Call me crazy but I think that we had 2 ruts last year. In mid Georgia we usually see the peak of our rut around November 9th. I had several bucks chasing does the first week of December last year. Am I crazy or did anyone else have the same sort of situation. Could it be possible that for some reason we had several does that didn't get bred on their first cycle. I also think the weather might have affected this as the temp was pretty high until late November-early December.
You need to break from the mentality that the rut is a defined 2 weeks out of the season.. it's only going to make you a better hunter if you understand what the deer are doing. Breeding season can and will begin as early as October and last through February. Lots of reasons why this occurs but mainly it's for the survival of the species.. just imagine what would happen if ALL the does gave birth during the same 2 weeks in early June.. the species wouldn't survive very long. Is there a peak.. sure is.. where most of the does will be in estrous. But break free of the chains of thought that bind you. Word.
Great post! I live just up the state from you and when I started hunting all of my hunter friends told me the rut was in full swing around mid-November through Thanksgiving. Well my first season I watched a buck nose to the ground trailing a doe 2 days before Halloween. I realized then I needed to do my own research.
Thanks guys and great info. I was hoping it wasn't just me seeing this happening. Good info though. It makes sense if you think about the fawns for the year and their sizes in relation to each other. We've had fawns go anywhere from 60 lbs to 100 lbs. Good thing we humans don't carry the same traits on breeding season. Wow, 3 months out of the year. But then again, I've been married for 11 years now and if you add it all up at the end of the year these guys probably get more action than I do. At least I don't have to run around pawing dirt, licking tree limbs, rubbing my head on tree trunks and run around like a mad man with my lip curled up.
