Difference in the rut in different parts of State
- Thread starter rubicon
- Start date
gatodoc
Well-Known Member
Where do you hunt?
Heck it's different even in parts of my county
BlackBelt
Well-Known Member
A few years back I talked with a deer biologist at bass pro shop during their august hunting classic. He said West TN has several sub-species strands of whitetails. (He said there are 36 sub species strands of whitetails across the USA). The main rut is kind of spread out a few extra days because of it, but that works in the hunters favor.
However, for some reason that apparently isn't the case across the whole state.
However, for some reason that apparently isn't the case across the whole state.
Hardin county. I have a northern lease and a southern lease. The northern lease mature bucks will start moving last week of bow season. Southern lease shows no sign of mature deer until believe it or not but the Friday after thanksgiving seems to be the start of it every year
I believe the different strains theory.
I believe the different strains theory.
Huntaholic
Well-Known Member
Yep, I agree with the different strains as well. Here at the house its usually the last week of November before it happens. The other side of the county its usually last of oct/ first of nov.
garnermtn
Well-Known Member
Yep. Right there with you. Hunt in Cowan in the mountains and haven't seen the first sign of rut
J_W
Well-Known Member
Same where I hunt at the mountain. I've seen the young bucks chasing a little, but the older bucks are just scent checking the does and feeding. Next weekend should be better.
Still hasn't started where I hunt either.
UTGrad
Well-Known Member
This is when I miss BSK.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
BSK is very busy, reconfiguring all his trail cam traps, hoping to catch a cougar. :tu:
I suspect some of you who are waiting for the rut may be disappointed. It may have already happened, as in many areas of a more traditionally dated November rut, it wasn't very intense, leaving many to think it was way late. It did seem to be about a week later in my area, but otherwise just not very intense.
I suspect some of you who are waiting for the rut may be disappointed. It may have already happened, as in many areas of a more traditionally dated November rut, it wasn't very intense, leaving many to think it was way late. It did seem to be about a week later in my area, but otherwise just not very intense.
WG Taxidermist
Well-Known Member
I hunt southern hardin county and the rut has just started where I hunt.
Sent from somewhere in the sticks using Tapatalk
Sent from somewhere in the sticks using Tapatalk
WG Taxidermist":3qu86gw5 said:
Southern part seemed to really crank up Saturday after thanksgiving
WG Taxidermist
Well-Known Member
I found zero sign until last week. Still haven't seen any older bucks, just young ones working scrapes and that's been on camera. The rut has got where it runs really late here. Past couple year I've seen older bucks chasing on the second juvi and I think that 2nd week in January.muddyboots":172a7j68 said:
Sent from somewhere in the sticks using Tapatalk
AlabamaSwamper
Well-Known Member
They was locked down in Counce about 10 days ago.
Saw two good bucks pin does down all day the week after Thanksgiving. Bucks were cruising again late last week.
Saw two good bucks pin does down all day the week after Thanksgiving. Bucks were cruising again late last week.
Land Between the Lakes
Well-Known Member
In a lot of counties in Kentucky the bucks are up looking for does actively during the first week of November. I think rut activity always can change from year to year. One reason is simply based on where the does are or where they take the bucks.
Some years are just better than others. I hunted a pinch point up a big creek bottom a few years ago. In one day I saw 9 different bucks. Earlier that morning a doe came down through the area, after that bucks were coming through trailing her scent all day long.
Then in the exact same spot I have hunted on other days and other years during the rut and have sat all day and never saw a single deer. This happens to every hunter. So it's not rare to have some years where the rut seems intense and others when it does not seem intense.
Some years are just better than others. I hunted a pinch point up a big creek bottom a few years ago. In one day I saw 9 different bucks. Earlier that morning a doe came down through the area, after that bucks were coming through trailing her scent all day long.
