Rut Question - Deer Hunting - Deer Hunting

An email that was sent to me….. Who know, it’s different everywhere.

Last year was a strange one, would you agree? Across most the country in 2010 rutting activity was sporadic, minimal and downright disappointing for many hunters. But the good news is that experts are predicting a strong rebound in 2011!

Now, the possible reasons for last years strange rut are many. But if you saw the 2010 peak rut predictions from Deer & Deer Hunting’s Charles Alsheimer, you might be inclined to believe the strange rut was tied to the moon. As a refresher, according to Alsheimer, the key factor in kicking the rut into gear is the occurrence of the second full moon after the Autumn Equinox. According to this theory, once the “Rutting Moon” hits, most doe’s estrus cycles kick into gear and the peak of the rut follows shortly. Keep in mind, there are many rut prediction theories and this is just one of those. But when it comes to rutting activity observed in 2010, Charles seemed to be spot on. Alsheimer predicted a “trickle rut”, resulting in sporadic rut activity due to an abnormally late “Rutting Moon”. Could this be coincidence? Possibly. But maybe there’s also something to be said for the moon. So with that possibility in mind, I wanted to share with you the predictions Mr. Alsheimer has unveiled for 2011!

In Deer & Deer Hunting’s October issue, Alsheimer explains that “this year’s rut will be much different – and much better – than what we experienced last year.” The rutting moon this year will be November 10th, and based on other years that have had this same moon, the rut should be “intense and very exciting”. Sounds good, right?

According to this theory, the seeking and chasing phases of the rut in most states north of the 38th latitude should kick off around November 7 or 8 and will continue for a week or more. Breeding should begin taking place in most cases by November 15th, with the peak of breeding occurring around the 20th.

With this in mind, Alsheimer has predicted The 9 Best Days to Hunt in the North in 2011 to be… November 10-18.

So there you have it. Your 2011 rut predictions from Deer & Deer Hunting. Obviously these predictions and the theory behind it is debatable, but it’s interesting information to consider, if nothing else!

My question now is, what do you think? Do you give the “Rutting Moon” theory any credence? Will you plan any of your time off around these dates? I’m also curious if you felt last years rut was on par with Alsheimers’ predictions?

For more information about Charles Alsheimer’s rut theory and predictions, you can pick up the latest copy of Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine or check out the online course 2011 Lunar Rut Predictions.