Hey all hunting Hamilton county the last 6 days and currently in a phase that I haven’t noticed this much before. Seeing plenty of doe usually 7-8 per hunt but there is a complete lack of bucks. I’ve only seen 3 bucks in 12 hunts. Usually I would be seeing 5-6 per hunt just cruising around but that is not the case this year. I read about a lockdown phase but is Hamilton there yet? Haven’t noticed much chasing at all. This is the 9th year on this lease and this is the first time we’ve noticed the lack of bucks. Not even seeing the scrubby 6 points and small 8’s. Still too early? I feel like we should be seeing bucks looking for the does but I’ve got them and the bucks are a no show

Hamilton County will be kicking off any day now------CLOSE

Hamilton county has been full bore since the first week of November. First chasing I saw was the week before Halloween. Right on time for the 25+ years I've been hunting this and surrounding counties.

Man that’s off from what I’m seeing. Usually this week to thanksgiving has been really good to me. I did see a really nice 8 yesterday but he needs another year. The does I’m seeing all have yearlings and when I do see the bucks they will check them for a few seconds and move on. That’s about the extent of rut activity I’ve seen.

Now the place I’m hunting is pretty much a really thick cedar forest. Now there is plenty of oaks but the cedars were just let go. There are small pockets of open area but not very big and a river bottom that is mostly open with pecan trees. Would how dense the woods are change anything for the rut activity? We don’t usually see a super defined rut phase but usually more than I am seeing currently