pass-thru said:
Thanks for your posts BSK. The studies you cite put peak breeding dates consistently at the end of Nov. Given the seeking, chasing, breeding phases of the rut, when can we expect peak daytime activity with regard to peak breeding.....several days before, a week before, 2 weeks before? or is it about the same time? My understanding is that when peak breeding occurs, bucks are busy tending does, so there is a drop in daytime visiblity.....is this correct?
Pass-thru,
Just remember that every location will have its own unique peak breeding timing. Normally those dates get later the farther south the deer herd is, but that's not always the case. Although the New Brunswick data is late November, many areas in the northern teir of states have a peak breeding in early November (around Nov. 5-10). Parts of TN have a peak breeding date between Nov. 15-25. The SC and GA coast have peak breedings as early as late September and early October. Parts of central and western GA have peak dates in late October and early November. Many areas of AL have peak dates in mid to late January. Each area wil have its own unique and traditional peak breeding date.
You are correct that hunters often see a bit of a lull in daylight chasing during the absolute peak of breeding because that is when the maximum number of does are in estrus at one time, reducing competition between bucks, and daylight movement is heavily influenced by competition levels.
The sequence generally begins with what some call the rut-preparation period, which is different than the pre-rut. The rut-preparation period is when bucks are on their feet the maximum amount of time for the year. They are traveling the farthest on a daily basis looking for the first receptive does. The bucks are trying to interact with as many doe groups as possible. This period is generally the week before the 2-week period of the peak of the rut and is--in my opinion--the best time to kill a truly mature bucks as they are moving a great deal during daylight as they cruise from doe group to doe group.
The "peak of the rut" is a 10-day to two week period when the majority of does are bred. It starts with a bang and the first few days is also a great time to kill and to a mature buck as DNA parentage studies find does bred at the beginning of the peak are almost always bred by the oldest bucks in the area (competition is highest between all the bucks and the first few does to enter estrus). This is the time it is possible to see several bucks following one estrus doe.
Right at the dead center of the peak of the rut--when the maximum number of does are in estrus at the same time--hunters often see a short lull in chasing activity. This is also when scrapes go dead for 5-7 days as bucks are too busy breeding to work scrapes (although trail cameras will catch yearling bucks visiting the scrapes but generally not working them).
The tail-end of the peak shows an increase in daylight chasing as competition levels increase again, however I find that the tail-end of the peak usually produces a higher percentage of 2 1/2 year-old bucks chasing instead of the truly old guys. In fact, daily chasing may be more active than at the front end, but again a high percentage of these chases are 2 1/2 year-old bucks instead of 3 1/2+ bucks. I don't know why that is.
Breeding then trickles down over the 3-4 weeks following the peak. Scattered breeding can be seen off and on over those last weeks. The entire sequence lasts 5-6 weeks, but the process is "front loaded." <50% of does are bred during the first two weeks (the "peak of the rut"). The remaining does are bred over the 3-4 weeks following the peak.