Rut Dates???

[landman]

Seems that posts are coming in across the state

The Rut is On!

Where are the deer?

Late Rut?

Night Rut ?

It's the same time every year!!!


BSK would tell us the the gestation period
for a deer is 190-210 days(7 months)
And the doe decides when it happens!

Think about all the posts we have
Seen a newborn fawn from Apirl to September
Those does where bred Oct to February

A GW told me one of his best indicators was
dead deer along a stretch of I-24West
and it hasn't happened yet this year....

Cold Fronts, Rain, High pressure systems
All stir up deer, epically bucks

I myself on my place have deer on a early October
timeframe right now, no chasing, still bacherol
groups, large groups of does feeding together.
It's a large tract and neighbors are seeing some
of the same. But 2-3 miles away some chasing
has started

 

[AT Hiker]

The "rut-moon" had it timed to happen early, safe to say Ol Charlie was wrong on that one.

I did notice the lack of dead deer along I-24, thought that was odd. Add that to decline in kill numbers and it makes you wonder.


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[tree_ghost]

Photoperiod is the determining factor to the rut...now this is a differing factor based on geographical location and the herds subspecies but you can almost guarantee that in your area within a 2 week period the rut will be on the same dates year after year...with that being said the amount of "visible rut" in your area may differ from year to year with many, many variables influencing it...it could be weather, deer populations, available food, atmospheric conditions, lunar phases, hunting pressure and the likes of a million more things I'm certain!!! And that's where the million dollar question is IMO...what variables influence the amount of visible rut the greatest??? That being said as a whole in Rutherford Co the deer have been slow this year as a whole...however in the last week the bucks have really picked it up...every buck I have seen in the last 5 days (14 in total) have all been either scent trailing does, or straight up chasing them...the does on the other hand want nothing to do with it from what I can tell...as stated above by ATHiker the does determine this thing...it is a built in instinct to have their species survive...they know when to breed to allow their offspring the greatest opportunity to be strong enough by the following winter to live through it...here in the south we have a much larger birthing window than most mid western and northern states, which is why I suspect our rut is usually less intense than theirs...my prediction for my area is that the annual pattern will be followed as usual and the 4th week of November will be the peak of the first breeding window....approx 28 days after this will be the peak of the second breeding window...just my .02


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[landman]

Photoperiod is the determining factor to the rut...now this is a differing factor based on geographical location and the herds subspecies but you can almost guarantee that in your area within a 2 week period the rut will be on the same dates year after year...with that being said the amount of "visible rut" in your area may differ from year to year with many, many variables influencing it...it could be weather, deer populations, available food, atmospheric conditions, lunar phases, hunting pressure and the likes of a million more things I'm certain!!! And that's where the million dollar question is IMO...what variables influence the amount of visible rut the greatest??? That being said as a whole in Rutherford Co the deer have been slow this year as a whole...however in the last week the bucks have really picked it up...every buck I have seen in the last 5 days (14 in total) have all been either scent trailing does, or straight up chasing them...the does on the other hand want nothing to do with it from what I can tell...as stated above by ATHiker the does determine this thing...it is a built in instinct to have their species survive...they know when to breed to allow their offspring the greatest opportunity to be strong enough by the following winter to live through it...here in the south we have a much larger birthing window than most mid western and northern states, which is why I suspect our rut is usually less intense than theirs...my prediction for my area is that the annual pattern will be followed as usual and the 4th week of November will be the peak of the first breeding window....approx 28 days after this will be the peak of the second breeding window...just my .02


I feel my area will be 2 weeks later than Normal

But we know the rut is later the further South
we go , so that kinda throws the Moon out
the window

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[tree_ghost]

Landman I agree that moon phase isn't the determining factor of the rut as stated above...I also agree that being this far south it is less of a factor than in other geographical locations...however I believe that there is still some influence by the moon on the rutting behavior of deer...we have many studies that show deer movement is greatly influenced by the amount of moon light availible...I don't think it's a major factor but to discount it? I can't bring myself to do so...


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[tree_ghost]

I think its more likely that the lunar phases have some effect on deer all the time, and the way they behave when the rut is occurring in each particular phase isn't random.

But I don't believe it has any bearing on the timing of the breeding phases.

I agree with this...like I stated before it is a variable , I believe, that has an effect on the "visible rut" not the actual breeding window...in other words the observed deer movement by hunters during the actual breeding window


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[Winchester]

PHOTOPERIOD is KEY to determining when does come in to Estrous! Young bucks pestering does, bucks of all ages on their feet more during daylight, laying down more sign, moving a lil farther, etc. All can and will happen each yr in different variables across the state, but actual rut timing (does being bred) normally varies only by a few days each year in any given location. I'm a firm believer that the Weather plays the biggest role in how much of this we as hunters get to see each yr.

 

[Mr. Hawk]

I keep a record of all of my hunts going back to 1999 and was just reviewing years past and every year around 11/17-11/25 is the best week of the year for sighting, chasing, for ME in Middle TN>

 

[tree_ghost]

I keep a record of all of my hunts going back to 1999 and was just reviewing years past and every year around 11/17-11/25 is the best week of the year for sighting, chasing, for ME in Middle TN>

this coincides with what I have seen over the last 3 years here in TN


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[UTGrad]

I keep a record of all of my hunts going back to 1999 and was just reviewing years past and every year around 11/17-11/25 is the best week of the year for sighting, chasing, for ME in Middle TN>

Yep about the same for me as well. Last week of muzzleloader first week of rifle.

 

[jm1981]

If I could only hunt 1 week, I would choose the week of thanksgiving. On average I see more rutting activity that week than any other.

 

[shopson]

About normal here. Single bucks started showing this past weekend. Saw 2 today and my friend saw 2. I guess this is whats referred to the cruising phase.

 

[muddyboots]

Right on schedule here. Textbook. I think has a lot to do with the property u hunt and how u hunt it.

 

[muddyboots]

I have a lease in the north part of county and it is on fire right now. I also have one in the southern part that won't show any signs of rut til after thanksgiving

 

[ROVERBOY]

Last year at this time I noticed wide open rut activity but, this year so far the rut activity has its motor shut off. The rut may be happening around here but, I've not noticed anything yet. Maybe in a few days.......

 

[jm1981]

This cold front that's coming through should increase the daytime movement.

 

[duckriver]

This cold front that's coming through should increase the daytime movement.

This is what I think too. It's been very slow so far.

 

[Cactus Jack]

In one day this past weekend I saw a spike chasing a doe pretty hard (that familiar nose down style we all recognize) and later on that evening had a bachelor group of 4 bucks walk past me. I guess the rut where i hunt in Henderson county just hasn't really started up yet. I'm hoping this cold weather and another week's time will start to bring some of those girls into heat when I get back in the woods on Friday. I really enjoy listening to everyone's hunts and deer activity observed, keep up the good work fellas.

 

[alwaysoutdoors]

I'm not seeing it yet. I'm along I-24 between Exits 31 and 24 (west)

 

[megalomaniac]

Remember, just because you see a 1.5 or 2.5 y/o running a doe into the ground, it does NOT mean the rut has started. That has been going on on my farm for the past week and a half.

I don't think the rut will be any different this year than in years past on my farms. I'm looking for the first estrous does to come in around Nov 14 or 15th, with rapid intensification until we hit peak/lockdown around the 21st.

 

[TN Whitetail Freak]

This is not scientific by no means but awhile back I went and looked at the harvest numbers by antler points on a few wmas I hunt....I basically said anything 9 points or better was older deer....and the majority of the 9,10s, and 11+ kills were documented from 11-11/11-28 so its parallel to what you guys said