THE RUT-in detail

I see alot of folks commenting on the RUT and seeing more or less deer movement then they ever have before. Also alot of “well 20 years ago it was colder……” in referencing opening weekend, and the deer will be “rutting” or not.

I have done alot of research on this most interesting of topics, as well as a college research paper at the University of Minnesota. So I thought I would share a little bit of info for those that are interested about a few things I think are misunderstood.

The rut is a loosely used term tossed around alot, and I think alot of times it is used incorrectly or its meaning is misunderstood.

Anyways, I think that the rut is defined as, (bucks chasing does before she is receptive and bucks tending does during a doe’s receptive period). This period lasts for well over a month in the North. The time of year in which the most does are in estrus period in the northern 2/3 of the US, is right around November 15 every year. Regardless of the weather or deer numbers. Deer numbers up from the last couple years? Might see more activity. Deer herd ratio out of wack? Might not see much activity at all. But regardless of all factors the peak estrus date, as proved by science, stays the same no matter the other variables.

What I dont think folks know is that this is NOT peak activity time. (or what alot of folks call THE RUT). The actual highest peak activity comes about 7-10 days before that date – so roughly November 5 through November 9 just about every year. Just so happens that the Minnesota Gun season is placed always on or near those dates. So odds are in your favor if you hunt MN Gun Season.

Does warm weather play any part in the RUT? Well YES and NO. It may change the amount of activity you are seeing in the stand.. but the same level of activity is taking place every year, just under the cover of darkness. Nature requires the breeding to take place no matter the weather for survival of the species. Its pretty crazy how everything works. Its quite a show mother nature directs this time of year.

Good luck to the MN hunters taking the woods this weekend! Dont let the forecast hinder your expectations. Cant kill them from the couch, they are out there and FIRED up.

Good read, as guy who knows close to nothing about deer (rifle) hunting and is just getting into it, I appreciated the educated insight.

good read x2. I often hear guys say that as soon as they see a buck dogging a doe that “the rut is on”. I compare the rut to a saturday night in a college bar. Early season is happy hour, the guys are hanging out with their buddies shooting pool and the girls are all sitting together. By midnight (Mid october) the guys are starting to split up and are on the look out for potential hook ups. They’re buying girls drinks (making scrapes) and just starting to get cranked up. There’s the occasional arm wrestling match (light sparring) but nothing too serious. By the time 1:00 am rolls around it’s starting to get serious and the guys are following the girls a little more closely (right about now), pushing and shoving matches ensue and the girls are becoming more interested. 1:30 rolls around and the guys are dogging the girls pretty heavy (11/5-11/9) and the girls are starting to get interested but not quite ready, fights start to break out. Bar time rolls around and all hell breaks loose. Guys are really fighting, the girls are starting to pick their mates for the night and once that is accomplished they run into the thickest cover to be alone to take care of business (lockdown 11/10-11/15). However, there are does that go unaccounted for and the bucks who have taken care of business are back on their feet looking for those desperate ones. 11/15-11/20 can be some of the best times to be in the woods, it’s often at this time I’ll see one doe getting chased by multiple bucks (most i’ve seen was 7).

I would also agree, biology is responsible for the breeding dates and the local weather can have a bearing on daytime activity. Several years ago I did an all day sit on a warm november saturday and saw no deer. Overnight, temps dropped significantly on a cold front and shot the 8th deer I saw at 9:00 am on Sunday. Good luck to all and be safe.

Interesting post. You touch on 2 of the most interesting aspects of the rut that I’ve never seen really clear answers about.

1. There is variation as to when bucks begin tending does every year and in when the does come into estrus. Why is this?

I’ve heard moon phases, I’ve heard hormonal responses to daylight length and weather changes, among other things. Since there is variation in rutting activity over a large geographical area, it can’t just be linked to the moon phase.

2. My own observations regarding weather’s impact on the rut make me believe that unseasonably warm temps have the biggest impact on rut behavior. It appears to me that while the deer DO have to get-r-done, it can really be too hot to handle getting it on, at least during daylight hours.

