Regional Rut Update: Awesome Midwest Buck Activity; Cooler Temps Needed in South, East

made good on her first opportunity at a big buck in two decades.This is Week 4 of the 2024 Game & Fish Regional Rut Update, a series of exclusive weekly deer activity reports from the field by whitetail contributors Doug Howlett (East), Brandon Butler (Midwest) and Josh Honeycutt (South). This week's report includes:

• In the East, Howlett says the activity is mixed across the region with warm weather slowing the action. He predicts that cooler weather expected next week should ramp up daytime buck movement.
• In the South, Honeycutt reports that the rut has begun to spread across the region, and now is the time to get into the woods. 
• In the Midwest, Butler says chasing is peaking, and that hunters should hunt travel corridors and scrapes to maximize their chances before bucks lock down. 

EAST REPORT

Activity Mixed Across the Region

• The rut is in full swing in some places, while warm temperatures seem to have slowed it in others—though only temporarily.

By Doug Howlett

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” is one of the most famous lines in English literature, appearing in Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities,” published in 1859. While the book centers on a story surrounding the French Revolution, which started in 1789, Dickens’ words could just as easily apply to this year’s whitetail rut in the Northeast. This week should have been phenomenal across the region. But for many, including yours truly, it fell well below expectations.

One culprit may be the warm weather. It has been summer-level hot in many places with just a few minor respites last weekend. Thankfully, the hunting forecast should improve with more seasonal temps arriving in the coming week.

I have always said my favorite time of each November is between the 7th and the 13th. I hit the woods as much as possible during the middle of that window this year, and I saw a few deer during each sit. Last year, while hunting the same area during the same period, my hunting partners and I saw three to eight deer each time we went out and multiple bucks on the hoof, including some impressive shooters.

While talking to other hunters—some of whom have been enjoying solid success—I’ve felt a little bit left out. But, then again, if misery loves company, I have plenty of friends in that camp as well.

George Hamilton, a Massachusetts deer hunter sums it up best.

“As I'm sure you're aware, the first week of November was odd here with some crazy hot days,” he says. “And, by hot, I mean temperatures—not the deer activity. For me, activity was on the slow side. I've sat five times, and I've seen five bucks—two on my first sit and two on another sit—and one doe. The buck activity I did see was on the mornings when we had overnight and morning temps in the low 30s.”

That said, Hamilton and many other hunters are eager for what the coming week brings, as rut action will likely begin slowing down after that. In any case, here’s what I’m hearing from around the region.

In West Virginia, Larry Case reports that things in the Mountain State have been slow due to the unseasonably warm weather. He’s anticipating better movement as the temperature cools and expects the rut to pick up in the coming week.

Cody Murphy of Potts Creek Outfitters in Paint Bank, Va. (located on the state line with West Virginia), says the area is still in the pre-rut phase with minimal chasing, though some activity is starting to ramp up. He anticipates more significant rut action within the next week as the weather starts to change.

New Jersey outfitter David Sichik notes that deer are moving during the day with about 90 percent of sightings occurring in daylight hours. He even spotted six deer while simply driving around one afternoon earlier this week, which suggests some increased daytime activity, though things seem less predictable than usual.

In New York, Tiffany Bezio reports a slower start to the rut in her area with minimal sightings and just one buck taken so far. She hasn’t seen much action on cameras either, as they’ve captured images of only a single buck in the past week. Local hunters are also struggling, and the rut seems to be moving at a slower pace.

Michael Wheeler has been battling constant winds (30 mph gusts) in Vermont, but he’s still seeing some promising signs of the rut with deer moving midday, including a small buck following a doe. His trail cameras are capturing deer activity at unusual hours with bucks showing up at 10 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 3:30 p.m. Wheeler’s most encouraging sign was encountering a hot doe in a logging road area, where he set up in hopes of catching a mature buck following her scent. He mentions an area with a group of does he has found that should come into heat soon, and he's preparing for longer sits in the hopes of a big buck cruising through.

Trevor Berwick reports that the rut is in full swing in his slice of Connecticut with plenty of chasing occurring and big bucks patrolling despite the warm weather. He has the photos of friends proudly posing with their trophies to prove it, too. Scrapes are being actively worked, and it’s clear that the bucks are fully engaged in chasing and trailing. Berwick anticipates the action will continue to intensify as the rut peaks in the coming week.

In southeastern Virginia, Chris Barham notes that deer are responding to calling methods with bucks actively chasing and showing more pronounced rut behavior. He’s had some solid success at bringing bucks in using a Primos The Original Can Doe Bleat call, though he admits they’ve mostly been smaller bucks so far. While his personal sightings have been sparse overall, all signs are pointing toward peak rut activity. The changing landscape, with crops being harvested and oaks dropping acorns in some places, has contributed to a shift in deer movement patterns, but trail cameras are still picking up deer regularly.

