The rut is close

[RAF]

Welcome from my cabin. Came up here this weekend to finish getting the place ready for winter. Just nicely got up here yesterday and there was a nice buck in the back yard. He wandered around to the front and started feeding at my feeder and making a pig of himself . Got up in the middle of the night to do what I have to do at my age , and I opened the window to see was it felt like out side. It was very still and I could hear a sound that sounded familiar but it seemed a little early in the year. I could have sworn it sounded like antlers hitting each other. Since we're in a game preserve and hunters are not allowed I doubted it was someone trying to rattle up a buck. I figured I must be hearing things. This morning went for a drive around the block to see what was new. On the next street over saw 2 bucks standing on the side of the road. One was the same deer that had been in my yard yesterday. All of a sudden the 2 of them started knocking heads . It must be getting to that time of year .
Also this morning I was out in the yard doing a couple of chores and saw a bunch of droppings that weren't there yesterday. They were'nt deer droppings. I'm sure they're Elk. Saw some here 3 weeks ago when we were last up here. Would have been neat to see it.

 

[cayuga]

WOW! sounds like just a nice place to sit around, relax with a cup of hot coffee and watch the animals. That's the same reason I moved to where I did. Enjoy it, its what we need sometimes to bring us back to earth...

Good luck this season.

 

[RAF]

Goodmorning again. It's now 6:50 am and I just came in from outside the cabin. I was up early, as usual, and notice my sensor lights kept coming on so I stepped outside to have a look. There were 3 buck out in the yard. One was the big fellow that I've spoken of before. He still has a limp. The other 2 are smaller and would likely go 120 - 130. Both are 5 X5 and 5 X 4's. They stood around and walked onto the lawn. They were no more that 7 or 8 yds from me on the deck. The 2 smaller bucks suddenly turned to face each other and started knocking horns. Nothing too violent but a little pushing and rattling. They must be getting in the mood.