Deer season

[Northwoods]

Saturday the 13th opens our general gun season for deer in Arkansas. Got a picture of this guy the other night and hope he sticks around, Good luck out there guys.

[jedman]

Our deer gun season opens this Monday the 15 th.  Myself and a long time friend will be hunting state lands here in Mi, the weather forecast is perfect about high 30’s and a light snow for the opener.
I don’t know quite what to expect hunting public lands as far as the number of hunters but the state says hunter number are continuing to fall.
I have been noticing that when I am at gun shows for the past few years, 80 % of the people that are at the tables and are buying are old guys ! I think a large portion of the younger guys don’t have the hunting traditions in their mind that makes it a big deal anymore.
 When I was a teen most boys took opening day for pheasant/ rabbits off of school to go hunting and in OH where I lived then didn’t have much of a deer season until after I graduated high school but grew quickly and I used to take vacation time off from work for deer gun season.
To me, I see most younger folks spending every spare minutes looking at their cell phones ??

jedman

[Mule 11]

Gave my kids a choice. Deer hunt with me on the 2 day youth deer season or go to your cousins birthday party. Guess which one won out?

[Northwoods]

Passed on a small 8 point a spike and a small doe this morning. The bucks were eating acorns right under my tree stand it was pretty cool. Headed out this evening to see what I can see. 

Nice rub here in the back 40 found today.

[billy_56081]

I've passed on several small bucks. May shoot a doe if I see one in the morning.  Gonna leave the yearling bucks grow.

[Northwoods]

I've passed on several small bucks. May shoot a doe if I see one in the morning.  Gonna leave the yearling bucks grow.

Yup, my thoughts too. I'm gonna hold off another day or two but a nice big buck or doe is coming soon I can feel it.

[Northwoods]

Not bad for my first Whitetail. Went to church this morning and got out for an afternoon hunt and payed off.

[jedman]

Congrats !!  That’s a really nice deer whether your first or your hundredth.  A great experience I’m sure.

jedman

[Ranger99]

Not bad for my first Whitetail. Went to church this morning and got out for an afternoon hunt and payed off.

Yep
It passes my test.  2 quarters,
2 shoulders, 2 backstraps,
1 neck roast

Time to drag out the sausage tools

[arky65]

Shot nice 2 year old 9 point during Muzzle loader. Shot a nice fat doe last week, Modern Gun season. 3 more tags to fill. Zone 11 Season ends 12/05.

Glad to see people posting in this sub forum.

Good luck to all.

[Northwoods]

Shot nice 2 year old 9 point during Muzzle loader. Shot a nice fat doe last week, Modern Gun season. 3 more tags to fill. Zone 11 Season ends 12/05.

Glad to see people posting in this sub forum.

Good luck to all.

Thanks for the update arky65, I'm in zone 7 and still out after them too. Mine was a 9 point as well and the rut sure has them moving. Good luck out there neighbor and lets all keep posting and make the forum interesting.

[arky65]

I, gather from your post you guys are in rut now. It is amazing to me the different Ruts around the state. We peak here in late October during Muzzle loader. Had 8 good shooter/eater bucks chasing does back then. 

I, have been passing on the does for now hoping to see a particular 8 point. Think I saw him last week late in the evening but he was hugging the shadows, not sure it was him, did not take the shot.


Good luck, hope all your shots are bang flops.

[Northwoods]

Because day lengths shorten first in northern latitudes, the rut begins first in northern areas and progresses southward and even weather can effect rut times and dates.

Some past stats I came across.

The rut peaked Nov. 13 in north Arkansas, which includes the Ozark Mountain region and the northern Delta. The entire range of breeding (earliest and latest conception dates) was Oct. 21 to Dec. 17.

The rut’s peak in central Arkansas, primarily the Ouachita Mountains and the central Delta, occurred Dec. 9, almost four weeks later than in the north. Bucks in this area bred does from Nov. 2 to Jan. 1.

I've been passing on small guys too in hopes of a few better ones I have on camera and running about.
Good luck buddy!

[arky65]

The scientist need come down here in to this part of the Ouchita's 34.3268° N, 93.5507° W and tell the deer they are doing it all wrong.

Years of observation in your area will tell you when the peak rut is in you area.

I am lucky in that have lived on this piece of land for 20 years and watch the deer everyday.
Personal observation, 20 years of living and hunting here, peak rut the third week in October.

Fawn drop bears this out as they drop in May.

Speaking to stats I have read studies that a lot depends on where the deer were imported from.

The deer herd in Arkansas was decimated by the turn of the 20th century. Arkansas imported deer from everywhere to rebuild the herd. Where the deer were imported  from has an effect on timing of rut. Add to that the inter breeding of deer from different extreme Lat/long and we get mixed up rut wiring. So, I have read.


Good night and good luck.

[Northwoods]

Lol, Go figure, and stats I posted were supposedly from the Arkansas game and fish website. I'm no scientist but they're rutting here in Logan county in our area right now and watched one trying to mount this morning. They say that's why the start of general gun season starts when it does because it coincides with the peak of rut. No time line is ever a done deal or written in stone in nature, as far as I can tell the change of the seasons no matter where you are on the globe primes fur and set the tone for all God's creatures to do their stuff! Mother nature sure is a grand thing to watch. Interesting stuff!