I hunt in Brunswick county - still hunt club. All pine plantation with mixed hardwoods at places.
Early in the season the deer were wearing out the corn and food plots - about 3 weeks ago with thie acorn drop they changed their feeding patterns big time. Just now starting to get some pictures on the feeders again.
My guess is that the primary rut is over in my area and they are mowing thru the acorns and starting to look for other food sources again.
I have had a camera on a big scrape for about a month and had both bucks and does hitting it every day or two until this week - no activity since last week.
Whats the best bet for the rest of the season down here? I am used to mid west farm land huntin' where ther is some eats for them not sittin perched in the middle of a pine farm 
in my usual spots the deer movement has been very scarce . I personally do not believe that the rut has actually started , The weather has not been coorperating . Deer eat and they eat more in winter due to trying to stay warm . with days in the 80's like yesterday and nights in the 60's they just are not moving to feed that often .
I hunt about 5 days or so a week and the bucks I have seen killed just did not appear to be rutting , their necks were not swelled and they did not have their smell
I killed a 6 yesterday it did not smell nor was his neck swelled ,
I think once the weather breaks and we have several days of cold weather then you will see a change
Yeah, I'm not far from Mt. Olive and they aren't doing much here Bucks killed last week didn't have much smell. Tarsals pretty dark, but not real stinky yet. I'm off until 11/30, if it doesn't cool off some, gonna trade the 4-wheeler for the boat. This time of November is usually good, hope I didn't take the wrong week off. What am I saying...NEVER a bad week to be off!
Good luck guys
I havent hunted yet this year but I travel a lot with work. I have just started seeing last week a rash in deer crashes on the belt line. Normally this is a start of the rut. I saw a four pointer the other day that was standing beside the road. Neck was not swollen yet. I have read in the raliegh paper though that they are starting to have some bucks jumping through windows. Sounds like its starting around that area. Shouldnt be long now. Ihave a 14 year old that I would like to put on a deer this year. If any of you guys can help me put him on a doe or anything please give me a shout. Took him last year but never saw anything. Just trying to get him into something besides the video games. Thanks fellas.
bet I can hook him up Steve
There was a big difference today than this past week in the movement , but it was a lil bit colder
I have a good friend that works security at Sunny Point. They always watch the deer on the cameras and study their patterns. He said that just this week they are starting to see bucks dogging does. This might not amount to a hill of beans but they watch a lot of deer year round.
should not be long for the rut for u low landers i live in hickory foothills buddy of mine killed his first deer a 4 point its neck was swelled up and it smelled like a billygoat had bark all over its horns they ruttin up here
Leaving in the morning to hunt a couple days with a work buddy in Chatham County... will let you guys know what I see. Activity here in Brunswick County, or at least my little slice of it, has been slow the last week. A good cold snap should help things pick up a little. I have real good luck during the week of Thanksgiving the last 3 or 4 years!
Shot 290lb 7pt in Bladen Co Friday afternoon. Deer in full rut chasing doe.
Shot 290lb 7pt in Bladen Co Friday afternoon. Deer in full rut chasing doe.
290 LB 😯 😯 😯
If thats not a typo it has got to be a record in NC.
Any Pics???
it was a typo actually 190lb, sorry
Deer were rutting in Bladen/Sampson heavily until this past weekend. Killed nice 7pt in full rut chasing does. Rut seems to be slowing down.
No sign of rut at all in Pender. Bucks seem to be in a September pattern still. Really weird. Does are all eating at night. No rubs, scrapes, etc. Two harvested bucks showed no signs of rutting. Deer will eat 500lbs of corn in a week and then not touch a kernel for a week or two.
Bucks seem to be in a September pattern still. Really weird. Does are all eating at night. No rubs, scrapes, etc. Two harvested bucks showed no signs of rutting. Deer will eat 500lbs of corn in a week and then not touch a kernel for a week or two.
That is how it is here Tim
No sign of rut at all in Pender. Bucks seem to be in a September pattern still. Really weird. Does are all eating at night. No rubs, scrapes, etc. Two harvested bucks showed no signs of rutting. Deer will eat 500lbs of corn in a week and then not touch a kernel for a week or two.
Same thing down in Brunswick. I have feeders that have been out for months and been active that now have corn growing around them. I dumped a bag out on a stand that I had not beed feeding and within 2 days they had torn it up. I did run across a couple of big oaks that were still droping big acorns and they are definately feeding in there.
Spent most of yesterday in a stand and saw only one fox squirrel - this 70+ degree weather may have them holed up.
Here in Chatham County, been a few decent bucks taken, but majority have been seeing small does.
I went Friday evening, saw 3 small does. Yesterday evening, went to another stand and saw 2 small does and 2 red foxes.
Temps going to drop later this week, so hopefully that will get them moving