The Rut is Slow to Arrive in the Southwest

I guess the second rifle season in Colorado left me with a false sense of hope. I really thought the five-day break, with snow and cold between the seasons, would be enough for some does to come into estrus and some mature bucks to move in and get the rut going full force. I was sorely disappointed when we headed out Saturday morning to find no rutting activity. No new bucks had moved in, either. Day 2 came and went much the same. I looked at more than 100 does each morning and evening and didn't see a mature buck. Sunday evening, I saw two new bucks I hadn't seen previously, and they were lip-curling and chasing, so my hope has been slightly renewed that the rut will turn on.

The general consensus from other outfitters is the same. No one is having great rut action yet.

Things are really slow for the bulk of New Mexico and Arizona, said Jordan Christensen, of The Draw. We're starting to see some younger bucks cruising in the northern portions of both states, but they won't be cranked up for a couple of more weeks. The southern portions of both states are likely a month and a half away.

In Texas, things are just starting in the north and the Hill Country. Some big deer have already been killed, but the best is yet to come. I called Brandon Blanche with El Sapo guide service to get a better pulse on things.

With this cold front, the central Hill Country bucks are starting to push the does a bit, but the rut won't get too heavy for another week or two, he said. Southern Texas has zero movement whatsoever, but that's pretty normal for right now.

Hopefully, I'll have better activity to report next week. But for now, keep watching travel corridors, and keep checking does. Eventually, the big one will be standing there.