Originally Posted By: Shuter II
Originally Posted By: WmHunter
Originally Posted By: bigt
Originally Posted By: truedouble
Originally Posted By: 2Dogs
Originally Posted By: bill
Its always something. Most years hunters are complaining that the rut is in Feb. And they don't see any bucks.

This year I've heard a lot of hunters talk about an early rut and I've seen a truck load of good bucks killed but now we are complaining that we can't see 20 does on a greenfield like the good ol days.


I don't know much about qdm or putting doe limits but I imagine the answer lies some where in the middle. Wouldn't matter if we got it perfect we would still find something to complain about. It's what we do.

I'll agree with ya on this one.^^^^


Hit the nail on the head. First point is I have also heard from numerous people that hunt anywhere from Union Town, to Selma to Montgomery that the bucks started chasing around the first week in January, which is a couple of weeks early.


None of the places you named is anywhere close to what I call LA just sayn..........


Anybody who says the rut begins ANYWHERE in Montgomery County
in early January is full of chit. Ours hasn't even started yet and it is Jan. 24. No seeking, no monitoring, no chasing no nothing. Zip. Zero, Nada. Rarely see a chase and never before the last 3 or 4 days of January. It has always been like that in our area. AND DESPITE MASSIVE DOE KILLING AND
QDM THE TIMING AND INTENSITY HAS NOT CHANGED ONE IOTA.

Never even heard anyone claim an early January rut for
Montgomery County.


Really? I've seen bucks chasing does since between Christmas & New Years Day. In fact, they're starting to wind down a little. I did see a terrible fight yesterday between two vicious spikes.

My son killed a nice 8 on New Years day walking across a green field and grunting with each step. Neck swollen, leg glands stinking......... Is that signs of rut? LOL


I guess a friend of mine is full of crap then, cause he hunts just south of Montgomery and has seen several mature bucks chasing does hard over the past 2 weeks.

Hearing/ seeing a huge increase in domestic/ stray dogs barking and running deer is a great indicator that the rut has started. Someone told me this several years ago and since then I've noticed it. I remembered that at some point every year I would see dogs running deer but never put two and two together that it was always in late Dec. and January when this occurred. Since then, it's never failed. Once the rut kicks in we typically hear or see a dog or dogs chasing deer and start getting pics of dogs over at scrapes.

Last edited by truedouble; 01/25/12 03:01 PM.