what is your rut predictions for east TN

[pseshooter300]

The full moon in october is at the end of the month a few days before muzzle loading season. If we get some cool nights that may make for a interesting weekend opener. What do you all think?

 

[RatherBeHuntin]

Seems the rut is always around the week of Thanksgiving around here regardless of moon phase.

 

[pseshooter300]

I will agree with that i seem to see a lot of action around that time

 

[BSK]

The full moon in october is at the end of the month a few days before muzzle loading season. If we get some cool nights that may make for a interesting weekend opener. What do you all think?

I think (actually, I know) the timing of the full moon has nothing to do with the timing of the rut. Peak breeding will occur in each given location within a day or two of the same time it did last year.

Now when hunters actually see the most rutting activity during daylight is a completely different matter, and the weather will play the greatest influence on that. Of all the different influences on daylight deer activity that exist (and there are many), I would place moon conditions as the least important.

 

[farmin68]

The full moon in october is at the end of the month a few days before muzzle loading season. If we get some cool nights that may make for a interesting weekend opener. What do you all think?

You planning on hunting by the light of the moon?

 

[JGreg]

Bsk- I agree, but I also think early season pressures play as much of a roll in daylight activities. You start spooking they start hiding..imo.

 

[pseshooter300]

There is one area on the property i hunt im not going into till muzzle loader season just cause i dont want to alarm them any way. See how it works i guess. A big ridge full of sign last year that i found about a week after thanksgiving

 

[MUP]

My prediction is, that I will be in the woods as much as I can be, from about the last week in Oct in bow season, thru Thanksgiving week, and then continue to get as much woods time till the end of the season.

 

[BSK]

Bsk- I agree, but I also think early season pressures play as much of a roll in daylight activities. You start spooking they start hiding..imo.

I couldn't agree more JGreg. Many environmental and man-made influences on daylight deer movement exist. And hunting pressure is probably THE most powerful of all influences on daylight deer activity. However, when it comes to just environmental influences, I would put the weather at the top of the list.

 

[BSK]

My prediction is, that I will be in the woods as much as I can be, from about the last week in Oct in bow season, thru Thanksgiving week, and then continue to get as much woods time till the end of the season.

Good point MUP. I never let the weather or other factors dictate whether or not I hunt. I plan to hunt as much of the rut as possible, and I will be out there rain, shine, cold, heat, full or no moon.

 

[BlountArrow]

I've never truly believed the whole "rut moon" theory myself. However, a lot of people put a lot of faith in it so maybe other parts of the country there is something to it - I wouldn't know because all I hunt is West TN, East TN, and SW Pennsylvania. I agree 100% with others, regardless of moon phase, a couple warm days can seem to really halt all day time movement that time of year it seems. Is it possible we don't see a "full blown rut" in East Tennessee? I've heard of some places experiencing mini-ruts due to mild temperatures, buck to doe ratios that are askew, and other factors.

 

[Football Hunter]

My prediction is, that I will be in the woods as much as I can be, from about the last week in Oct in bow season, thru Thanksgiving week, and then continue to get as much woods time till the end of the season.

Good point MUP. I never let the weather or other factors dictate whether or not I hunt. I plan to hunt as much of the rut as possible, and I will be out there rain, shine, cold, heat, full or no moon.

I used to be that way,but I think when its hot,you are probably doing more harm ,except very early mornings,just sweating and educating deer.I will back off some now,even during November if its hot.

 

[BSK]

My prediction is, that I will be in the woods as much as I can be, from about the last week in Oct in bow season, thru Thanksgiving week, and then continue to get as much woods time till the end of the season.

Good point MUP. I never let the weather or other factors dictate whether or not I hunt. I plan to hunt as much of the rut as possible, and I will be out there rain, shine, cold, heat, full or no moon.

I used to be that way,but I think when its hot,you are probably doing more harm ,except very early mornings,just sweating and educating deer.I will back off some now,even during November if its hot.

If you have the freedom to do that (not hunt the heat) and still get in the amount of hunting time you want, I can see your point. I don't get that many days to hunt, so when I have the time off, I'm hunting.

