Maryland Rut?

[Tony Sanders]

Have any of you guys from Maryland seen any rut action yet? About 2 weeks ago they were chasing and making scrapes and making rubs, but it seems like that have quieted down. I hunted this evening/night and saw 20 does and did not see one antlered buck no where in the vicinity near them, and I hunted right up til dark. Just wondering.

  Tony

[Forester]

Hey Tony!

I see that you have had a successful season already - congratulations!

I have not heard from my buddy in your neck of the woods so I can't comment directly to your question about local rutting activity.  But I received the following as part of an e-mail from a friend on the Eastern Shore of MD and it was this morning's action (Nov. 8).

At 730 I rattled in a spike and an unknown.

At 10 I tried rattling again. No luck.

At 10:35 a hot doe comes busting through with a spike up her tail.
They ran circles around us a few times then went elsewhere crashing
and thrashing.

2 minutes later another spike shows. He's sorting out the trail when
along comes a doe with tongue out looking like she's going to bed. The
spike finally sees her and the chase is on once again.  They too run laps around us.

All is calm. Then I hear one coming our way.
Fast and straight.. And it's a HAMMER!! And I mean a
HAMMER!!!!!

He's sorting out all the scents, back and forth, back and forth. Moving too quick and a
little far so I let him go knowing eventually he'll be right where I
need him to be.

Just then, another deer announces himself over my right shoulder with
a grunt and foot stomp. The Hammer buck notices and the showdown
begins.

Hammer turns right, advances, eyes big and hair on end. It's going to
be a scene from Nat Geo!  I plot his trajectory and realize I need to
stand and turn. Success!! I'm following his slow steady advance
through the hollies, through the spice bushes and thinking he's really
going to do it! He's going to pass behind that pine tree and give me a
FIVE YARD broadside!

But, inevitably, as you already predicted, he stops. Both lungs are
safe behind one stupid tree. I wait. So does he. I wait some more. And
he starts grunting and ear flicking. The scrub challenger advances.

What a show!

In space of fifteen minutes we watched 2 chases and 1 almost fight.
Plus close encounter with biggest buck ever.

[Bullfrog 1]

Hey tony. Last evening had a bruiser come through right at dark scent checking.   Bill

[Cwilder]

Friday I had 6 bucks chase a doe by me. that's the only action I've seen

[HighNTree]

I hunted on Saturday and saw 5 does.  Nothing trailed them. On Friday, I saw three does in a different stand and nothing trailed them. Like you, I had a lot more rut action a couple of weeks ago.

[RodL]

I have been hitting the woods in western MD pretty hard the last 2 weeks. Seen lots of doe but not a single buck, all the scrapes that were openend in mid/late October are covered with leaves. My cameras are loaded with buck pictures at all times of day/night so I know they are around. We have had very cold temps the last couple of days which I thought would have the deer up and moving, I sat all day this past Saturday in an area that usually has buck activity this time of year and saw 8 doe but no bucks.

Rodney

[GreyGoose]

Sat out a bit this weekend, saw only does.  Have seen a couple of big bucks killed along the highway, dunno if they're getting a little more careless, or just bad luck.