Rut Activity in Ontario?

Crossbow Hunting

Moderator: Excalibur Marketing Dude

jay73
Posts: 571
Joined: Wed Sep 17, 2003 10:16 am
Location: Lanark County, Ontario

Post by jay73 »

Old Exocet, I hunt 64A and as I walked the perimeter of a 20 acre or so hay/clover field yesterday, I counted 9 scrapes. Nothing huge, all around 2' x 2'. Gotta get my ground blind set up. :oops:


Jay
chris4570
Posts: 2602
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2003 7:42 am
Location: stoney creek
Contact:

Post by chris4570 »

Seeing the same. Checked one of my hunting spots on Sunday. Tons of scrapes, many in the same places as previous years, along with some decent rubs, also in the same places/trees as previous years. Hopefully this year I can connect with one of them.
You can take the man out of the woods but you can't take the woods out of the man.

"Celebrate your harvest with a Bloodtrail Ale(tm)!!"
"It CAN Be Done!"
bullfood
Posts: 55
Joined: Sun Oct 05, 2008 10:28 am
Location: Kawartha Lakes

Post by bullfood »

I've seen one scrape and a few rubs on 1/2" trees. This is typical for our area . We usually don't see much until the 1st week of Nov and much more activity in the 2nd week.
DanO
Posts: 488
Joined: Sun Jan 07, 2007 9:28 pm
Location: Southern Ontario -Zone 82A

Post by DanO »

Not much acitivity in my area but I think it's because there's a scarcity of bucks. Lots of does and few bucks. Would buck's reduce their activity when there isn't much competition?

Dan O.
If you're not part of the solution, you might be part of the problem.
Old Exocet
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2009 4:52 pm

Post by Old Exocet »

Dan O

Yes in theory, bucks will drop rutting behaviour as soon as they tend does.
I have high hopes for the full moon this weekend and cooler weather, last couple of years have seen what the local boys are calling "stop and start" rutting..meaning off and on activity vs high intensity rutting periods.
I have also noted over the last few yrs that intense rutting behaviour has moved back nearly 2 weeks on average, I still watch the full and new moon tho.
Luck all on monday.:)
XCaddis
Posts: 94
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:08 pm
Location: Waterloo, ON

Post by XCaddis »

OK...so I spent the last 3 days in 82A. 6 hunts in total...I hunted 4 different setups...swamps, fields, hardwoods...there is very little buck activity. In fact, I only saw 2 scraps.

In 3 days I saw 2 does and 2 fawns. Very very slow for this area. Normally I have had the opportunity to fill at least a tag by this point. I hope things pick up next week for rifle...




XCaddis wrote:I saw a couple small scrapes on Wednesday. Heading out tomorrow until Wed aft so I will update you when I am back. Hopefully I can tag an animal (or two) :-)
XCaddis

Excalibur Exomax
STS
Custom strings by BOO
Groundpounder

Guns are part of our Cultural Heritage. Please respect our diversity!!
User avatar
hunter7558
Posts: 100
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2005 5:06 pm
Location: Brampton,On Canada

Post by hunter7558 »

Well maybe there are fewer deer around due to the previous two bad winters, and we are just on a down swing compaired to the last few years...we better hope for a better winter this year or numbers will start dropping even worse next year :shock: and then we will be wondering where the deer have gone? I dont know about all of you but im sure you havent got as many pics as last year on your trail cams?
WISH I COULD SHOOT A DEER SOMEDAY!
XCaddis
Posts: 94
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:08 pm
Location: Waterloo, ON

Post by XCaddis »

I'm not going to be picky during rifle :-)

I should have taken that doe yesterday at 40 yards...
XCaddis

Excalibur Exomax
STS
Custom strings by BOO
Groundpounder

Guns are part of our Cultural Heritage. Please respect our diversity!!
xbowkidd
Posts: 456
Joined: Sat Jun 30, 2007 12:04 pm
Location: Bancroft, Ontario

Post by xbowkidd »

87 seems to be moving along quite nicely. a fair few scrapes and lots of deer moving.
Team Dryfire
User avatar
watamach
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 1:40 pm
Location: Baden, Ontario

Post by watamach »

In some areas of 80 up Arthur way is chewed up like crazy. One farm had 15 scrapes and 20 plus fresh rubs easy. I have seen some smaller bucks chasing does like crazy in the middle of the day (no big boys though). My buddy shot a monster 165" 11 pt last week and his neck was massive up in Arthur (posted at the bowshop) He grunted and he came in just before dark. 80 closer to KW seems a little quiet still to me. In 87 my never fail spot has no new rubs or scrapes yet and tons of does live on that property. Its usually a circus the amount of sign there so I use that one to judge rut down here.
DanO
Posts: 488
Joined: Sun Jan 07, 2007 9:28 pm
Location: Southern Ontario -Zone 82A

Post by DanO »

Walked two properties in the last two days and no signs of rutting. I'm thinking the number of bucks must be way down. There are signs of deer just no scrapes or rubs. I've laid off the rattling and the grunting in those areas.

Dan O.
If you're not part of the solution, you might be part of the problem.
Old Exocet
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2009 4:52 pm

Post by Old Exocet »

Spent the day working on stands thurs and covered alot of bush on my 500..NO scrapes.no rubs...Not that unusal here tho.comes on like a light switch. I'm west of Perth in the shield.
DanO
Posts: 488
Joined: Sun Jan 07, 2007 9:28 pm
Location: Southern Ontario -Zone 82A

Post by DanO »

Wish I knew where the "switch" is! The switch might be all the lead flying Monday morning! :lol:

Dan O.
If you're not part of the solution, you might be part of the problem.
mattones
Posts: 122
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 10:20 pm
Location: WMU 87

Post by mattones »

i am seeing bucks that i have never seen on camera. just in the past two weeks.
08 Diamond Justice
2015 Micro 335 -Custom Flemish String-Lumonzombies
vinemack
Posts: 107
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:42 pm
Location: st catharines

Post by vinemack »

l'm in 89 been out 4 out of 7 days from oct 1 started seeing scrapes as of yesterday seen alot of does to far away have see a big buck in the dark 2 times starteled a buck 2 days ago and had a nice buck comein in got to 60 yards and darted off not sure what had happend that was thur and today nothing
Post Reply