# Rut???????



## avrock30 (Oct 11, 2005)

With the crazy weather that has been around here this week, 74 today and the possibility of snow next weekend, what are some of your thoughts on when rut is going to go on. I am thinking second weekend of November for the tail end of the pre-rut. What are your opinions on this? :! :!


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## ChachiSnips (May 4, 2005)

here in ohio the weather's pretty crazy and unstable every year and it seems that regardless of the weather, the rut is always around the same time. I'd be in the woods from the 4th to the 18th, with the earlier part of that range being better (when they're chasing, before the bucks get hooked up w/ does). good luck to everyone...


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

The primary rut is always at the same general time no matter what the weather. It doesn't vary over just a few days anywhere from year to year, here, Canada, Texas, Mexico, wherever.

It is triggered by the reduction of daylight hours, shorter days.

If I only had two weeks this year it would be from the 6th through the 18th


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## jiggin'fool (Dec 18, 2005)

it has alot more to do with moon phases than it does weather...first new moon in November! that is when you don't want to leave the woods! I think it is the 15th this year! and I talked to a bunch of people(bunch being 3) that they saw bucks breeding does in january last year.... which in turn would be your second rut!


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

I think what people witnessed in January was one of two things. Either it was the 3rd estrus cycle for mature does, they will come back in estrus in 28 days in not breed the previous cycle, but more likely it was some of the yearling does coming into their first cycle.

There is more than one study about when a yearling becomes sexually mature. According to these studies it deals with if and when these yearling's with come into estrus, primarily based upon when they were born and available nutrition during their young lives. 

I've only personally witnessed limited 2nd and 3rd rut activity a few times in my years of hunting, there just aren't that many does that go unbred the first cycle, but hit a year with a large percentage of yearling does coming into estrus and it becomes intense again. What I have seen has always been in late December early January and it's obvious which does are in heat, it is the yearling's not the mature does.


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## GOLDFISH (Mar 10, 2006)

I have the week of the 6th off To me You have better chances earlier before they hook up with a doe .


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## flypilot33 (Feb 9, 2006)

For me the second week of november is always prime time.


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## crappies4ever (May 21, 2005)

i thnk it will start start Nov. 4th this year. this full moon we just had is the harvest moon and the next 28 days later is the hunters moon. the 2nd full moon after the fall equinox. i have studied this for a few years now and i think it is very true no matter what the weather conditions. it is the amount of daylight mostly and that goes hand in hand with the moon phase. i will be hunting hard Nov. 4 - Nov.18. i'm just glad it's gonna cool off this weekend so i can finally get out!!!!


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## Traylor Trash (Apr 4, 2006)

I don't know much about the moon or the like, but I know when I was fishing this past weekend a doe and a fawn crossed the river and then two smaller bucks. Ten minutes later the doe and fawn went back across with the larger of the two bucks in a love dance behind her with his tail twitched just so and he ran the fawn off when they got back across. So by seeing that I would say the bucks are chasing the does now. That's not to say the does are in estrus, but I'm sure the bucks are more active now.


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## jiggin'fool (Dec 18, 2005)

im sure it was the 2nd or 3rd rut... last year I didn't see much rutting activity at all! and I am out in the woods alot... just couldnt seem to find it but I talked to a lot of people that saw a lot of bucks chasing in the middle of dec. till muzzeloader... and last year I saw several does that were very tiny throughout the year and into gun season... abnormally small for the time of year... so it could be they came in even later than the normal yearlings... they later they get bred the later the doe carries the fawn.. which leads to a lot of dog size deer... saw that alot last year!


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## WISH IT WAS YOU (Jul 25, 2006)

the rut is just beging


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## stumpsitter (Jul 3, 2004)

The rut is the same time every year. Like Lundy said, it has more to do with day length than anything. The weather can have some affect on how active they are during the daytime during the rut. If it's warm they don't move as much because it's too uncomfortable.

They may be more active at night and less during the day when the moon is full any time of year-including during the rut.

I have seen the most bucks running all day during the first week in November, but it seems that they are unpredictable as to where they are going to be. They will either be with does or chasing does. They will also be very careless. I think that there are days at this stage when you can almost just walk up to a buck and shoot it. I've been walking around before at this time of year and had nice bucks completely ignore me, or look at me as if they are thinking "your not a doe".  This is probably the time when they are most dangerous as well.

In the weeks leading up to the rut, you will see them out cruising around by themselves at a more leisurely pace all day long. They will be traveling from one doe bedding area to the other checking on the status of the does. They will travel more than they normally do during the day at this stage, but they still seem to be pretty wary.

At least that's been my experience where I hunt.


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