Peak Deer Rut

silverstatehunter

Active Member
Messages
338
Is the peak rut in November or December? I have been hunting the middle of November for a couple years and have not really seen any heavy rut activity. Last year I was hunting mid november and saw 2 average forked horns and a nice 4x4 with ten does. I am just debating if I should go before or after Thanksgiving this year.
 
Depending on the weather... if it gets cold and stays cold thanksgiving could be a good time to go..
 
Hunted the area 10 late archery hunt in 04, very cold and Thanksgiving week it was on, went home for turkey and camp back the following week and the rut had died. One season, one guy's experiences. FYI.
 
Thanks,
Does the rut usually only last a week? I must be just missing it every year. I have seen some playful fighting and a few smaller bucks trying to keep a doe but the big boys (last year a 5x7)aren't kicking the 3x3's and forkies out. Do you guys think I am a week off?
 
I used to help patrol a large ranch in area 10. My Uncle had a tag every year and i too when i could draw one. We averaged seeing about 25-30 decent bucks a day. This went on for 5 or 6 seasons. The rut didn't really start good until the last week of the season, back then in the early 80's, season ended on the 15th of November.

Joey
 
You betcha, Look for the does and don't be tempted with a smaller buck that looks to be the boss buck. Used to be that not all the good looking country, out of the range that we controlled, had good sized groups of does using it. Some areas had a group of say 20 and others might have few if any. There were bucks with them all season but each morning, after the 10th, you could maybe expect different, bigger bucks to move into these groups and take over the dominance in that group. It can happen overnight and we found that once a group picked a basin or area to do their thing, they generally could be found there, close or in the same place, every day. Lots of fun!!

Joey
 
The rut really depends on a good cold spell to happen and the full moon in November. Those two things happen around the same time will get the rut into full swing which last about ten days. The smaller bucks you see fighting now are young bucks practicing. The bigger bucks usually stay away checking scent in the wind. They will show up when the does close to being ready. Hold out for that big buck!!!!
 

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