I read somewhere that the rut is supposed to be early this year in the Northeast, author claims it will end by next Monday. I have been off since Tuesday and still have next week off too. I have been using doe in heat (Tinks 69) and the synthetic rut formula (Buck fever, formerly Hawgs limited) since Wednesday and have pulled in 1-3 bucks every time I have been out. Up until today they have all been young ones or 1 with a half rack but all have been chasing does. I've been holding out for a good one. This evening I had a "huge" ten point come in to the Tinks that was
under a Redi Doe in a field. I was on the ground
in a blind I had made a couple of hours earlier. He never gave me a shot but he was all rutted up, his neck was swelled and he was drooling and grunting like crazy. He kept walking away and then coming back, which lasted several minutes and eventually worked his way off. I grabbed my bleat can and turned it over twice and then grabbed a grunt tube and hit it twice. Next thing I know I hear a deer coming in from the opposite direction and it was...
Nope, a small fork horn. He gave me several shot
opportunities but I passed and he too eventually walked off. Sal I live and hunt in Hunterdon Co. and the rut seems to have started hear. I hear that in Iowa they've been rutting too, FYI.