Question: “I’m deer hunting in Coleman County, about 10 miles north of the county line. So far, deer movement has been slow. We have not seen any signs of rutting or chasing by bucks going on to date. We are seeing a few scrapes and rubs, of course, and it looks like bucks are checking scrapes some on our piece of real estate. I didn’t get to hunt the past weekend, I was in Coke County with a friend on his property. Has anyone seen or reported any rutting activity while deer hunting in Coleman County this year?”
Response: My cousin hunts in central Coleman County and yes, he has been seeing some rutting activity with bucks chasing does. He says bucks are checking out the estrus he’s using regularly. In their area, they have a lot of acorns on the ground, so they hunted away from the feeders on their ranch. This past weekend they sat in areas where they could see some country and looked for cruising deer.
He and another guy on the place they hunt even tried some rattling with some success. Hitting the horns did bring in some middle-aged whitetail bucks, but no mature deer. Although the 125 and 135 inch 3 1/2 year old bucks they rattled up were fun to watch. His buddy said that light rattling worked well a week about, but it took some loud rattling to bring anything in over the weekend.
They also saw some young bucks chasing does. This is typically a sign that the “real rut” is about to start. The young bucks start their wishful thinking a little prematurely, which is about right for most areas, including Coleman County.
I was traveling through that country mid-week during the early morning and saw A LOT of deer rut activity. It seemed like at least every 10 to 15 minutes I would see a buck walking, running or trailing a doe while driving through several counties over there. The morning temps were in the 30’s and bucks looked to be going strong. My guess is that the Coleman County rut is in effect.
Last weekend was probably on the early side, but things are peaking and should stay hot for a while. My recommendation is to get out there deer hunting, especially in the mornings and through the first half of the day. This cool weather will have them moving and you got to be out there to see them. Best of luck!