weakie

i went out saturday afternoon. i shot a doe and about 90 seconds later a buck walks right up to the doe i just shot, sniffed her, and just stepped over her. i was packing my muzzleloader like nobodys business and was able to pop him too. all in under 3 minutes! i had a question though. the buck i shot smelled really musky.is that the right word? anyways, is this a good indication of rutting activity? i heard its gonna be a late rut this year - anybody seen any chasing in the northeast? i live in manchester md.

Deerslayer_37

I dont know about a late rut, but i've been seeing bucks dogging does in iowa for 2 weeks. it wouldn't be out of the question for a buck to smell musky. probably his tarsal gland. I really don't read into that late rut early rut stuff. Moon phases are out the window. It's all photoperiod. that's why its within a few days of itself every year. either way, i've been seeing rutting activity, and the magazines say i shouldnt be seeing rutting activity. that's when you make that thing turn into something useful, like something to start a fire with, or toilet paper.

Deerslayer_37

oh, i almost forgot. congrats on the kill! getting the double is always fun. i've gotten 2 within a couple minutes 2 or 3 times, shot 3 in 45 seconds once last year. life is good when you have more than 1 gut pile [8D]

skeeter 7MM

The smell is normal most bucks shot after velvet loss will have a musk smell to them and but does get worse closer to the rut. Was his tarsal glands well worked, meaning soiled with a heavy brownish colour or were they more yellowed? Brown is closer to rut and yellowed is early stages of pre rut. Our rut isn't until Mid nov. and I have been seeing lots of signs, scrapes, rubs, licking branches, spars but this is usual. LatelyI have noticed the larger bucks are seeking solitute so this to me is an indicator thatthey are gearing up. Isuspect soon their will be bucks nosing the ladies and a little nervousness when they enter the playing field.

I agree Rut happens pretty much the same time each year, however the weather plays a part in how much daylight activity we hunter'se. Up here it has been warm withlittle snow the past few years, this has caused for slower activity but your only kidding yourself if you believe the rut ain't going on as per usual. I do believe that the population has strung out the rut a little causing for a less defined period in certain areas but does are being breed the middle of november like prior I just think its happening under darkness more b/c of their activity levels.

Any way congrats on your deer.

cardeer

GEE ,2 in 3.The buck is or was just sewing his oats,Did not get time to shower between dates

Yivin

I have shot 2 deer with-in a couple of minutes. They were120 a piece feild dressed after weighing them before processing them. I was a couple of miles out in the woods. It was great until I realizedhad to drag them. FirstI walked to the truck(I couldn't drive back due to how the area was laid out) I put up my stuff, then walked back to the deer. Istarted to drag both but had to continue with just one. That was a few years ago (when I was younger). I didn't own a 4 wheeler.Then walk all the way back and get the other. After all was said n done it was kinda nice. Still the best part was skinning and cutting them up. Sure made eating them alot better knowing how much work I had to do. I have been recently been given an older 4-wheeler(a fixer upper) that I'm working on. Someday I might get it running. The wife still holds all the money and hasn't given in yet to buy me one. But I still love her...hehe

kim398pl

In my opinion, I would say it was a little wierd, but not unheard of by all means. We are seeing the deer here in Ga seems to be in the rut. I think with us, we haev had a very early cold spell and that got them into I think. Alotof people talk about the moon phases and everything playing part. I have always seen they go in rut in the early season if it is very cold, like now. If they are in rut here, thent he2nd rut would b e in Novemeber (late)

But on that note, if he smelled musky, you can pretty much bet they are in rut, was his neck swollen.

I did that a few ears back. It was the funniest thing. I saw a doe, popped her and then looked up, there was a doe still standing, so I thouht I had missed, she was looking towards me, so I shot again and got here, this was all in the same minutes. When I got down, there were 2 does on the ground....lol

Yivin

I here ya kim about the weather here in Ga. It has been cold and I believe that this will kick the rut in a little early too if it doesn't warm up again. You know how the weather in Ga is..lol. We haven't really seen the buck getting up tight to much at our land...but we know its just around the corner for the rut...

superflyhunter

the rut is pretty much in full effect in ny.

nhhayrides

Well Here In N.H. three days ago I witnessed a spike horn VERY interested in a doe that he was trailing about 30 seconds behind. ALSO something that was very weird is on my camrea I have a couple of pictures that didn't seem possible but the proof is on a photo.... one picture is of a 4 point at 8:02 am and then at 8:03am a spike horn going in the same direction.... 2 bucks with in 1 minute????? A little fight?? Unknown. The other picture is of a four point being trailed by a doe.... Sounds like a bulls*it story but it's true. I can't tell if they are going in rut or what'sa happening at this point. It has been warm, cool, warm, cold, cooll and then freezing... I think they are all messed up this year!
Well, Good luck hunting and if anybody knows if the deer in or around N.H. in your area are in the rut PLEASE let me know.