Slow Hunt-Rut OVer

[Gobblengrunt]

This week has been crazy with big buck movement i observed on over 30 cams over multiple townships.

[hunterbob1]

16 minutes ago, Gobblengrunt said:

This week has been crazy with big buck movement i observed on over 30 cams over multiple townships.

The near drought made a difference this year

[Gobblengrunt]

2 minutes ago, hunterbob1 said:

The near drought made a difference this year

I wouldnt know why a drought would affect rut movement or timing  but i have documented over many years that the 3rd week of November into thanksgiving has always been the best time and movement for BIG bucks as they search for the last does available during first rut

[Pathman]

2 hours ago, hammer4reel said:

Watching bucks chasing all morning here today at the house .

 

most activity I have seen since Halloween.

 

.

Nice, searching for those remaining females not bred yet, it’s like the bar at closing time, all the guys are in a frenzy!😂

unfortunately the areas I hunt are heavily managed, not enough does around for that kind of action, different dynamic in play. 

[hunterbob1]

4 minutes ago, Gobblengrunt said:

I wouldnt know why a drought would affect rut movement or timing  but i have documented over many years that the 3rd week of November into thanksgiving has always been the best time and movement for BIG bucks as they search for the last does available during first rut

Many years here also, my documents/logbook looking back activity was 3 weeks behind this year.

[Pathman]

6 minutes ago, Gobblengrunt said:

I wouldnt know why a drought would affect rut movement or timing  but i have documented over many years that the 3rd week of November into thanksgiving has always been the best time and movement for BIG bucks as they search for the last does available during first rut

Doesn’t necessarily equate to a good time to hunt, wouldn’t you say GG? 
Those bucks are in a frantic search, that’s why you’re seeing them all over the place, but that’s likely the most difficult time to pattern one, you have to be in the right place at the right time, that’s when that “lucky” factor comes in to play like that post a while back. 
What’s your take on the frantic pace vs. easier to pattern buck kill potential? 

[vdep217]

9 minutes ago, Pathman said:

Doesn’t necessarily equate to a good time to hunt, wouldn’t you say GG? 
Those bucks are in a frantic search, that’s why you’re seeing them all over the place, but that’s likely the most difficult time to pattern one, you have to be in the right place at the right time, that’s when that “lucky” factor comes in to play like that post a while back. 
What’s your take on the frantic pace vs. easier to pattern buck kill potential? 

A pattern can absolutely be established but it's not the buck your patterning per say.  Ex I have a spot that I know for a fact the time to hunt it is the week of Nov 12.  Hunting the same spot for multiple years and Intel from each year.  I also have a spot that rut activity is best around Halloween a few days either side.

[Gobblengrunt]

10 minutes ago, Pathman said:

Doesn’t necessarily equate to a good time to hunt, wouldn’t you say GG? 
Those bucks are in a frantic search, that’s why you’re seeing them all over the place, but that’s likely the most difficult time to pattern one, you have to be in the right place at the right time, that’s when that “lucky” factor comes in to play like that post a while back. 
What’s your take on the frantic pace vs. easier to pattern buck kill potential? 

If I had to pattern a mature buck during the rut it would be this time in November.  When bucks are chasing and actually on hot does, there is definitely a luck factor that plays a part getting that buck in front of you.   I do think now is an excellent time to hunt a mature buck.  My take on a good hunt is killing the ONE buck im after, i dont care if i dont see one other deer ever.  Mature bucks become more patternable right now as they are more methodic in their search route post rut.  

[Pathman]

2 minutes ago, Gobblengrunt said:

If I had to pattern a mature buck during the rut it would be this time in November.  When bucks are chasing and actually on hot does, there is definitely a luck factor that plays a part getting that buck in front of you.   I do think now is an excellent time to hunt a mature buck.  My take on a good hunt is killing the ONE buck im after, i dont care if i dont see one other deer ever.  Mature bucks become more patternable right now as they are more methodic in their search route post rut.  

Ok so you and V like this time of year to pattern bucks, but V is apparently pattering does if I’m understanding his comments,  that’s not been my experience. Again, for me where I hunt, not enough does for the bucks to become methodical, so I have no experience hunting methodical bucks!😂

 

 

[Gobblengrunt]

Like Vito said above, i definitely have many areas that traditionally get hot or cold at very specific times of the rut.  Must be mobile to hunt the rut consistently.  Its hard in a place like NJ to hunt any area correctly because many only have a smaller specific areas to hunt and do nit have the ability to get to the right areas which many times are on someone else’s property!

