Anyone scouting?

[BSK]

Yes sir, was out yesterday on the property to scout and recover the last 2 camera's. Can't believe the rubs I found. Some of them were fresh. That got my interest. Has anyone else seen this? Covered up with sign. Great to be in the deer woods always.

In a decent acorn years, yes. I often find some of the biggest rubs aren't made until mid-January. Why? No idea, except perhaps it is female fawns coming into estrus late, and this gathers the attention of every buck in the area. The extra nutrition of a good acorn year allows female fawns to mature fast enough that they are able to enter estrus as fawns, but they do so later than adult does.

 

[DitchPickle88]

Took my young cur dog out for a walk about on South Cherokee and may have finally figured out an old buck I've been hunting. Anyone else scouting now? Sign is still fresh and easy to spot.

See any pigs while you were out and about?

 

[timberjack86]

See any pigs while you were out and about?

I live 400 yards from the boundary. Bumped this sounder walking in. I couldn't get a shot at them.

 

[DitchPickle88]

Awesome. You'll get him next time. I'm hoping to get a South Cherokee pig next fall when my deer freezer gets full.

 

[Double-D-Team]

In a decent acorn years, yes. I often find some of the biggest rubs aren't made until mid-January. Why? No idea, except perhaps it is female fawns coming into estrus late, and this gathers the attention of every buck in the area. The extra nutrition of a good acorn year allows female fawns to mature fast enough that they are able to enter estrus as fawns, but they do so later than adult does.

I agree whole hearted but what's got me we had a very poor acorn crop. This one's got me puzzled. Now I will say we have too many does on the farm. This season doe only I'm thinking.

 

[Ski]

Can't believe the rubs I found. Some of them were fresh. That got my interest. Has anyone else seen this?

That's pretty normal for around here. Most years most bucks don't shed until spring and there are spikes of rut activity the entire time. It's not like full on November rut but there is rubbing, scraping, fighting, & chasing that occurs sporadically. I assume it's probably whenever a fawn doe finally reaches sexual maturity & has her first cycle, which is driven largely by body weight.

 

[Double-D-Team]

Valid points for sure. For me I'm still learning the farm and property. The hurricane here did not help me at all. It's like starting all over. So I'm running trail cameras year round. Maybe it will help.

 

[BSK]

Valid points for sure. For me I'm still learning the farm and property. The hurricane here did not help me at all. It's like starting all over. So I'm running trail cameras year round. Maybe it will help.

When we had the remnants of a hurricane run north up KY Lake in 2019, with 100+ MPH winds around it's southern end, just about everyone along the lake had their forests devastated. And you are correct. For whatever reason, suddenly having a lot of downed timber on the ground dramatically changed the deer travel patterns, some permanently.