent bucks during rut there. The can always brings some bucks in usally smaller ones though.Try every thing -cant hurt during rut

[fatboy]

I usually dont even hunt hard untill the third week in Oct. I have only 1 spot and dont want to burn out my stands. That being said i usually see an increase in activity the week before halloween. I find that the late Pre-Rut works best for me. last couple days in Oct to usually around election day. 13 of the past 15 years I have tagged out between Oct 23rd and Nov 4th. tells me something anyway.

[ACEarcher]

Yeah last 2 weeks area my most favorite time of year to hunt. If I bag a trophy buck it is usually in those 2 weeks. Technicaly it is considered Pre-Rut, most does aren't ready at that time. The bucks sure are though!! It all depends what area your in. If you have an area with a 1buck-2doe or less rattle might work. Any higher of a ratio I wouldn't bother. What really works GREAT for me. Try to sound like a buck and a doe running. The buck chasing the doe. Just grunt, grunt, grunt, bleat, bleat , grunt, bleat, grunt, grunt, etc. I've pulled bucks off of chasing does that way. It has really worked well for me. Personally I don't mess with scents too much. Some times I'll spray the area with buck bomb or just use doe in estrus scent bombs/wicks.

[onthehunt]

Around Halloween baby:thup: it starts to turn on.

[ihunt49]

According to the PAGC studies, the peak of the rut is usually around Nov. 15th. They determine that by doing yearly roadkill autopsies on does in the late winter - early spring to determine fetus development.

[onthehunt]

The breeding time blows:thdown:. The bucks won't leave a receptive doe for anything:mad:. The chase period is the hot lick. When you see the bucks break up and start to spar, get ready!:fight:

[MattG]

I usually dont even hunt hard untill the third week in Oct. I have only 1 spot and dont want to burn out my stands. That being said i usually see an increase in activity the week before halloween. I find that the late Pre-Rut works best for me. last couple days in Oct to usually around election day. 13 of the past 15 years I have tagged out between Oct 23rd and Nov 4th. tells me something anyway.


I vote for the seeking phase also as best to hunt, when the chasing starts..usually the last 2 weeks of the November, tougher get a shot. Last season, had a shot last week of october at a NT making his rounds during the seeking phase..i missed :huh: Had a nice 8 right where you want em..within 10 yards of my stand the last week..2nd week of november, unfortunatley he went by with his nose right up a does arse at 40 mph. The tending phase would be great to hunt, though archery season is usually over by the time that occurs in PA..usually the week after, but some years you do get it during the last week, those years are prime.

[onthehunt]

Bucks will respond better to calls during the chase period. Hunt the does during this time and use a tending grunt and look out. You are right about them running though, but that just makes it more exciting when the bucks are chasing and bumping does. The woods come alive. In my experience the deer activity drops off a ton when they start tending does. Sometimes they won't leave a small area for days and are almost impossible to get close to. After the breeding and the bucks finally get some rest It's time for them to strap on the feed bag and they become easier to hunt.

[MattG]

yeah, if the doe to buck ratio is good the woods do come alive during the chase phase and you can certainly benefit from calling, scents, etc. though warm weather will shut the chasing right down, but it is definitely the most exciting time to be out there. Those few years in PA where the bow season coincides with tending, we've seen the opposite, where we can stalk right up to big bucks doing the tending as they will not leave the does side....for anything and the does themselves are concentrated on business also, so they don't seem to be as wary, so when they're tending, we forego the stands and take to the ground.

[BarnesX.308]

The last two years, we've had bucks rubbing and fighting during the opening week of PA rifle (Monday after Thanksgiving). In 2006, we watched two nice bucks go at it for about 30 minutes. In the mean time, two bucks showed up for the fight. One was a nice 8 pointer. He was literally rattled in. Bucks from the last two rifle seasons also had bark on their antler bases.

Hunting is like fishing for me. I don't get a lot of chances to go, so I get out when I can no matter what time of year.

I've called in two deer in my life. One was a young 6 point. He came running in when the antlers were in my hand and rifle was in my lap. He darted right back into the cover as soon as I got my rifle up. The other was an 8 point that I grunted in. I got that one. I was in a tree stand and saw him coming. ;)

[bobmetzg]

never had any luck with rattling but grunt calls are another storyi have had plenty of deer charge in at me from doe to a nice 10 i killed. the one thing ive seen you are not gonna pull a buck from a hot doe with a call unless that doe decides to run past your stand. the deer i call in always come in alone definately looking for something and the young bucks come in a lot more often. i use the knight and hale e-z grunter 2 plus calls dont leave home without them especially during the rut