Illinois rut

**6sixpoint_nobrows** · 10-23-2009, 08:40 PM

I live in central illinois and was wondering if some Illinois boys. . and girls could give me an update on what the rut is looking like. i have been finding a lot of rubs and scrapes, but how are the bucks responding to calling? anyone having any luck. i have tickled the horns a little bit but with no luck. i grunted some the other night and had a doe come in to investigate and harvested her. Hoping for a good cold weekend to get the deer movin and maybe slam a big boy!

Kyle

**fly** · 10-23-2009, 11:19 PM

I've see zero scrapes and zero rubs.
No/little deer movement or activity during day hours for 2 weeks now.

I expect the rut to be right on time (starting around November 7th) as usual. I also expect things to start heating up some time this week.

**shaunandjulie** · 10-24-2009, 08:35 AM

I've found plenty of rubs but no scrapes in the area yet. I am thinking the same thing that it will start picking up here in the next week or so.

**layin on the smackdown** · 10-24-2009, 09:01 AM

I have been finding scrapes since the first week of October...mind you however, that where i hunt is overloaded with immature bucks...I put some cams over these scrapes and ended up getting some decent pics of bucks and does hitting em at both night and day, and that was over the last 2 1/2 weeks. Started seeing rubs about 2 weeks ago, but really started to see them widespread around the property about 4-5 days ago...I haven't even touched my grunt call or rattle bag yet, but will give it a whirl this week. I'm thinking its safe to say that the pre-rut is just about underway...

**ildrhntr** · 10-24-2009, 02:10 PM

I haven't seen much sign or many bucks yet or at least in shooting hours

**ildrhntr** · 10-24-2009, 10:31 PM

Small bucks were chasing down tonight nad I rattled a 120" 9 point in around 5:30 pm I say we are just days away from the big boys start resonding

**slaw** · 10-25-2009, 08:00 AM

scrapes just opened up in the woods in the last 3 days on the farm I hunt in central Illinois( Montgomery county)

**shaunandjulie** · 10-25-2009, 11:41 AM

I hunt a lot at Rend Lake area which is all public hunting. I saw about 9 shooter bucks before season started, and haven't saw any of them yet since season started. I had a small 9 pointer about 100" is the biggest I've saw. Found about 30 rubs the week before season and have found some newer ones in the last week. I haven't found a single scrape yet though. Good luck to you guys in the coming weeks

**6sixpoint_nobrows** · 10-25-2009, 05:32 PM

i have just started finding some more rubs today and yesterday, and i made i mock scrape yesterday so maybe i can start to heat things up myself. thanks for the info, im hoping to rattle something up this week though. still nothing responding to it for me though. we"ll see though!

Kyle

**Mach1** · 10-25-2009, 10:24 PM

Just starting to see a few rubs and scrapes in our hunting areas.

**layin on the smackdown** · 10-26-2009, 12:22 AM

Coulda put the smackdown on a small buck tonight.. He came out, had em at about 13 yds, then he jacked around and ripped the living crap out of a few small trees...i think he was thinking he was pretty tough out there all by himself...starting to see more and more rubs...just around the corner boys and girls!

**SourthenILdeerhunter** · 10-26-2009, 12:49 AM

im just curious when do u think the rut will ned in sourthen il???

**southforkfarms** · 10-26-2009, 08:39 AM

I am seeing alot of rubs and scrapes they just started popping up over the last couple days,I saw a big 8 pointer about a 140 or 145 he keeps coming out about 6:00 every night I don't hunt and when I do he doesn't,I had 14 does come out last night hit the grunt call and had to small bucks come out and start fighting so I would say pre rut isn't to far off!

**6sixpoint_nobrows** · 10-26-2009, 12:45 PM

Well all of this is getting encouraging! its been a little on the warmer side so im hoping we can get the temperatures to drop some and get these deer on there feet, not to mention a lot of the corn still standing. looks like they are calling for rain the rest of the week so i guess we"ll see. good luck everyone maybe we can use this thread as a Il rut update post. .

Kyle