I was able to figure it out.  What are your thoughts on this deer?

The picture doesnt show up on my computer pcew.

I wasnt able to get out today either. I am a college students living away from home so its going to be hard for me to get much time in the tree this year. I am going home tomorrow however and I plan to hunt all weekend. My dad has been checkin the trail cams and said that there a few realy good bucks on there so hopefully ill get an arrow through one this weekend as i hope all of you will get a nice one on the ground as well. Good luck to all this weekend for the rest of the season.

I thought I had it figured out but it wont post.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

there its showing up now. must not have waited long enough for it load. very nice buck.

Hi everyone...great to be back again this year.  I had a hard time finding the site this time around.  Looks like NAW changed some things up.  Didn't get a chance to get out yesterday, but I will be out today as soon as school lets out!  Can't wait!  Just wanted to say good luck to everyone...be safe out there.

Got the chance to go out saturday morning. Saw three does across the field but nothing close enough to shoot. Had a wild encounter with a squirrel however. I was sitting in my stand and had the biggest squirrel ive ever seen come down the tree right next to me and stop about three feet from my face. He sat there for about 5 minutes just stairing at me. He finally made his way back up the tree so i didnt pay anymore attention to him. About five minutes later i felt something dripping on me. I looked up and that same squirrel was about 10 feet above me and the S.O.B decided he would relieve himself on my freakin head. After he was finished he climbed up the tree and just sat there lookin at me. lol. Thats the first time ive ever been pissed on by a squirrell!

Now that is about as fresh as you can get when your talking cover sent! That is a great story... I once had one run up my leg and across my chest. Never thought a man like me would ever fear a little squirrel.... I was wrong.

Went out sunday morning and I saw two does and a button buck coming out of the soybean's.  I also saw about ten turkeys come down from their roost not twenty yards from me.  I have never had that happen and it was quite the sight.  Cant get out for the rest of the week but from the early weather reports its suppose to be cold this weekend.  Good luck this week.  

how will the cool weather this early in Oct. affect the deer (big bucks), in southern indiana ??????

Well I was out scouting Tuesday and Wednsday and saw a bunch of does pour of a swamp along with two shooters both nights.  I have a stand back in the swamp about a hundred yards from where they entered the field so I hunted it last night.  Wind was good and I settled in the stand only to see two does out of range.  On the bright side its still early!  good luck guys.

Howdy everyone! It just wouldn't be the same without NAW's Rut Forum. I went out last night, got soaked, and saw one little buck work over some type of bush. It was cool to see this big 'ol bush jumping all over the place. This 3-pointer yearling thought he was the king!

I'm getting ready to go set up some stands in the rain here today, move my Cuddeback, and create one or two mock scrapes in strategic spots with some Continuous Scrape Set by Mrs. Doe Pee's.

Some of you might be interested to hear that a friend and I will be filming our hunts for Bill Winke's Midwestwhitetail.com site this fall. If you go to the site and click on the Indiana link you can see James' and my introduction show back on Sept. 24. The videography isn't the best (we're learning as we go), but you can check it out. My father, Ron, passed away on May 2 this past spring and I've dedicated my '09 season in his memory. It should be a great year.

I've seen a few "boundary" scrapes on the edge of the woods, and have got food plots tweaked and ready to go for the season. I am looking forward to hearing everyone's reports as usual.

Good Luck everyone!

How did everyone do this weekend ??? Only got to go Sat. evening and saw nothing. Sat at the top of a hill overlooking beans and corn about 300 yrds away. Had 4 nice rubs as big as your wrist within 25 yrds all around me comming and going from fields with perfect wind out of north just did not happen for me. I will defintely hunt this spot again !!!!!!!!

good luck and safe hunting

SHOOTER 

That sounds like a great spot shooter!

Good Luck to everyone this year, it's great to be back on the "Rut Report".

Pretty un-eventful weekend for myself.  Too many activities!  I made it out Sunday night and had a doe come through a clover field right at dark.  Been seeing a small 7 and a cow horn spike.  Still tryin to find MR. Big.  I have pictures of him from last year before season and again before this year but once season rolls around he disapears?  I'll try to post some pictures of him later.

