2nd rut

[BSK]

Traditionally when we have acorns, the deer are on our place. If no acorns, they're not there. But the years we have an over-abundance like this year, we don't even get our fall range shifters. We do but it's like 30% of normal. I just want to get back to the normal average of a 5-8 out of 10 on acorns. That's when our place thrives.

I've been judging and recording our local acorn crop on a scale of 0-10 for 37 continuous years. I also calculate the 3-year and 5-year statistical variance for these numbers, which is a measure of how variable the acorn crop is year to year over a 3-year or 5-year period. Ever since we hit an all-time low 5-year variance for the period 2011-2015, the variance has been steadily climbing. In fact, we hit an all-time high variance in the last period (2021-2025), and it's sky high. From 2021 through 2025, we've either had a bumper acorn crop or a near total failure. Like you mentioned, no crops in the 5-8 range, just 0-1 or 9-10.

 

[BSK]

I'm hoping to pick up data tomorrow to see what has been going on with my place.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

From 2021 through 2025, we've either had a bumper acorn crop or a near total failure. Like you mentioned, no crops in the 5-8 range, just 0-1 or 9-10.

Yes! This is what I want to run from as fast as I can. It's extremely wet or dangerously dry. It's either zero acorns or you can't walk on flat ground because of them. Bring back average!

 

[Novocaine]

These switches are individual doe dependent on my lease. I'll get 36 hrs of rut chaos in front of my cameras (videos all day of chasing, grunting, fighting) and then nothing for 4-5 days. And then it repeats. 3rd or 4th cycle so far this fall. Two sits I've seen over 15 deer and several racked Bucks chasing and another 10 sits I haven't seen a deer. Feast or famine.

 

[Andy S.]

Heck, 1st rut has basically turned up awol over here.

Ditto! I'm still looking for obvious signs of the first rut in SW TN.

 

[megalomaniac]

5 bucks cruising hard this morn from the stand on my largest farm we dont run cameras on... best was a 3.5yo mid 110s. None were on does, but they were all desperately looking. A couple of the bucks actually stopped here and there to browse on native vegetation while covering ground, so they are starting to feel the effects of the early rut.

The buck we killed yesterday went 190lbs. Not terrible for a deer that hasn't eaten much since late October.

 

[Ski]

These switches are individual doe dependent on my lease. I'll get 36 hrs of rut chaos in front of my cameras (videos all day of chasing, grunting, fighting) and then nothing for 4-5 days. And then it repeats. 3rd or 4th cycle so far this fall. Two sits I've seen over 15 deer and several racked Bucks chasing and another 10 sits I haven't seen a deer. Feast or famine.

That's actually pretty accurate for most properties. I almost never see a full throttle all encompassing rut. It's always hit and miss.

The only property I have ever hunted where I see a constant, consistent rut is a place that is the epicenter of where several doe groups live. I see multiple deer every time im there without fail. Even then it's not every doe in estrus at same time. There will be one out of a dozen that will be getting all the attention. And it doesn't happen every day. The does are there every day but the older bucks and the chasing only happen sporadically throughout the season.

 

[ZachMarkus]

Ditto! I'm still looking for obvious signs of the first rut in SW TN.

Same here. I saw younger bucks chasing/ pestering does thanksgiving week. Usually first week of December it's wide open here but I've been hunting almost every day for the past week and I haven't seen hardly any rut activity at all. Southern Middle TN

 

[Winchester]

Agreed, I finally got back in the woods over the weekend and many scrapes have been reopened and new rubs showing up. Had 2 different bucks on Does, one being a fully mature 8 that I would probably shoot. He was actually trailing a whole group of does, 2 adults a yearling and 2 fawns. I dont know which was smelling good but someone was. lol
Perfect timing however, between few does coming back in and few fawns getting big enough to cycle.

 

[buckbstr_1]

The rut was hot for a few days Mid November and now the sightings are low. It is like the deer disappeared. Hopefully this will improve. I hunt a county with a high population and for me not to see a deer all day is unusual.

 

[TN Larry]

My son killed a mature buck on Saturday trailing behind 5 does. They kept looking back as they worked by him and out came the buck.

 

[ROVERBOY]

This makes me feel a little better. Never saw the first chase on my Hatchie lease. Captured one or two bucks with does on trail cam but that was about it. May make one more trip out there in a week or two if things slow back down around my house.

I've not seen a buck chasing this season either. Saw one 3.5 year old 8 point following a doe but, he was in no hurry and looked like he was chilled.

 

[Outdoor Enthusiast]

I have seen a very similar pattern in December.

On 12/4 I had a target buck return to our farm feeding in food plot at 8:30 AM. I hadn't seen him on camera since October. Killed him the next day feeding in a food plot at 9 AM. Main frame 10 with two extra stickers.

I saw another mature buck chasing a doe Saturday morning in the middle of a bean field.

And then this morning I killed another target buck that was locked down with a doe. At least 3.5 but likely 4.5 yo 8 pointer.

 

[TN Larry]

I have seen a very similar pattern in December.

On 12/4 I had a target buck return to our farm feeding in food plot at 8:30 AM. I hadn't seen him on camera since October. Killed him the next day feeding in a food plot at 9 AM. Main frame 10 with two extra stickers.

I saw another mature buck chasing a doe Saturday morning in the middle of a bean field.

And then this morning I killed another target buck that was locked down with a doe. At least 3.5 but likely 4.5 yo 8 pointer.

Would love to see pics of both.

