The woods are changing fast, and so are the deer. Leaves are falling like rain, and bucks are leaving their mark on the fresh forest floor. Rubs and scrapes exploded in number this past week, with many hunters reporting open scrapes being actively maintained even as canopies thinned. During one evening sit, I watched five bucks work three scrapes beneath an overhanging oak, each pausing to nose the licking branches and paw at the dirt. Rubs are still lean on most properties, but as the action heats up and leaf cover continues to thin, we expect more to show.

Bachelor groups haven’t completely fractured, but the tolerance is thinning. Light sparring is being seen across much of the region; a physical punctuation to the growing urge to sort out dominance. On the night I witnessed the scrape activity, I also watched a full-blown two-on-one buck brawl break out over the acorns. A heavy-bodied 2-year-old ended up on his back, pushed by two other bucks — likely fighting about access to the prime oak stand raining mast nearby.

Does remain consistent around food sources, keying on acorns and green fields while the corn dries down and turns to grain. Deer are still using soybeans but in a limited way. Cooler temps have deer grazing longer into daylight, and multiple observers have noted mature bucks feeding in the open alongside does.

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One of those deer met his match when my daughter arrowed her best buck to date — a wide-antlered 8-point with a body like a small horse. He and another mature buck fed calmly on acorns before trading a few light antler ticks. In an effort to expand some space, one buck moved in our direction toward the next oak when he finally stepped into range. Her well-placed crossbow bolt ended the story quickly, leaving a short blood trail and a proud young hunter behind. I never see grins that big on her face, so it’s always a bright spot when she finds success. We aged him at 3-½ years, one of several solid bucks I saw on their feet in daylight this week.

Across the region, other hunters are echoing the same story. Triston Schaubert of Roses and Oaks Habitat Consulting reported excellent action near a clover-and-rye plot, where younger bucks were nudging does in the open while mature deer worked scrapes inside the cover before easing out at last light — a textbook October pattern. With a new weather front and scattered rain moving in, that combination could prove lethal for anyone sitting over fresh sign in the coming days.

The landscape remains mostly dry, though scattered moisture helped a few areas. Water sources continue to be reliable gathering points. Even if few kills have come directly from them, several hunters are reporting higher activity around clean, consistent water.

Each day brings us closer to the crescendo of the rut. The stage is nearly set — bucks are active, does are steady, and the woods are alive with the sound of pre-rut tension. The ramp-up continues, and with favorable temps, more hunters are starting to scratch their itch and hit the woods. With that, we’re expecting more stories and exciting reports in the coming days. Day by day, we inch closer.