Observation

Put out some corn and a camera last week. Went to check the camera today and found two new rubs that weren't there last week. Also found some scrapes a couple of weeks ago that weren't there during the season. I believe our rut was late for some reason. Anyone else seeing anything like this?

By the way this is in Shelby county

I agree. I'm in Jackson County and went to check the camera today. I could not beleive the number of new rubs!

That doesn't mean they are "rutting". Rubbing is a social behavior they will participate in until their antlers hit the dirt. They'd rub all year long if they had hard antler.

Last weekend found new scraps and 4 new rubs on my property in Henry county also saw 2 bucks chase does passed us while up there working.What would have them doing this so late.

I agree. They may rub at anytime but along with scrapes it seems like rutting activity to me. We did not start seeing good sign (rubs and scrapes) til last week of the season. This is really late for our area. I have also heard the same from 3 or 4 different people that hunt diferent areas. Just wondering what could have delyed their normal activity

one of the places i hunt is in shelby county. i watched the rut take place the middle of december. i had rubs and scrapes from opening of bow season all the way to now but i only saw chasing from december 15th tilll the 30th.

If does keep coming into esterous (unbred during the first cycle) then bucks are going to go to chasing again the following month and subsequent moths until does are no longer coming in esterous. A secondary rut is quite common in most places, but I do think we have multiple cycles of rut due to a lot of varying reasons. I some areas the buck doe ratio is skewed highly toward the number of does. Bucks just cant breed them all in their first esterous cycle. In other areas there is probably a herd age structure that has too many juvenile bucks and not enough older mature bucks. Then there is a small percentage of the doe yearlings that come into their first esterous late as well. I have personally witnessed the chasing of does, fresh scrapes and breeding behavior in April.