The reports are a mix of early-season slowness due to high temperatures and some pockets of stronger rut activity. The shifting weather should bring better conditions for hunters across the region with a more active and predictable rut expected in the coming days. Stay tuned; there's still plenty of time to get in on the action.

TAGGED OUT

Double the Pleasure

A New England hunter bags two Rhode Island stud bucks in a single week.

• Hunter: Seth Beaulieu
• Date: Nov. 4 and Nov. 10, 2024
• Location: Newport County, R.I.
• Method: Muzzleloader, compound bow
• Stats: 8 points, 245 pounds; 9 points, 220 pounds

When it comes to hunting luck, Seth Beaulieu is living proof that sometimes it just rolls your way.. In the region’s smallest state (in fact, the smallest state in the country)—Rhode Island—Beaulieu managed to tag two big bucks in the span of just a week. While plenty of hunters across the region have found the rut frustrating and unpredictable, Beaulieu seems to have a little extra help from Lady Luck—or maybe just a golden horseshoe up his sleeve.

It all started Saturday, Nov. 4, in Newport County, Rhode Island, when Beaulieu had a decision to make. He was supposed to be working, but after checking the weather forecast, he decided to ditch the grind for a much-needed hunt.

“You only get four Saturdays in November,” he says of his thought process. “Screw it, I’m going.”

It was the right call. Beaulieu arrived in the woods on a picture-perfect morning with cool, crisp air and settled into his stand while doing something he never does—drinking coffee. He was just excited to be outdoors and decided to take it all in. Sometimes, he says, it’s easy to forget to slow down and enjoy the moment in the rush of the season.

As some time went by, Beaulieu heard the unmistakable sound of cracking branches and heavy footsteps. Turning, he spotted a deer almost jogging in his direction. A quick scan confirmed what he already knew—this was a good-sized buck.

As the deer barreled toward him, Beaulieu quickly reached for his CVA muzzleloader, mentally assessing whether this was a shooter. By the time he shouldered the gun, the buck was almost past him, nose to the ground, clearly on a mission.

He can’t recall for sure if he grunted or just let out a noise, but the deer slowed down just enough for him to line up the shot. As the smoke cleared, Beaulieu watched the buck run for about 30 yards before stopping. His heart sank as he thought he had missed.

Beaulieu wondered silently how he could’ve missed the deer. A beautiful archery buck he’d lost in October had already been haunting him, and he couldn’t bear the thought of having blown this opportunity, too.

But then came the wobble, the circle and, finally, the fall of the buck within easy sight.

“I sat back, cleaned and reloaded my muzzleloader and had another sip of coffee,” Beaulieu says. “It just doesn’t get any better for a deer hunter.”

After a quick call to his wife, Tallia, and daughter, Emma, Beaulieu and his family recovered the 245-pound, 4 1/2-year-old buck. Emma, Beaulieu’s little hunting buddy, has been a part of nearly every hunt since she was born, which made the recovery even more special. “She’s my best friend,” he says.

After the excitement, Beaulieu reflected on the wild emotions of the hunt. The 8-point had a large beam on his right side and some palmation on his left, but the body size was ridiculous.

“Losing that good buck a few weeks earlier was a real low,” Beaulieu says, "so having this gorgeous buck drop in sight was just unreal.”

Then, as if that weren’t enough, Beaulieu wasn’t done. Just about a week later—Nov. 10—with his family occupied and November speeding along, he decided to head back to the woods, this time with his bow.

He was running late and arrived at about 3:45 p.m. For that reason, he didn’t expect much, but he figured he’d simply make the best of it and see what, if anything, happened. Something did. In fact, a lot did.

Just as daylight began to fade, he took two coyotes with his bow. Typically, that would blow any chance for a good buck to appear, but Beaulieu wanted to get the coyotes. Shortly after killing the first coyote, he caught a glimpse of a beautiful buck about 100 yards away. Moments later, the other coyote cruised by a mere 10 yards from his stand, so he let another arrow fly.

Then, with just a few minutes of legal hunting light left, Beaulieu began to pack up his gear. But as he turned around, the buck he had spotted earlier was walking straight toward him. He quickly grabbed his bow and, with his final arrow, went to full draw. The buck paused and then began to walk away. Just as quickly, the deer turned and walked back toward the stand, stopping at a mock scrape Beaulieu had made just for this occasion. It led to an easy shot. Like his previous buck, the 9-point also surpassed the 200-pound mark—220 pounds to be precise.

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READ OUR REPORT

SOUTH REPORT

Rut Spreads Across the South

• Despite the warm weather, now is the time for deer hunters to be afield.

By Josh Honeycutt

As we get deeper into November, whitetail deer activity continues to improve. In some areas, the rut is rocking. In others, it has not yet reached that point. Here’s the latest from my sources in the field.

