I was out this morning trying to find a coyote. Never did find or call one. But, I did get to observe a shiny healthy young 4 point, and he was acting odd. I was in a tall blind on the south side of an east-west pipeline right of way. Looked west and there was a deer, and he had a small rack. He moved east, to in front of me, sniffing and apparently trying to find scent. He went further east, went back west, then went in front of me and south into the woods. 15 minutes later, here he came, moving north. Sniffing and looking constantly. Sure looked like Rut activity, but surely it’s too early for that…I think.

I watched a medium sized buck tearing the hell out of a cedar tree this morning out behind the house. I don't think it was just getting the velvet off. He was thinking about jumping the pipe fence into our yard. I sent Bebe the Wonder Dog to change his mind. She's still something to watch run.

First cool mornings last couple of days gets us all ready for the season

Way too early.

This

I do agree that it’s too early for rut activity, but I do wonder what he was doing.

I mean I get excited like that when we finally have cool mornings again.

No scrapes here. They are still in bachelor groups. No rut activity that I have seen at all.

They just got the velvet off and their feeling their oats with this cool weather. Don`t get ahead of yourself boys. Still way too early in central Texas.

The boys always get fired up way before the girls will have any of it.

'Makes no difference to me. I just sit in a box and snipe them when they come to my timed bait. That is, if I'm not taking a nap. Sometimes I even wear camo.

I saw a buck running a doe on my place in Leon county a few years back.

usually early to mid Oct. for the first does to cycle, starts breaking up the bachelor groups. Years ago, had an uncle that would go set in his stand after work starting Oct. 1, first sign of chasing he would mark his calendar and not go back out for 28 days ...

agree, too early.

maybe he was searching for a coyote he scented

He didn’t have his head down like a buck tracking a ready doe. His sniffing was mostly up, and not down lower than knee high on a man. It’s his back and forth movement, while sniffing the air, all over the power line, that looked so odd. Just seemed strange to me. Never seen that sort of thing before, that I can remember.

He was a fine looking young buck. Not a shooter this year.

I’ll be in the blind earlier in the morning. I was late, due to laziness this morning, and there had been a mid sized hog at the feeder about 40 minutes before I got there. It’ll be the last cool morning for a while.

Yep