Very interesting; should have included a "very late" choice. Quite a disparity here.
Do you think the rut was early, on time, or late in your area of OK this year?
- Thread starter Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow
- Start Date
I seen a monster buck checking does on nov. 11th in the a.m. and seen chasing the 13 and 14th. while bowhunting. my 11yo boy shot his first buck chasing a doe opening morning rifle and i shot my biggest buck to date that evening tending a hot doe. since opening day my does have started grouping back up. we seen groups of 2-7 this weekend on our lease out by harrah. we seen two bucks niether was anywhere close to the does we watched.
I'm not sure how to vote exactly as far as "the rut" timing. But I can tell you when I saw the most activity. The week after muzzleload season was spectacular down here. The days that I was not in the stand, I was driving backroads morning and evening and keeping record of what and when I saw. Around Nov 1-3 I saw more mature bucks moving during daylight hours than any other time. Weather may have played a big part in this too, but by far this was the greatest point of activity observed. By the time rifle season started, there was very little movement observed. And again, weather may have played a big part in this, as it got quite warm in the days before the opening day.
Seemed like it was pretty close to on time in my area. Maybe a little late. We had them chasing the weekend before rifle. Haven't seen a buck since rifle opened. Our does are grouping back up, saw 8 does this weekend. In groups except for one.
My own theory is that the timing varies tremendously widely from part to part to part of the state, and nationwide as well.
I voted on time, but don't agree with the dates. I think 9-13 is on time for my area based on what I've seen. Regardless, haven't seen anything except young deer all season. lots of does that still have fawns, but I'm thinning them down pretty hard.
I'd love to see them move rifle season forward to the week before thanksgiving instead of the week of. IMO, that would do more to control the population than anything else.
I'd love to see them move rifle season forward to the week before thanksgiving instead of the week of. IMO, that would do more to control the population than anything else.
You mean they disappear and you don't see them at all during the 9th - 13th? Or that you do see them? Because my poll says "culminating in pairing & mating" - that's the time when they're GONE.
In other words, if you SEE them in the height of activity on the 9th-13th, or thereabouts, then the correct vote in the poll is indeed the "On Time" choice (14th-18th). Course, these aren't exact but approximate.
If you vote "Early" (9th-13th), that means you see them most on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th, and they're GONE round about the 9th-10th.
But I definitely should have put a 4th "way late" option, for pairing/mating (gone) on 24th - 29th (i.e. when you see the most activity round about the 19th - 23rd). Rare but it happens. Again, I'm pretty convinced that it can vary tremendously widely from spot to spot - maybe even from doe to doe (the does decide when they will allow mating).
In fact, now that I think about it and you mention that - that makes me think a lot of other people may have misread the poll, and voted incorrectly, so look for a new, clarified poll thread if I have time.
If I could change my vote I would then. Late. Next time I should read the question more closely.
Just saw my first buck chasing this morning here in Leflore County. I'd say...Late!
I saw a real nice buck chasing a doe through my front yard and across my fields yesterday morning. Caught me flat footed or I would have grabbed my camera for the photo op. It's the first big buck I've seen since I live just outside the city limits but I'll probably go set up with the bow here in the next couple days to see if I see him again.
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