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This year's rut

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Iowa1

New Member
I am just curious how others viewed this year's rut. I was in Iowa from late October on, and I killed my buck on day 12 of a 7 day hunt. I had a really tough hunt. The weather was warm and I worked like a slave to try to get on them, but there didn't seem to be much movement. I passed a 130-135 nine-point the first morning and that set the tone... I ended up shooting a nice mature buck that was not built to score. I was happy with him considering how tough the hunt was. I really did not see the crazy rutting activity that I am used to seeing in the first two weeks of November.

Anyone have any input? Was it just me or was this year just one tough gig?
 
It was tough for me when I did put my time in, I just took my vacation at the wrong time. I bought into the theory that the rut was going to be late this year. I like to follow the moon phases so I scheduled the bulk of my hunting around the Nov. 21st full moon when in fact the rutting moon was Oct. 22nd and peak movement was around Halloween. I passed on a 140 inch 9 point holding out for a monster on Halloween when the movement was crazy, should've ended it right there. Saw a slow decrease in movement as November progressed, blew an opportunity at a 3.5 year old 10 point on the 17th and since then its just been downhill.

Shot a couple of nice does though that have been great eating. I'm not discouraged, that's hunting. I still have late season.
 
I saw the best rut activity as far as MATURE buck sightings the third week of november and I hunted hard all of late October.
 
From what I seen and heard from alot of my freinds that bow hunt the last week of oct,. 1st week of nov. was when the most movement was. I had to make a quick decision on halloween and I'm glad I made the rightone ended up with a 11pt 140 class deer. I had a city buck tag also soI thought I would spend my time tring to fill it no luck yet. The bucks in town (dbq) seem to stop moving after nov. 10.
 
Seems it really got tough after the 10th and I even think Bill Winke commented on that in MW-very weird rut. I just finished Wensels most recent book " Buck Skin and Bone" and there was a comment that I had read before but brought back to my memory, in that the first Full moon, if it occurs in mid to late October-can trigger the rut secondary to photoperiodism, and thus cause more of a trickle or "tough as nails" rut for us hunters.

I think thats why I never get tired of this sport as I never TRULY will understand it.
 
Tough and weird rut. To be honest, I thought last year's rut was tough too. 2 years in a row that I was not impressed with rut- never seemed to be on fire for 2 years straight. I sure had cycles on decent action then it slowed down, just went back and fourth.

Late October was ok and I thought it was gonna keep getting better, then... Warm as heck. When it was warm I saw all sorts of 1.5 to some 4.5 year olds BUT the 5.5's+ were no where to be found. Took a November 19 (I think it was around 19th?) cold day for me to get my shot at a 6.5-7.5 year old buck that I got.
 
I also bought in to the moon phase hunting method for this year with supposed "best hunting" happening from the 16th to the 20th of Nov, and hunted it smart and hard, but came up with very few sightings. Most of the good movement I saw was the 9th to the 14th. I can't say that I relied it on the moon phase as I did a lot of hunting this season, but kept hoping for the "big explosion" but it never came. Saw a lot of nocturnal actvity early while it was still warm also, I think this a major factor for my season.
 
Last week of Oct-first two wks of Nov, saw 8 deer. You know my old story.
first real cold day, Sat Nov 13 saw most movement. My plan for next season,,,even though deer are thin, there are some older cruising around always. My plan,,spend even more hrs. Start last week of Oct, until up and against Thanksgiving, every morning and evening. Now I only have 4 stands, on 40 acres, and some would say this would be saturating with too much human scent, but best plan I can come up with.
 
I will say, no matter the year, the moon phase, the forecast, I'll be hunting any day I can. I know that moon dictates a lot, totally understand it. I also understand weather, pressure, etc on mature bucks. I know all this and still choose to just hunt every chance I get and I probably will let this part of the analysis be 2nd tier VS my calendar and ability to hunt. I will still also say, no matter the moon, early/late rut, etc- I love Nov 3-18 & make my planning somewhat easier/simple. Give me those dates and cold weather! Even though the last 2 ruts have been messed up- I'll bet on those dates for the next 20 years of my hunting.
 
I am in the minority here in that I had great luck this year. I had October 23rd-Nov 15th off, and saw plenty of mature deer. Most of my daytime trail cam pictures of mature bucks were from October 30th-November 7th.

I shot my buck (160) on October 30th an hour before dark. I then videotaped my friend shooting his buck (155) on October 4th, and my other buddy shooting his (153) on November 12th.

I also had two friends from out of state hunting in the area. One killed a stud 165 inch 9pt that I nicknamed Bud on November 7th that I had two years of pictures of. The other hunted hard for 8 days, saw 4 mature bucks, hit a big 160in 10pt on November 4th, and finally connected with a 135inch 8 on the evening of November 12th.

Overall, when looking at the BIG picture, this was thebest year we have ever had.
 
Having a new born @ home again this fall I really concentrated on fronts and temperature drops. I saw most chasing the last week of October thru the first few days of Nov and tagged my timber pig on a crisp 25 degree day on Oct 29th.
 
I hunted everyday from Oct 30 to November 19th. Also hunted Nov. 26th and 28th. By far, this was the worst rut I've ever seen in November. Oct 30 and 31st I saw great rutting action, then the switch turned off for me big time in November. I saw a few decent ones in November, but nothing like I should have knowing what was in the areas I hunted. It seemed like a trickle rut with very little to no chasing, seeking, or tending seen while hunting in November. I did quite a bit of long range observation from the "observation tower" in the evenings the last 2 weeks of October, and I wish I would have taken work off then instead of November! I think most of the breading was done from October 18 to October 31st this year, or at least that's when the bucks were most visible to me, and unfortunately I didn't start hunting til the 29th:(! There were a lot of big ones shot from Oct 20th to Oct 31st around here too.

Most people I"ve talked to and read about have had the same experience with this years rut, but what's even weirder than this year's rut is that I've heard other people say they had a great rut this year like sureshot1 did:confused: I wish I knew what caused such a weird rut and why a few people had such great hunting. sureshot1, what kind a stand locations did you and your buddies seem to have the best luck in this year? Funnels, doe bedding areas, food sources, ridge tops, valleys, etc, etc....?? Doe you have a high, medium, or low doe population in the areas you had the best luck this year?
 
I do think a lot of the rut had to do with the year- MOON, late rut, weather, etc- crappy rut for MOST I think. BUT....
I just thought.... I wonder if ANY of the poor rut this year has to do at all with lower deer numbers in many areas (which will also lower buck #'s, yes might make them search harder BUT not if if there's quite a bit less deer) & more shed bucks being killed during late antlerless season, more pressure & deer killed period (which will make for few mature bucks too)?

I know the rut was weird and funky this year BUT I wonder if above added to it??? I think it did.
 
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Not much change from any other year other than doe numbers are down 40%. Once again the rut seemed to peak around Nov 12th; just like most years. I don't put much stock into the moon phases. The more mature bucks really busted up their racks this year fighting, and i heard more scraps from stand than usual. Probably because of the competition for lower doe numbers. Trail cams are still showing some mature bucks going to scrapes around 1pm.
 
I can say this year has been the most enjoyable time in the trees yet. Rattling was a sure thing. "If you rattle they will come" my cousin said. From Oct 12 thru Nov 15 they responded well, then it just stopped. I havent seen any bucks chasing since then. Then last night a friend called and told me he found his buck. I didnt even know he shot one (the night before). Told me he and his wife watched the buck for 2 hours harassing 2 does in a bean field before bedding in a ditch. He put a damn gook sneak on him and managed to get an arrow in him. Apparently theyre still breeding a little bit yet. Pictures coming, Ill put em on when I get em.
 
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