The woods it getting wild!

[Jerry Jeffer]

Over the weekend hunting, I heard antlers crashing from two different fights. Also saw does being harrassed by a buck, all of which ran right by me. I love seeing the chase, but it doesn't allow for any good shots when they won't stop.
Time to step up the game!  

[dbd870]

Yep; action definitely picked up this last weekend.

[Hatrick]

Seeing some action down here in Maryland as well. I'm seeing some fresh scrapes, bucks horning trees, trailing does and some light chasing. Saw 3 different bucks yesterday and ended up shooting a 6 point who was trailiing some does.

[Scott E]

It's that magical time of year again

[Pheonixarcher]

Things are picking up around my neck of the woods as well. We saw a pile of fresh scrapes yesterday, and my cousin shot a basket 8 in the morning, while I witnessed a nice buck chasing 7 different deer around our food plot in the evening. He'd run one up into the bushes, turn around and walk back towards the other deer. When he got close, he'd lower his head, raise his chin, grunt loudly, then chase the next one for a minute. Unfortunately, I broke my concentration when worrying about the other deer that I had lost track of, and thinking about leading the shot on the walking buck. I had the lead right, but shot right over his back. None of the deer even knew I shot, so I guess I should have stopped him to make the shot, but, live and learn I guess. He never offered another opportunity before he lost interest and made his way to the apple trees. It sure was a great experience though.

[Sam McMichael]

I haven't seen any bucks chasing does yet, but I have seen scrapes. This weekend I camped out behind my son's house and set up about 30 yards from where I keep my tractor. When I walked down to look the tractor over, there were 7 scrapes all within a few yards of each other, right next to it. The scrape that really counts is about 40 yards further down. All are active and during the night I could hear activity - like I said this was only a very few yards from my camp! One issued a loud challenge, but I did not hear a fight, so I guess one of them turned tail. Isn't it really fun the action starts to pick up? Deer are always fun to see, but when the rut is about to start, it is especially interesting.

[FoCoBlackWidow]

I watched a few small bucks push around on each other last weekend in Nebraska and heard similar reports from others in the area.

[sparkyflint]

The younger bucks are beginning to chase around here. The does are not receptive from what I can see, but the bucks are grunting and chasing.

[Bowwild]

Yesterday morning I had a forky and 7 or 8 point about 6 yards from my tree. They were lightly ticking antlers.

This morning, 10 minutes before legal shooting time the biggest buck I've seen since hunting with recurves walked within 5 steps of my tree. Don't know point count but from above looking down on his head the beams were a couple inches wider than the ears on both sides. The last point on the left beam was 5-6 inches or so.

He stood there for 5 minutes or so and then quietly backed into the woods. He never spooked but I think he could tell I had walked in front of where he stood to get to my tree.

I thought I was going to get a shot. I didn't get nervous until after he was gone.

[reddogge]

Originally posted by Hatrick:
Seeing some action down here in Maryland as well. I'm seeing some fresh scrapes, bucks horning trees, trailing does and some light chasing. Saw 3 different bucks yesterday and ended up shooting a 6 point who was trailiing some does.

Way to go Dave. Pictures? It's doe and fawnsville around here still.

[Hatrick]

Hey Rich. He didn't have a big rack but he was one of the heaviest deer I've ever drug out of the woods. Not the best picture either. Meat in the freezer for sure. Of course Moose had to get in the picture!   :D  

 

[KyRidgeRunner]

Well, wish I could say they are getting wild in south central ky.  I had a doe run to 3 bucks this weekend and they ran away from her like she had the plague!