Hey everyone.... I have yet to get out in the woods yet.  Down in Southern Indiana the deer seem to not be moving.  I am in Spencer county.  My brother went out on the third day and shot a nice 9 pt. that weighed 195 pounds.  It was supporting a 19 inch spread.  Other than that I have not heard of people seeing very many deer.  I thought this cool weather would show the opposite.  But there is still a lot of crops out though.  Any body else having the same problem.  Also I am looking at buying a Hoyt AlphaMax.  Any body have any experience with that bow?

    I can't vouch for the AlphaMax in particular but I'm a Hoyt man and they are as tough and quite as any bow out there. I wouldn't take anything for my powertech and it's 3 years old.  My suggestion is buy it naked, or replace the rest with a QAD fall away rest and a detachable Alpine Archerysoft-lok 5 arrow quiver. If you do you will love everything the bow has to over for years to come. I will say that I seldom pull more than 60 lbs, a few years back I let a P&Y Kansas buck get to chose, at a meer 7 yards I shot down on this buck and the board-head squared up on a rib bone just below the spine. Low enough that the spine was taken out of the equation but high enough to have the thickness to nearly stop my arrow in flight. I received only 4" of penetration but it knocked the buck completely off of his feet.  With that little of penetration It was apparent that it wasn't a lethal shot and that turned out to be the case. The point being here is at just 60 lbs of pull, my Hoyt stored enough energy to up end this buck, it was just poor shot placement that saved what would have been my best archery buck at the time.     Good luck 

Hoyt_14 

I also would recomend the Hoyt.  I presently own a Matthews Drenalin and a Hoyt Trykon, the Hoyt is my choice.  Not to take anything away from the Matthews it is also a great bow, but the Hoyt just fits me better and is a little more qiuet.

Take a look at the Realtree web site under the Blog section.  Travis (aka T-Bone) has a really good blog about his bows and the Realtree staffers.  He shoots a Hoyt and i believe it's an Alpha Max.  If memory serves me he also recommends the QAD ultra pro series rest.

Hi everyone, good to be back on the forum.  Have been out only twice this year, have been under the weather this past week.  My daughter and I came very close to baggin a doe on Sun. evening of the youth hunt, we just couldn't make it happen, but we definetly had fun trying. 

This weekend should offer some nice hunting conditions with highs in the low 50's and lows in the low 30's.  I hope my cough goes away  by then.

I shoot a Hoyt as well and have really liked it.

Good luck and safe huntin to all.

Well I love my hoyt as well I just want a new one.  I am trying to sell my hoyt ultra mag with all hoyt, and sims vibration  accessories on it, arrows, release and arm guard for $500.  Do you think that is a fair price.  It is still like brand new... I spent over 800 when I got it a few years ago.  What do you guys think?

Hi everyone, what a great weekend to be out in the woods!  Things look to be heating up!  I didn't have much luck this weekend, had a doe at 50 yds today, but that was it.  I did like all the sign I saw though heading out of the woods today though!  Things are getting flat tore up!  It won't be long now!  

Hoyt_14, I think that is a fair price for your bow.  I sold my Mathews Outback on Ebay this summer for $435.  It had everything on it.  I believe it was 5 years old.  Not a thing wrong with it, I just wanted the new Reezen!  Love it by the way.  I did shoot the Alpha Max 32 as well.  Great bow! I have just always been a Mathews guy.  Might want to give Ebay a shot, I sold mine in 3 days!

Anyway, good luck to everyone out there.  Fall break this week for me, so I plan on being on stand Thurs-Sun!!! 

Seen BIG 9/11 BUCK (main frame 9 with split brows) this morning at 7:50 on top of ridge . I have video of him this summer from June to Aug ,first time I have seen him since Sept 4 at dark with velvet still on in a bean field .Without velvet he is still a" Monster" easy 160 inches and over 200 lbs. Came from behind my right side 20 yds away ,and locked on me with a 2 minute burn down that ended up with him wheeling directly away and gone in 3 jumps. No stomp....no snort...no wind check, just did not like what he was looking at !!!!!!! Only deer I seen today and 1 of only 2 that I wanted to see from summer scouting. Hope we meet again!!!!! Nothing like seeing BIG BUCKS on the hoof in a tree stand

