We hunt in southeast Iowa, by Bloomfield/Troy. The rut has been frustrating to say the least. Just haven't seen much. Been lurking iowawhitetail trying to figure out if anyone else is having the same problem or if it is just us. Anyone? If so, any ideas on what the problem might be?
SEIowaDeerslayer
Well-Known Member
The 9th, 10th, and 11th was rocking for me but the last few days have been very slow, which I suspect is a combination of lockdown and warm weather. Give it a few days and it should start to pick back up again. I can't wait for Thanksgiving week.
longspurs
Active Member
November 11 and 12 were absolutely some the best days I've ever had in the woods ... minus the fact that I missed a great buck on the 11th. Lots of mature buck movement and tons of doe activity. Yesterday was a different story ... one mature buck sighting and that was the only deer I saw.
-Longspurs-
-Longspurs-
hotshott2289
Active Member
i saw zero big mature movement short of a big guy with a down in some nasty cover last night.. but as a whole its been a dissapointing november for sure, but it can only go up..i hope..
beararchery
Member
I believe they are locked down with does, I saw a buck at 4 last night harassing a doe. I drove by 3 hours later and noticed they where both bedded down in the same spot I saw them running around.
i am from se iowa as well friday i seen 3 bucks 8 140" other 2 were dinks...saturday after noon i seen 130" 8 pointer other then that there little ones and i know there bigs one in my area ive got them on camera. i guess thats why they call it hunting and not killing...
DWilk
Active Member
Yep :way:
iatreehugger
PMA Member
I was helping my son set some traps this afternoon and saw where at least some of the bucks are...they are with a single hot doe pushed out in the middle of no man's land. I saw bucks where a person wouldn't even dream of hunting (brushy draws in the middle of corn fields). One hot doe before being pushed into one of these areas makes a person think it couldn't get any better, but then the next time on stand it may be really quiet if he gets her out of the thick of things!
A few years ago, my brother was out visiting from PA to pheasant hunt. He left sometime the first week of November, and the day he left, we watched this really nice buck breed a doe out in the middle of a picked bean field away from anything that looked remotely "deery". A week and a half later I shot that deer (he ended up scoring 172). One of the things I think can be forgotten is that during this "lock down" stage, a buck isn't with a doe for a very long period. A buck may spend up to 3 days (according to some studies) with a doe, but in that inbetween time he is on his feet looking for another doe to breed.
A few years ago, my brother was out visiting from PA to pheasant hunt. He left sometime the first week of November, and the day he left, we watched this really nice buck breed a doe out in the middle of a picked bean field away from anything that looked remotely "deery". A week and a half later I shot that deer (he ended up scoring 172). One of the things I think can be forgotten is that during this "lock down" stage, a buck isn't with a doe for a very long period. A buck may spend up to 3 days (according to some studies) with a doe, but in that inbetween time he is on his feet looking for another doe to breed.
Daver
PMA Member
I am a just few miles straight north of Troy and the rut has been quite underwhelming in our neighborhood. I have also corresponded with several other hunters in our area and everyone is/was experiencing the same. There are deer around, but a pretty subdued rut.
I am optimistic though that things could still be pretty good on any given day in the next 2 weeks though. I think the combo of high winds, warm temps and a bright, full moon over the past week or so has pushed a lot of the activity into the nightime.
I shot a doe Friday evening and I drove my truck a little ways back into the field to get her. The ground was still moist enough that my truck left some tracks in the mud where we loaded her up. I made a mental note to myself to check those tracks the next day and see what was on top of them.
The next afternoon when we walked past that area to get to our stands the tire tracks from the day before had several deer tracks over the top of them and the deer movement Saturday AM was sparse. Tracks were going every direction, so I think there was deer party in there Friday night after dark, that was about the only time those tracks could have been layed down.
Bowmadness
New Member
I'm not sure what part of Iowa you guys that are having bad luck are from but I'm on the Western to boarder to south Dakota. All these other guys may have had a great pre rut or maybe the rut did kick off on their neck of the woods. But I assure you that it hasn't came to peak here in Woodbury county . I've seen some really nice deer this week with a 170's class buck but I've seen nice deer since the opener. The only bucks with their noses in a does rear are 1&2 yr olds. The big boys might be considered cruising but they aren't chasing. It's coming just you wait. And if I'm wrong and it did happen look out secondary rut
dedgeez
death from above
I agree with this as well as the warm weather of late. The cool calm days that we have had the deer have been on their feet, but lately it has been dead in the timber from 9 - 2ish. Seems to be decent evening activity but that's about it. I really shouldn't complain. This season has been a success as far as seeing some really nice deer. I did have a opportunity at a 170 class 11 point on the 2nd, and have passed on a couple of bucks that I never thought I would. It hasn't all been bad, it's just nice when you can finally put your hands on one. A lot of nice deer have died this year, it just seems that when we get a cold snap they move like crazy and guys hammer them, and then it warms up and shuts right back down. I don't remember the last time we had 10 straight days of S winds in November, but that is the course we're on. Damn that Al Gore and his global warming :grin: