Confession: I don't know what a rut looks like.

[ucfireman]

I see it every 3rd day at work. I work with 2 married black guys and 1 single white guy. Not deer in rut but like dogs in heat, its pathetic to watch.

Seriously though, I have hunted for about 30 years, harder in my earlier days but still in the woods a decent bit. This year I got to hear a grunt for the 1st time. Also saw a good buck chase a small buck from an area the young one was making a scrape at. I assume the bigger one had a doe close as he went right back to where he came from.

I heard a lot of chasing about 3 years ago in a swamp behind me but never saw them. Only time I had heard that, thought it was ducks until I caught just the slightest glimpse of deer.

I have heard fighting, I don't think they were trying to kill each other but still fighting, on 2 occasions. 1 about 25 years ago and once this year about 3 weeks ago.

All that said to say I think the "rut activity" everyone lives for is probably not witnessed as much as you would think. 300k people in the woods every year, it would be interesting to see the % that witness "rutting" activity on a regular basis.

As for the "Rut map" that tells you when the actual breeding is taking place. In my experience the deer don't really move much during the breeding phase. I have heard it called "lock down" and the buck and doe just kind of bed down for a day or so, then hes off for another.

Ill say this, the more time you spend out there the more you will see. And hopefully it will be something you have never seen before, that's always fun!!
Good luck to all.

 

[antharper]

Maybe u just have to be in the rt spot or hunt to much but I see chasing and hear grunting every season

 

[NE GA Pappy]

I have seen one buck chasing a doe. She came by my stand wide open, and he was just a few seconds behind. He was running, but sensed my in my stand, or maybe saw me as I raised my rifle. Anyway he stopped, and the doe was left in peace from that guy.

 

[rugerfan]

This year I heard my first buck grunt in the woods. After 33 years of hunting I actually heard a grunt, and actually got to watch the little spike as it grunted. Then I heard it again just a few days later and watched a fork horn grunting and trailing a doe that had just passed minutes before. I have actually seen and heard chasing this year. So there have been a lot of firsts this year, and I hoping that soon it can be the first year I tag out on bucks. So fingers crossed. Without being able to hunt everyday, my personal opinion is the rut is a crap shoot, but you got to be there for when it happens. I personally have never witnessed full out rut activity that once getting to see two bruisers battle it out many years ago.

Like the OP, I hunt public, National Forest land, and it seems that during the rut, people pressure is high and this is the time of year that I usually start getting hunting burn out, and I don't get a lot of time to hunt anyway, but hunting burn out with me comes with not seeing deer, seeing an influx of vehicles and people, then I start getting lazy, and not wanting to drag a climber into the woods, not wanting to go in deeper to find deer. If you are getting burned out, take a break from it, until the fire returns.

 

[Bucaramus]

Went in to move my climber this year and had already taken three bottom section off when I heard something. Doe trotted by not 20 yards away followed by a 6 point grunting with every step. They couldn't have cared less that I was there. Pretty cool to watch that close.

 

[Twiggbuster]

Hunted since I was 10( 50 years).
Only in last 10 have I seen the classic rut.
Several chasing sequences this year with the grunting(smaller bucks). 8 pt I shot was alone but cruising.
I have to tell about walking in a deep ditch couple years ago to retrieve a camera around noon. A doe came trotting by above me and right behind was a huge 16 in buck that was letting out the LOUDEST grunting you can imagine. Still can’t believe how loud it was.
I was blessed to see this show not more than 30 yards away. Thick and couldn’t get a shot but did get him 2 weeks later. Grunting and chasing does. Remember it well when I look on the wall!!

 

[TomC]

I grew up hunting in the 80’s in an area of Georgia that was covered up in deer, very high per square mile deer density and hunted probably twice as much as I do now and NEVER observed typical rut activity. I now hunt an area just south of Atlanta, much lower deer density but the last week of Oct, first week of November is amazing. Grunting, chasing, response to ratting…...just an awesome window but then as fast as it appears…...it's gone.

 

[Shipwrecked]

In over 50 years I saw classic chasing for the first time this year. It was chaotic and fun to see, but only lasted for a few minutes within view. Saw a group of 6 and a separate group of 5 within a few minutes. Next day there seemed to be no chasing going on. So you have to be in the right place at the right time for sure.

 

[bfriendly]

Saw a buck stand next to the rd all puffed out and stomp his feet. Only chasing I’ve ever seen was two young bucks at each other in my back yard.....small bedding area there and a doe gave birth in the old neighbors back fenced in yard.
They were only 15’ away and I yelled at them and they paid me no mind....crazy!

 

[Blackston]

Seen a real live chase he ran her about a mile down side of rd on Isle of Hope in Savannah N

 

[PopPop]

I see it almost every year, but I run my farm so that is a likely thing. It is basically a deer sanctuary until the second week of January (Alabama) and we don’t take does or young bucks.

 

[westcobbdog]

Last night at the corner of Spalding Drive and Balls Mill in Sandy Springs / Dunwoody near the river a monster strolled in front of me, looked to be in the 140 plus range. He was on the move oblivious to cars .

 

[Mexican Squealer]

I have never not seen chasing or heard deer grunting during November....thought that was about as common as it gets.

 

[baddave]

Last night at the corner of Spalding Drive and Balls Mill in Sandy Springs / Dunwoody near the river a monster strolled in front of me, looked to be in the 140 plus range. He was on the move oblivious to cars .

yes, and to me that's rutting activity . a buck cruising is rut activity . so is chasing. i believe the closer the does get to being ready the less movement you'll see cause a lot of times she'll just lay down and he'll lay there and stare at her . this can rock on for hours . she's scared to get up cause he'll just annoy her. when she get's ready to breed then there'll be a chase to some extent . this is just some of what i've learned from 50 yrs of extensive (deer)hunting and living on deer hunting land for the last 30 seasons.