Hello everyone!  I guess I'm "new" to the site since this is my first post but I've been reading the IN rut report since it's inception.  Not sure why I never joined but whatever.  Live in the Bloomington area and have been seeing a TON of deer activity since opening day.  They are just flocking to the bean fields right now, mainly because they were late going in.  The farmer sowed winter wheat last year so they have been "green beans" since opening day.  Last night was incredible.  Saw 13 different bucks and two giants that were 150 +.  Passed 4 different 2.5 8's that will be tremendous in a couple of years.  The big boys didn't make their appearance until 5 min. before shooting time and came in to range after shooting time of course.  They don't get big by making mistakes!!!  The best part of the hunt was the establishment of the pecking order.  Heard 5 diff. snort/weezes, saw 2 pretty heated fights and it's only mid October!!! Lovin' this cool weather!!!

Dean, I enjoy reading your posts and your knowledge of deer hunting!  First and foremost, I'm sorry to hear about the passing of your father.  I hope your dedication to him this deer season pays off in a big way.  My dad is getting up there in years and chronic lung problems keep him from his treestand these days.  If it weren't for him, I wouldn't climb a tree every fall or chase those little green fish during the spring and summer.  

Good luck everyone and hope to post a biggin' from Indiana and Iowa this year.  Took me 3 years but I finally got my bow tag, hunting Zone 5 with my bro who lives in Des Moines!! 

Sold my hoyt for 475....Then went and bought the AlphaMax 32 .. Love it.  Now i am in debt to my wife for a while!!!!!

Hey guys its been awhile since i have been out but a couple of friends of mine have been out and have been seeing some nice deer.  One of them took a 200 lb 140" 10 pt last night and the other took a decent 170 lb 9 pt Sunday morning.  I have been out checking the cameras and have several nice bucks showing their faces earlier and earlier.  Has anyone noticed the mature does wondering off by themselves and separating from the little ones?  Thats usually a pretty good sign that things are starting to happen.  Well good luck to everyone this week hope to see some bone hit the ground soon.     

Great News!  Yeh, you and me both...Beings I really didn NEED a new bow this year...it was a hard sell.  Hope you get it lined up real soon, good luck!

Welcome Monroebuckman!  Hope we get to see one of those big ones posted on here! 

Hey Guys! Long time reader, first time poster.  I've enjoyed reading everyones posts over the past few years.  It's been very helpful and interesting to see how everyone has been doing.  THANKS!  I'm from the SW part of the state, but am living in the Bloomington area now.  I'm hunting in Bloomington and also at home.  This past weekend I got out up here in B-ton Saturday morning and evening.  Didn't see any deer from the stand saturday morning, but saw 3 nice 8 pointers in the headlights as I was pulling into my parking spot; very encouraging!  Saturday night I hunted a different spot and sat in my ground blind on the edge of a bean field.  Ended up seeing 13 deer within 60 yards.  4 were bucks, the biggest being a 2.5 yr old 8 point and a 2.5 yr old 10 point.  They came out with the 2 other smaller bucks and tickled their horns together a few times out in the field.  Obviously, the bucks are still hanging together. 

To, the guys with the Hoyt bows, I broke down and purchased an AlphaMax32 this summer.  I've been shooting a Bowtech Tomkat for the past 3 years.   Didn't really need a new bow, but its fun to have nice stuff!  The AM32 definitely is nice!  I would recommend it to anyone.  I shot all the new bows this year; the Hoyt felt and suited me the best.  I've got a Trophy Taker Extreme rest on it.  With my set-up, 29.5" draw, 70 lbs, 435 gr. arrow/broadhead, I was shooting 290 fps.  It proved itself on opening evening when I managed to tag a doe at 30 yards. 

Happy hunting and good luck Seeking the Vitals! 

one of my dads friends killed this a couple of weekends ago! He's a hoss!

JCH, that is an awesome buck right there! Congrats to whom ever shot that hog!

Monroebuckman, I want to Thank You for your kind comments; especially in regards to my father's passing. I'm hoping to score in his honor for midwestwhitetail.com.

