Getting pumped: Deer opener!

[Allen]

So, back to the theme of the thread, pump rifles (grin).

Uncle has a Rem 760 in 6MM Rem that shoots so well with 100gn Fed factory ammo that it's somewhat maddening. Bone-stock w/unknown vintage 3-9x40 Leupold. I've tweaked, swapped, adjusted, more tweaks and swaps on bolt-action rifles w/good handloads that can't outshoot it.

My first deer rifle was a Rem Model 760 chambered in 270 win. Fucking thing blew the action out to the right the second season I used it, I suppose I was 16 at the time. While I didn't get hurt, it left enough of an impression on me so that I will never again shoot a Rem pump rifle.

 

[Bowhunter_24]

Does going into estrus has nothing to do with weather. The “rut” is the same time every year.

 

[PrairieGhost]

I have not had a tag for four years, and this year when I get one it's the worst year I have seen for bucks. We did see one buck chasing does about a mile away in the end of a deep valley. My grandson waded across the Sheyenne River, walked 3/4 mile, then belly crawled the last 100 yards glassing the far side in layers as he crawled. After laying on his stomach for 3.5 hours a doe came out. A half hour later Mr. buck came out to see his girl. Ten seconds later he was venison.


The disturbing thing this fall is we are seeing very few fawns. Maybe one out of five does has a fawn. Disease or coyotes getting them in the spring. The renter took his cattle out Thursday and said his son seen six coyotes.

Going out with another grandson this coming weekend.

 

[Dirty]

In my neck of the woods it seems like the weeks leading up to the best days will vary by intensity based on the weather and buck/doe ratio but the heart of it…the most intense action and best days to sit all day fall on about the 13th-16th of Nov. year in and year out. Just speaking on my own observations over the years where I hunt in south central ND.

Other days can be good or great also, but if I was a betting man for when the bucks are cruising and chasing hard and are up and about all day, that’s my best window.

- - - Updated - - -

I have not had a tag for four years, and this year when I get one it's the worst year I have seen for bucks. We did see one buck chasing does about a mile away in the end of a deep valley. My grandson waded across the Sheyenne River, walked 3/4 mile, then belly crawled the last 100 yards glassing the far side in layers as he crawled. After laying on his stomach for 3.5 hours a doe came out. A half hour later Mr. buck came out to see his girl. Ten seconds later he was venison.


The disturbing thing this fall is we are seeing very few fawns. Maybe one out of five does has a fawn. Disease or coyotes getting them in the spring. The renter took his cattle out Thursday and said his son seen six coyotes.

Going out with another grandson this coming weekend.

I have seen the same thing where I hunt…single fawns and only with about every fourth doe or so. Very different from most years where each doe usually has twins. Just a theory, but I assume no moisture meant not much cover for those tender little fawns to hide in and they were much easier to find by predators than usual. EHD hit in September in our area and probably didn’t help. Most of what we found dead were adult bucks and does.

 

[guywhofishes]

I always figured that the deer are on a seasonal clock that works best over the millennia for fawn survival the following year.

That's means the same couple-three weeks every year with a "bell curve" distribution. And of course the second mini-rut for the yearling does.

The wildcard seems to be the weather's affect on the deer - so that their shenanigans are either on display - or not. The cold gets more does out and eating in broad daylight and the bucks follow.

My two cents anyway.

 

[BP338]

The wife couldn't go out last night, so I went solo and filled my doe tag. Left work at 330 and had her skinned and hanging before 8. The stars don't usually align for me like this, I was pretty stoked.

 

[1lessdog]

The rut has nothing to do with weather, Its all triggered by the amount of light in a day. The best time for hunting the rut will be 3 or 4 days before the full moon and 3 or 4 days after. If it was weather the deer would never go into rut down south.

 

[Dirty]

The rut has nothing to do with weather, Its all triggered by the amount of light in a day. The best time for hunting the rut will be 3 or 4 days before the full moon and 3 or 4 days after. If it was weather the deer would never go into rut down south.

But the intensity of the rut has a LOT to do with the weather. 70 degree temps in mid November vs. 20 degree temps in mid November are opposite ends of the spectrum.

