Rut Predictions?

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Specializedjon

Specializedjon

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Culleoka (Middle TN)
Disclaimer: This is my first year hunting TN. I'm used to the rut kicking off around Thanksgiving. With the weather starting to cooperate, what's your prediction on the rut this year. I'm not sure how the late heat affected the cycle.

Thoughts?
 
I predict that the topic of CWD will find it's way into this thread. ;) Other than that, I think the cruising and chasing is only going to ramp up from this weekend on thru Nov.
 
I think it happens the same time in your area every single season. Not sure where your located. Good weather is key to seeing movement in my experience. But also during the absolute peak I will be hunting unless it were to be dangerous thunderstorms, because I've seen them chasin when it's 75 and a 20 mph south wind, you just never know.

Where I'm at, you just need to hunt from about thanksgiving to the end of season and you never know.


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Central west TN here. Chasing starts picking up good the first week of November. First two weeks of November is my favorite time to be in a stand.

Seen a buck chasing/following 3 does this morning on my way to work

EDIT: I would say more like 11/5 through 11/20 would probably cover it better from my experience.


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cbhunter":qkb0rikv said:
Central west TN here. Chasing starts picking up good the first week of November. First two weeks of November is my favorite time to be in a stand.

Seen a buck chasing/following 3 does this morning on my way to work

EDIT: I would say more like 11/5 through 11/20 would probably cover it better from my experience.


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X2 I was gonna say 10th-20th.
 
I'm in Rutherford. Nov. 10 -25 is pretty good time to be int eh woods, but we do get a small pop in Dec and depending on when the season endswe get big bucks on their feet in January if we have a good doe fawn crop that year.
 
Bone Collector":bx3lsayp said:
I'm in Rutherford. Nov. 10 -25 is pretty good time to be int eh woods, but we do get a small pop in Dec and depending on when the season endswe get big bucks on their feet in January if we have a good doe fawn crop that year.
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Second rut can be very productive
 
Click on link and enter in your zip code. It is real close for the area I hunt.

https://www.deerfeedingchart.com/peak-rut-dates
"Because the length of daylight is always the same for a given day every year, the photoperiod approach makes the whitetail rut timing very predictable. According to the QDMA study the average center of breeding fell within a 7 day period every single year, and for eight of the nine years it fell in the same 4 day period. We believe the Deer Feeding Chart "peak hunter activity" sheds a unique light on the "peak breeding activity" theory. Happy deer hunting!"
 
In extreme southern Wayne co and I'd say bucks are about to start cruising here in the next 2-3 weeks with the rut kicking in and running until Christmas. This feels like one of the coolest falls that I can remember in a long time with bucks laying down a lot of sign right now.
 
Bushape said:
In extreme southern Wayne co and I'd say bucks are about to start cruising here in the next 2-3 weeks with the rut kicking in and running until Christmas. This feels like one of the coolest falls that I can remember in a long time with bucks laying down a lot of sign right now.
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From my link above using zip code 38485:

Wayne County TN has had a total of 10258 all time Deer Feeding Chart hits. The peak year-to-year week of Deer Feeding Chart hits is the week of Nov 24.

The peak rut and best hunting opportunities for Wayne County are estimated to be from Nov 21st to Nov 27th.
 
Agree with the experts above... rut is the same year after year for a given locale regardless of the weather. That being said, peak of 1st rut can vary from mid Nov to mid Dec (and some folks say 1st Jan in extreme southern middle TN), depending on location.
 
FLTENNHUNTER1 said:
From my link above using zip code 38485:

Wayne County TN has had a total of 10258 all time Deer Feeding Chart hits. The peak year-to-year week of Deer Feeding Chart hits is the week of Nov 24.

The peak rut and best hunting opportunities for Wayne County are estimated to be from Nov 21st to Nov 27th.
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I live just across the line in Lauderdale County Alabama (35677). According to that link my peak rut dates are Dec 22 - Dec 28. I hunt 3 miles North in Wayne County. Not saying that to discredit your link but there does seem to be a 3-4 week window around here that is just crazy.
 
Bushape said:
I live just across the line in Lauderdale County Alabama (35677). According to that link my peak rut dates are Dec 22 - Dec 28. I hunt 3 miles North in Wayne County. Not saying that to discredit your link but there does seem to be a 3-4 week window around here that is just crazy.
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Where in Wayne County is zip code 38485?
 
I have talked to 2 really good hunters that have been in the woods the last 2 weeks. They are following and chasing does in Montgomery county. With this moon, I think the next two weeks will be prime time to be the the woods in the northern middle TN counties. Should be a few good bucks killed in the morning by the youth hunters. I just hope a small one gives my daughter a shot in the morning.
 
cbhunter said:
Central west TN here. Chasing starts picking up good the first week of November. First two weeks of November is my favorite time to be in a stand.

Seen a buck chasing/following 3 does this morning on my way to work

EDIT: I would say more like 11/5 through 11/20 would probably cover it better from my experience.


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Click to expand...
This is spot on from my experience over the years. I always try to take the whole muzzleloader season off from work. Weather is a big thing in seeing daytime activity but also putting the time in on the stand is probably one of the biggest things. I get ran down after the "marathon rut hunt" but I'll switch it up from day to day and may sit all day or may go in at 10 am just so I can comfortably make it without feeling like I'm going to fall asleep.
 
I'm in Hamilton county and my last two afternoon sits this week have consisted of a spike aggravating two does (grunting) also and a descent eight pointer last night sniffing around a trail where some does had came through earlier. November 7-15 should be peak activity for my area
 
Like clockwork in Middle Tn. 2 weeks before thanksgiving until first week of December. Seen bucks with noses to the ground until Christmas but I always have plenty of does in my area.
 

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