Mule Deer Rut

Jdan9

Active Member
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354
We were in north central Montana near Loma hunting the breaks from 11/15 to 11/21. Did we miss the peak of the rut? Most of the bigger bucks we found were solo. The groups of does we observed had smaller bucks with them. Were we early or late? Trying to plan our dates to next year!! Any input from our friends n Montana would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Joe
 
It's been a weird year. Most of my friends who wait till the end of season to hunt wished they hadn't. It's been a slow year for Muleys overall I think. You gave any pics to show? I'm headeding over to miles city tomorrow. I always see nice bucks after the season ends. We will see........

I killed my buck opening weekend and from what I've seen I'm glad I did.

"That's a special feeling, Lloyd"
 
Been rutting for 2 weeks here in central MT as usual.MD numbers are down statewide and people arnt seeing the deer they are used to seeing,most confuse this for a lack of a rut.
 
I had the same observation. Very little rutting action late in the season. Most the mature bucks I seen late in the season here in SE Montana where solo except for acouple.

I never gave it much thought prior as mid to late November is generally good rut dates. I looked online and checked the moon phase theory compared to rut dates as I too was wondering the same thing. For what its worth this year by that theory is a earily rut, weather it holds any truth or not.

I also observed deer where not in there usual hiddy holes this fall, esp later in the season. Had alot of fire activity around where I hunt this summer moving deer into differnt area's this fall esp areas near the burns.
 
MD numbers are way down. The rut was a little strange this year. we found that there was a early chasing stage. saw alot of chasing around the 5th. We waited until turkey week and saw solo bucks by themselves or bachelor groups. There was some rut going on in some groups, but only 18-20 in. wide small 4 pts. on the does. I think there was a early rut this year as predicted, found that to be true with the elk this year also, we had bulls talking on opening labor day weekend. We did however find a couple bucks to shoot, including a nice 4pt for my 11 year old son's first buck (great memories...) and another buck on Friday.
Overall Montana is really hurting when it comes to mule deer population. I think it may be time to look for a big whitey next year.
 
We shot bulls opening day of rifle,full on rut going down,they were mounting cows and the cows were letting them,our elk rut was WAY late.
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-26-12 AT 09:10PM (MST)[p]+1 to what nonya said. We got out of the truck on the opener and were hearing so many bugles that my buddy said "sounds like sept 20th not oct 20th". That all stopped once the shots started flying.

I came back from miles city today on the back roads and what deer I did see were at it pretty hard. Who knows???

I know I'm in the minority but after the 10th of November they should try some archery only areas to see if they can get some numbers up. It is what it is I guess.


"That's a special feeling, Lloyd"
 
With next years full moon on the 17th, if you had seven days to hunt, when would you go? We have to be back home for turkey day, Mommas orders!!
 
Opening week baby!!!!! Nobody can shoot your deer when it's already at the taxidermist. : )


"That's a special feeling, Lloyd"
 
I have seen this for quite some time. Back when I first started to hunt is the late 70s and early 80s if you could find a large herd of does in November there almost always was a big buck with them. Things started to change in the 90s. There are now a lot fewer big bucks and the ones that are around rut more like whitetails. Two of the better bucks I have taken are good examples. I took a buck on Nov 9 in 97. He was all by himself in some rough hills. The younger bucks were starting to rut but not him. I hunted him four days and the first three I never saw a deer. I got him on the forth. The buck I got in 99 is another good example. I first saw him on a alfala field by himself. He troted over to a large herd of does tended by a three point, cut a hot doe out of the herd and headed back to the hills just like a whitetail. At one time hunting doe herds durring the rut was a good way to find big buck. Now if a buck with top genes ruts with the does he is on a fast track to die young.

Antlerradar
 
Stubaby,
Our group has exclusive access to the ranch we hunt and a couple of us will be there opening day. However we bring our whole group which includes our sons back to Montana for a week later in November. Just wondering what dates to pick?

jd
 
There is no way to say for sure,last week is usually the best but I have seen a rut the last week of archery season that was better than anything during the rifle season,its a crap shoot every year.
 
Jdan9, A lot will depend on the ranch. If the ranch has good alfalfa medows and very little winter range you may want to go early as a early snow could move the deer off of the property. If the ranch has a lot of winter range you may want to go late. If the property is sourounded by high hunting pressure ground deer could be pushed onto your hunting property. Later as the rut winds down bucks may leave to rut with the does on the hunted ground as there is less compititon form other bucks and likly a poor buck doe ratio.
I am not comvinced that the rut is the best time to hunt big deer. Only one of my top five bucks was taken while rutting. A few years ago a good friend that works on the Ashland district of the Custer and I tallied all of the 180 or better bucks in taken the last 20 years we could think of acourding to the week of the season they were taken. The results were not what we expected. The number of bucks taken in the first week was the same and the number bucks taken in the last three weeks combined.

Antlerradar
 
I can find way more mature bucks during archery season than any time during rifle season,killing one is another story but they are way easier to locate in my area.
 

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