creed_az_88 Report post Posted January 18, 2007 I have only seen 2 scrapes and 3 rubs in an area that is usually packed with rubs and scrapes. Almost all small pine trees in the area are destroyed from last years rut and this years rut seems to have disappered. Is is yet to come? By this time last year I had shot at and missed 3 different whitetail. People in the area are starting to believe that its not gonna come. What do you guys think? How's the rut in your units? BY the way im talking about units 29 and 30A. Thanks creed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sgha Report post Posted January 18, 2007 I'll let you know what i see this weekend but previous trips into 23 and 24A have shown little to zero rutting activity. I've seen groups of does without bucks all season long. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
runningbird Report post Posted January 18, 2007 2 weeks ago I found 5 bucks running together, and a few groups of doe's. the next week I started finding some rubs, and last week it seemed like the rut had really started. buck were very interested in the doe's and only the bigger buck with doe's. this has been in 23. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azryan Report post Posted January 18, 2007 i have not seen that much activity....i did get a shot at a little forkhorn mule deer, he was alone, and then two days later my uncle and I saw a huge 4x4 muley w/stickers and at least a 28" spread and he had 5 does with him. In the same area there was another nice 4x4 muley and he had no does, and then further up the hill in a saddle we jumped a decent 3x3 whitetail and he had no does with him....I have been seeing more bucks then does oddly enough Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DesertBull Report post Posted January 18, 2007 Been seeing quite a bit of muley rutting since the last storm / cold spell blew through last weekend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TEAM TOAD Report post Posted January 18, 2007 I would have to agree.....the rut has stunk this year. I have seen some rutting but not like in the past years. The cold front this past weekend had the muleys going a little, but I was out yesterday in 34a and ran into a group of 15 does and NOT ONE BUCK. Usually where I bow hunt, the whitetail come down and rut real hard, but this year I have only seen does. It's pretty sad Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle Eye Report post Posted January 18, 2007 I was out last weekend in unit 24b. We saw some activity of some ruttin going on but not as much as i thought i would. We saw a couple good looking whitetails chasing some does around. Saw a couple of fourkies fightin with each other. But the bigger bucks that we saw were around 90 to 100 inches and they didn't show much interest. Didn't get a chance to get close enough to them but i sure wish i had seen some of these bucks during my rifle hunt. Seen a huge buck for a split second before he topped the hill heading towards some water. Never saw him again after that. But i do think we saw more bucks than does. The bucks that were with the does were some nice two points and some smaller 3 points. Don't know if i'll make it out this weekend but i'll try and get out there one more time before the archery season ends. Good Luck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flash Report post Posted January 19, 2007 My observations this year is it was as early as I have ever seen it and has been done since about the first of the year. That was in units 6A, 21, 22. It was full blown around December 15th. Wierd. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
longshooter Report post Posted January 19, 2007 My observations this year is it was as early as I have ever seen it and has been done since about the first of the year. That was in units 6A, 21, 22. It was full blown around December 15th. Wierd. That is not the first time I have heard that this year. The rut has been just weird this year here in Arizona and even in some spots in mexico. I have spent 6 days since January hunting a certain monster buck and I have only seen 1 small buck that was even with does . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues79 Report post Posted January 19, 2007 Low deer numbers? Maybe a sign that the year to come may be a dry year not capable of supporting a lot of deer? I've been hearing the rut has been real slow too. It's weird because when my wife took her buck on the 29th of Dec., I saw a ton of activity. Bucks all over does. But then it just slowed down. Don't know. Maybe they're catchin' on that we'll slay em' if we see em'. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shane Burleson Report post Posted January 19, 2007 I've spent eleven long, cold days in the stands this Jan. and saw no sign of rut activity in 24A. One big difference between this year and last is water sources. With our above average rainfall this past summer, most tanks are full as well as pockets of water still standing down in the canyons. The deer seem to be spread out more.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
out2hunt Report post Posted January 20, 2007 They are rutting where I am hunting But it has been slow to get goin this year.I had a monster 190 plus muley at 200 yards and was busted by his does on the stalk.He is an amazing typical!!!!Headed back up the mountain in the morning wish me luck!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GRONG Report post Posted January 20, 2007 I bet the deer are still there you just need to expand your search a little. I've noticed, in my area that I love to hunt, that the deer tend to be somewhere nearby if I'm not seeing all the scrapes and rubs that I normally see too. I bet they're w/in a 1/2 mile. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