 

[BSK]

I've never truly believed the whole "rut moon" theory myself. However, a lot of people put a lot of faith in it so maybe other parts of the country there is something to it...

Nope. Breeding timing in relation to full moon timing has been intensively studied across the entire whitetails' range. There is no relationship. In any given location, peak breeding dates fall on or with a day or two of the same date every year, while full moon timing changes every year.

But also remember, when actual peak breeding occurs, and when hunters see the most rutting activity during daylight can be two VERY different things.

 

[BlountArrow]

I've never truly believed the whole "rut moon" theory myself. However, a lot of people put a lot of faith in it so maybe other parts of the country there is something to it...

Nope. Breeding timing in relation to full moon timing has been intensively studied across the entire whitetails' range. There is no relationship. In any given location, peak breeding dates fall on or with a day or two of the same date every year, while full moon timing changes every year.

But also remember, when actual peak breeding occurs, and when hunters see the most rutting activity during daylight can be two VERY different things.

That's interesting with that kind of scientific data that these people who claim to be educated experts about Whitetail would push something like the "Rut Moon" so heavily. I guess that shouldn't surprise me. What about the notion of "mini-ruts"?

 

[BSK]

I've never truly believed the whole "rut moon" theory myself. However, a lot of people put a lot of faith in it so maybe other parts of the country there is something to it...

Nope. Breeding timing in relation to full moon timing has been intensively studied across the entire whitetails' range. There is no relationship. In any given location, peak breeding dates fall on or with a day or two of the same date every year, while full moon timing changes every year.

But also remember, when actual peak breeding occurs, and when hunters see the most rutting activity during daylight can be two VERY different things.

That's interesting with that kind of scientific data that these people who claim to be educated experts about Whitetail would push something like the "Rut Moon" so heavily.

Visually observing a couple of deer inside a pen.

On the flip side, the real scientific studies involve the known breeding dates from over 10,000 deer over a decade's time from across the whitetail's range.

 

[Hill Country Hunter]

I've never truly believed the whole "rut moon" theory myself. However, a lot of people put a lot of faith in it so maybe other parts of the country there is something to it - I wouldn't know because all I hunt is West TN, East TN, and SW Pennsylvania. I agree 100% with others, regardless of moon phase, a couple warm days can seem to really halt all day time movement that time of year it seems. Is it possible we don't see a "full blown rut" in East Tennessee? I've heard of some places experiencing mini-ruts due to mild temperatures, buck to doe ratios that are askew, and other factors.

I don't have BSK's expertise, but I would certainly disagree with the idea that we don't have a "full blown rut" here in East Tennessee. I can tell you that I have seen chasing activity and/or the biggest deer of the year every Thanksgiving morning since I started hunting it three or four years ago.

I usually see the most movement and a lot of cruising on the opener of muzzleloader season, then slightly declining through the opening weekend of gun season. After gun opens, on most of my spots (all public land), sightings drop off significantly (due to hunting pressure), EXCEPT for true estrus chases on or right around Thanksgiving. Those observations come from several counties around here. I cannot speak to the big mountains to the east, though, as I have barely seen any deer in Cherokee, much less patterned them.

I have no idea how my observations compare to BSK's or BGG's data on breeding dates for the Southeast Tennessee valley-and-ridge area (Bradley/Hamilton/Rhea/Meigs), and southeast Plateau (Marion/Franklin), but that's my anecdotal observations as a hunter. So my opinion is that we definitely have a consistent, active rut in east Tennessee. In years when it is warm during late November, though, I see very little cruising/chasing while hunting.

 

[pseshooter300]

Hopefully we have some good cold days leading up and to thanksgiving

 

[yamaha200]

I predict the bucks will run around and try to breed every doe he can, with out getting a bullet or arrow put n him ! lol

 

[DOC1187]

My prediction is, that I will be in the woods as much as I can be, from about the last week in Oct in bow season, thru Thanksgiving week, and then continue to get as much woods time till the end of the season.

me too