 

[Bone Collector]

It is pretty wide open in Rutherford right now. It is usually a week or two from now. IDC what anyone says, this year the rut seemed to start up at the end of October and then kind of died, revived, died, and revived. It has been a weird year.

 

[Outdoor Enthusiast]

Would love to see pics of both.

I won't steal mega's post. I will post a recap thread with trail cam pics and kill pics soon.

 

[BSK]

It is pretty wide open in Rutherford right now. It is usually a week or two from now. IDC what anyone says, this year the rut seemed to start up at the end of October and then kind of died, revived, died, and revived. It has been a weird year.

It has been one of the oddest years I can remember.

 

[megalomaniac]

What's weird is that it has been the most typical year ever... very, very intense 1st rut, completely dead with very little activity during the lull after 1st rut, then intense (but obviously much less intense than 1st) 2nd rut. Same behavior, just shifted 10-12d earlier than what has always been the norm.

The only thing that has been very different is decreased plot usage over years past, but I think the bumper crop of acorns explains that. But they are finally starting to gravitate to the big food sources. My buddy in TN saw 35 does/ fawns on a cut corn field about 1.5m away from one of my farms Saturday morning.

And even weirder... that same shift earlier for breeding seems to have occurred throughout the eastern US. When I first noticed it, I assumed my does were ovulating early because they were in such good shape. But folks with underweight deer also experienced an earlier rut than usual.... so it obviously wasn't that.

 

[Bone Collector]

It has been one of the oddest years I can remember.

I'd like to see what all your data says after this year. Issue is unless this becomes a norm, I would say we are dealing with an anomaly.

 

[Bone Collector]

What's weird is that it has been the most typical year ever... very, very intense 1st rut, completely dead with very little activity during the lull after 1st rut, then intense (but obviously much less intense than 1st) 2nd rut. Same behavior, just shifted 10-12d earlier than what has always been the norm.

The only thing that has been very different is decreased plot usage over years past, but I think the bumper crop of acorns explains that. But they are finally starting to gravitate to the big food sources. My buddy in TN saw 35 does/ fawns on a cut corn field about 1.5m away from one of my farms Saturday morning.

And even weirder... that same shift earlier for breeding seems to have occurred throughout the eastern US. When I first noticed it, I assumed my does were ovulating early because they were in such good shape. But folks with underweight deer also experienced an earlier rut than usual.... so it obviously wasn't that.

The bold part is what is so odd. It is not at normal time. Behavior is normal, but when you see them doing stuff is out of whack and it is not out of whack by 2-3 days (normal variance) it is out of whack like you said, by 10-12 days. That's not normal

 

[BSK]

I'd like to see what all your data says after this year. Issue is unless this becomes a norm, I would say we are dealing with an anomaly.

Working on that. Headed out to check cameras today. But so far, older buck activity on trail-cam isn't off by much. Maybe 5 to 7-day earlier peaks than normal. HOWEVER, data for chasing caught on camera is WAY different than previous years. HUGE chasing activity late October, but normal peaks in November missing.

 

[Bone Collector]

Working on that. Headed out to check cameras today. But so far, older buck activity on trail-cam isn't off by much. Maybe 5 to 7-day earlier peaks than normal. HOWEVER, data for chasing caught on camera is WAY different than previous years. HUGE chasing activity late October, but normal peaks in November missing.

what about scrapes. Normally for me they open early November. This year it was late October. Rubs were in the normal timeframe as they start showing up early and continue, but on my personal property the # is way down this year. I think that is due to lack of more mature bucks.

 

[backyardtndeer]

I heard quite a bit of grunting this morning, deep low grunts, but the only buck I saw was a spike. I am sure it wasn't him grunting, because I saw him go to a plot on a neighboring property and heard the grunts in brush back around to the right. I had seen several other deer down there but never saw another buck come out.

 

[BSK]

what about scrapes. Normally for me they open early November. This year it was late October. Rubs were in the normal timeframe as they start showing up early and continue, but on my personal property the # is way down this year. I think that is due to lack of more mature bucks.

Our scrapes were really active in October (normal for a good acorn year) but went dead after the first week of November. However, bucks are back to working them with a vengeance first week of December.

Haven't analyzed the data but have looked at the videos I just picked up. Looks like a 2nd rut starting about Dec 3 or 4 and still going on now. Caught a couple chases on cam in just the last two days.

 

[Ocoee Ridge Runner]

I had a decent 8 point chase a doe all over the ridge I was on this morning in McMinn county.

 

[Bone Collector]

Our scrapes were really active in October (normal for a good acorn year) but went dead after the first week of November. However, bucks are back to working them with a vengeance first week of December.

Pretty much what happened to me, minus the December part.

Haven't analyzed the data but have looked at the videos I just picked up. Looks like a 2nd rut starting about Dec 3 or 4 and still going on now. Caught a couple chases on cam in just the last two days.

Same, but that is a bit earlier than normal, which would indicate to me that the first rut was also earlier using the 28 day rule.

 

[BSK]

Same, but that is a bit earlier than normal, which would indicate to me that the first rut was also earlier using the 28 day rule.

Agree. Normal second rut is around the 15-16 of December on my place.

 

[Winchester]

Agree. Normal second rut is around the 15-16 of December on my place.

Usually same around here but this year its seemed to kick off about the 5th

 

[BSK]

Usually same around here but this year its seemed to kick off about the 5th

Absolutely. Same.

 

[Outdoor Enthusiast]

I wonder if the fawn doe that normally cycle in will do so later in December like usual.