Rut stage?

So where does everyone think we are at? I hunt SE Minnesota and hunted hard all last week and all day Saturday and all day Sunday. Based on what i have seen, as of yesterday the majority of the bucks are still in pre-rut (I define “prerut” to be leading up to significant breeding), here is why:
– lots of bucks are still scraping hard and very predictable, still getting pictures of the same bucks showing up feverishly on scrapes and also making new ones
-saturday and sunday i saw several small bucks following does, but very distantly…30 to 70 yards back, certainly not chasing or doggin her by any means. all the bucks i saw were small and could get easily run off by bigger bucks if she was ready.
-saw pairs of bucks cruising together
-saw large groups of does with fawn and no bucks with them. Seems like normally if there is much breeding going on the does and fawns are separated and typically not grouped up
-I heard very little shooting all weekend.
-I simply just did not see any chasing at all like is should be.

My opinion is that as of yesterday on the farm i hunt the bucks were in “seeking” phase, and are probably a day or two out from full out chasing. I have two days of vacation left and am looking to burn them Wednesday and Thursday or Thursday and Friday and hope for some movement. Opinions?

Just north of Mille Lacs I would say its in full swing. Big bucks running with tongues hanging out trying to pick up scent. Bucks running all over doe beds. Spooked a doe and fawn sunday only to see what I think was the same doe 10 minutes later with no fawn and buck hot on its tail.

I also hunt in SE MN, I think we are still in pre rut with the rut not far behind. I did see one buck all out chasing 3 or 4 does early last week. I did not see any chasing this weekend but bucks are on the move looking for hot does. I had the coolest thing happen to me Sunday afternoon around 1PM I grunted in a 2.5 year old 8 point to within 17.5 yards of me, he came straight to me from 75 yards out like he was on a string! He then proceeded to make a scrape right there in front of me, then he came closer up to the fence line, the fence is about 15′ from my tree, he stopped and raked some brush with his antlers and then proceeded to the fence and instead of jumping over it he limboed his way under the fence! The bottom wire is about 2.5 feet off the ground, last year I had a smaller racked buck go under the fence in the exact same spot, I am thinking it could be the same buck as last year. After he went under the fence he walked right under my tree and made another scrape 20 yards behind me. I was really kicking myself that I did not have my camera out of my back pack as I could have got some very good footage, it was one of the neatest things I have seen in the deer woods. Oh yea and I let him walk maybe I will see him again next year. Well that’s it for now I have to get back out to the woods!

I also hunt SE Minnesota and from what I saw the bucks in our area where chasing real hard the last week, but have seemed to stop this past weekend just in time for the gun season which I am perfectly fine with

Western Chippewa County (WI), not much chasing going on around here other than me trying to chase down the pissant trespasser that stole my Covert Trail Camera last weekend. “Buddy beware, cuz Hell’s comin with me!”

Im in SE hunting everyday for the last 23. Last week I saw two chasing then nothing til sun pm when I saw one more but I dont think we are quite there yet.