pre-season rut?

[Bird Boy]

i have heard guys talking about the pre season rut. i have never heard about it and im wondering if they were just messing around. :confused:

[RUSS0079]

Some does do come into estrus early. Thus the bucks will chase as hormones are running wild. Case in point, I called a basket eight point in yesterday for my buddy, Fendy. I called the buck in with the "CAN" Estrus Bleat... He came right in. The buck was about 2 1/2 years old. He made a good shot on it and brought him over this morning. Case in point I have called in bucks in over many years, pre rut and when the rut is suppose to be over... Does come in to heat when they come into heat. A buck will breed as long as he can walk to the doe... If you use mild calls to bring the bucks in and some doe in estrus, you'll be suprised by your results.
Russ

[Bird Boy]

thanks. im going out tomorrow (no school)

[ACEarcher]

Some studies so does coming into estrus anywhere from September to Febuary. This study was done by catologing when fawns where born. Pre-rut is the time when most does aren't ready, but the bucks are. Bucks will purposly follow does around and wait till they come into estrus. A white-tail doe is only in estrus for about 24hrs. This is a very short time span, but usually their is always a buck very close by making sure when does come into estrus. I've only had 2 encounter when I knew a doe was in complete estrus. First time, we never saw the doe, but MAN DID WE SMELL HER!!!! We must of just jumped her off of a ridge before we go up there. We could literally smell the estrus smell. It's a bit sweet smell almost. The second time I had an encounter with a doe that was deff either in estrus or she was going to be very very soon was the best day I've ever had on the stand. It was about 3 years ago. The first deer I saw that morning was a doe. I saw her right at daylight. I noticed she was acting a little funny. So she passed by me at about 30yds inback of me. To make a long story short I was 8 different buck throughout the rest of the morning. Two of the buck where upper P&Y class. All of the buck where either right on her trail or just off of it.

[Bird Boy]

thanks guys ill see tomorrow what happens:thup:

[ub1243]

the only bucks i'm seeing push does are the 1 1/2 olds. i think they just can't wait. the older boys that have done this before just won't waste the energy on does that aren't quiet ready. can't wait for the last week of bow.

[Liv2hunt]

I've always considered pre-rut to be a posturing activity for the bucks. It seems like after the bachelor groups break up and the rut is approaching, the bucks start trying to claim areas that have does with scrapes/rubs, some sparing in order to establish dominance before the does are actually ready. I really like hunting this time period and have taken most of my bucks during the 2 weeks prior to the rut. In seems to fall around the last 10 days of October until the first few days in November in S. Jersey. After that, I start seeing the panting, grunting rackers dogging does at all hours. Just haven't had any luck during the actual rut.

[ACEarcher]

Liv2hunt-

I thought about this several times. I too have had days in the rut where I havent seen anything. You think it's rut I should be seeing those bucks running all over the place. Then I think about that morning I saw 8 different bucks. Now this place is a pritty large piece of property their probably isen't another hunter in a stand for a ways from me. Now what about all the other guys near me. They couldn't of seen many buck. That morning I saw 8 different ones! Thats a lot of buck to he had in one small area. No other hunters probably saw any that morning. They where all near me because of that one hot doe. So I guess the days that seem perfect (rut, temp, everything seems good) you just don't see anything cause the bucks are just somewhere else trying to run down that one hot doe. The rut is the only time a dominate buck will leave his normal home range to go out and seek receptive does.

[ub1243]

i think the prerut is easier to tag a buck. once they lock up on a doe they are with her for a day or so, along with two or three bucks watching his every move. some days they are locked up others they are running all over. and no pattern to movement. it is great to watch though. i have a true 50/50 ratio on my main farm, i get bucks running around like crazy, it's great. i hear them coming, see them, pull back, and they run right past. they won't stop for bleating, wistles, or me saying hay. when tail is in front of them, it's a one track mind.

[RUSS0079]

I like the Pre Rut because it is easier to call in bucks, especially when you use some estrus scent. They get down wind of the scent post and they hear a estrus bleat and here they come. Here's a pick of a buck we called in on Sat. He was looking for love.. This was my friend's first buck with a bow.. Not big for where we hunt but big enough for him.... Still a nice little buck.

[ACEarcher]

Thats a very pritty buck. Is that the one that came into the can call? Congrats on the team work by the way. Its always the best feeling when everything comes into play!

[Liv2hunt]

ACEarcher,

That's how I feel also, when the big guys are on a doe, they are not going to come off her for any amount of calling, scent, whatever. When they don't have a doe thats almost ready, they are so much easier to fool. That being said, I have less encounters with bucks during the rut, but the ones I've had were awsome. Monsters that I havent seen all season, snot running, tongues hanging out, grunting non-stop and could care less about me.

3 years ago, I had a non-typical of a lifetime chasing a doe. Heard him coming through the frags from 200yds out, plowing them down with his massive rack and grunting hard. The doe came out running and when he emerged, I tried to stop him in a shooting lane by grunting...no reaction. I had to yell twice before he stopped, but it was in a bad spot. That's the kind of thing that happens to me when they are on a doe.

Pre-rut though, I've no sooner sat down and blew the grunt call and had them running in, very aggressively.

The one thing I don't see is any type of pre-rut activity for the second rut, in early December, when unbred does come back in again. I just see a few days with bucks chasing does, almost like "hey, look what I found", with no new marking, scraping, posturing before hand.

It's all fun though, I feel bad for my strictly gun oriented buddies that never see it.

[RUSS0079]

That is the buck I called in with the can. I have also called in three other bucks with the can, in the second rut or post rut, what every you chose to call it... As long as the buck can get to you, they come, unless they are on an active doe....

[Bird Boy]

well i went out this morning and heard deer the whole time until sunrise. it sounded like a quad going through the woulds there was so many deer. i saw a few at around 645 and i figured they moved off, but 15 min. later i saw movement in the same spot. a doe and fawn came in. an easy shot but i passed them in hopes for a bigger deer. 7 more deer came out of the same run and i saw them for a little and then they moved off. 2 more deer came out and headed right for my stand.i watched them and one looked like it moved off. i starting hearing a lot of rucuss in the brush behind me and started positioning myself. all those 7 deer that i thought moved off were really coming right to me but there was a holly tree blocking them so i couldn't see them. right as i moved a big doe blew and ran off.:huh::confused::bow:

[Racker]

I've always considered pre-rut to be a posturing activity for the bucks. It seems like after the bachelor groups break up and the rut is approaching, the bucks start trying to claim areas that have does with scrapes/rubs, some sparing in order to establish dominance before the does are actually ready. I really like hunting this time period and have taken most of my bucks during the 2 weeks prior to the rut. In seems to fall around the last 10 days of October until the first few days in November in S. Jersey. After that, I start seeing the panting, grunting rackers dogging does at all hours. Just haven't had any luck during the actual rut.

I think your right on target with the bachelor groups. I seen 2 nice six pointers this week and a eight that were coming into my buck grub around 5:30ish!!! The camera telss me a different story as each nite i have 5 different buck on the pile at the same time!!! I think the bucks are still hanging together mostly!!! But when they seperate they will be looking for some doe action! I'm seeing more scrapes and rubs in the woods which would indicate the bucks might split up soon!!!

[PhilCVG]

Few spots I hunt have become littered with scrapes ... I didn't see any up until Saturday.