Is the rut this perplexing in your state?

[1100LT20]

Go figure.

 

[Native Hunter]

My guess is that it probably isn't even correct. Our state put this one out, and it isn't even close for where I hunt:

https://fox56news.com/news/kentucky/map-shows-peak-of-kentucky-rut-by-region/

 

[1100LT20]

My guess is that it probably isn't even correct. Our state put this one out, and it isn't even close for where I hunt:

https://fox56news.com/news/kentucky/map-shows-peak-of-kentucky-rut-by-region/

Was Kentucky restocked with whitetail deer in the past? Louisiana was in the 1950’s with deer from Wisconsin, Texas and Mississippi according to LDWF records. This along with intense hunting pressure in isolated areas is what causes these variations…at least that’s my silly hypothesis, lol.

 

[Native Hunter]

Was Kentucky restocked with whitetail deer in the past? Louisiana was in the 1950’s with deer from Wisconsin, Texas and Mississippi according to LDWF records. This along with intense hunting pressure in isolated areas is what causes these variations…at least that’s my silly hypothesis, lol.

Yes, it was restocked at some point. Do you feel that the map for your state is accurate?

 

[1100LT20]

Yes, it was restocked at some point. Do you feel that the map for your state is accurate?

Accurate to the areas I’ve hunted which is 2, 4, 6 and 9. But have also seen active scraping activity in early March in an area where biologists say peak rut is early January? This was also a high pressure hunting lease and maybe the deer just laid low until we all exited for the season’s end?

 

[Native Hunter]

Accurate to the areas I’ve hunted which is 2, 4, 6 and 9. But have also seen active scraping activity in early March in an area where biologists say peak rut is early January? This was also a high pressure hunting lease and maybe the deer just laid low until we all exited for the season’s end?

I have a pretty good feel for when breeding happens here, because I frequently set in the stand and watch it happen.

 

[BenAllgood]

I've hunted in 2, 4, 6, an 9 also. Those dates do seem to line up with what I've seen. The LDWF have done lots of sampling all across these areas where they pull fetuses and measure to back date when they were bred.

In Kentucky, you have much more visibility than most of the places I've hunted in Louisiana. The rut is much more visible there from my experience. I thought the November 21st, Kentucky average for the peak breeding date was pretty accurate. I saw activity ramp up about a week before that and then again a week after. But, I could be wrong about the dates. Native has a lot more time in the stand than I do up there.

 

[yoderjac]

In the north, with the shorter growing season, the rut peak is sharper as fawns need enough time to develop before their first winter. It is much easier measure that peak. In the south, breeding can be much more drawn out. With a broader and lower peak, it takes a much larger sample to have an accurate picture. I'm guessing that it would be difficult to get enough samples to have a map as accurate as the picture seems to show.

 

[BenAllgood]

In the north, with the shorter growing season, the rut peak is sharper as fawns need enough time to develop before their first winter. It is much easier measure that peak. In the south, breeding can be much more drawn out. With a broader and lower peak, it takes a much larger sample to have an accurate picture. I'm guessing that it would be difficult to get enough samples to have a map as accurate as the picture seems to show.

Louisiana has a very strong working DMAP program. Lots of clubs take advantage of this. They have a huge dataset to draw from. I went to drop off jawbones one time and there was a very large conference room with envelopes of jawbones everywhere. This was for one area, and there were thousands and thousands. They also send biologists to do browse surveys to help with doe tag allotments. I've tagged along on a few of these. They also come out and measure fawn fetuses. This is where they get that rut data. In that picture, you can see radiating circles in some places. The center is where they have gathered the most data. Also, in Louisiana, the breeding period is delayed so fawns will be born after the spring floods in some areas. In other areas, does have historically held onto the breeding dates of where they originated from. It makes a mess of maps, but it gives someone the opportunity to hunt the rut all season long if they want just by moving around the state.

 

[yoderjac]

Ben, do they have another way to determine breeding other than measuring fetuses? That is the only way I know, and you would need to kill a lot of does to get a good dataset with such diversity in dates. Who knows, with technology today, maybe they have another method.

 

[BenAllgood]

Ben, do they have another way to determine breeding other than measuring fetuses? That is the only way I know, and you would need to kill a lot of does to get a good dataset with such diversity in dates. Who knows, with technology today, maybe they have another method.

Not that I'm aware of. They have a strong relationship with many clubs and landowners across the state. It's like a crowd sourced dataset. Another thing that helps is the way a lot of people handle the deer they kill down here. I haven't seen alot of gutted in the field deer. Most deer are brought back to a central cleaning shed on the club. The biologists just come to the shed and do a quick measurement. They move on to the next club. Some are obtained on WMAs whenever they employ mandatory check stations.