I can’t believe it. November — the month for which we wait 11 months — is just around the corner. Right now, it’s the pre-rut in the Midwest, and some of the best buck hunting will unfold less than two weeks from today, especially for hunters who like to grunt, rattle, and use a decoy.

Daylight buck activity is just beginning to increase. Of course, it’s a bit early yet for bucks to show interest in does, but things will continue shifting that way in the coming days.

Let’s kick off this first report here in Wisconsin, where I live. I’ve interviewed a few hunters who’ve killed bucks that are or will be featured in Realtree’s Rack Report. The key to success so far has been hunting over relevant food sources, and the cold snap during the first week of October was the catalyst that put bucks on their feet in front of hunters during daylight. The moon was also full, which some noted experts predicted would help.

I observe deer daily at my home property. I haven’t seen the best bucks in the neighborhood daylighting in the evenings while glassing, but I’ve seen plenty of younger bucks feeding during daylight and pushing each other around. Interestingly, I’ve seen a dip in scraping activity, which had been pretty strong until that initial cold front passed. Part of it is that crop harvesting has begun, and bucks are beginning to venture around a little bit more. There are still thousands of acres of standing corn in central Wisconsin. When the corn’s off, things will change a lot. Meanwhile, lots of deer are still living in the cornfields.

Nate Hosie of HeadHunters TV had a successful hunt in Ohio several days ago, largely because of almost perfect conditions.

“We got in just after a cold front blew through,” he said. “With north winds, we slipped into a food plot based on intel that showed a lot of buck activity. We got the set hung and jumped in for the afternoon. With ideal temps and high pressure, the deer moved early.

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“We saw several does and a young 8-pointer. Suddenly, a big 10-pointer stepped out. There was no doubt that if he got within range and in the pins, I was gonna send it. He worked through the plot and ended up at 23 yards. I sent a perfect arrow, and my Ohio tag was punched. I’m thankful for this deer and this hunt.”

Just to the west in Illinois, Gary Hintz — a longtime bowhunter, big buck expert, and archery shop owner — reported some promising activity around scrapes in the Prairie State.

“In the last week, more bucks are showing up,” he said. “And the daylight movement is increasing. It’s getting to be that time of year, and the bucks are hitting the scrapes fairly good now. I have a bunch of Wildlife Research Center Golden Ropes up. That’s a hot item now. Just about every buck hits a rope.

“I’ve seen a few smaller bucks sparring. They don’t have much interest in the does yet. The big boys know better. That’s why they’re big. They don’t run around, especially during the day, until later when things really get going. There is a slight chance now to shoot a big one, but the odds will increase each day until the end of November.”

Hintz noted the food sources that currently seem to be most productive.

“The deer are mostly in the greens right now,” he said. “They’re in the corn a little bit. They’ll hit the soybeans and corn more once it gets colder.”

Ben Bearshield has been on the lookout for bucks and buck sign in South Dakota. His recent scouting efforts indicated that bucks weren’t yet opening their own scrapes.

“I didn’t see a single natural scrape where we normally see some,” he said. “The only scrapes they’ve been hitting are the mock scrapes at our rub posts. Those have been getting hit every night. I’ve been out scouting twice recently and have only seen a few does and young bucks, and the movement is very late. There isn’t a whole lot going on here, but I expect things to pick up this week as it cools off.”

I’ll be reporting on the Midwest’s rut happenings for the next 10 weeks, and I look forward to bringing you the latest and most relevant information from all corners of the region.