Sierras -- Any rutting behavior yet?

[CVShooter]

We're in the final weeks of the season for many of the D zones. Anybody spotting any pre-rut behavior from the bucks yet?

Have seen a lot of does this year. Hoping to find a buck soon.

[britlab]

Living in Bridgeport don't see rutting until mid to late Nov

[Divernhunter]

It is not like TV. The rutting is after the season closes here.

[Dabnis]

We are at about 6,700 feet in the Lake Tahoe area. Lots of deer coming through our yard (no fences) all fall. Had 2 good size bucks with about 3 to 4 does all together, just getting along fine, no drama. They will soon be migrating into Nevada. They look like mule deer, but a bit on the small size. I have been told they are hybrids, between real Nevada mule deer & California black tail deer. One year they found 6 of them dead on the golf course in the spring, guess they waited too long to do down the hill to Verdi?

[CVShooter]

It is not like TV. The rutting is after the season closes here.

Sometimes, near the end of the season, you'll see bucks hanging out with the does more. No, it's not a full-blown rut like we see on the coast. It's the start of some pre-rut behavior. Rather than hanging out with the guys, they take a little more interest in the opposite sex & do a little bit of mixing. More like early adolescence, less like a frat party. Feeding together but not actively pursuing them yet. There's some wiggle room around the averages as some deer experience the mood changing earlier and later than others. Would be good to keep folks posted of any changes since does are easier to find.

[stonefly-2]

They seem to still be full blown nocturnal where i hunt in D-5,
hoping for weather.

[CVShooter]

They seem to still be full blown nocturnal where i hunt in D-5,
hoping for weather.

I hear ya. Might be something coming in about this time next week.

[britlab]

Bucks wont come down until snow gets belly deep

[mtndragon]

Where I hunt in D-5, the bucks will start to follow does a little the last week of the season and potentially show themselves during the day, but for now, they're creatures of the night.

[stonefly-2]

Bucks wont come down until snow gets belly deep

It depends,

Most of them go into Nevada anyway but the ones that come this way will prestage part way down if it's just cold with lighter snows.

The first buck i killed in D5 was on an opening day.

I was up pretty high up and had about 40 does single file right past me getting out of dodge.
I was scared knowing i needed to get out as well, the dark clouds had that "rolling on themselves" look.
I popped my buck (and my cherry) , gutted him, dragged him to my truck and bailed.
The snow hit me when i got to Placerville.

Point being that i believe the deer sensed the nature of the storm and came pouring out of the high country.

These deer were what i call blacktails though too not the mountain bucks.

I imagine you get to see the "changing of the guard" deer type wise there in your yard don't you?

[CVShooter]

About 4 seasons ago, I went out on opening day of the rifle season, hit the trail early and hoofed it 7 miles over a 10k' pass. Got some rain, hail and snow that day. The wind was howling and a fog so damp that the metal sign at the top of the pass was growing ice crystals horizontally. Not much snow stuck but I had ice growing off my eyebrows & a nice thick layer forming on my barrel. I never saw any bucks where it was legal to hunt but probably saw at least 20 deer that day. Watching their behavior for a bit, you'd think they planned to stay all winter. Most were feeding before daylight and bedded down during the day, just like any other day. I took a cue from some does and caught some Z's while hunkering down in the sagebrush to get out of the wind & try to thaw a bit. Crazy day. It taught me that, at least where I am, no amount of weather is going to push them down when the daylight hours are still too long. That was late September. But, sometime in the next few weeks, things should start changing...

[JustHitIt]

Not even close.. wont see that until late Nov to Dec

[johnthomas]

Every time I leave the house and see.........oh, never mind, lol.

[duckman1]

We were near Truckee 2 weeks ago and no sign, took one buck and he was showing no changes.

[jschuff32]

We're seeing some bucks hanging with does, but no actual rutting.


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