timing the rut

[Jeff H]

So my 1st fawn pic came on May 21st. Backing up 200 days for gestation period gives me a conception date of Nov 2nd.(for at least one doe) Is this a reliable prediction of when the rut will be again in the following year ?
FWIW the first week of November is kind of the standard for the Rut in this area so it's not much of a stretch to think it would be again in 2018. I've just never tracked it before.
Thoughts ?

 

[Tap]

The "rut" if defined by actual mating, is spread out over several months. In my area (SW Pa), does are bred from mid October thru January or even February. I KNOW breeding occurs as early as mid October because I see fawns in May every year. Back-dating proves breeding happens to some extent in October. Actually, I think October breeding happens more often than hunters realize.

But PEAK BREEDING occurs around November 10th to the 15th EVERY YEAR. I think some of the theories about fluctuations based on moon phase is hog wash. Eons of evolution has timed mating in accordance within optimal fawning conditions. Some years, breeding is more confined to those traditional peak dates and other years it can be a bit mote sporadic.

 

[Jeff H]

I think I'm going to see if I can figure out the first fawn dropped and then the last by trail cams (just for kicks, not at all scientific) and see what my range is like. There should be a 2nd rut in my area and I still have does on camera that appear to be pregnant still.
Last year the rutting activity seemed quite sporadic. I'm wondering if monitoring fawn drop may answer some questions... or just create more questions.

 

[j-bird]

All I will say is that here it seems to be the same year in and year out. Your search for answers is interesting and I think will at best lead to some generalities that you may already be aware of. The one thing with mother nature is it is hardly ever anything written in stone. The doe could become ready early, not gestate as long or weather or even moon phase or doe health could impact what you see. The biggest thing I think you could prove or dis-prove is if there is an effective secondary rut in your area or not. This becomes of use in how you might hunt during that time of year. I will never discourage anyone for trying to find answers, just don't get frustrated. We already tend to complicate a pretty basic sport enough as it is.....good luck!

 

[Jeff H]

All I will say is that here it seems to be the same year in and year out. Your search for answers is interesting and I think will at best lead to some generalities that you may already be aware of. The one thing with mother nature is it is hardly ever anything written in stone. The doe could become ready early, not gestate as long or weather or even moon phase or doe health could impact what you see. The biggest thing I think you could prove or dis-prove is if there is an effective secondary rut in your area or not. This becomes of use in how you might hunt during that time of year. I will never discourage anyone for trying to find answers, just don't get frustrated. We already tend to complicate a pretty basic sport enough as it is.....good luck!

Thanks j-bird. No frustration here. Just curiosity. One thing I know is when you go looking for answers you often find something valuable that you were not seeking. Eyes open. Mind open.

 

[j-bird]

Thanks j-bird. No frustration here. Just curiosity. One thing I know is when you go looking for answers you often find something valuable that you were not seeking. Eyes open. Mind open.

I hope you find what your looking for as well as a few things you were not!

 

[Jeff H]

Me too !

 

[shaman]

I take my deer to the General Store in Lenoxburg for processing. He's retired now, but for years and years their processing was run by Jake. Jake was quite the local deer expert. One day I asked Jake how he timed the peak of the rut.

"The peak of the rut always occurs at roughly 10 AM of the Opening Day of Rifle Season." he said without a hesitation. "That's cause the deer in this county can't rut when they're hanging in my cooler."

He's go a point there. Our rifle season starts the Second Saturday of November. The purported peak of the rut is usually some time that week. KY used to allow two bucks. They're down to just one in recent years. However, the vast majority of what's going to show up at the Lenoxburg Store for the season is taken that first weekend. They're stacked like cordwood there and the other processors. Having that many bucks out of circulation really puts a dent in the rutting activity.

 

[Chainsaw]

The peak of the rut if defined by when most does are bred is not the time that offers the best older buck opportunities for us; It is the time immediately before peak rut and especially after peak rut that works best here for us regarding shooting opportunities at older deer.