A monster 5x6 was taken here in Kosciusko Co. the other day. Reports have it scoring somewhere in our archery Top 10. I can't verify that, but one thing is for sure...this buck is a monster!

I don't have the specifics on hunter's name, etc. I have a conservation officer in the area who gave me some details. I would guess the buck to score in the 180-190 range. When I find out more, I'll get some details on here.

WOW!! if a deer like that ever walked under my tree i would probably be peein down my leg!

Wow! What a tremendous buck!   

Wow!!  Congrats to those two hunters! 

Dean, Thanks for all your updates and knowledge.  Good luck on your quest this year!

OUTDOOR GUY....  Can you see the pictures that people post on here at school.  I have never been able to.  I do not know if I am blocked or if I am not doing something right.  I can see them at home but not at school.  do you have the same problem. 

Oh.. I had my bow sighted in at 5:00 in the morning ready to go out.  Saw two does but did not pull the trigger on them...my first time out felt good to just watch!

WOW -  those are two great deer!

Went to a new farm this past weekend and hunted over a couple small (2 acre) corn fields we planted.  Sunday morning had 7 different bucks - all 2-1/2 or younger and three does.  Two of the older bucks made scrapes within 40 yds of my stand that I was able to get on video.

Sunday night was the reverse of that with 11 does and three bucks.  No shooters yet but things are looking promissing. 

I wanted to ask a question for everyone.  Many of the posts above talk about deer in the bean fields but my experience in the past two weeks have shown the deer to be mainly in the corn fields.  I have been out several times in the past two weeks spot lighting and we very rarerly see deer in the beans.  I assumed this to be because the beans had already turned but your posts from above differ from my conclusions.  I love hunting standing beans in late season (if you can find any) but I've not had much luck on beans in early season and once they turned.  I realize deer still eat beans after they turn but in my opinion they favor corn if it's available. Any thoughts?

By the way we went out last night shinning and witnessed a large 8 (guessing mid 140's) getting aggressive with a much smaller 8.  He ran him out of the field.  We also watched a 2-1/2 year old checking a doe.  Of course we still saw several bachelor groups together, but in my opinion were not far off here in southern Indiana.

Hoyt, we must be blocked here as well.  I use to be able to see them, but the last year or so, they come up as X's.  I have to wait to see the pics until I get home.  Now, I just read about the two that were posted and am dying to see them!!!  Is it 3:00 yet!!!

I'm heading out tonight because my hopes of hunting Thurs-Sun. are going to get washed out.  100% chance of rain Thurs, and 80% Friday...some fall break.  I am hoping the deer are up and moving this evening before this front pushes through tomorrow.  I think I might take my ground blind out tif its raining this week and see if I can't get a turkey to come walking by.  They usually hit the fields pretty hard on rainy days!!!  Time will tell. 

ccbc-nb,  I agree with your theory on the corn/beans.  In my experiences, if there is a picked corn field right beside a standing bean field, 9 times out of 10 you will find the deer in the cut corn.  The spot that I was hunting with the standing beans is a spot on the SE side of Bloomington.  Crop fields are few and far between here and this year, the few fields seem to be in beans.  The deer here are limited to the beans, hay fields, or other browse in the woods.  (On a side note, this particular area is sort of an Urban area; it borders a couple subdivisions. I've seen more deer here than any of my other spots combined that are out in the sticks.)   I was sitting in my blind in that spot again last night, had 2 mature does and 4 fawns come in range, then a really big Deere came in.  To bad it was about 13' tall, green, and said "John Deere" on the side.  Any thoughts from anyone on hunting this spot now that the beans are out from what I described above? 

2 years ago in one particular spot at home I was hunting, all the crop fields were in corn.  You could go out there night after night and spotlight 20 to 30 deer in the fields.  Last year, the fields were in beans.  I was hard pressed to see a hand-full of deer in the same fields.  Corn is back in this year, hopefully they start shelling soon!! 

VitalSeeker,

Thanks for the comments.  I guess in your area any crop is the right crop!  The areas that I have access to are manly large crop fields, however Sunday I was hunting over a corn food plot that was roughly two acres planted specifically for wildlife.  The deer were literally ripping the corn off the stocks.  It was pretty easy to notice when the deer showed up, as it was very loud.  The other hunters on the same property didn't have the luck I had that day, which we concluded was solely because of the corn.  I guess in normal large crop field hunting the edges of a corn field would be a great place to hunt but most of the time your the fields are too large and your better off waiting until the corn is shelled.

