How late in winter will deer exhibit rutting behavior?

[NVPete]

January 4th in Panaca, Nevada I encountered 6 mule deer bucks all pursuing a lone doe. Two of the bucks momentarily got into a skirmish, one was clearly the larger buck. I expected after they broke off, they would create distance. Instead they acted as if nothing had happened. I had thought with recent storms that the rut was winding down and the deer were scattered.

 

[Bluehair]

The neighborhood deer have started to group up, and there are 2 bucks still wandering around in a herd of 50 or so does. There‘s always hope I guess.

For the most part here, the aggressive behavior drops off the first week of December. Its like a switch gets thrown.

 

[nontypical]

From what I understand, a doe will estrus cycle over and over until she is bred or stops cycling. I filmed and photographed this buck actively pursuing this doe in late January 7 years ago. I asked a biologist friend about it and that was his response.

 

[nocwalker]

If a doe comes into heat a buck will get it up

 

[AB16]

Good pictures Nontypical

 

[buckhorn]

Maybe he liked the smell of the collar she was wearing!

Nice pics!

 

[N_Corey]

From what I understand, a doe will estrus cycle over and over until she is bred or stops cycling. I filmed and photographed this buck actively pursuing this doe in late January 7 years ago. I asked a biologist friend about it and that was his response.

That has been my understanding as well for both deer and elk. I actually saw a cow elk one year in the middle of October with a calf that was less than a week old.

 

[NVPete]

Do the bucks eventually lose interest? When does their swollen necks, subside? At least one or two of the bucks I posted were checking where she'd urinated, and appeared to be sampling?

 

[huntin50]

My boy and I saw a doe get bread a few years ago in February. With the gestation period no way that fawn would survive the following winter. Instead of first week in June the fawn would be born first week in August. Ideally if the bulk of does get bread during their first estrus cycle, more fawns would drop the same time, they would be larger when winter comes, and have less problems with predators.

 

[runamuk]

I watched a buck breed a doe in late January , years ago.
I posted the pics here on MM somewhere.

found it.

Lucky Buck. | Mule Deer

I was out for the last day of Chukar season in Idaho today, while laying around in the rocks out of the wind a herd of Deer moved in just above me i started snapping pics and watching em. Then the bigger buck in the herd started sniffin up a doe, i thought no way is he gonna try to poke that...

www.monstermuleys.info

Huntin 50's thread

Hard to believe | Mule Deer

I was with my 14 year old son Monday Feb 24th looking at some deer. We saw about 100 head, some on private and some on public land. We were watching a 3 point chase around a doe like he wanted some action. Then another larger more mature 2x3 met up with the doe and bred her three times in a...

www.monstermuleys.info

 

[deadibob]

Tonight I was out with a couple of my boys and we had a little light left so we went and watched a spot where deer cross into some hayfields. There was one buck we were watching that I would guess about 190" and he walked up on a doe that was squatting and he bumped her, she took a couple steps and he started fleming for several minutes and walked after her like he was pretty serious about it. We left soon after to go look at some other deer so I don't know what he did after that.

 

[Alwayshunting]

My boy and I saw a doe get bread a few years ago in February.

That must have been a sight? How did she pay? Or carry the loaf with no thumbs? ?

just giving you crapp…

 

[Gator]

put doe in heat around your trail cam and see how many come to it.

 

[trophyhunter]

January 4th in Panaca, Nevada I encountered 6 mule deer bucks all pursuing a lone doe. Two of the bucks momentarily got into a skirmish, one was clearly the larger buck. I expected after they broke off, they would create distance. Instead they acted as if nothing had happened. I had thought with recent storms that the rut was winding down and the deer were scattered.

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View attachment 64234

Its depends on the part of country you are in….CA starts mid September where back east rut may be Jan.-Feb.

 

[MtnHillbilly]

Saw 2 bucks fighting in the snow last week in Colorado outside of cedaredge

 

[2lumpy]

The little bunch that spend the winter in and out of my yard start the second week in November and they will bred until every doe is caught. I’ve seen them mounted up in February, on some occasions. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen an antlerless buck actual bred a doe. Does will sometimes mount other does, like livestock do, it becomes hard to tell if antlerless bucks are still breeding after they shed.