While I can say that I have been a successful gun hunter for many years. I have figured out that I didn't learn much about deer. The rut is usually over by gun season for us Ohioans and furthermore with so many hunters driving deer etc the deer are gonna move. Bowhunting as I am sure you all know is way different. The rut I'm told is in full swing right now. Just last week I was told about this "lockdown" thing. I had never heard of it before. I know now "what" it is, but not sure of the timeline. How long will a buck lockdown with a doe? Do all the bucks lockdown with the lady of choice? Do all the bucks lockdown in a similar timeframe? Will they all get up and start searching for unbred does at a similar time? Will a buck searching for a doe continue his search during weather that would ordinarily keep him bedded? (really high winds etc) Let me tell you what I have for a deer herd and maybe this will help you answer my questions. I am surrounded by crop fields and grass fields. 25-50 acre woodlots scattered everywhere. In the woods I hunt in there are 4 known bucks. A goofy 5, a nice 6, a decent 8 and a whopper. He is big as a horse and a 10 or 12 point depending on who you talk to. I am sure there are more bucks but these 4 have been seen repeatedly. Along with them there are usually 10+ does. Last Sunday the whopper was bedded down with a doe. I kicked him up rabbit hunting. Telling a friend about it led him to say that he was "locked down". Hence the first time I had heard this term. Then he went on to say that "all" the bucks are locked down right now? Hence my confusion. I always thought that the bruiser of the herd bred all the does. He told me that while the bruiser is locked down with a mature doe. The other bucks will lockdown with lesser does. Then they have their fun and all go searching again for unbred does. They find another doe and lockdown again. Is this how it works within a deer herd?
There is only a small period of time that a MATURE buck will be up on his feet looking for a doe. Usually about 2 days and once he finds that doe he will simply bed down with her until she is ready to breed. Which refers to the "lockdown". Once he breeds that doe he will break loose for a very short time to find another doe and it shouldn't take him that long at all. Be in the woods when that buck breaks loose and your good. Thats why this time of year people ephasize being where the doe's are. Becuase that's where the buck will be once he is looking. Good luck the rest of the season. Hoped this helped.
The lockdown phase usually takes place during the peak or chase phase of the rut. Before this, in what is known as pre rut, or seeking phase, bucks will be on their feet roaming the woods seeking out receptive does. Most of the does have not begun coming into estrus just yet. Once the first does come into heat, the chase phase really begins and this is when we typically see bucks chasing does all over the place. Not just harassing them, but all out blitzing them. Mature bucks, being the dominant dude in the woods will find a receptive doe quickly and follow her, bed with her, etc., until she's bread. At least in my area, its really rare to see a lot of chasing by the truly dominant bucks. You'll see a few each year, but it pales in comparison to the younger, subordinate bucks who are dogging does all day. If you're new to this, my advice is to hunt your butt off from about the 25th of October to the end of your archery season. Bucks will be on their feet at almost all times of the day.
Like Muzzyman, during the peak breeding period of the rut I seldom see large mature bucks in an all out "chase". I've seen it in late October when that first doe turns hot, then you can see several large bucks on the same doe. Last year I had an experience mid afternoon on October 30th where I had three bucks over 150inches on the same doe followed by two smaller bucks. Once the majority of does begin to breed, big bucks don't have to chase, when they come off a doe they simply take the first hot doe from the first subordinate buck they see. I believe this is why you see smaller bucks chasing or seeking much more then mature bucks during peak breeding.
Do all does lockdown for a period of time prior to giving in to the buck or will some of them just allow to be bred right away?
Thats a great question. From my understanding and experience, they usually all go into some sort of lockdown with a buck. It might not last as long as another doe (maybe some does are "easy"), but they do get the buck following them and bedding with them for a period of time. There isn't a set time for this lockdown to happen either. Once does all start coming into estrus, it happens at random times throughout that time frame. In other words, not all does come into estrus at the same time, therefore, not all does lock down with a buck at the same time. But it usually happens within a certain time frame. This is why I said earlier that you need to be in the woods from about the 25th of October through the end of your archery season. One of the biggest things I've seen with mature bucks during the rut is aggressiveness toward subordinates. This is what I see more of from them than chasing. If there is a boss buck in the area, and he's either between does or cruising for one, he's typically very aggressive toward other bucks. They can be downright dumb and callable.
How long does the rut last? I'm guessing that PEAK rut is only about a month from things I've been told. What are the indicators that it's pretty much over?
I know I didn't start this thread but, it has sparked a question. In my area we have a ton of doe and a ton of young bucks. I have at least 8 I know of and a couple I have seen that I don't think I have pictures of, small year and a half old bucks that come through and also bed on my small 30acres. As far as doe go, I can't keep track of how many different ones. Its a ton of them and we had a ton of fawns on camera from last season too. We do have pics of a couple bigger bucks from earlier this year. We have only actually laid eyes on one of them since the season started and he was out of range of my brother. Here are my questions: Since we have so many doe and young bucks, do we not see bigger bucks due to them not having to travel far off their beds to find breeding doe? Do I just need to break out a rifle to take to the stand along with the bow to reach out when they wont come in to range to thin some of the girls out?