 

[shaman]

As patriarch of deer camp, I have the responsibility of keeping the log. Years ago, I hit on the idea of entering the data in a spreadsheet, so I would eventually be able to do analysis. This is what happens when a guy with 40 years in computers becomes patriarch.

One of the interesting stats I've found is that despite the rifle season being two weeks long, nearly all of the mature bucks we have taken have been shot on the first two days of season. It's actually even tighter than that. Usually, if you are at our camp, your season is pretty well determined before 10 AM of The Opener. If you don't have your buck on the pole by sundown Sunday, you know you are in for a hard slog.

There are good reasons for this:
1) With just one buck tag to punch, you stop hunting for bucks after you've punched your tag.
2) Hunting is intense in our neighborhood. I've estimated 1 hunter per 20 acres-- Lots of rifles, lots of shots. It is going to be hard for a big buck to go unseen.
3) Our property is thinly hunted and we don't run ATV's around a lot. As a result, the neighbors' deer seem to use us as a sanctuary.
4) The Opener is set to coincide with the peak of the rut. The second Saturday of November dances around from the 8th to the 15th or thereabouts. Some years The Opener is absolute magic. Some years it's a dud; the rut and the weather and Providence decide.
5) Over the years, we have all picked our best spots for The Opener. Everybody has a favorite spot-- partly due to safety and partly due to to superstition. As a result, we normally connect with big bucks when things favor those favorite stands.
6) If you figure that the peak is right around The Opener, then somewhere in the next week is going to be the breeding phase of the rut. Somewhere in there is the dreaded Lockdown Period. Things usually open back up by the next weekend, though. However, the action is considerably more subdued.

 

[Tap]

As patriarch of deer camp, I have the responsibility of keeping the log. Years ago, I hit on the idea of entering the data in a spreadsheet, so I would eventually be able to do analysis. This is what happens when a guy with 40 years in computers becomes patriarch.

One of the interesting stats I've found is that despite the rifle season being two weeks long, nearly all of the mature bucks we have taken have been shot on the first two days of season. It's actually even tighter than that. Usually, if you are at our camp, your season is pretty well determined before 10 AM of The Opener. If you don't have your buck on the pole by sundown Sunday, you know you are in for a hard slog.

There are good reasons for this:
1) With just one buck tag to punch, you stop hunting for bucks after you've punched your tag.
2) Hunting is intense in our neighborhood. I've estimated 1 hunter per 20 acres-- Lots of rifles, lots of shots. It is going to be hard for a big buck to go unseen.
3) Our property is thinly hunted and we don't run ATV's around a lot. As a result, the neighbors' deer seem to use us as a sanctuary.
4) The Opener is set to coincide with the peak of the rut. The second Saturday of November dances around from the 8th to the 15th or thereabouts. Some years The Opener is absolute magic. Some years it's a dud; the rut and the weather and Providence decide.
5) Over the years, we have all picked our best spots for The Opener. Everybody has a favorite spot-- partly due to safety and partly due to to superstition. As a result, we normally connect with big bucks when things favor those favorite stands.
6) If you figure that the peak is right around The Opener, then somewhere in the next week is going to be the breeding phase of the rut. Somewhere in there is the dreaded Lockdown Period. Things usually open back up by the next weekend, though. However, the action is considerably more subdued.

Rut discussions like this are loaded with misleading terms.
The the "rut" is often mischaracterized as that intense chase phase. The rut is much more than that.
It actually starts when bucks shed velvet and at that point they are capable of breeding. They just need a doe in heat which can occur anytime over a period of several months.
What many hunters call the "rut" is actually the chase phase that occurs just prior to the traditional dates when the highest percentage of does come into heat.
There are many stages of the rut.

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[MK111]

As I see it what is correct thinking for your area maybe partly incorrect in another area. Does are not robots that start the rut with a throw of a switch.

 

[Vector]

MO’s peak of conception is pretty consistently right around November 10th.