In Fairfield County, these cooler temps seem have to kicked things back into gear. I’m not seeing any hardcore chasing, but bucks are definitely hanging close to doe groups right now and young bucks are bumping uninterested does around. If the cool temps can hang on, I think this coming full moon could get thing rolling full bore.
God bless the “ignore” function.
IF you aren’t seeing hardcore chasing you aren’t looking in the right spot! The past 10 days it has been full bore, these cooler temps have it more so during the day finally. Flyinghigh, you run with a rough crowd…
If you really want to get serious about the rut, get a fetal fawn scale ,and measure the fetus from a doe killed late season. We started a while back with the program, and the rut coincides with the dates from the fetal fawns every year, almost to the day.
I have noticed the rut now moving up into September, 10-15 years ago the rut was around Halloween . Another reason for measuring and taking notes, removes a lot of guesswork and wives tales from the equation.
How about the wives tales? You said our rut has moved 2 months since 10 years ago. Were you doing fetal studies then? I’ve noticed for the last 30 years the rut is noticeably stronger late October through November. I have also noticed that our deer breed all year long. I’ve seen spots from June to December.
This could be a wives tale, but I think their is some truth to it, our deer have been getting fed better than they ever have since the decline in dog hunting and the move to still hunting. More food equals more breeding and in some areas not just corn, but a plethora of choices of high protein mineral rich stuff. Oh and the weather patterns have a little help in it. something out cool nights.
In Fairfield County, these cooler temps seem have to kicked things back into gear. I’m not seeing any hardcore chasing, but bucks are definitely hanging close to doe groups right now and young bucks are bumping uninterested does around. If the cool temps can hang on, I think this coming full moon could get thing rolling full bore.
God bless the “ignore” function.
IF you aren’t seeing hardcore chasing you aren’t looking in the right spot! The past 10 days it has been full bore, these cooler temps have it more so during the day finally. Flyinghigh, you run with a rough crowd…
Maybe you and I have two different definitions for “hardcore chasing.” All I know is we have 3000 acres and we have cameras all over it and none of them, or the hunters themselves, are seeing any of what we would call “hardcore chasing.”
Like I said, I have bucks hanging close to doe groups and some young bucks checking uninterested does, but little more than that. I’m certain that will change by the time the next full moon rolls around. I have a feeling it’s going to go from zero to wide open in the blink of an eye.
Not speaking for you and your neck of the woods but that’s the current situation at our property.
It’s different in all locations in the lowcountry from what I’ve put together. I’ve been reading on other forums online, along with facebook and ppl have been saying they’ve been in rut since September, some now, some nowhere as of yet. I own 25 acres in the Bonneau/Moncks Corner area and my wife called one in with a doe estrus call. We saw him on our wireless camera that had sent us a pic about two hours prior before she went out and hit the call and she had called me within 15 mins of being out there. He beds in the area and he’s been around that area consistently the past few weeks with no response to the same call when ppl were saying they were in rut already.
I also went hunting yesterday morning and saw two does with very small fawns with them. While a doe on my property that had a young one with it (old enough to be on it’s own now) has pushed it away from her by looking at the camera pics, telling me she is about to be ready to be bred again.
Also, talked to a friend of mine and a guy he knows had shot a doe last week and it had a close to full term fawn inside of it. In SC there is no “true rut” as there are in the Midwest regions, etc.
With that front that came through last week they were dying from the coast to the upstate. It will be the same starting Tuesday. It is prime time right now.
It’s different in all locations in the lowcountry from what I’ve put together. I’ve been reading on other forums online, along with facebook and ppl have been saying they’ve been in rut since September, some now, some nowhere as of yet. I own 25 acres in the Bonneau/Moncks Corner area and my wife called one in with a doe estrus call. We saw him on our wireless camera that had sent us a pic about two hours prior before she went out and hit the call and she had called me within 15 mins of being out there. He beds in the area and he’s been around that area consistently the past few weeks with no response to the same call when ppl were saying they were in rut already.
