Rut Activity in Ontario?

jay73 · Post by **jay73** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:28 pm

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.

Jay

chris4570 · Post by **chris4570** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:34 pm

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.

bullfood · Post by **bullfood** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:45 pm

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 · Post by **DanO** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 11:09 pm

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.

Old Exocet · Post by **Old Exocet** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:51 am

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 · Post by **XCaddis** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 6:12 pm

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)

hunter7558 · Post by **hunter7558** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 6:30 pm

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

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?

XCaddis · Post by **XCaddis** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:48 pm

I'm not going to be picky during rifle

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

xbowkidd · Post by **xbowkidd** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:58 pm

87 seems to be moving along quite nicely. a fair few scrapes and lots of deer moving.

watamach · Post by **watamach** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 8:13 pm

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 · Post by **DanO** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:53 pm

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.

Old Exocet · Post by **Old Exocet** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 2:38 pm

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 · Post by **DanO** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:41 pm

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

Dan O.

mattones · Post by **mattones** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 4:15 pm

i am seeing bucks that i have never seen on camera. just in the past two weeks.

vinemack · Post by **vinemack** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 5:27 pm

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