MO bow season

[TIM B]

I agree on big buck sightings as we catch a glimpse of them but as far as real rutting activity I'm thinking it will be about the same but take that with a grain of salt cause I'm generally dum haha
Tim B

[medic77]

I sat yesterday morning.  Weather was cool in the high 40's and sunny.  Had a doe come in at around 0800 and gave me a 10yd shot.  I drew and for some strange reason, let down.  She got a pass for the day.  It was supposed to be close to 70 yesterday and really didn't want to mess with processing her so quick. 
There was a bright side to letting her browse around.  I had a 6pnt come in that was probably the most vocal buck I have ever heard.  He was grunting and snorting his fool head off.  He pushed her all over that meadow and passed by well within shooting range also.  Awesome morning. 
I guess I am getting comfortable in my hunting career.  The last 2 years I have let deer walk just to watch them.  I do feel like the rut could be a touch early this year.  Probably just because I have to wait for my rifle tag to kick in for my buck tag back

[JakeD]

Well, my brothers gf saw something most people don't get to see. While hunting at our farm this morning, she witnessed a bobcat attack a deer. Unfortunately for the button buck, the cat caught it by surprise and killed it right away. She said it was rolling around bawling for a few seconds, and then everything was quiet. When she got down from hunting she went to look it over and found the fawn lying there dead. The cat apparently killed it and then just abandoned it.

[kennym]

Wow !! I’ve never seen one do anything but sneak. Haven’t seen one while hunting yet this year, must mean I’m not huntin enough!!

[goingoldskool]

Rattled in a 6 pt tonight about 5:45... he passed to the north of me at 45 yards.  30 minutes later a 5 pt came from the north headed east. And on the way out a 3rd buck was in the picked corn field by my house.... 3 bucks, all too small, but I'm seeing them!

[JakeD]

Had a good sit this evening. I ended up seeing 70+ deer and around 50 turkeys. I did get to see the buck I've been after as well. I'm glad I got to see where he entered the field, so I'm gonna go after him as soon as the wind is right for the spot he came out at. We will be at it again in the morning. Hopefully my wife can knock down a doe.

[Modad2010]

I had a very interesting evening tonight. We had overcast skies with a light east wind. I got in the stand much later than I like (5:00 pm), but I'll take every minute I can get. Hadn't seen anything and with the cloud cover I lost several minutes of shooting light. Then with about 2 minutes of usable light I heard crashing coming through the timber ahead of me. Two does went right under me at a dead run. Then I heard grunting - the buck ran under me and wouldn't stop due to my grunting at him.

I heard the buck stop just after he got out of sight. He seemed to have turned around and was headed back my direction. Then I heard a deep grunt coming from the other direction. The first buck started to walk towards this other grunt. Another deep grunt followed by the sound of small trees being shredded. Then the body of a rather large buck appeared. It was now too dark to see head gear, but the shadowy figures closed to within 15 yards. The larger bodied deer let out a snort-wheeze and the smaller of the two moved away giving up the right of way.

This bigger buck moved slowly through this little oak flat grunting and making scrapes. I then started hearing grunts from three different directions. Every grunt was followed by a snort- wheeze from this big bodied deer right by my stand. He wouldn't leave and other deer started showing up like they there to see some kind of show. The big guy finally moved off grunting and snort-wheezing the entire way - taking his entourage with him. I was finally able to get down from the tree at 7:47pm.

I've never had an experience like that in 30 years of bow hunting. Most of that time was with training wheels.  It does seem like the rut is kicking in here in the Lake of the Ozarks area.

[RecurveHunter01]

Hmmm lots of posts indicating an early rut.  Let me ask you guys, I have the option of traveling to southern MO to hunt some private land for several days either thisweekend or next.  I like early rut but figured next weekend would be better for seeing older bucks on their feet in shooting hours.  Do y'all think it could be just as good to go this weekend if planning all day sits or wait for November 2nd? 

[TIM B]

I had a funny 8 come in last night but then had a lot if activity right at dark.  Thought I waited long enough to climb down but then spooked 3 more when I did. 
Recurve hunter - I have always had better luck in early nov than late oct.
Tim B

[kennym]

Does at dark last nite and one little buck. Been a good time to fill freezer.

My advice woul
 be go both weeks! LOL

Seriously I remember the MDC saying most does are bred on Nov 17 on average.

I would go first week in Nov...

[TIM B]

I've re-evaluated and Kenny is absoutely right....go both weeks
Tim B

[goingoldskool]

Youth rifle season is this weekend. ... I would opt for the latter.

[John3]

November 5,6,7,8 are the best four days to bowhunt Missouri each year...  I am hunting "grey light" to dark from 11/4-11/9. 

[kennym]

The Wednesday before gun season , this year the 7th,  has been my most productive day overall .

I call it Magic Wednesday...

[TIM B]

Last night I had a 1.5 yr old buck running around grunting his head off but the does were just laughing at him....
Tim B

[RecurveHunter01]

I'm staying local, will get out in the AR public land and hope to see some cruising this weekend and next week in MO

[JakeD]

I'm at our farm this evening. My wife and I both hunted up here this morning and saw some does and fawns. My wife had a doe at about 2 yards but wasn't comfortable with the angle so she passed. We are set up on a different hillside this afternoon. Found a fresh good sized rub on the way in. Hoping I'm along his travel route to the neighbors corn.

[dnovo]

You guys are having a lot of action. Keep it up.
If you do any rattling, do you use real antlers, rattle bag or what?
I usually prefer the antlers but depending on which stand I'm hunting it can be a pain carrying them. What do you all do?

[kennym]

Dan, I've used both and if the buck is ready either works well. If not, at least with antlers you can rake a tree or limb and sometimes change his mind. Thinking about making a rough hardwood stick to use for rubbing to see if it does anything for them...

I like the rattle bags (not the huge ones) for ease of packing with you. 

The buck in avatar came to grunting , and a rattle bag my bro got for me. That thing is so old the fabric is about to give out but still working...

[JakeD]

Well we didn't end up seeing anything yesterday evening. We slept in this morning and got some chores done around the house, but we are back at it again this evening down along the river. I brushed my wife in alongside a really big cottonwood overlooking our biggest food plot. We haven't hunted it yet, but it is tore up with fresh sign so I'm hoping she will get a chance at one of the bucks we are after. I'm sitting on the ground as well, overlooking a cut bean field. I'm not very far from where I shot the coyote the other day. I would settle for another one of them. Anyways, it's a nice evening just to sit and watch the field if nothing else. Good luck to everybody out this evening.