In western Tennessee, outdoor writer and editor Brodie Swisher is finally seeing signs of the rut. According to him, deer have started chasing and grunting in the thick stuff. “It’s mainly overeager young bucks pushing does at this time,” he says, “but that is bound to change.”

Arkansas deer hunter Jay Jackson reports that bucks in his area are pairing off with does. “I think some of the big bucks must be locked down because I’m not getting them on cam,” he says. “My best buck had been gone since October 30, but I just got a pic of him again last night.”

Brian Grossman, who works with the National Deer Association and is based in west-central Georgia, says chasing activity is reaching its peak despite the warmer temps the area has been having.

“I’m seeing a lot of good bucks hit the ground in some of the Georgia hunting Facebook groups I’m in,” says Grossman. “So, now is the time to be in the woods as much as possible. The rut in Georgia is more spread out than in the Midwest or Northeast, so there will still be does coming into estrus for a while. Here, we have the potential to have a great hunt well beyond the peak of activity we’re seeing now.”

Comedian and TV hunting show host Michael Pitts confirms that the hunting in parts of Georgia remains challenging with the heat keeping mature bucks nocturnal. But he adds that signs of the rut are increasing.

“There are lots of scrapes and rubs all over the place, and with my cameras, I can tell that the bucks are chasing,” Pitts says. “It seems there is better movement in the morning right now. We need some cooler temps, and it appears we are going to get them this week.”

Down in the southern reaches of the Peach State, Michael Lee believes that deer hunting in his area is about to be really good. “It’s been warm and dry, but we had some rain come through, and the bucks now are moving well,” he says. “They’re starting to move during daylight, and more and more of them are already on the does. They are also hitting acorns really hard right now and working scrapes a lot. If the [expected] cold front comes through, the action should bust loose.”

TAGGED OUT

Shooter Surprise

A happy hunter drops a nice buck that she’d never seen on before.

• Hunter: Christian Shoffner
• Date: Nov. 3, 2024
• Location: Alamance County, N.C.
• Method: Muzzleloader
• Stats: 120 inches

  North Carolina deer hunter Christian Shoffner recently bagged a hefty buck that came as quite a surprise.

• “He came in and watched eight does that were eating,” she says. “He just stood there for about 10 minutes before stepping out to where I could take my shot. I didn’t wait for him to turn broadside; I shot while he was facing me. I hit him in the lower part of his neck area, and he dropped.”

  Shoffner adds that the buck was the first “shooter” she had seen in the past 20 years. She was not going to let him pass.

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  “We had never actually seen this buck on camera,” she says. “He was a surprise that morning. My whole family was super pumped. Of course, he will feed us lots of yummy summer sausage for several months to come.”

  TAGGED OUT

  

  More Tarheel State Success

  A hunter spots half a dozen turkeys with a big buck in tow.

• Hunter: Amy Winstead
• Date: Nov. 4, 2024
• Location: Nash County, N.C.
• Method: Rifle
• Stats: 8-points

  Amy Winstead recently had an interesting experience in North Carolina, and she may have some gobblers to thank for it. While she was watching six turkeys walking in the woods near a creek, a big buck suddenly popped out by them.

  “I aimed and shot, and he fell right to the ground,” she says. “This was my second year of hunting and my second buck, but my first large buck. I am honored that I had this opportunity.”

  TAGGED OUT

  

  Bullseye Buck

  A Georgia archer gets his coveted buck.

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• Hunter: Bailey Cawthon
• Date: Oct. 29, 2024
• Location: Butts County, Ga.
• Method: Compound bow
• Stats: 115 inches

Thanks to his fellow hunting-club members, Bailey Cawthon knew one big buck was in the area. While scouting on Saturday, Oct. 26, he found a lot of sign in a thick swamp bottom. When he went back on Oct. 29, he didn’t see much. But at around 6:45 p.m., he heard a deer approaching from the bottom, and it was a good one.

“He worked right across in front of me, raking branches and working a rub,” Cawthon says. “When he finally got in position to where I could take a shot, I took him at 10 yards. He bounded off after impact but went down within seconds about 35 or 40 yards away.

“There’s not a greater feeling in the world than watching your arrow hit its mark,” he adds. “It was awesome to know that I had made a good shot and that I had harvested another great Georgia archery buck. Every single time that the plan comes together, and all of the hard work pays off, that feeling comes back all over again.”

VIDEO

Deer-Decoy Tactics for Hunting Whitetails Through the Rut

Using decoys can bring an entirely new (and effective) dynamic to your deer hunting—whether they’re two- or three-dimensional models. That includes during the rut, when a decoy at the place and time can make all the difference.

