concerning the rut

[tellicoriver]

Could a low number of mature bucks be a cause of minimal daylight visibility during rut. It would seem that the more competition the more pressure on the hot doe causing her to move more and causing more activity. I haven't seen one sign of rut activity when I normally see a lot.

 

[Winchester]

Its possible if that were the case, unfortunately I don't have that excuse along with most other people. They are there (proven by pics) just not on their feet during daylight as much as usual, and even moving less and making less sign than normal overall.

 

[Bone Collector]

Its been weird this year. Period. No rhyme or reason for it.

 

[tellicoriver]

I know its hard to understand animal behavior but I was thinking the other day in the stand that last season our deer were constantly on the move and we had an abundance of acorns but this year hardly any acorns and its almost like the deer are very lethargic.

 

[BSK]

tellicoriver,

What you propose is normally the way things work. less competition between bucks (especially older bucks) for breeding rights reduces daylight rutting activity. But this year, even some areas with exceptional buck competition levels saw no obvious daylight rutting activity.

On my place, 1 out of every 4 antlered bucks is 3 1/2+ (1 out of 10 are mature), and our adult sex ratio has been around 0.6 does per buck (yes, far more bucks than does) for almost six years running. THAT is a lot of buck competition! And normally we see a lot of rutting sign and rutting behavior (pestering and tending chases). But this year, virtually nothing, other than some heavy early scraping.

 

[in the dog house]

Over here I think the strange movement, or lack of may have a lot to do with crops saying in the fields much, much, later than normal. There are still large fields that haven't been harvested. I am far from any expert, but seems to me it would have an effect.

This may be one of the reasons, among many others. We also had a very wet spring and summer. I think this is also why we have seen a lot more huge bucks taken. JMO

 

[AlabamaSwamper]

BSK,

Didn't the full moon hit right during mzl? Reckon that caused daylight movement to shut down? It does here, big time.

 

[BSK]

BSK,

Didn't the full moon hit right during mzl? Reckon that caused daylight movement to shut down? It does here, big time.

The moon can have some impact, but not shutting down all visible rutting activity. The only thing I've seen accomplish that is extremely warm weather.

 

[Winchester]

BSK,

Didn't the full moon hit right during mzl? Reckon that caused daylight movement to shut down? It does here, big time.

The moon can have some impact, but not shutting down all visible rutting activity. The only thing I've seen accomplish that is extremely warm weather.

Same here, moon has some affect but nothing like what we saw this yr. Even yrs with very warm weather would still see the bucks really active at night, making sign and chasing does! Not this yr??

 

[Boll Weevil]

Over here I think the strange movement, or lack of may have a lot to do with crops saying in the fields much, much, later than normal.

Corn has been out since mid-late September, we got all our beans out the Wednesday before rifle opened, and with the exception of a small farm or 2 in the area all other row crops were combined well before rut activity began picking up. Could be something to your theory in some areas, but that wasn't likely a factor in my locale.

 

[BSK]

BSK,

Didn't the full moon hit right during mzl? Reckon that caused daylight movement to shut down? It does here, big time.

The moon can have some impact, but not shutting down all visible rutting activity. The only thing I've seen accomplish that is extremely warm weather.

Same here, moon has some affect but nothing like what we saw this yr. Even yrs with very warm weather would still see the bucks really active at night, making sign and chasing does! Not this yr??

Agreed. I didn't even see rutting activity at night on my cameras. I DID see rutting activity on my cameras very early in the year (mid-October into the first few days of November), but very little after that.

 

[tellicoriver]

At first we contributed the lack of deer at my number one stand was the fact I was seeing anywhere from one to four coyotes every day I was hunting. One morning around 10 I had four coyotes chase a spike pass me in the stand so everyone thought the yotes were ambushing my small food plot. I've killed 6 so far and I will not stop. Also, out of 10 does that we watch only one has a fawn that has made it to fall. Between yotes and acorns I can't figure it out. Might not ever .