2015 Deer season - Rut reports

[CCLad]

Good day fellow F.H.er's, with the bow season under way and the gun season coming up fast I thought it would probably be advantageous for all of us fellow deer hunter's to post any sign you come across of the deer going into the rut (scrapes and rubs). If we all share info in this thread I think it should be very noticeable as to when they are all turned on and the rut really gets going.

I have been out in the area where I hunt (I am in 64A in the Ashton Carlton place area) setting up a new stand or two, clearing a bit of brush and there has been no sign (scrapes or rubs) in the area at all. All that said, with the on set of the cold nights we have been having it could be starting soon.

So if you see any sign, post it here with the general area that you are hunting in.
Cheers, good hunting
CCLad.

[Troutskiii]

I'm in 64a also, just south of ashton in the prospect/franktown area. Have had my cams set up for the last few weeks, picking up lots of activity but no big boys. I've located a few bedding areas in a back field that has multiple apple trees in it.

I will post updates as the season continues, still early. With the cold nights coming things will pick up.

Cheers

[smitty55]

Good idea Tim. Gives one thread for guys to post to. (No offense Birdee) As for the rut, it's actually the amount of daylight hours that determines rut activity and hormone levels. Not that cold weather won't get them moving more, but the peak of the rut itself is always withing a 3 or 4 day window every year. That being said, I would expect that some rub lines and minor scraping activity should be showing up within a week or so. Good luck out there guys.

Cheers

[Out4trout]

Rubs are already started in 67.
Scrapes - none seen yet

[RJ]

It's the Doe show for Birdee so far in our area. Only a couple spikes so far.

RJ

[whoodatguy]

im up in 63a and my father-in law mentioned he saw a scrapes on the weekend. Will be heading up to the farm this weekend to cut brush and set up my ground blind. Its already a better start then last year, we didn't have any rubs or scrapes.

[cgates]

63a Calabogie went to the camp on the weekend no scraps no rubs a ton a leaves on the trees aswell, did bump 2 deer beded down

[Troutskiii]

Seems like the bucks are starting to move around, picked up 3 seperate ones, 2 shooters and one smaller spike, all on one trail cam I have out. Also witnessed a good size buck run full tilt into a farmers electric fence the other evening, it took him by suprise, can't say I've seen a deer jump that high straight up in the air before.

[smitty55]

Seems like the bucks are starting to move around, picked up 3 seperate ones, 2 shooters and one smaller spike, all on one trail cam I have out. Also witnessed a good size buck run full tilt into a farmers electric fence the other evening, it took him by suprise, can't say I've seen a deer jump that high straight up in the air before.

LMAO I can just picture it. What did he do after that?

Cheers

[Troutskiii]

Smitty, he turned and took off back across the field, definatly took him by suprise id say.

[whoodatguy]

Was at the farm this weekend setting up my ground blind and clearing some trails. Saw several does with fawns but no bucks. Found a few rubs but nothing big. Apple trees still have lots of apples on them.

fawns.jpg (92.42 KiB) Viewed 8897 times

[C5]

heavy 8 pointer (640x480).jpg (65.83 KiB) Viewed 8837 times

I am in 67 south of Smiths Falls, lots of rubs and scrapes over the past two weeks.. cameras showing lots of activity with the big guys at night... I stay away from bedding areas until December and hunt the fringes until then// several shooters in the area and a good year for does.

I wish they would stop being able to use dogs during rifle season ... I cant understand how it is ok to have dogs run deer off property that isn't yours... impacts the efforts we take to manage the deer herd on our 800 acres... oh well at least they are pro hunting I guess

[MLR]

I love hunting with the hounds, seems to be how we get those nocturnal bucks that everyone else only get trail cam pics of.

would be interested in hearing more on how people having trained dogs to go onto your 800 acres and chase the deer back to them. How does that work?

[smitty55]

heavy 8 pointer (640x480).jpg

I wish they would stop being able to use dogs during rifle season ... I cant understand how it is ok to have dogs run deer off property that isn't yours... impacts the efforts we take to manage the deer herd on our 800 acres... oh well at least they are pro hunting I guess

Whew, that's a loaded one there. Running dogs is just as much a tradition as hunting is. Careful what you wish for. And I don't think it would work well for archery season. In a way I hear where you're coming from but in reality after the chase is over deer move back to their home ranges anyway. I know for myself on a quiet day when you hear a chase starting even by someone else it's still exciting as hell as you hope it moves your way or even switch spots quickly if you know which way the runs tend to go.
If we were to lose that tradition it could be a bad start down a slippery slope for all hunting, not to mention the amount of hunt camps that would be devastated. Not something I would want to see happen, that's for sure
Nice young 8 pointer btw.

Cheers

[Out4trout]

As mentioned earlier, had a few rubs... but now scrapes are going. WMU67 - near C5 but not close enough that our dogs are on Ron's farm.
That's a nice buck Ron. Send a pic of it hanging too!! We have a nocturnal dandy coming through our farm, and a few smaller bucks.

Dogs... we run dogs on the farm during the rifle hunt. So do the 3 other hunt camps surrounding us. The sound of a hound tonguing on a frosty morning is part of the experience here. Since everyone around us also run dogs, it works out well. If we were adjacent to someone without dogs, I can see where they might not like it. But for our gang, and our neighbours, it's all good.

What pi$$es me off is when people let the deer hounds run free during archery season, illegal as well.

MLR
Some nefarious types bring the dogs downwind to the next concession from their hunting ground. The dogs will head toward home, hunting private land between drop off and on locating a deer, will run the deer off the neighbours land, into the wind, onto their own hunting land. That's how hunting hounds get shot each year. That's the reason dogs were banned at my parent's farm WMU 71, where the properties tend to be narrower strips, and the woodlots smaller than here in WMU67. And people do shoot big bucks there without dogs, especially during the rut. They are also easier to hit when not running 30mph.