Rut question

[brs4934]

What's everyone's experience for when the rut occurs in south central tennessee? I've got a buddy that hunts up near Columbia who's telling me his rut is already over. Is that right? I grew up hunting in central Alabama where the rut didn't get in full swing until January.

What are y'all seeing?

 

[BSK]

Very close to the AL-TN line, peak breeding switches from either late Nov or mid-December over to January dates. No one really knows how this sharp distinction in peak breeding dates maintains itself over time, as gene flow across geographic distance is fairly rapid in the white-tailed species.

 

[southernhunter]

i am hunting ab 10 miles north of the alabama line. in years past the rut was full swing thanksgiving week .last year it seemed to be a week later than normal.so far this year it seems all messed up.i been seeing bucks trailing doe's since the last week of m/l season.hunted hard last week with only one chase. id see the younger bucks push the doe's out into the food plots, then lose interest really quick and start feeding with them. still seeing bucks trailing groups of doe's,unsure whats going on this year