 

[LBrandt]

I have a full body decoy set up in my back yard and its entertaining to watch how deer and other animals interact with it. Everything from cats stalking it to fence crawling calves sniffing it or licking it, then the pellet gun comes into play. Have had a few one calf stamped and a whole lot of belly laughs over that. Cattle are now gone from the back pasture so deer have been showing up a lot more the last few days. I plant giant sunflowers in the front yard maybe 50 feet from house for the birds and squirrels to enjoy and I have noticed that some of the stalks have been rubbed on by a buck. Never see him must come in late at night. Good sized I think cause some of the rubs are 4ft off the ground and then some. Might have to set up a trail cam to see just how big he is. Just doe tag tis year so just need to pick which one of the old girls need to go into sausage meat. Life is good in the sticks. LB

 

[PrairieGhost]

LB I also enjoy watching deer in the yard. They eat my wifes flowers and she doesn't agree with my solution. I put feeder in the back yard so they dont need to eat flowers. So far I have fed 2200 pounds of corn. This dry year I filled a five gallon bucket with fresh water every day. I shot my archery buck in the yard last year. A nice buck has been coming, and he came in with a few legal minutes left last night, but the darn Spypoint didn't send me the picture for 13 minutes. When th rut is a little intense I'll spend my evenings at the bedroom window.

 

[1lessdog]

But the intensity of the rut has a LOT to do with the weather. 70 degree temps in mid November vs. 20 degree temps in mid November are opposite ends of the spectrum.

If weather helped the intensity of the rut, The deer down south would never go into rut. In Texas its not uncommon to have 80 plus degree days during the rut.

 

[Dirty]

I’m not arguing about this. I am not saying the deer will or will not rut depending on the weather or location.

35 years of observations with my own two eyes while bowhunting the rut tell me the colder the weather, the more INTENSE the rutting activity…and I’m including the week or so leading up to and including the actual breeding period. The deer run harder, longer, and more feverishly with colder temps. I hunt in one little tiny place on planet Earth, and in that location beyond the shadow of a doubt the temperatures, especially when unseasonably warm or cold, have a great impact on the INTENSITY of the rut. I don’t need to read a book to verify what I have experienced first hand. Nor do I need someone else to verify my observations. I’d bet it is all relative to location though…like 90 degrees vs. 60 degrees down south - but that’s just a guess.

How the innumerable factors including biology of whitetail deer plays into this in other locations (smaller body size farther south you go) I have no idea. How things are down the road from my place, well I really don’t know that either I guess.

Moon phase with increasing moonlight and decreasing daylight are definitely triggers. Weather is not a trigger. If it was 100 degrees all during the rut, the does are still going to go into heat and the bucks are still going to breed them. I’m not sure if you are misunderstanding what I mean by “intensity” or what but no matter…good luck hunting.

 

[Bowhunter_24]

Cooler weather makes deer move more. Everyone knows or should know that.

 

[johnr]

From the DF&G proclamation:

Not everyone in ND lives in CST, those of us lucky enough to escape the draws of east river ND get to hunt at 11am MST on the opening day of deer season, so of course I get to hunt an entire hour prior.

The boy had his deer down, gutted and hanging before noon

 

[Bowhunter_24]

I once sat on a buck an extra hour cause I was unaware it opened 12 cst. Many moons ago now.

 

[guywhofishes]

I suspect this is one of those correlation does not equal causation deals.

 

[8andcounting]

The rut has nothing to do with weather, Its all triggered by the amount of light in a day. The best time for hunting the rut will be 3 or 4 days before the full moon and 3 or 4 days after. If it was weather the deer would never go into rut down south.

Complete BS ... they aren’t gonna be on their feet when it’s warm out . Wait until after tomorrow with this cold front and crap weather coming ... they’ll be out

 

[Bowhunter_24]

 

[duckman1302]

Complete BS ... they aren’t gonna be on their feet when it’s warm out . Wait until after tomorrow with this cold front and crap weather coming ... they’ll be out

The rut does not depend on the weather; however, the weather will dictate whether or not the rut activities occur during daylight or after dark.

 

[Kurtr]

some places down south the deer dont rut till January