Then in the exact same spot I have hunted on other days and other years during the rut and have sat all day and never saw a single deer. This happens to every hunter. So it's not rare to have some years where the rut seems intense and others when it does not seem intense.
I killed an 8 point last Sunday in Williamson county that was in full rut.Neck swollen,tongue out,and bristled up.He was trailing 2 does.I don't know if this was first or second rut.Really hard to tell these days.Two years ago I killed a buck on December 30th in the same place that was chasing a doe as hard as he could go.
I hunt in both Blount and Henry counties (opposite corners of the state almost) and over the years I have concluded that when the rut hits in Henry, which usually occurs sometime during the 2 weeks of muzzleloader and sometimes carries into gun, things pick up in Blount almost exactly a week later.
My uncle owns some land where I hunt and a Twra biologist come out to do a study and see when the does was breed a few years back. They killed a few does and checked them and they was breed in mid Jan. It has been like that forever down there. I would just like to hunt through mid Jan.
hunttherut
Well-Known Member
IMO it is very difficult to judge the stage of the rut by a single hunter's observation. Again, just because you have not seen the 'rut' doesn't mean it hasn't already happened.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
hunttherut
Well-Known Member
Sorry, that was a generalization and was not directed toward your post
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Bone Collector
Well-Known Member
I don't know if this has been said, and I don;t have time to read through all the threads, but I also think doe density in some areas plays a part in it. For instance I got a picture of a fawn with spots on 11/6 in Rutherford County and I saw a picture today from 11/11 of a spotted fawn.
I'm not 100% sure about the gestation period for deer pregnancies, but I think it is about 6 months. A spotted fawn in Dec would have to have been dropped August or September... that means the doe would have had to have been bred in February. I see bucks chasing In Mid Tn all the time in Feb. so it doesn't surprise me.
Many will say we need older bucks to have rutting like they do out west and denounce that we need to shoot more does, because it will decimate the herd, but I think the # of does is why we have a trickle rut in Mid Tn almost every year. You have to figure if does generally drop fawns in the middle-end of June, and there are clearly some dropping fawns a month later, then a few more a month after that and so on and so forth, there is some breeding going on into Feb. Mar... Also when I see 8-9 does in a pack on heavily hunted public land, we probably have too many does.
I'm not 100% sure about the gestation period for deer pregnancies, but I think it is about 6 months. A spotted fawn in Dec would have to have been dropped August or September... that means the doe would have had to have been bred in February. I see bucks chasing In Mid Tn all the time in Feb. so it doesn't surprise me.
Many will say we need older bucks to have rutting like they do out west and denounce that we need to shoot more does, because it will decimate the herd, but I think the # of does is why we have a trickle rut in Mid Tn almost every year. You have to figure if does generally drop fawns in the middle-end of June, and there are clearly some dropping fawns a month later, then a few more a month after that and so on and so forth, there is some breeding going on into Feb. Mar... Also when I see 8-9 does in a pack on heavily hunted public land, we probably have too many does.
Bone Collector
Well-Known Member
gunrunner":3l4y293s said:
most likely the second. I saw bucks chasing in Williamson around the second weekend of ML. last Sunday would be pretty close to 28 days, so it was probably the second pop and lends to what i said, in my other post. there are a ton of does in those central Mid TN counties, due to land not being as available to hunt, so the pressure is lower and everyone is horn crazy and won't shoot does at all or won't shoot many.
Hunt in franklin co.sherwood area . still at least a week away if not more.hunted here and raised here since 1970 .deer always have rutted late in Dec.and will go well into Jan.wish are bow season would start in mid Oct and let reg season go into mid Jan .or even end of Jan.just my thoughts .I hunt as a crow flies about 9 mile east of my farm in battle creek martin spring area in Marion county those deer seem to rut end Oct to Thanksgiving.
Land Between the Lakes
Well-Known Member
I saw a really nice buck probably around 135 to 140 inches chasing around a doe this afternoon in Trigg County, KY along the KY/TN border.