On the same farm mentioned above we planted a bean field but it also was about 2 acres and it is mowed down by the end of July.

I agree with you I can't wait until the get the corn out.  I was hoping this week we would see a few fields open up, but it looks like the rain coming tomorrow will hold that off a little longer.

GOOD LUCK!

I went out last night and changed my camera locations.  I checked out a secluded bean field and saw a bunch of fresh sign so I'm headed into a bottom that connects to this field to see what happens.  Good luck to everyone this weekend!

Went out to self-film last night and was startled to see a pretty decent 8 pointer come up right underneath me in a woods eating acorns. I got some dynomite footage of him for quite awhile. I went out last night in the rain to move my Cuddback and to re-work a mock scrape I put out a couple weeks ago. I really like doing things after dark (esp. in the rain) because I believe it helps cover up some of my activities in that particular spot.

I'm trying to find out more about the Kosciusko Co. brute as we speak. Rumors are putting it in our Top 10 typicals by bow category, but I don't know anything for sure. I hear that this is the guy's first buck by bow and that he took it at 49 yards. Also, I guess the buck was caught on trail camera a couple miles away in the summer.

I hope you all are having a great season so far. Have fun out there an be safe everyone!

Another weekend in the books..... mornings were bad, evenings good!  Saw a ton of deer over the weekend and a big shooter last night at 7:00.  He was bumping does around, making scrapes and shredding trees.  Just wouldn't come close enough.  Wanted to call to him but had a 1.5 buck and a couple does directly under me and I didn't want them to pick me off.  Start the vacation Wednesday and many hours in the stand to follow.  Don't go back to work until Nov. 9 so gonna try to get the Indiana/Iowa double accomplished.  '

Wanted to comment on the corn/bean conversation from earlier.  The main reason they are hitting the beans in my area is there isn't another food source (grain) for miles.  Plus, the farmer had winter wheat in the field so therefore the beans didn't get planted until late spring.  They are drying out now but they are still flocking to them.  Food is food is food, especially when they have no other choice! 

Dean, you are welcome!  I am an avid viewer of Midwest Whitetail so I'm ready to watch you let the air out of a bruiser!  Do you hunt in Steuben Co.??  I only ask b/c I graduated from TSU in Angola and used to have some really good property to hunt around the racetrack. 

Good luck everyone, what a great time of the year to be a bowhunter!!!!!!!!!

i was able to get out friday and saw my first mature buck right before dark.  I was hunting a staging area down in a ravine about 100 yds from a bean field.  The wind swirled and he didn't stick around very long.  I went out again last night and hunted a diffrent farm and only saw one small doe.  I have been out checking cameras i have placed over scarapes and am starting to get some nice pictures.  will post them soon.  Hey Dean I know how you like to hear about big ones taken throughout the state and there was a buck checked into Jays Deer Processing in Valparaiso that tipped the scales at 265 lbs field dressed.  I have a picture of it on my cell and cant get it transferred to my computer.  The deer was an absolute horse.  Said he shot it here in Porter County.  Only one week left until the vacation starts, can't wait!!  good luck guys. 

Dean, I also send my condolences and wish you the best of luck this season in memorial of your dad.

Congrats to all of the successful hunters!

Man, those are some huge/great bucks taken this year already.  The next few weeks should be awesome, I hope the weather co-operates.  Had a nice hunt on Sat. morning, saw 6 does and two bucks, nothing big, one tall, narrow 8pt.(2y/o) and one decent 8pt. probably also 2y/o.  I was excited to see a huge rub on a pine tree about 20yds from my stand, the tree was about 8inch diameter.  I hope to be there when he is. 

Didn't see any deer on Sat. evening hunt but did have a fox come right down the deer trail I was hunting and lay down about 15yds in front of me and he sat like a statue until a squirrel got close enough to him to try to kill it, which unfortunately he wasn't successful.  I was rooting for the fox! It was cool watching that, I wish I had my video camera. 

