The Rut Is Still Rolling Along

I eased through the dry leaves to a coop overlooking a funnel between two tag alder swales this afternoon, and I'd no more than got into the stand, shut the door and took my bow out of its case and set up my camera tripod when I saw the first two deer approaching.

They were on the move early, and I readied my camera on the tripod as they walked out of the tag alder funnel and headed my way. They would pause there, and then move back into the funnel and continue on their way or  run off off across the nearby open field.

The lighting was poor tonight at that angle as I faced west into sharp sunlight, and at first glance at 50 yards I thought it was two adult does. That didn't make sense at this time of year, and I freed my binoculars from my back pack, and it turned out to be an adult doe and a 1 1/2-year-old spikehorn with six-inch daggers atop his head.

Two bucks facing off today.

They milled around a bit, apparently deciding what to do when a third deer stepped out. He was what should have been a main frame 8-point but one brow point was just a rounded bump on one antler. The deer, a nice 7-pointer was interested in the doe, and the spike tried to stand his ground. Suddenly, all the deer were in motion; the 7-pointer was after the doe, the spike was trying to get out of the way, and then a 10-point with a fairly wide rack stood 50 yards away as he watched the action.

This stand is perched atop a small knoll looking down 20 yards into a tag alder thicket, and it was a great experience to look down and across into the tags to spot moving deer. I watched a big buck rubbing his rack on a tag alder, but it was just too dark inside that thicket for a photo.

I kept watching, and recalled a tip given over 50 years ago. "Look for horizontal lines in vertical cover."

That advice came in handy tonight, and I put it to good use. I was able to spot two motionless deer with my naked eye, and when I raised my binoculars, two other bucks were seen facing off for a possible one-sided fight. It is wonderful practice for a hunter, and teaches us how to look for the horizontal lines of a deer's body. Once spotted, it become much easier to pick out the antlers, ears and tail.

One buck was a mystery. I could see dark brown antlers coming out of his skull but they blended in with the tag alders. I never did see what kind of rack this animal wore, but he stood absolutely motionless for 30 minutes at 50 yards. I eventually spotted another moving deer, took my eyes off the standing buck, and when I looked back again he was gone.

Some deer moved into the open while others stayed in or near the tag alder.

All the deer eventually moved back into an open field before ducking back into the alders and continued their trek through the thick cover. It gave me a break, and then more deer were spotted moving down through the field toward me.

One was a buck with antlers that went mostly straight up but one side was considerably higher than the other. He stood near a two-track, and watched other deer. Two mature does were widely spaced in a nearby open field, and he watched them for 15 minutes before following the others.

Tonight was a grand night. Several bucks of varying sizes were seen but the 10-point with a huge rut-swollen neck stuck his head out of the alders, looked around, crossed the open area, jumped into the funnel on the other side and disappeared from sight. No chance for a shot with my bow or the camera because of sun flare on my lens.

Little chance for a bow shot.

I lifted my bow once, drew down on an adult doe, and then that shot offering ended as she disappeared with a small buck hot on her trail. I suspect that before too long the doe would lead him past a larger buck who would put an end to his youthful enthusiasm.

All too soon the darkness began creeping across the area and the deer began moving off to some distant destination, probably in a still-standing corn field. One minute there were six deer in sight, and two minutes later all had disappeared as if by magic. There is still a great deal of the deer season left, and one of these day, I may take a shot at a good buck or a big doe. Time will tell.

Another night without a shot but I did get a few decent photos. And, in many cases, one photo can be worth a thousand words.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors