Odd rut timing western Middle TN?

[BSK]

As I've written about several times, I do believe the severe drought and resulting lack of acorns and other food sources in western Middle TN delayed rut timing this year. Poor animal health is known to delay estrus in female deer, and I think that's what we saw. Below is a graph of buck-doe chases caught on video trail-camera the last three years. Unfortunately, I don't have more years of data because I've only run video trail cameras for the last three years. In fact, I was actually gathering data for another study (buck behavior at scrapes) and just happened upon the data below. In the graph, a couple of distinct peaks of chasing can be seen. The first is late October when cameras over food plots caught a lot of bucks pester-chasing unreceptive does. The second peak is the normal peak of breeding for my property, centered right around Nov. 14-18. And a few chases were observed this year at that time. However, this year (2022), the vast majority of chasing was considerably late, centered around Nov. 28 to Dec. 2. I believe this late peak of chasing was driven by the poor health of the local deer.

Anyone else in region observe/record anything like this?

 

[philsanchez76]

Wow very interesting and thx for taking the time to put that together. My observations (I record each hunt in a journal) and my trail cam footage would agree with what you're seeing. In Rutherford, I saw fairly normal what you refer to as "pester-chasing" the last week of oct and first week of November. The only weird part was there were no scrapes/rubs to be seen anywhere. I didn't think much of it, just that hey it's about to be on so time to take some time off work and get out there. Then the next 2 weeks of Nov. were DEAD. Well now I had to get back to work and family stuff for thanksgiving. That's when all the real chasing seemed to begin was after thanksgiving (as captured on trail cam). And I had already burned all my time off. Was very frustrating.

 

[BSK]

Wow very interesting and thx for taking the time to put that together. My observations (I record each hunt in a journal) and my trail cam footage would agree with what you're seeing. In Rutherford, I saw fairly normal what you refer to as "pester-chasing" the last week of oct and first week of November. The only weird part was there were no scrapes/rubs to be seen anywhere.

We observed the same thing. Rubs and scrapes were virtually non-existent through what would normally be peak scraping (early November). Then, mid-November, scraping exploded. However, rubbing never did. Still only have 5 or 6 rubs found on my entire property. Normally it's hundreds.

 

[WilcoKen]

My observations would fall in line with your graph.

 

[knightrider]

Very few rubs( a dozen in 400 acres) zero scrape activity , put four cameras on tradional every year scrapes and had two small bucks the whole month of November hit them. Ive seen exactly 14 deer all season while sitting in the woods and have taken one decent 8 that was milling about monday before thanksgiving, the only buck ive seen while hunting this whole season! Very strange year ive usually passed two dozen bucks by now.

 

[redblood]

We observed the same thing. Rubs and scrapes were virtually non-existent through what would normally be peak scraping (early November). Then, mid-November, scraping exploded. However, rubbing never did. Still only have 5 or 6 rubs found on my entire property. Normally it's hundreds.

what were your hunting observations? were the deer not there or did they simply not generate as much sign?

 

[Headhunter]

where I hunt in Kentucky, I believe for the most part it has been nocturnal. Literally a couple hundred rubs, and many, many big rubs. Tons of scrapes. Trails are wore out. Just sign everywhere and more fresh sign every day we hunt. We are seeing deer, just not near as many as normal, we have had 60+ deer seen in a day and days of no deer sightings which almost never happens where we hunt. And for sure better buck sightings are down. Around us shots fired is way down. I have seen 2 what I would call giants, passed on one first time he came by because I couldn't see him good enough and didn't have a shot opportunity when he came back by with a doe and was UPSET I passed him when he first came by. Saw one from the truck in the woods on the farm we hunt, he is for sure a large racked mature buck. Hoping one will move around this weekend.

 

[BSK]

what were your hunting observations? were the deer not there or did they simply not generate as much sign?

We had a lot of young bucks. More yearlings than normal, about the normal amount of 2 1/2 year-olds. But 3 1/2+ bucks were definitely missing. Our deer observation rates, and percent of hunts with deer and any-age buck sightings about normal. But our sighting rate of older age bucks was VERY low, near record lows. And the worst part was, those older bucks we had were very poor performers in the antler department. Lots of funky small racks on older bucks.

 

[Lost Lake]

Thanks for posting great info!

Our farm is right across the river in eastern Henry county. The drought really hammered the area, even more so than where I live in Middle.

I fully well expected limited sightings, delayed rut, and basically what most were seeing in western Middle. It turned out to be one of the best and short/intense ruts that I've hunted in years, with everything centering right around Thanksgiving weekend. Early harassing by young bucks, and scraping was right on time, but like you noticed, rubs are almost non existent. The lack of rubs is not unusual on our place since 2015 though.

We saw decent mature bucks this year, and buck and doe body weights appear normal.

But, our farm was heavily timbered/almost clearcut back in 2015, and it provides tons of cover and browse for deer. Surprisingly, what big mature oaks that are left around the pasture edges produced a decent acorn crop, and we jumped deer under them regularly.

Our pattern since 2015 has been very limited sightings and action in October, and my guess is that the row crop ground within a mile or so all around us holds the deer until November, then it's game on at our place.

I guess we were lucky, but I do wonder what'll happen in the next few years in Middle Tennessee on a few WMA's that I occasionally frequent.

 

[deerhunter10]

Se maury and Hickman county/maury. Se maury seemed to be business as usual. We got some timely pop-up showers and our drought wasn't as bad. Hickman/nw maury little to no rut. Seemed to last about 2 days and that's it. Was late first of December. October was normal tons of sign everything seemed normal, til we got cold the first of November during the 2nd week of ml season. It seemed they went into major survival mode and didn't seem like they ever got out of it. Would come into food plots and fields at 245 3 in the evening and never lift their heads up. Scrapes dried up pretty much but they still hit the locking branches like usual. Never ever seen anything like it. Not 5 or 10 deer would be 20 or 30 at a time. I am curious what happens the next week we usually have a good late season with our food. I am curious to see how they act starting the next couple days. By far the craziest deer pattern and movement I've ever encountered. I do not remember 2007 being this weird. We didn't keep records back then though. It been said by others this year but just when you think you somewhat get them figured out they humble you quick.

 

[UCStandSitter]

Wondering if drought played in at all? Here in eastern middle we were right on time as per usual but had plenty of rain where you guys didn't. Probably doesn't have much to do with it, just trying to think in difference we've seen between the areas this year.

 

[BSK]

Scrapes dried up pretty much but they still hit the locking branches like usual. Never ever seen anything like it.

Very, VERY interesting observation deerhunter10. As I mentioned, I'm running a study on buck behavior at scrapes, and what you observed is exactly one of the odd things I'm seeing in the data. I keep track of what actions bucks take when they visit a scrape. This year I've never seen so little pawing out the scrape. Everybody was still working the overhanging limb, but lots of bucks - even middle-aged bucks - were not pawing out the scrape. Even have plenty of videos of middle-aged bucks rub-urinating into the scrape, but not actually pawing away the leaves first. That is unusual. In fact, I wonder if hunters in the area were getting fooled. Traditional scrapes not opened. Yet video camera over the scrape shows visits by bucks but they aren't opening the scrape. Now that's not to say scrape visits weren't down. They were WAY down. But lots of times casual inspection of the scrape would leave a hunter believe it wasn't being used at all.

 

[beefydeer]

Anyone else in region observe/record anything like this?

Not middle TN, but in NW TN around Obion county the timing peak breeding seemed in line with previous years to me. Now the deer have seemed to vanish and there is very little scrape activity where I am.

 

[TNTreeman]

There was abundant food at my place with late corn and early beans plentiful but not a great acorn crop. My fall wheat/ brassicas all failed but the late rain and warm temps produced some greening up everywhere. I saw right at 18 does yesterday , 1 mature buck and one young one, neither buck paid any attention to a doe, only eating.

 

[Whitetaillane8]

Southern Hardin bucks just now beginning to scrape. They should be in full rut. Bucks are still coming to fields and feeding together. Only the youngest bucks are harassing the does. This is the latest rut I have seen on this place in 40 years of hunting it.

 

[deerhunter10]

This year I've never seen so little pawing out the scrape. Everybody was still working the overhanging limb, but lots of bucks - even middle-aged bucks - were not pawing out the scrape.
I wonder if hunters in the area were getting fooled. Traditional scrapes not opened. Yet video camera over the scrape shows visits by bucks but they aren't opening the scrape. Now that's not to say scrape visits weren't down. They were WAY down. But lots of times casual inspection of the scrape would leave a hunter believe it wasn't being used at all.

For sure fooled. If we didn't have a history with our places and knew where most of the big community "scrapes" we wouldn't know where to put cameras at all. What was the craziest to me. As you said a ton of casual interactions with scrapes. But tarsel glands stayed very light never dark either haven't seen one dark all year at our place in Hickman County. I am very very curious like I said in the next 2 to 3 weeks in theory with what the 1st rut seemed to hit I am curious about our 2nd rut which is usually pretty good with younger deer coming in down there. I will also run my cameras heavy in the fawn periods to see when it really hit. I would bet a ton it's 3 to 4 weeks behind. Also very curious about antler growth this coming year.

 

[Ski]

Around here in Coffee County I usually see pre-rut rubs & scrapes explode last week of October into early November. By third week of November doe groups are dispersed and does disappear for days at a time due to lock-down. Late November into early December there is a turnover of bucks as new strange bucks begin randomly cruising through, and I see lock-down tapering off. By second week of December does are grouped back up into small herds. By Christmas young bucks are bachelor grouped up again.

This year the pre-rut rush didn't happen until last week of November, a month late. Lock-down & tending didn't start happening until last few days of November into first week of December. Everything else afterward has been on time. So for here the pre-rut was nearly a month late and actual breeding seemed 7-10 days late. It's as if the rut was held back until it broke loose, then all of the pre-rut and breeding happened all at once to catch up and get back on track. Activity right now is on par with every other previous year. Front half of the rut was scrunched up and delayed but the back half is normal on time.

 

[Winchester]

BSK, we have had a bumper mast crop for 4 years in a row now here in my part of east TN. Only time in my adult life I have ever saw it 4 years in a row.
That said the last 2 yrs, 20 &21 our peak chasing dates had actually moved up by a few days vs our traditional dates from the last decade. I had credited our great Acorn crops since 2019 and plenty of food through the winter months as causing this! Then, This yr (22) saw our peak chasing days go back to the traditional dates like we had prior to 2020??
What gives?

 

[woodsman04]

Only acorns we had in my area of Southern Giles was very few reds, less than normal pin oak (which in my experience always has acorns, and only ones that have more acorns than pin is water/willow), and zero white oak of any species.

All that said, rut appeared to be same as always. It's probably just now tailing off. Usually about December 1-10 is when your most likely to see a buck, with around 6-8 when I always see one.


I always take off work somewhere between the 1-10. Unfortunately for me, it was in the 70s and monsoon rain every day with moderate south winds. I still saw rut action, but I think the heat severely hindered my success. Weather is good this week, I probably could have traded my days to hunt better weather. But I've hunted long enough now that about December 4-9 is just when I think it is. So I decided to hunt the heat.
On the bright side….. I didn't get cold and uncomfortable hahaha.

 

[BSK]

Then, This yr (22) saw our peak chasing days go back to the traditional dates like we had prior to 2020??
What gives?

I tell you what. As soon as I figure this acorn-rutting thing out, you'll be the first to know! I swear, every time I think I have the process pinpointed, Nature throws in a new wrinkle and I have to question everything I thought I knew.