The first two weeks of December saw a slight up tick in deer activity. The temperatures were still above normal, but by the weekends they cooled down slightly. I think there was a few yearling does that came into estrous late for that "second rut", but nothing that brought in any quality bucks. Honestly, I have not seen a shooter buck since the first week in October. Friends that I hunt with have not seen any respectable bucks since mid October, and out of all of us, only one buck has been harvested this year. That buck, a true stud, was shot during the so called "October lull" on a day in the mid 70's. By the time the season reopens on December 26th, all rutting activity should be finished. I expect the deer to be on a feeding pattern, and with the mild temps, there is still ample soft mass and forage available.
I moved some of my trail camera locations to find out what deer are still around my properties. I set up some corn piles between bedding areas to see if I can get a picture of either G2 or The 9, but neither have shown up yet. I have seen more bucks reverting back to bachelor groups, another sign that the rut is all but over. I did notice a monster rub, fresh as can be, on a tree in someones front yard about 500 yards from my stand so who knows?
The forecast for Christmas is a record breaking 71 degrees here in Southeastern Pennsylvania. So when I head back into the woods the following Saturday, I may be in a camo T-shirt. The extended forecast does call for more seasonable temperatures for mid to late January. That's a good thing for sure. The whitetail season here runs until January 23. That will leave me with 4 weeks to fill 4 tags, a steep challenge, but possible. There is little left in the way of prep that can salvage this season, so it's time for Lady Luck to make here annual appearance.
