Northeast Rut Report Season Kickoff: Bucks Are Moving Early and Does Seem Plentiful

There's something electric about this time of year. The mornings are crisp, the woods are quiet except for the occasional crack of a stick beneath a wandering buck's hooves, and the rut is distant on the horizon. As seasons open across the Northeast, from the rugged country of the region’s various mountain areas to the rolling hills and flat expanses of Ag lands, hunters are already hitting the woods with high hopes—and they’re being rewarded early.

In text messages and across social media, success stories are pouring in, and it’s already shaping up to be an exciting start. In New York, I’ve heard of several good-sized bucks that have already been harvested in both the Northern and Southern zones. Just last week, a Northern Zone hunter downed a heavy 10-pointer in Jefferson County, a bruiser that had been seen ghosting the fringes of daylight on a trail camera for weeks. In recent days, stories of several bucks have come out of the Southern Zone, where I’ve received feedback of no less than three wide 8-pointers and an extremely heavy-beamed 10 that had been feeding near preferred early season food sources. This is in addition to more than a handful of antlerless harvests.

And it’s just the beginning. With social media becoming the ultimate networking tool for hunters, it’s easier than ever to hear about these successes in real-time. Every day, my feed is filled with photos of impressive deer taken across the Northeast. We’re only a short time into the season, but the bucks are moving, and it’s clear that this year’s crop of deer is something to be excited about.

Speaking of crops, the situation is as varied as ever. In some regions, farmers are reporting early harvests—soybeans are coming off quickly (including on the farms I hunt), and corn is getting, or has already been chopped for silage. These early cuts are creating perfect opportunities for hunters to capitalize on deer transitioning to new food sources and displaced from their summer haunts. With fewer standing crops, deer are becoming more predictable as they seek out what ag remains and other native foods.

Don’t Miss: Parmesan Crusted Venison Backstrap Medallions

The big debate right now is acorns. It seems to be a tale of two worlds out there. In some areas, hunters are scratching their heads over the sheer volume of acorns dropping. I’ve heard more than once that they’re “like ball bearings across the ground” with reports of some of the heaviest acorn crops in years, with white and red oaks absolutely dumping acorns across large swaths of the region. Deer will key in on this desirable food source, creating prime opportunities for hunters to intercept them on ridges and flats. Meanwhile, in other areas, there’s a frustrating lack of acorns, and hunters are scrambling to adjust their strategies. Without that key food source, deer behavior is going to be different this year, and hunters will need to pay close attention to where the next best food source lies. This may come in the form of food plots, ag crops or native browse. No matter the alternative, find it quickly and make sure to adjust your strategy.

Looking at the bigger picture, this summer blessed the region with favorable growing conditions. We had plenty of sunshine, and when the rains came, they were well-timed and abundant. It’s the kind of summer that helps produce strong antler growth and keeps deer in great shape heading into the fall. If this translates into the rut, we could be in for one of the best seasons we’ve seen in years from the standpoint of harvesting large-antlered bucks. This could be especially true as more and more people adapt and adopt deer management practices that constrain the harvest of young(er) bucks.

But not all the news is good. While I’ve yet to confirm the details, there have been rumblings about possible outbreaks of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in some pockets of the region. Most recently I heard of a possible hotspot in Pennsylvania. EHD is never good news for deer herds, and we’re all hoping this is just speculation. If it turns out to be true, it could have a devastating impact on local deer populations. We saw this in at least two counties in NY a few years back and those herds are just now starting to bounce back. We’ll be keeping a close eye on any updates and will report back as we learn more.

In the meantime, early season continues to be one of the best times to catch local deer and especially big bucks off guard. Bucks and does alike are still focused on food, and many are making mistakes near feeding areas at the fringes of daylight. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to tag the local monarch, now is your chance. Whether you’re hunting near a crop field, an acorn flat, or a bedding area, the opportunities are out there—you just need to make a little time and do your best to capitalize on them.

Stay tuned as we dive deeper into this year’s rut, and as always, good luck out there.