Has anyone studied weather’s impact on the rut and have more scientific conclusions to share?

Grouse

To your first question..
The photoperiod is what controls the cycles in the does. Not weather or moon. This is triggered mainly by a decrease in amount of light in the day. A hormone called melatonin is produced by the pineal gland in response to the onset of darkness. When it reaches a certain level in the blood it induces estrus cycle. If that makes sense.

Also to your second question,
YES. If HIGHLY unseasonable weather happens to set in early November (highs in the 60s isnt considered crazy abnormal) . It doesnt change the amount of does in estrus at all. Still the highest % of does will come into cycle around Nov.15. But abnormally hot weather will affect buck daylight activity “searching/chasing”. They will still breed in the hot weather, during the day if they are locked down with a estrus doe for 24 hours. It just affects how quickly the bucks are able to find the next “hot doe” because they have reduced time in the day to SEARCH. This in turn leads to more does going “missed”. You can expect to see an increased activity roughly 17-28 days later when they will come into estrus again during these kind of years. (around the 1st or 2nd week of December.) The number of does in estrus will spike again.

I think the key here is that, Does above average temperature affect Rut activity that you see during daylight…100% yes.
But does it alter everything or set things back a week or two? No.

and here I thought I was the only person who likened bucks in the fall to a pack of college frat boys downtown.

Personally I prefer the last 10 days of October over the early November ‘chasing’ phase. Bucks are tuned up and ready to go but the ladies just aren’t ready yet, that’s when I have my best luck calling/rattling. And some of the responses I’ve gotten are just downright cool, like having a buck charge about 150 yards down and back up across a draw to find the ‘two deer’ who dared have a fight on his turf (never got a shot at him). By the time they get a good whiff of an estrus doe or two you are pretty much at the mercy of said doe bringing them past your stand and then getting him to stand still enough long enough to take a good shot.

Pete S –

Your analysis is great. I like it.

I live in a very rural setting and get to observe a lot of deer behavior, and I think yu are pretty close. I will add…..a 1.5 yr old Buck is like an 18-19 yr guy……young, dumb, and full of “bad intentions”….lol

I happen to live in what I classify as a “nursery”. I have does/fawns around all yr long. Never, ever see a buck until VERY late October – this yr was 10/29 before the first buck showed on camera(cameras out from 9-1 til now). I have several photos of three different buck as of today. During the first two weeks of November, it’s very common to get pics of 2-5 different bucks PER DAY. Then mid to late November it slows to ZERO.

A half mile in a couple directions, bucks live yr round….I see them when driving. If they ever move rifle season out of the rut, I am screwed.

I can totally understand that situation Timmy just in reverse, my parents place is the complete opposite, a bachelor pad so to say. I’ve never added them up to see the actual ratio, but I know it’s way heavy towards bucks my sightings and pictures every month of the year save November. Come November it turns into the Sahara desert. Whomever has the area nursery near there probably does real well in November, I leave and go to the in laws in MN.

I think has a lot to do with why I prefer late October, the boys are still at the pad.

A buddy shot a nice one this am. Third one in line chasing a hot doe. He watched her get bred by one of the smaller bucks. Get in the woods!

This post is making me consider pulling my daughter right out of college!!

Is anyone else having trouble reading this between does(does what he wants) and does(female deer)?

Back to our regularly scheduled discussion……..

cougareye wrote:

Is anyone else having trouble reading this between does(does what he wants) and does(female deer)?

Ha I was thinking the same thing, but I am terrible at reading so I figured it was just me.

I would definitely agree that warmer temps mean less daylight activity… but before and during “the rut” in other words from the last week in October through the end of November… anything can happen so you better be out when you can be. Last night I was late getting to the stand but was still in position by 3:30… 5 minutes later I had 3 does (DEER) and a really nice 9 pt pushing them around under me. If my schedule allowed… I would be sitting all day right now.

Plus… who doesn’t love naps in the woods when the sun is shining on you. Nothing better