Montana mule deer rut activity

[Hem]

Clearly it depends.
I hunted whiteys for a few days West of Missoula, didn't even see a buck.
Found a good scrape and rub line though.

 

[Rie Bread]

Guy i know lives in Elkhorns off 15. He has been seeing bucks getting sniffy.

I saw a bunch near gateway sniffin and chasin’.

 

[DFS]

I hunted the last 3 1/2 days it was rolling on Thursday and seems to have slowed down from there. Some of that I would attribute to hunting pressure and weather. There is rut activity at the end of October. I have seen bucks chasing the end of October. Either way anytime in November is good for rut activity and bad for our bucks.

 

[Doublecluck]

 

[DFS]

View attachment 348584

Pre-rut

 

[brockel]

The pumpkin patch is really starting to sprout that’s when the rut seems to start here

 

[DFS]

The pumpkin patch is really starting to sprout that’s when the rut seems to start here
View attachment 348588

Have you seen the locals transition from normal vehicles to Subaru’s in your vicinity?

 

[brockel]

Have you seen the locals transition from normal vehicles to Subaru’s in your vicinity?

Subaru is a rare sight out here 9 months out of the year.

Even got to see the old Chrysler town and country out cruising the backroads out here. Blue plates with 10,000 lakes on it

 

[Ben Long]

I got a 4x4 on Friday Nov 7 that was tending a doe aggressively. But his neck was not swollen and his glands were not too stinky. It was a fabulous hunt and I will write more about it later. I called him and a lion in with a doe bleat.

 

[DFS]

Subaru is a rare sight out here 9 months out of the year.

Even got to see the old Chrysler town and country out cruising the backroads out here. Blue plates with 10,000 lakes on it

There was a picture of my first buck that has been lost. It came home on the hood of a brown Buick. I have torn my parents house apart looking for it.

 

[Ben Long]

 

[MTTW]

Poor pictures but both of these bucks are lip curling. Hounding does.

 

[MTTW]

I knew an old outfitter that had killed some big bucks back in the late 1950s and 1960s who swore that mule deer didn't rut until the week of Thanksgiving.

Lots of different takes on rut timing, like everything I guess.

 

[cahunter805]

My experience a couple of days ago. In his defense, I had just field dressed my wife's buck so I smelled like a deer.

Thats pretty cool.

 

[brockel]

I knew an old outfitter that had killed some big bucks back in the late 1950s and 1960s who swore that mule deer didn't rut until the week of Thanksgiving.

Lots of different takes on rut timing, like everything I guess.

Probably seeing more bucks traveling then looking for the last hot doe.

 

[MTTW]

Probably seeing more bucks traveling then looking for the last hot doe.

Another thing is in this area they are fully concentrated on winter range and visible most years.

 

[BAKPAKR]

View attachment 348590

Congrats on a nice buck.

HOWEVER, it would be very remiss of me not to pass on that you are in serious need of a pack upgrade.

 

[Cap’n Crunch]

Seen a bunch of little bucks cruising. A couple trophy 2 points by NR standards! All the big bucks have moved to N. Dakota.

 

[Forkyfinder]

View attachment 348590

Classy photo @Ben Long (attached).

Ive always appreciated grip and grins that are about capturing the moment and not manipulating the perspevtive to exaggerate the game.

 

[Nameless Range]

The rut is in full swing where I live, there’s just no bucks to do any rutting.