Late Oct. Deer Hunting Report , Buffalo County, WI

The rut is on in Buffalo Cty., WI! I had the chance to do some serious bow hunting the last few days and saw lots of rubs, scrapes and even some shooter bucks chasing does during daylight hours.

With temperatures in the 30’s at night, and only getting into the high 40’s during the day, the bucks were moving good seeking does all over the place.

Earlier in the week I did some scouting and discovered some excellent sign along a brushy fence line that connects two major woodlots. This fence borders the neighbor’s property and is over 500 yards long. There were scrapes and rubs all over the place and I soon realized that I needed to put up a camera to see what bucks were making all this sign.

Sat. night I hunted in a stand that also had some excellent sign including a huge rub measuring over 10 inches! I wasn’t sure what I would see that night due to the fact the winds were blowing over 25 m.p.h. However, it didn’t take long and a little forker made his way through and walked within 5 yards of my stand.

About a half hour later, I caught some movement above me and saw a deer running through the brushy hillside. Right away I knew it was a buck without even getting a look at his rack simply by the way he moved. I pulled up the binoculars and soon discovered I was right – he was a 2.5 year old 7 pointer. Obviously this buck was chasing something and I soon realized there was also a doe ahead of him most likely in estrus. I quickly grabbed the video camera and was able to get some footage him bird dogging this doe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C6zGUpjG9A

Sunday morning I decided to scout and sat on the road and glassed that brushy fenceline over a half mile away. I felt like I should have been in a stand hunting but I just had to see if I could see what buck(s) were making all that sign along that fence. I sat there for over 2 hours and counted 22 deer including 4 bucks and most likely two shooters. Almost all the deer made their way up to an adjacent ridge and I soon realized where I was going to be spending most of my time moving forward. I also couldn’t wait to check that camera!

About 10am on Sunday, I was in my truck when I saw some deer running in a wide open field. I quickly drove closer hoping it was a buck chasing a doe. I wasn’t disappointed and witnessed one of the best chasing sequences of a buck not letting a doe get to the woods. He was most likely a 3.5 year old 9 pointer in the low 130’s and he had certainly done this before. It was like he was a master sheep dog herding a loan sheep. Whenever she would make a move, he countered and cut her off. Fortunately, I was able to grab the video camera and was able to get some pretty good footage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfkApVVKCRQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smktCp9oOEA

Around noon, I made my way over to check out that camera along that brushy fence line and was delighted to find out that 7 different bucks hit the scrape including a good 8 pointer that I saw earlier in the morning. One of the last pictures was of him hitting that scrape at 6pm! How come I didn’t set up on him that night??? I then spent the next couple of hours hauling out a ground blind and brushing it in so that it looked natural. I didn’t have much to work with and used brush and grass. Satisfied with my set up I went back, showered and made my back out around 4 pm with a buck decoy. My plan was for me to try and draw that 8 pointer over the fence line to check out my decoy.

Does started pouring out of the woods and at 5:30 I saw a good buck dogging a couple of does as they made their way down the ridge. I thought for sure it was that 8 pointer I got on camera. However, I was wrong. He was an 8 pointer but not the one I captured on camera. He was even bigger and heavier with huge 5-6 inch brow tines.

All the deer soon made their way into the corn field and now the waiting game started. Would they make their way over to me within eyesight of my decoy? I knew this set up was a long shot but I had to give it a try.

About a half hour later, I saw some deer making their way into an adjacent hay field. I pulled up the binocs once again and there he was feeding out in the field. He looked huge and I quickly grabbed the video camera once again and was able to film him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bGG_bD0R8Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RzJ4N7-yYQ

He was over 200 yards away and I tried rattling as hard as I could, but I don’t think he even heard me due to the wind blowing. He eventually exited the hayfield and made is way up another ridge.

Thinking my night was over, I started to pack things up. Just when I was about to leave for the night, I saw another buck on anther ridge making his way down towards 4 does in the valley. As soon as he saw them, he ran right for them and chased them a half mile into the big woodlot!

What a great weekend! I was sad I had to go home but at least I’m starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together. These bucks are chasing does and moving in daylight hours. Now is the time to capitalize on their mistakes.

Now the time to get out there! The rut is starting to happen and all day sits are on the agenda!

As I finish this report, I’m heading out again tonight and will be hunting through the weekend. Needless to say, I will be spending some time in that blind!