Wisconsin... dates that stand out to me.

[Big G-2]

I hunt Southern Wisconsin, and I've noticed something over the past 10 years. It seems over and over again, I get the biggest bucks in my area, on trail cam, or by sight, cruising daylight hours Nov 8th - 12th. Just wondering if anybody else has certain dates for their hunting area that stand out for good shooter bucks? I now make sure I have some of my hunting vacation time banked for that time.

 

[bueller]

Daytime, mature bucks, Nov. 5th give or take a day or two.

 

[wiscwhip]

I would agree with Big G-2. From my own experience in Juneau Co, I can tell you that as far as actual breeding goes, I have personally witnessed does being bred 3 different times on Nov. 13th. I think the 7 days leading up to that are when I would choose to be in the woods.

 

[hillHuntR]

I hunt in the south half of Indiana....my best dates are Nov. 8th-13th, but anything form Halloween to Nov.13th is primetime. I know a lot of people take big ones in gun season, but opening day always seems to signal the end for me. I rarely see a nice one after that.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Halloween thru Nov. 15th here is prime time for buck movement. I want to be in the tree stands then for dark to dark sits !! For daylight sightings, I'd narrow it down to Nov. 5th to 15th. - - - 10 prime days.

Not Wisc., but the action is the same.

 

[CheeseCurd]

11/5 never fails in waupaca county in my experience

 

[shawnv]

3rd-7th for any deer but the 11th-13th for the largest cruisers.

 

[Sconnie]

It seems like Halloween for me through the 6th of November. Percentage of sightings plummets after that...

 

[younggun1849]

I have consistently had some of the biggest bucks of the year on camera from October25-Halloween. I have made the mistake of waiting too long to go in to my best spots over the last 5 years. I think the rut should keep getting better, and I figure the best days should be around November 7th, but year in and year out my best mature buck activity/pics seems to be the end of October before peak breeding. I think if you have a resident buck who frequents your property the best time to get him is before November 1st, after the 1st, you're hoping for cruising bucks that a lot of time have not been around all fall. It seems that once November gets here the mature bucks don't have a problem finding a hot doe, and they are spending their time with a doe, not looking for one. I will be going into my best spots earlier this year than years past.