Good luck and safe huntin to all!

Here a few of the pictures i have been getting.  The first two are over a active scrape line and the third one is a creek they travel from bed to a 50 acre bean field. 

Well guys, I have never been a member on here, but I have always kept up on the forum.  I have really enjoyed reading the posts put up here by the members.  I am hooked now, definately a member!!!  I finally bagged my first buck with a bow this past weekend.  I shot him Saturday Night, October 24th.  I live down in the southwestern part of the state, around the Vincennes area.  This buck scored rough gross around 158....I shot him with my Hoyt Viper Tech bow with Rage Broad Heads.....The rage broad head did a number on this deer, he didnt hardly go anywhere from the stand.  He came in about 5 mintues from dark with antoher buck that would have roughly scored in the 140's.  I was just in the right spot at the right time, all luck!!  I have been seeing deer more on the evening hunts than the morning hunts.  Not to much rut activity down this way, I have still been seeing the bucks grouped up and I have seen more doe's with there yearlings.  I hope it picks up here in the next week or so, Im heading over to Illinois to try to find another giant, good luck to all, keep up the posts....I sure do enjoy reading them!!!

Welcome Trees22 and congrats on the deer.  Thats a great first buck with a bow! 

Went out saturday morning and sunday morning. Saturday i didnt see a thing. The wind was picked up and was blowing the exact opposite direction that i needed it to be blowing. Sunday morning i went to a different area and had a really good morning. I was in a really brushy area so the visibility was very limited. About 8:15 i heard something out in front of me. I turned to looke and there was a doe standing about 2o yards from me  out in the brush. SHe was to close for me to stand up so i knew i was going to have to make a shot sitting down. I drew my bow back and she kept coming. i had to turn a little to get in position to shoot and all of a suddent my stand makes a noise!!! she turned and bolted straight the other way along with 5 other deer behind her that i didnt see at first. about half hour later i had a doe and two fawns walk in behind me but they were out of range. shortly after a decent buck came in right on their trail. I didnt get a shot at any of them but atleast i saw some unlike the rest of the season. Those were the first deer that ive seen up close this year so hopefully the rest of the year will be good for me.

That is a great first buck with a bow!  That is a great deer regardless!  Congrats and welcome to the forum.   

Hello guys, haven't been on here yet this year but good to see everyone getting out and seeing some deer.  Looks like a few of you have already scored on some nice ones!  We run a small camp over on the west edge of IN and are starting to see some pre rut activity, and some of the mid size bucks are doing some nosing around.  Had a guy miss a 160 class deer Sunday eve, then saw him again the last two days.  We'll see if he ends up connecting.  Have been seeing a hog 6 point on our home place hopefully someone gets him so I can post a pic of him on here.   He is an an absolute bruiser and as a clean 6 point (3x3) will legitimately score about 140.  Good luck to everyone and keep posting those pics and rut updates. 

Trees, great buck!!! Congrats.

Man, things are gettin crazy in the woods. I was out Tues. Morning 10/27 and saw 6 different bucks runnin and chasin does.  It all happened between 900am and 1130am.  Saw two decent ones, but no shooters.  None the less, it was a great and enjoyable hunt.  I got to witness everything but breeding.  I watched um grunting, scraping, rubbing, chasing and even heard a snort wheeze for the first time.  It was a fun hunt.  Didn't see a thing yesterday afternoon, sat from 230pm til dark and nothin! Can't wait for this rain to move out and bring in the cooler weather.  The next two weeks should be tremendous fun.

Good Luck and safe huntin to all.

Vacation has finally arrived.  Good luck over the next few weeks guys and keep us posted.  I have pulled my card and have another one to add to the hit list. 

Miserable day to be in the woods, nonetheless, had one of my guys here hunting from Michigan connect on a really nice deer grossed 169 1/2" at 8 a.m. Said he came through looking around for other deer. Same deer he missed last Sunday night. I'll try and post a pic later but he had 21" inside spread and 7 inch bases, main frame 8 with 5 other points. On the way out of the woods saw a bruiser and two small bucks bedded with a doe, they weren't leaving her side so you know what that means....game on. Get to the woods if you can cause now's the time. Good luck.