Freer - Rut?

Headed down next week.

Rumor is the deer are about to start the process. I've heard they have started chasing a bit, etc.

With the current moon and temps about to drop, is anyone seeing mature deer acting foolish?

Dimmit Co near Catarina not seeing any rut action. Usually Dec10-15 it'll start kickin in round here.
Good luck

I just got back from 8 days south of Freer. Callaghan Ranch area. Deer movement was poor at the beginning of that time but began to pick up a little every day. We managed to kill two mature culls and saw several other mature bucks around and at feeders. Lots of big, fresh scrapes and a little bit of chasing by the younger bucks. I'd feed every evening when we got back to camp. Does and fawns wouldn't come until about 8:30 PM each night. Monday night, a 160+ 10 point came in about 9 PM, sniffed around the girls and left. He was only out in the open for about two minutes.

With the cold weather coming mid-next week and the moon approaching full, the rut should get kicked off in earnest around December 6th. Hopefully during daylight hours! Good luck to you!

I'm 10 miles south of San Diego, and there has been almost no movement at all.

We are outside of Hebronville. Last weekend there wasn't much sign of anything, every once in a while a spike or something would sniff at a doe and she would put him in his place and life went on, think there is still some time. Also don't think the temp or the moon has much to do with it, its going to happen when it happens every year for the past ten years for us that has been about the week of Christmas and picks up again late January.

red, you should read up on lunar phase and does coming into heat. And temps? I see a lot more bucks running during the day when temps are cool, versus hot.

Maybe I am wrong, I don't know. I have read about all kinds of things affecting it but my observations which may be biased or flawed or not seem to support that it just happens when it happens. Their instinct and drive to breed runs them to near death or death in many cases, I don't believe the temperature has much bearing on it.

I've always heard its a combination of temperature/moon phase/specific week of year. It's not an exact science at all. I bet it fluctuates at least 7 days either way each year per location.

Any news? I heard baby bucks are starting to lock up. Full moon fever?

We're 20 miles SE of Cotulla. Little bucks are aggravating does but that's about it. Didn't see any mature bucks. Going down the 18th for a week. Maybe then.

I just heard from a buddy who hunts in Marble Falls. He claims they are post rut. Hot weather and the moon turned it upside down. He is convinced the turn in weather is going to spike up activity next week. Let's hope so...

It won't spike next week there in Marble Falls no matter what the weather unless the does are due for their next cycle. This is right at 28 days from the first cycle if they didnt get bred the first time.

Looks like this rain is "supposed" to stop mid day on Thursday. Anyone in Webb watching the deer do the mating dance?

Does should start cycling after this last full moon.

Webb co by hwy 359 nothing yet

3007, good to know. I'll be about 45 miles from there... I hope this cold puff of air will do the trick. WLR.

We were in Freer last weekend and still saw no rutting activity. Headed back right after xmas.

Nothing we saw in the Hebronville area as of last weekend. I'd be looking for it to pick up next week big time.

They were rutting northwest of the city of Freer when I was there the 3 days before Christmas.

I also caught one of those blue indigo snakes. This one was about 6 feet long which is the smallest of the four we have found since the summer and our first year on the lease. The biggest one was 10 feet. It didn't look real it was soo big. Of cousre we don't shoot them they are protected and eat rattlesnakes.