WATCH THE VIDEO

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MIDWEST REPORT

Chasing is Peaking but Lockdown Looms

• Bucks are chasing all day, so set up on travel corridors and scrapes to capitalize before bucks begin locking down does.

By Brandon Bulter

Apart from a handful of states with openers in December, firearms seasons for deer are open or are about to open across much of the Midwest. As families and friends make plans for annual deer camps, a common excitement resonates through all hunters joining the Orange Army on opening day. Yet, amongst these millions of hunters, measures of success vary.

So far, there are no accounts of a hidden rut this season. Across the Midwest region, hunters are reporting that bucks are on their feet all day chasing does. If you see a lone doe, grab your gun or bow and get ready. With the weather looking favorable for the next week across most of the region, it’s setting up to be a spectacular season.

Some of today’s hunters are all about our public lands. They pride themselves on being able to harvest a public resource from a public resource. Some hunters are predominantly in it for the meat. These meat hunters often fall into two subcategories: those who grind all their venison in a utilitarian manner and those who take a more gourmet approach and see venison osso buco as a supreme delicacy. No matter your camp, it’s an exciting time of year for deer hunters.

Big buck pictures are filling my Facebook feed, as hunters from every state are dropping giants. Aaron Meyer killed a 180-inch monster in Illinois on Nov. 6. He says his hunt started slow, and he didn’t even see a deer until 8:15 a.m.

“Then three little bucks came in at once chasing a doe,” Meyer says. “At 9 a.m., the activity had died down, so I told myself at 9:30 I needed to get down and go to work. He walked into the food plot at 9:22.”

Bucks are moving all day. We’re likely going to see more and more locking down soon. While the chasing is still happening, you want to position yourself in travel zones. If you know of an area on your property where a lot of deer pass through, think about hunting there all day long.

David Ray is a successful big-buck hunter from southern Indiana. He recently built a cabin in northern Wisconsin and is experiencing a big-woods rut for the first time.

“Witnessing rut activity in a giant forest is different than hunting over picked crop fields,” he says. “I am not seeing as many deer, but the ones I am seeing are coming into a giant scrape at the corner of two logging roads. I followed a long rub line to the scrape and decided to hang my stand there a couple of weeks ago. I’ve seen a dozen small bucks so far, but nothing I wanted to shoot. This big-woods, public-land hunting is no joke. I’m learning a lot, but the basics still apply during the rut. Which, I believe, is [to] hunt over sign in travel corridors.”

The Show Me State is still rocking the rut this season. Eric Call, of California, Mo., is a co-founder of Mid Mo Youth Outdoors. The organization takes young people hunting and fishing. With hundreds of families invested in the organization, Call hears multiple deer stories every day. He says this year's rut has been special compared to the last few.

"First of all, crossbows are a game-changer for introducing youth to deer hunting,” Call says. “We're taking kids out when the weather is nice and the woods are quiet. Our kids have taken several good bucks already this season, and we've had a ton of action. On Saturday, November 9, I had one of the best nights I've had in a treestand. I saw six bucks all over 130 inches, and that's not normal for where I hunt. They were chasing does and cruising. Two of them fought so intensely I didn't know if they'd both survive."

If you take to the woods this season, be thankful for the chance to participate in a tradition as old as mankind. Be ethical and moral in your decision-making. The decision on the deer you choose to fill your tag with is yours and yours alone. When you make your choice, be proud of what you have accomplished. As a hunter, in this modern world, you are of a small tribe. Represent us well.

TAGGED OUT

Land of Lincoln Leviathan

Crossbow hunter rattles in and arrows a nice buck in Illinois. 

• Hunter: Jackie Smith III
• Date: Nov. 11, 2024
• Location: Randolph County, Ill.
• Method: Crossbow
• Stats: 143 5/8 inches

  Jackie Smith, who had been sitting with his two sons, says the hunt was crazy from the moment they could see the field.

  “Three does and a 3-year-old 8-point with a busted G2 came out in the field at 300 yards,” Smith says. “He bumped the does but was content staying where he was. We had a doe decoy and took turns rattling the antlers, but the buck showed little interest.”

  You never know what rattling might result in at this time of year. While the Smiths were trying to entice the 8-pointer to come closer, a mature buck came out of the timber about 150 yards away. Then yet another big, mature 8-pointer came busting out of the same timber to chase the other mature deer.

  “The big eight came to 100 yards, and we tried calling to him, but he was more interested in running off the competition,” Smith says. “Both bucks cleared the field by 6:50. I waited 10 minutes and rattled again. The same mature 8-pointer comes out of the timber heading our way. He closed the distance from 150 yards to 20 in about 10 seconds and gave me a perfect broadside shot while he was doing a lip curl at my decoy. He ran about 75 yards and expired.”

  Sharing a hunt like this with his sons made the experience extra special for Smith. He says it was easily his all-time favorite hunt.

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