I also went hunting yesterday morning and saw two does with very small fawns with them. While a doe on my property that had a young one with it (old enough to be on it’s own now) has pushed it away from her by looking at the camera pics, telling me she is about to be ready to be bred again.
Also, talked to a friend of mine and a guy he knows had shot a doe last week and it had a close to full term fawn inside of it. In SC there is no “true rut” as there are in the Midwest regions, etc.
Makes sense. Far too many people get their idea of “the rut” from watching hunting shows. The problem is, SC doesn’t have a condensed intense “rut” like states in the Midwest. While the DNR has said the “peak breeding” occurs during October/November, they’ve also said breeding occurs well before and well after that. That timeline is simply the “peak” of the breeding. I believe there are multiple factors contributing to our lack of an intense or well-defined rut but in my opinion, our buck-to-doe ratio is a major factor.
That’s just what I’m gonna do, dig around in a does reproductive track hunting for a fetus. No need for that with modern cameras and everyone switching from dog hunting to still hunting. If you are that big into managing a deer pen all you have to do is watch.
To make it accurate you would have to have a high take of does year round.
That’s just what I’m gonna do, dig around in a does reproductive track hunting for a fetus. No need for that with modern cameras and everyone switching from dog hunting to still hunting. If you are that big into managing a deer pen all you have to do is watch.
To make it accurate you would have to have a high take of does year round.
I answered you, so we’re do you hunt?
“live and let live” … “those that deserve it.”
Dorchester County, been hunting the same 1400 acres for the past 20+ years.
No "digging around " necessary , if you know how to properly field dress a deer, the fetus will be right in front of you. You seem sensitive like a little girl, how do you stick around when a deer is being cleaned?
A wise man doesn’t need advice, and a fool wont listen…
That’s just what I’m gonna do, dig around in a does reproductive track hunting for a fetus. No need for that with modern cameras and everyone switching from dog hunting to still hunting. If you are that big into managing a deer pen all you have to do is watch.
To make it accurate you would have to have a high take of does year round.
I answered you, so we’re do you hunt?
“live and let live” … “those that deserve it.”
FWIW, if you field dress your own deer, you don’t need to “dig around in a does’ reproductive track” to find the fetus.
That’s just what I’m gonna do, dig around in a does reproductive track hunting for a fetus. No need for that with modern cameras and everyone switching from dog hunting to still hunting. If you are that big into managing a deer pen all you have to do is watch.
To make it accurate you would have to have a high take of does year round.
I answered you, so we’re do you hunt?
“live and let live” … “those that deserve it.”
Dorchester County, been hunting the same 1400 acres for the past 20+ years.
No "digging around " necessary , if you know how to properly field dress a deer, the fetus will be right in front of you. You seem sensitive like a little girl, how do you stick around when a deer is being cleaned?
A wise man doesn’t need advice, and a fool wont listen…
Sensitive are you not? It was a bit of humor that I gleaned from your article. Funny how some go so deep in a simple thing.
You don’t even know me and = me to a sensitive little girl? LOL, I’ll bet my daughter can field dress one with the best of them. Besides me. Did I upset you by thinking your fetu
Fetal fawn scale,Jesus Christ you are one serious bada$$ still hunter. I admire your knowledge and enjoy the information in your posts.Please excuse those of us that just want to get out for a little sport and socializing.Deer hunting is obviously much more than a hobby /sport to you. I hunt in Berkeley county and I would never put you on ignore.Also , I also admire the way you get under people’s skin. I bet you were a dog hunter at one time.
Fetal fawn scale,Jesus Christ you are one serious bada$$ still hunter. I admire your knowledge and enjoy the information in your posts.Please excuse those of us that just want to get out for a little sport and socializing.Deer hunting is obviously much more than a hobby /sport to you. I hunt in Berkeley county and I would never put you on ignore.Also , I also admire the way you get under people’s skin. I bet you were a dog hunter at one time.
