Missouri Rut update for 10/21

Michael Hunsucker of Heartland Bowhunter provides a whitetail rut update for Missouri.

Location: southern Missouri

Current buck movement: 7/10

Projected buck movement: 8/10

We're definitely in pre-rut right now, and our latest sits have shown that. We've seen some really good buck movement in the evenings, with deer getting on their feet earlier than they were just a couple days ago.

Scrapes and rubs are lighting up and we've moved most of our cameras to monitoring recent buck sign. A well-timed cold front in this next week could result in some of the best hunting of the year.

The x-factor, of course, is how much acorns are still playing a role in deer movement. Our food plots aren't getting a ton of action yet, as deer don't have to move too far from their beds to find browse right now.