Unusual observations this year

[BSK]

Two strange patterns I've seen repeated on several different properties this year (but all in the same region of the state):

1) An unusually intense false rut. For about a week, I've gotten pictures on all these properties of bucks chasing does like crazy through open fields, and bucks tearing up the scrapes, and then nothing after that. The bucks just suddenly stopped working the scrapes. Followed by:

2) The highest level of doe interest in scrapes I've ever seen. I have NEVER seen does visit scrapes like I've seen this year on trail-cam, just after the false rut. Does are coming back to scrapes over and over in the same day, working the overhanging limbs to the point of actually standing on their hind legs to flail at the limbs.

Crazy I tell ya!

I just hope this year doesn't turn out like the last year we had a wild false rut. That year, the rut was a complete anticlimax. Basically, it was like it didn't even happen.

 

[McCoy]

Gosh I hope that doesn't happen too! No chasing at all here that I've seen. I've also found no scrapes, but the bucks are checking out my mock scrapes, not one doe though.

 

[deerhunter10]

seen a decent false rut but im with yal I really really really hope we have a good rut last year was the worst rut ive seen in a very long time.

 

[TheLBLman]

Strange, but I'd speculate there's some unidentifiable combination of weather, food sources, and herd dynamics that would make this pattern repeatable under the same circumstances. We may never figure out all those variables, much of what keeps things interesting.

Are those localized deer herds the healthiest they've ever been? And/or, what's been trending over the past few years? Buck-doe ratios? Buck age structure? Maybe THIS is more normal, but we've never before had such a normal (natural) sex ratio and age structure?

About all I've figured out is I typically see more deer when the temperatures are below normal in October & November.

 

[MUP]

Saw a doe out on the high bank of the hwy last eve heading home. She had her head on a swivel, looking back and forth to the woodline. I think she had been chased out into the open.

 

[BSK]

No major changes this year on these properties Wes. All have good buck age structures, but sex ratios vary widely, from 0.6 does per buck to 1.7 does per buck. Now each property had a different timing for the false rut.

 

[woodsman87]

I have observed some unusual things the past 6 days. One day was 6 bucks together, most young and one old one. They were sparring each other and chasing does. Yesterday afternoon I saw two bucks, young ones I believe, sparring and chasing does. This morning I saw two bucks sparring, and chasing does. All on the same property, but in different areas. All looked to be different bucks.

I know yearlings pretty much chase does all fall/winter, but it has been very intesified this year, especially with the sparring. Never seen sparing like this. Maybe this 6th year of trying to manage what we can of this small property actually helped?

 

[BSK]

Increased sparring is definitely a sign buck competition is more intense (a good thing). Over the last 4 or 5 years, I can't count the number of sparring matches I've caught on trail-cam, especially at night in food plots.

 

[woodsman87]

They just all seem to be yearlings is what worries me. I have a trail cam over a scrape, I put it up last weekend and haven't checked it. Hopefully I can get at least one older buck on it.

Last Friday I saw an older buck sparring with a small one in the middle of about a 100 acre hayfield. at about 4:00 in the afternoon, it was cloudy though which may have had them out in daylight more. Amazing once the guns start going off how I will probably never see him again.

 

[tellico4x4]

Seeing the same thing too, but have to wonder if we are doing a progressivly better job of monoriting the herd. For us, we have more black flash cameras in place than ever. As older white flash & IR's die, we've been replacing them with black. I know that we are getting many more buck & doe pics on scrapes during daylight than ever before. Some of them are hanging around for several minutes, allowing the camera to cycle thru several pic delays.In past, I wonder if we just got 1 pic that scared the deer off...

 

[Hollar Hunter]

Increased sparring is definitely a sign buck competition is more intense (a good thing). Over the last 4 or 5 years, I can't count the number of sparring matches I've caught on trail-cam, especially at night in food plots.

I've had more sparring this year than any... Almost on every pull in the plots...

 

[Deck78]

man that was a depressing post! I had to go take some hits off the vape after that rut prediction :crazy: !

 

[JCDEERMAN]

man that was a depressing post! I had to go take some hits off the vape after that rut prediction :crazy: !

 

[BSK]

I sure hope it doesn't mean anything bad for the upcoming rut. But the one time I observed an exceptionally wild false rut... Well, it wasn't good later...

 

[Southern Sportsman]

Is this in middle TN BSK? I covered a lot of ground on two different farms last weekend and havent seen a single scrape yet. Even in particular spots where there are always scrapes.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I just hope this year doesn't turn out like the last year we had a wild false rut. That year, the rut was a complete anticlimax. Basically, it was like it didn't even happen.

The big question:

When this last occurred, what were the temperatures / weather like that year during peak movement. Also, out of curiosity, what year was this?

Cant believe this wasnt asked yet

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I have seen scrapes in the oddest spots this year. Places that there arent typically scrapes....on steep points and sides of hills. I thought they were surely turkeys, but there would be a rub there and white oak dropping like crazy in that one specific area with deer tracks in the scrapes. It is quite crazy for sure!

 

[Inkstainz]

Im hoping for a great rut. But to be honest I'd just be happy to get a decent buck.

 

[BSK]

Is this in middle TN BSK? I covered a lot of ground on two different farms last weekend and havent seen a single scrape yet. Even in particular spots where there are always scrapes.

Yes. All of these observations come from Humphreys, Hickman, and Perry counties.

 

[BSK]

I just hope this year doesn't turn out like the last year we had a wild false rut. That year, the rut was a complete anticlimax. Basically, it was like it didn't even happen.

The big question:

When this last occurred, what were the temperatures / weather like that year during peak movement. Also, out of curiosity, what year was this?

Cant believe this wasnt asked yet

It was 2006. That year we had the first hard freeze right at the false rut, which I think was one reason it was so intense.

Looking at the normal peak buck movement days for our area, looks like temps really warmed up that year. Towards the 8th through 11th of November, daytime highs were hitting the 70s, with lows only in the 50s. That may explain the really bad rut for us that year. By gun season temps were back towards normal, but for us, by gun season the rut is off peak and winding down.