Fetal fawn scale,Jesus Christ you are one serious bada$$ still hunter. I admire your knowledge and enjoy the information in your posts.Please excuse those of us that just want to get out for a little sport and socializing.Deer hunting is obviously much more than a hobby /sport to you. I hunt in Berkeley county and I would never put you on ignore.Also , I also admire the way you get under people’s skin. I bet you were a dog hunter at one time.
Fetal fawn scale,Jesus Christ you are one serious bada$$ still hunter. I admire your knowledge and enjoy the information in your posts.Please excuse those of us that just want to get out for a little sport and socializing.Deer hunting is obviously much more than a hobby /sport to you. I hunt in Berkeley county and I would never put you on ignore.Also , I also admire the way you get under people’s skin. I bet you were a dog hunter at one time.
please, don't call me jesus Christ.
Still lmao. You know a nice pack of beagles on a Thanksgiving or Christmas morning would be a fun time with some good shooting standers.
It’s different in all locations in the lowcountry from what I’ve put together. I’ve been reading on other forums online, along with facebook and ppl have been saying they’ve been in rut since September, some now, some nowhere as of yet. I own 25 acres in the Bonneau/Moncks Corner area and my wife called one in with a doe estrus call. We saw him on our wireless camera that had sent us a pic about two hours prior before she went out and hit the call and she had called me within 15 mins of being out there. He beds in the area and he’s been around that area consistently the past few weeks with no response to the same call when ppl were saying they were in rut already.
I also went hunting yesterday morning and saw two does with very small fawns with them. While a doe on my property that had a young one with it (old enough to be on it’s own now) has pushed it away from her by looking at the camera pics, telling me she is about to be ready to be bred again.
Also, talked to a friend of mine and a guy he knows had shot a doe last week and it had a close to full term fawn inside of it. In SC there is no “true rut” as there are in the Midwest regions, etc.
Makes sense. Far too many people get their idea of “the rut” from watching hunting shows. The problem is, SC doesn’t have a condensed intense “rut” like states in the Midwest. While the DNR has said the “peak breeding” occurs during October/November, they’ve also said breeding occurs well before and well after that. That timeline is simply the “peak” of the breeding. I believe there are multiple factors contributing to our lack of an intense or well-defined
I’m seeing more daytime movement but still no hardcore chasing. The young fellas have been moving and bumping does for a little while now but just in the past week and a half I’ve been seeing more daytime traffic for the bigger boys, both on trail cameras and more active scrapes popping up.
If you’ve ever hunted in states like KY, MD, IL, OH and any other mid-western states, (any state with a good/better buck to doe ratio for that matter) you’d know our rut is anything but condensed. Plus, I don’t know that I’d consider deer sporadic breeding activity from September to February as “well defined.” Even Charles Ruth doesn’t classify SC’s rut as “well defined.” He says the “peak breeding” occurs from “the last two weeks of October to the first two weeks of November” but he stops short of calling our rut “well defined” and adds “breeding activity may be seen at almost any time of the early fall and winter.” Granted, that’s looking at the state as a whole and obviously different areas of the state can and do have and show different “rut” characteristics/activity at different times.
Either way, these temps got’em kicking things into gear and it’s an exciting time to be in the woods.
I’d say we finally have a full rut, but we won’t know for sure until Polly does his fetal study. To bad the fetal study won’t tell us when it will be next year.
Dang Bucks are really loosing weight right now. Maybe in a few weeks they’ll get back to eating and put on some weight for some nice December harvests.
The rut has solidly been on since mid September at my place, a slight uptick since Thursday. On 9/15 this 120lber was stinky as a bottle of Tinks, and had just peed a scrape.
Tell us Fred, how do you know we have a "full rut"? When was the last time you hunted? Have you noticed a change in any scrapes or rubs?
Fetal observations from the last 3-5 seasons have been extremely accurate, the does we sampled from were all bred from first few weeks of September to early October. I knew when our rut was beginning, and the doe above proved that point. Could care less right now and next season about “the rut”, as I have 30 doe tags to fill, and 13 does yet to go.
Again, tell me exactly how you know a “full rut” is on.
