No agriculture around me...its 63 acres joined up against subdivisions in the suburbs. That stand is up there pretty high...dont use it much becuz i have a groundblind underneath it i use more.
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Live from the stand 2017
- Thread starter cutman
- Start date
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Chipdasqrrl
Active Member
Day 2 of muzzleloader season.. almost 50 degrees opposed to 20 with 2 feet of snow. Not really expecting anything but it’s nice to be out here 
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That's a great deer, congrats to Haydn! I was wondering how you guys season was going...Grandson Haydn tagged as nice 9pt this pm.
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Chipdasqrrl
Active Member
Day 3 of muzzleloader and there appears to be a second rut. Had a buck come running after 2 does, too dark to see antlers but he grunted and was clearly bigger than the does. They came from their sanctuary which is upwind and there’s nobody that would be that way so I don’t think they were just spooked.
Anyone have much experience with a second rut?
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Anyone have much experience with a second rut?
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PineSapJunky
Well-Known Member
I find here in the South I see more bucks during our second rut than the first. The does that haven't been bread tend to bring in bucks we haven't seen before. Plus the doe fawns that reach breeding maturity come in as well. I know it's not healthy but I've seen bucks chasing into late February and hold onto their antlers until late April
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tlh2865
Active Member
For me, given the high doe density where I hunt, late first rut and second rut are better than peak rut for me. Peak rut there are just oo many does in heat for the bucks to have to come out of cover to find one. But when the majority of does are bred and they all start hitting food regularly again in late Nov through Dec then the older bucks will come in to check all of these does looking for one that has come in late, and get some food in the process. For me pre rut and second rut are the best times of the season
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
I second that; pre rut and second rut are the best times of the season.
Chainsaw
Well-Known Member
Here in northern New York I have never seen a concentrated second rut. However as everyone else in hunting bucks we do enjoy that the late pre-rut, that week or so just before does reach estrus(time in their heat cycle when they are fertile) as the first best time to hunt bucks. It is very slow hunting here for bucks when the does are in estrus and the bucks don't need to search much or chase to find willing does. The second best time to hunt bucks for us is when the majority of the adult does are bred and past the estrus stage of their heat which this year occurred starting around November 21 on this property. The second best time was still happening December 01. I haven't been out since but would venture a guess it is over here. Note by using the terms, first and second best times I don't mean to pick one over the other but just using the number as counting how many best times. If I had to pick one I'd lean towards the second time described for hunting bucks here(weather permitting).
Our hunting season lasts only one more week so we miss the estrus period of the yearlings which here is pretty random and uneventful anyhow from what I have seen when out and about. Does are now seemingly everywhere now and visibly active on and off throughout the day.
Our hunting season lasts only one more week so we miss the estrus period of the yearlings which here is pretty random and uneventful anyhow from what I have seen when out and about. Does are now seemingly everywhere now and visibly active on and off throughout the day.
Drycreek
Well-Known Member
We have much the same experience on my place. Seems like mid-December is as good as the first week in November for buck movement. Generally bucks that we've never seen too.
G3 Ranch
Well-Known Member
Thanks Johnny, always a treat hunting with Haydn, even more so when he tags a deer. Other than hunting with him it's been a bit of an uneventful season. 2 9pt's and two doe tagged as of last night. We're just not seeing many good deer, bucks on cameras non existent except for a few spikes & forks. We had three or four decent bucks until Sept, not seen since. I'm thinking the hogs & hog trapping activity may have pressured them.
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tlh2865
Active Member
I can't really speak to that too much, I don't have very objective experience with it. Where I hunt I usually hold one really dominant buck, and some nice yearlings two year olds and maybe a 3 or two in there somewhere. But I have historically killed my target dominant buck between mid-October and mid-November. So I will get usually two or three different older deer through the month of December vying to fill the hole left by the other buck. And if I had mind to fill another tag I could have gotten on some more great deer the past several years, I just would rather watch them through that late season, and give them sanctuary to grow another year. But daylight movement is early and often even from older age class deer
Gravel Road
Well-Known Member
A beautiful morning on the hill top stand, although too warm. A very slow start with a few off in the distance. At 8AM this nice 12pt stepped out of a dogwood thicket at 300 yards, white horns shining in the sun. He steadily made his way across the pasture and came within 80 yards. Tried to get a picture using my phone through the binoculars, but that isn't as easy as it sounds! Clean 12 points are rare on my ground, so he gets a pass. He's mature (I think 4.5), but hopefully will make it through the season and pass on his genes and get bigger. Three little bucks were sparring at about 8:30-9, then it turned into a doe parade every time I tried to exit the stand. Fun morning!
Gravel Road
Well-Known Member
Survival is hit or miss for sure. There were 3 nice bucks that disappeared without a trace from last year and they made it through the season, but also have a couple that made it. My WAG would be somewhere in the 25-35% range or slightly higher for mature bucks will make it until next season.
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Jeff H
Well-Known Member
Atta boy Haden !! Nice buckGrandson Haydn tagged as nice 9pt this pm.
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Gravel Road
Well-Known Member
Congrats. That's a good picture with the oak leaves and rocks.Took a nice NJ six tonight
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