if u had only 1 week to hunt a trophy when?

[bigbuck2012]

what week would u hunt if u had only 1 week to to hunt a trophy?

 

[Super8]

November 9th-16th

 

[BSK]

The week before peak breeding. In my area, peak breeding occurs Nov. 12-19, so I would choose Nov. 5-11 as the best week to hunt mature bucks.

 

[MUP]

About 2 weeks later here BSK. I've seen dandys chasing (estrous) the last couple weeks of Nov in my area in the past. My peak breeding, the best I can calc, is the first couple weeks of dec.

 

[redblood]

week after Thanksgiving

 

[LanceS4803]

Good info to know as Army Reserves seems to want to take EVERY weekend in October away from me.

 

[TNReb]

You still sticking with 5th-11th this year BSK? Final answer? :)

I've got vacation days to plan. :) I'm thinking I'll use them the 11th and 12th. I've had several instances this year where I could have taken a mature buck with a MZ... but haven't been able to get close enough with a bow yet.

 

[spoon]

Week of Veterans Day in IL

 

[Bayou Buck]

November 13th through the 19th at my place with the 16th-18th being the best in the past. Anyone who doesnt muzzleloader hunt this year is going to miss the best action.

 

[cottontown]

Shot most of my nice bucks between nov. 7-13... sumner county

 

[chubacabra]

Nov. 10th thru 17th, Sullivan county

 

[deaddownwind]

December 18-25

 

[muddyboots]

In my area this year I picked Nov 16 - 23

 

[BSK]

You still sticking with 5th-11th this year BSK? Final answer? :)

I've got vacation days to plan. :) I'm thinking I'll use them the 11th and 12th. I've had several instances this year where I could have taken a mature buck with a MZ... but haven't been able to get close enough with a bow yet.

It all depends on when your local peak of breeding occurs. But I would ALWAYS choose the week before peak breeding for that area (if a mature buck was my goal).

 

[TNReb]

It all depends on when your local peak of breeding occurs. But I would ALWAYS choose the week before peak breeding for that area (if a mature buck was my goal).

Are we still talking about deer? :grin:

 

[Adam Jackson]

I hunt in Southwest TN and we are about 7 to 10 days after BSK time frame. Around thanksgiving or the week after is a good time.

 

[John3]

Last week of November is when I have killed all of my biggest deer. 3 of which are November 27, my lucky day for some reason.

 

[jbow]

Adam and John,

Where do you actually hunt in West TN. I will be in NW Hardeman county this year do you think the Rut there is as late as we see in Shelby county?

 

[John3]

Pm sent jbow

 

[bowriter]

Firts seven days of mzl. this year for sure and I'll dang sure be bowhunting before that.

 

[bowriter]

Week of Veterans Day in IL

I believe Veterans Day is the same week here as in IL.

 

[Winchester]

Nov 18-25 here in East TN

 

[BSK]

Nov 18-25 here in East TN

Would you say your peak breeding is just after those dates in your area Winchester?

 

[Winchester]

Yes BSK, seems to peak last week of November.

 

[BSK]

Thanks Winchester. That matches some of the data I've seen from near Monteagle.

 

[megalomaniac]

The best chance for a mature buck is right when the first few does come into estrous.... on my farms, that's usually around 4-5 days before peak breeding. (South Central Middle TN), my peak breeding is Nov 20-21, so I prefer Nov 14-21 as the very best dates for a mature buck. Prior to that, it's almost impossible to kill a mature deer on my farms as they are still nocturnal. After that, the hunting pressure has them running scared :)

 

[Hunter 257W]

I wonder how accurate these different dates are since there seems to be such variation across the state and TN is not a large state as far as North to South land area. Since North to South length is what determines variation in the length of daylight - which is what scientist currenlty believe triggers the rut - it doesn't seem like the peak breeding dates would vary much at all in TN. There's so much room for bad information if you rely purely on hunter observation of bucks on the move vs. cuting open bred does and verifying the actual breeding date. How much of that data exists for TN?

 

[in the dog house]

I lived in Paint Rock valley in North AL. and the deer at the head of the valley went into rut around Thanksgiving. At the bottom of the valley 20 miles south they didn't rut until middle of Jan.

Fact :confused:

 

[BSK]

I wonder how accurate these different dates are since there seems to be such variation across the state and TN is not a large state as far as North to South land area. Since North to South length is what determines variation in the length of daylight - which is what scientist currenlty believe triggers the rut - it doesn't seem like the peak breeding dates would vary much at all in TN.

I think there is still much misunderstanding between how the shortening lengths of the days triggers breeding, and why peak breeding actually occurs on the dates that it does. The shortening lengths of the days is the animal's internal biological "calendar," that allows the animals biological clock to keep track of about what day of the year it is. However, what exact dates the calendar is linked to trigger breeding on has been developed locally by the process of Natural Selection, and can be any date. Whatever dates of breeding produce the highest newborn fawn survival 200 days later is when peak breeding will occur. If the highest fawn survival occurs at an unusual time of the year, breeding will occur at an unusual time of year. For instance, fawn survival in the Everglades is best in February and March--the dry season when swamps are the driest (lowest odds of newborn fawns drowning). Therefore, in the Everglades, peak breeding is 200 days previous to that time: July and August. Deer along the South Carolina coast breed in late September, because fawn survival is best for fawns born in April. Deer in the North breed in early November because fawn survival is best when born in late May and early June (too late to be killed by late spring snow storms but early enough to achieve maximum body growth before the following winter).

In TN, for unknown reasons, it is best that deer in the north-central part of the state breed in early to mid-November, while deer in the southwest corner near Memphis breeding in mid-December. Of course, the big question is "why?" and no one really knows the biological answer as to why fawn births are best in early June in the north-central section of the state but mid-July in the southwestern corner. And if you want to see some really crazy breeding dates, go down along the TN-AL and TN-MS borders. Peak breeding dates in those areas transition from early December to early or mid-January over a distance of just a few miles. Natural Selection drives these breeding dates, and sometimes the reasons behind the best dates are not easily deciphered.

 

[BSK]

I lived in Paint Rock valley in North AL. and the deer at the head of the valley went into rut around Thanksgiving. At the bottom of the valley 20 miles south they didn't rut until middle of Jan.

Fact :confused:

I have no doubt that's possible. Localized conditions produce different "best" dates for fawn survival, hence drive localized breeding dates.