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Question for the Virginia guys...

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We are well into the second week of our muzzleloading season. Do you guys feel that the rut has started?

Thus far, I have only seen does with the exception of one spike. The does have all been solitary, with no bucks following or trailing behind.

Some thoughts would be appreciated.
 
Yes, we are very fortunate here. This one comes between archery and regular firearm. We also have a late muzzleloader season in certain areas of the Commonwealth.
 
I'm out in the woods every day, and I've only seen one small, unenthusiastic scrape. No night time raging bucks on the roads.. But I'm thinking it's gonna kick in with the next bit of cold nights and cooler days.
 
Been several times in southwest VA. No real sign of the rut that I saw.
 
I was out Wednesday through Saturday in southern Va. What I saw was young bucks following, and scrapes were just starting. Friday, mid-day I had a good buck get past me in in the thick stuff, and it was by itself. The big bucks had been nocturnal even in early September, and weren't cruising daylight last week. Saturday evening I saw young bucks chasing does, and one doe with her tail straight out.
 
Don't hunt anymore since the ol' back blew out but, there's two bucks in a small herd I see in the field beside & behind my house almost daily mornings & evenings here in Pulaski County. They've been AWOL for 3 or 4 days now don't know if it's due to rut or hunting season or what. And yesterday morning on my way to town I had to wait for a 6-point to decide where he wanted to cross the fence like maybe he was unfamiliar with the territory.

did see one of the bucks around a week ago rubbing his antlers on small trees & branches above his head.
 
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Up here in Pa, I'm seeing a lot of fresh scraps and rubs. Lots of dead bodies on our local interstate.


The exits for the two gunshows I go to in Roanoke & Salem are only 2 miles apart so, basically the same 40+ mile trip on I-81 and you can count on a half dozen or more deer dirt-napping on the side of the road. And sometimes on both northbound & southbound sides. Along with numerous racoons, possums and the occasional coyote. In the 10 mile trip to wife's dr appointment yesterday there was 2 on the northbound & 1 on the return trip.
 
I killed a decent 9 pointer monday morning in Nelson county He was looking but not with any does. Small bucks were running around like crazy. Does were sticking tight in the laurel. The 9 had a big neck and had starting to get the smell. All in all I would say late next week or the week would be the hot time to be in the woods.
 
I’m not seeing a lot of activity here in Charles City, though it sounds like some of the neighbors are. Unmentionable season opens up Saturday, so the woods’ll be filled with dogs and drunks for a bit.
Jay
 
Having a really visual rut anymore is gotten to be an uncommon occurrence. Our cams show does are being bred from October thru February and fawns born anywhere from early June right late august. Not uncommon to see cams with spots still on them in early bow season. Does going through a second breeding cycle seemed to have gotten back in track with the more predictable breeding cycle But those in their first cycle keep the rut spread out in my opinion
 
Well they are definitely beginning to rut up here in SD. I have seen a change driving to work since Halloween...bucks in the open in broad daylight...nice ones, People I'm in touch with back home in Southern Indiana are seeing it too since last weekend, from reliable sources, so im saying they are on the same timing as us up here...Since Virginia is only a bit south in lattitude from down there in indiana, I wouldn't expect you guys to be too far off, if it hasn't picked up already. Are you seeing scrapes? Usually down in that area I'd see scrapes the last week of october... a lot of guys will find a line in november and not realize they're a week or two old and that the bucks are already out of that phase... man, i found a line once while still-hunting, with dew on the ground, and the scrapes dry... with dry dirt particles on top of the dew... i know i was right behind that buck within a few hours, and i just kept following the benches and hitting the nearest saddles, and was finding fresh sign the whole way, that was the 3rd week of october during bow season in the catskill mountains right on time with down there in Indiana... so with my observations and experience with hunting those areas, I'd say from southern Indiana to the north by now, it has picked up... and I know you guys aren't that far off. You had better be out there. Spend a day scouting and see if you find a some sign. Sometimes just looking in a place you haven't looked in a while will tell you a lot, but my guess is you'll find some heavily tracked up trails somewhere. Try not to cross them and leave your scent if you can avoid it, but also don't worry too much about it. If you can try to spot tracked up trails from uphill that would be good. Try and check the trails in the saddles, along the top and bases of steep ridges and bluffs, especially where they level out on each end lengthwise of the steepness, and along the benches as thats where the deer tend to walk because it's easier. If you're in the hills and mountains, that is, those are places where you will expect trails to be, and if they are tracked up heavily, then you will know its on, and you can set up right on those exact places. If its forested, the bucks will move through there much earlier and later than normal (during shooting light). If a trail is tracked up through those particular places and I had the time to do it, time, honestly, I'd bring a book and sit there all day and listen for leaves crunching. If it rained the night before, and the leaves were soft, then I'd just still-hunt along all those areas slow and quiet, just uphill from the trail, and take in all the sign information along the ground for so you will know exactly where to set up when the leaves become dry and noisy to make still-hunting impossible. Also, if it is windy, or you are lucky enough that you can walk walk along a noisy stream, then you dont have to worry about the leaves as long as you walk carefully. I have actually killed deer with a longbow at under 30 yards in both of those situations...on dry leaves... the sound of wind, and water, covers up your noise.
 
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