This year we'll be doing a weekly Rut Report here on NYBowhunter.com. I'll let you know what I'm seeing and what some of the guys in the area are seeing while out in the stand.
Over the last 10 days I've been hunting hard every day in Westchester County, NY and in Fairfield County, CT. In both areas the bucks have been wandering around with their noses to the ground like beagles hot on the trail of a rabbit.
I have witnessed several bucks chasing does, but it seems to be mainly 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 year olds. On my 10 day hunt I only saw one deer that was definitely a 3 1/2 year old. He was a big 8 pointer and locked on a doe that probably came into heat early as I saw the same buck with the same doe two days in a row.
We had a drop in temperature one morning and that really helped with the deer movement. The most intense rut activity I witnessed was last Thursday the 5th. As I sat in my stand on a ridge the deer like to travel through I saw a doe making her way across the top of the ridge with a nice 8 pointer. I threw every call I had at this buck and he didn't have any interest in me at all - why should he though, he had the real thing right in front of him!
There was only one thing that could bring that buck in and that would be another doe. As luck would have it - I wouldn't believe this if I didn't see it myself - another doe appears out of nowhere and is headed directly for my stand. The 8 pointer sees this new doe, puts his head to the ground and charges as her. The doe runs towards me then puts the brakes on at 15 yards and cuts to her left hard running down the mountain. The buck was right behind her, but I had to think if he was a shooter or not and having that thought was enough to make me pass on this buck. He was a really nice 8 pointer out to his ears with decent tine length and small brows - a good buck, but I know there are better ones where I'm hunting and I am okay with eating my buck tag if I don't see one of the 3 1/2 or 4 1/2 year old bucks I want to take.
So the buck and doe disappeared, but the first doe was still up on the ridge feeding on acorns and waiting for the buck to come back. A few minutes later he was walking back up to his first doe - guess the second lady wasn't ready yet. I watched the buck through my rangefinder to get a closer look at his rack and see if I made the right call by passing on him when I heard something below me. I looked down to see a doe and fawn under my stand.
I wanted to see if I could bring the big 8 back for a second look so I blew on the grunt call not really caring if I scared the doe and fawn away. Well oddly enough, I let out a few grunts and then out from under my stand run the doe and her fawn along with a 4 pointer and a spike. Now the 8 pointer is angry and charges as these two bucks chasing them off. After that he got back with his lady and wandered off over the mountain top.
It was a very exciting 10 days with lots of chasing going on. The chasing is not being done by the bigger bucks yet though. I think the big guys are staying in the thick cover with some of the does that have come into estrus early and they won't be out chasing until they're done with their ladies and the younger bucks have tired themselves out.
The warm weather on the last two days of my hunt really slowed things down for me. On Wednesday, November 11th it is supposed to rain which will probably keep down deer movement a bit. However, Thursday will bring back the cooler temps and the weather should be perfect the remainder of the week to get those bigger bucks up and moving. I expect to hear more stories of big bucks on the move in the next few days as well as some more photos coming in of big rutting bucks down.
Get out there and get ready for all day sits! Good luck and be safe!
-Marc Alberto
NYBowhunter.com
