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- Josh Honeycutt
- The Pre-Rut. Late October to Early November. As fall progresses and dulling green leaves give way to brighter colors, relaxed whitetails turn into testosterone-driven knuckleheads.
- The Early Rut. Mid-November. Things get more serious as the second full week of November nears. The first wave of does—albeit a small one—are entering estrus now, and deer respond accordingly.
- The Peak Rut. Second and third week of November. The Midwestern rut is in full force. The bulk of does are courted during this 10-day window. This can actually make it more difficult to see a mature buck.
- The Late Rut. Final week of November. Most does are finished with love and unreceptive now. Instead, they're back with their fawns and shunning any and all advances from male counterparts.
- Photoperiod Is The Trigger
- Whitetail Rut Factors in The North
- Whitetail Rut Factors in The South
- How QDM Intensifies The Rut
Photoperiod is the interval in a 24-hour period during which a plant or animal is exposed to light. Photoperiod is directly tied to growth, development, and seasonal behaviors in plants and animals. With respect to whitetails, photoperiod regulates some hormonal productionthat is directly tied to antler growth and the breeding season. A diminishing...
In northern regions photoperiod is a much more precise timer of seasonal changes. This is likely due to: 1) northern regions having a wider range of daylight lengths from summer to winter than southern regions, and 2) climate being critically important for doe and fawn survival. Does bred on time put little energy into fetal development during wint...
In southern regions, breeding dates aren’t as cut-and-dry. The photoperiod change is less dramatic, the climate is less severe, and there is less need to breed “on time.” This may explain why the breeding window is wider, but it likely does not explain why published reports show peak breeding in October in east Texas, December in Arkansas, January ...
Not seeing many rubs and scrapes in your area? This may be directly related to an absence of older bucks. According to Karl, one mature buck can make 1,000 to 1,200 rubs per year. Over a 90-day period that is 10 to 15 per day! This means a deer herd with an older age structure and balanced sex ratio can have over 3,000 rubs per square mile! Contras...
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People also ask
What is the whitetail rut?
What is the annual deer rut?
When do whitetail deer rut?
Are Whitetails tagged during a rut?
Oct 30, 2023 · The answer is simple. Whitetail deer are known as short-day breeders, meaning day length plays a role in the hormonal balances that drive the rut. This causes an increase in observed movement and allows hunters afield during the peak of breeding season to harvest more deer. This leads to more deer being harvested for population control, more ...
- Clint Mccoy, DVM
November 4, 2022 By: NDA Staff. Share: 𝕏. The whitetail rut is the most exciting time of the season for deer hunters, and it’s also a time when the NDA receives a lot of questions about this important season in the whitetail’s year. Many of the answers are found here on our website, and we’ve compiled this guide to help you find them ...
- Transition from Velvet to Hard Antler, Start of the Pre-Rut. The shedding of antlers and impending regrowth is an annual occurrence. Velvet antlers are highly vascular and grow rapidly to reach full potential by the end of August, which aligns with the earliest hunting seasons.
- Seeking Phase of the Pre-Rut. By more contemporary description, the pre-rut heats up and younger bucks in particular start to move more near the end of October as both bucks and does visit and urinate in scrapes.
- Chasing Phase, Still Pre-Rut. Sometimes difficult to differentiate, this pre-breeding period occurs immediately after the seeking phase and just prior to actual breeding.
- The Estrus, Peak Deer Rut. The breeding phase, or estrus period, is viewed as the peak of the rut. This is when buck movement breaks wide open. It’s when does go into estrus and are receptive to the breeding advances of eager bucks.
Jan 16, 2022 · A whitetail buck has his work cut out when it comes to getting the opportunity to breed. When a doe comes into estrus and locates a dominant buck, she’ll take her suitor on a long-winded chase before breeding occurs. The rut chase usually occurs on the edge of an open area, and the doe will lead the buck on a long chase before stopping and ...
Nov 18, 2022 · The whitetail rut consists of does coming into heat and bucks looking to breed them. It’s a simple concept and applies in all areas of the country where whitetails roam. The definition of the rut might be the same, but it varies regionally depending on your location and habitat type.
