Hey whats goin on guys just wanted some advice on this years rut , i know first 2 weeks of november are always the best time , but ive heard rumors the thr rut this year is gonn be a late one, i heard last to weeks of november is when the rut shouls be at its best, my question is since ive only got 3 days off from work to take i was wondering when or what days or what week should be best to hunt in the northeast, mass? What appreciate some feed back thx
I don't know about Mass. But here in NJ I have killed a buck the Sunday before Thanksgiving the last three years in a row!!! I will be in the tree on that day this year for sure!!! Oh yeah they all were killed on the morning sit!
I'm located in Southern NY and even though I have seen the later than usual November rut predictions I'm still going to stick by the Hunters moon on 18 October and judge it then .... I will probably take off the end of the 1st week in Nov myself
Who says the rut is going to be late? That would require a forecast for the next two months to determine. I would say stick with the general knowledge of the first two weeks being the best. Schedule around rifle season. If you were in South Dakota, I would recommend November 11-13.
I've always preferred to hunt the last few days of October and the first week of November. It seems to me that around here the bucks really start getting active on Oct 27-31.
Just trying to get hits on articles. I could also predict the rut if given like a ten day window. Do you think the deer are going to be waiting for that "rutting moon" if a cold snap hits in the beginning of November? Absolutely not.
A Co-Worker of mine is stating that the rut will be early this year (DE) due to the cold weather patterns this early. He grew up in DE so I am taking his advice. My buddy saw a 4-point last night, so they are up and moving early. I am taking off the first week and a half in Nov, the week before shotgun for DE.
i am only able to hunt on saturdays... so i will hunt every saturday from here until Jan, expect for the last 2 in october becuase of other plans. Our Season starts the 3rd saturday of Novermber and we run dogs so no more bowhunting after that. I am going to take off that 3rd friday in november to hunt one last time... hopefully they are on the move.
Here in NY my best luck for the rut is anywhere between November 7th and 15th. However I have a friend that is the best bow-hunter that I have ever met and he swears by the rule that all mature bucks are with does by the end of the first week of November. He has killed over 25 bucks during the first week of November by tickling the horns and grunting.
I think it's pretty neat to hear peoples theories on moon involvement, late rut vs early rut, and what factors affect the best time to hunt. Dr. Grant woods has some pretty interesting insight when he speaks on the petersen's bowhunting podcast and in his Column for bowhunting magazine. In one particular instance he mentioned From back dating fetal development to determine time of conception in bred free range does, the peak breeding times over a 15 year period were within a two day span of each other. I forget the days but it was in the first two weeks of November. He noted no correlation to moon phase or temperature in relation to peak breeding times. From personal experiences, in my two years bowhunting my bucks died on November 7 and November 20. I couldn't tell you what the moon phase was, the temps were in the low 30's, one was shot in the evening, and one in the morning, and there was plenty of chasing occurring each day. No matter what your theory is, stick with what works for you and remember, it's November guys, the whole freakin month is awesome to hunt! It's what we wait all year for.
Dr. Woods knows his whitetails, so I'd tend to believe what he says. As far as temperature, I would agree that it has no impact on the timing of the rut/breeding, but I believe if the temperature is warmer during the first couple of weeks of November that it leads to more of the seeking/chasing taking place at night.
I think moon phase and temp only affect the rut as the hunter perceives it, both of which have an impact on deer movement, which becomes obvious to the human eye. I dont, however, believe that either one have an affect on a doe going into estrus. Does need to breed by a certain time in order to insure that their offspring will survive. A fawn that is born too late, or too early, wont stand the best chance of survival. Like jeffacarp said, most breeding takes place at almost exactly the same time every year regardless of moon phase or temp. I have read that photoperiod (day length) is the main trigger for the large majority of does going into estrus, which is always consistent every year. So with that said, I will be hunting every chance I get throughout the entire month of november and even into the first week of december.
Hey guys whats going on since were close to favorite time of the year in the woods THE RUT i was wondering what week or days will be best to take off from work and hunt thx