[Gobblengrunt]

Just now, Pathman said:

Ok so you and V like this time of year to pattern bucks, but V is apparently pattering does if I’m understanding his comments,  that’s not been my experience. Again, for me where I hunt, not enough does for the bucks to become methodical, so I have no experience hunting methodical bucks!😂

 

 

It just sounds like you are confined to certain properties that just arent where you need to be for a certain time of the year.  Thats typical for NJ and is what many have to deal with.  The “right” area may be only 1/4 mile away but yoy may not be able ti hunt it legally for example.  Every deer does everything for a reason.  Bucks will always have certain routes they use but timing is everything.  Big mature are a completely different animal to any other deer or bucks 3 years or younger

[vdep217]

13 minutes ago, Pathman said:

Ok so you and V like this time of year to pattern bucks, but V is apparently pattering does if I’m understanding his comments,  that’s not been my experience. Again, for me where I hunt, not enough does for the bucks to become methodical, so I have no experience hunting methodical bucks!😂

 

 

I'm patterning the behavior of the deer in an area wich yes would be does being in estrous around that time.  Moving around having multiple spots n many cams as helped me over the last few years getting on bucks consistently.   I used to only hunt the sane spots tear after year n had many challenges doing so.  Now I hunt a stand when I know it's going to have the best chance at producing.

[Pathman]

Just now, Gobblengrunt said:

It just sounds like you are confined to certain properties that just arent where you need to be for a certain time of the year.  Thats typical for NJ and is what many have to deal with.  The “right” area may be only 1/4 mile away but yoy may not be able ti hunt it legally for example.  Every deer does everything for a reason.  Bucks will always have certain routes they use but timing is everything.  Big mature are a completely different animal to any other deer or bucks 3 years or younger

Of course, which is the case with likely 99% of hunters in Jersey. Not many will venture out to the “big woods” up north or down south like yourself. Not sure what size area V is hunting, but even a couple hundred acres can be pretty random in my experience, but again, our density is fairly low at ~25 deer mi. Sq., and our observed buck to doe ratio is about even or slightly higher for males. 
Have you ever hunted a property with that low a density? 
Most in NJ haven’t, even if they think they have!😂

Typically at about 50 deer mi. Sq., hunters loose all interest in a property because they see very little deer activity, once you drop below that, it’s difficult at best. 

I’m not complaining, just explaining that different herd dynamics factor in, and you can’t apply all methods to all areas and expect the same result. 

[vdep217]

Just now, Pathman said:

Of course, which is the case with likely 99% of hunters in Jersey. Not many will venture out to the “big woods” up north or down south like yourself. Not sure what size area V is hunting, but even a couple hundred acres can be pretty random in my experience, but again, our density is fairly low at ~25 deer mi. Sq., and our observed buck to doe ratio is about even or slightly higher for males. 
Have you ever hunted a property with that low a density? 
Most in NJ haven’t, even if they think they have!😂

Typically at about 50 deer mi. Sq., hunters loose all interest in a property because they see very little deer activity, once you drop below that, it’s difficult at best. 

I’m not complaining, just explaining that different herd dynamics factor in, and you can’t apply all methods to all areas and expect the same result. 

I hunt public land in Ocean county so it's not big woods but have managed to find secluded spots

[Gobblengrunt]

1 minute ago, Pathman said:

Of course, which is the case with likely 99% of hunters in Jersey. Not many will venture out to the “big woods” up north or down south like yourself. Not sure what size area V is hunting, but even a couple hundred acres can be pretty random in my experience, but again, our density is fairly low at ~25 deer mi. Sq., and our observed buck to doe ratio is about even or slightly higher for males. 
Have you ever hunted a property with that low a density? 
Most in NJ haven’t, even if they think they have!😂

Typically at about 50 deer mi. Sq., hunters loose all interest in a property because they see very little deer activity, once you drop below that, it’s difficult at best. 

I’m not complaining, just explaining that different herd dynamics factor in, and you can’t apply all methods to all areas and expect the same result. 

My area has the lowest deer density in the state and the highest bear population.  We have about 10-15 deer per square mile in my area that I hunt.  But im hunting usually ONE deer.  Ill will see about 50-60 deer total in a whole season of hunting, and im in the woods everyday!