Are the whitetail still in rut?

[csmith78]

Walked around this morning. Its been 3 days since I walked in last. There was a pile of activity then and today. ...almost none. Watched some very fresh doe tracks for an hour and backed tracked her tracks for 1.5km with no buck action. Does the warmer weather bring the activity down? it supposed to cool of tomrrow though...

[albertadeer]

Peak...bucks might have does locked up in your area.

[Walleye99]

The warm weather will end the rut. Deer will most likely be nocturnal again. If only we had a full moon to kick it in again!

[Talking moose]

The warm weather will end the rut. Deer will most likely be nocturnal again. If only we had a full moon to kick it in again!

Has Nothing to do with it.

[diamonddave]

x2 TALKING MOOSE!!

[walking buffalo]

You are experiencing the peak (breeding phase) of the rut.

Bucks are locked down with the receptive does, usually in the regular bedding areas. There are often several bucks near each hot doe.

If you can sneak into the edge of a bedding area where there is a receptive doe, you might see all the local bucks at once. The subordinate bucks will be orbiting the area where the dominant buck is holding tight to his girl.

Once most of the does have been bred the bucks will once again be running around looking for one last chance at love....

[LCCFisherman]

Its goin hard right now!

[deerhunter]

Had a Wt and a Mullie right behind each other last nite . Both were bucks.Heads were to the ground. They couldn't be bothered by anyone. Were to busy doing their manly thing. Lol

:sHa_shakeshout:

[edmhunter]

Walked around this morning. Its been 3 days since I walked in last. There was a pile of activity then and today. ...almost none. Watched some very fresh doe tracks for an hour and backed tracked her tracks for 1.5km with no buck action. Does the warmer weather bring the activity down? it supposed to cool of tomrrow though...

Hey Mr. Smith........the rut is JUST STARTING! Good luck and post the pictures :)

[csmith78]

Well it's supposed to be cooler tomrrow morning...start walking.

[Fwee6]

Has Nothing to do with it.

Ditto

[nympher]

You are experiencing the peak (breeding phase) of the rut.

Bucks are locked down with the receptive does, usually in the regular bedding areas. There are often several bucks near each hot doe.

If you can sneak into the edge of a bedding area where there is a receptive doe, you might see all the local bucks at once. The subordinate bucks will be orbiting the area where the dominant buck is holding tight to his girl.

Once most of the does have been bred the bucks will once again be running around looking for one last chance at love....

If this is the case, I have a few questions about it. If the beds I've seen are in groups of 3 on average, where do the other 2 does go when the dominant buck has one of the does bedded there? Also, how long would the buck be in the bedding area with the hot doe? Once the dominant buck is done his thing, what kind of activity occurs in the bedding area and where would the subordinate bucks go? Sorry if any of these questions are way off.

[Walleye99]

Should really stay out of bedding areas!!

[nympher]

Should really stay out of bedding areas!!

Im not sure if this was directed at my questions about bedding areas & deer activities or not, but if so, to help a guy understand more about it, what is the reasoning behind this?

[Ranch11]

They're rutting hard in 500 and 501. Seen a good buck this morning with 2 does. Neither the buck would or the does would leave. Just kept running around each other in big circles.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Im not sure if this was directed at my questions about bedding areas & deer activities or not, but if so, to help a guy understand more about it, what is the reasoning behind this?

You kick them out of there and they will blow the area finding another area they feel secure in, bedding areas are sacred deer ground and should not be disturbed.

LC

[muzzy]

Should really stay out of bedding areas!!

Im still bowhunting and my stand is right in middle of bedding area. I've passed up 6 bucks in last 8 days Rut has been going strong for awhile now All were been 15 and 30 yds and all came in to bleat calls. Hows fishing

[Walleye99]

good for you! fishings slow, waiting for the full moon lol

[nympher]

You kick them out of there and they will blow the area finding another area they feel secure in, bedding areas are sacred deer ground and should not be disturbed.

LC

Thanks for clearing that up, I assumed it was something along those lines.
To clarify, my questions were more about if the beds are often in groups of 3, where do the other 2 does who would usually bed there go while one of their "room mates" is being bred by the dominant buck.

[Bushrat]

Thanks for clearing that up, I assumed it was something along those lines.
To clarify, my questions were more about if the beds are often in groups of 3, where do the other 2 does who would usually bed there go while one of their "room mates" is being bred by the dominant buck.

Beds in groups of three usually mean a doe and her two fawns. When a doe is in the mood she will pair up with a buck for a day or two ignoring the fawns, sometimes she will run them off, or the buck might also, this is the time of year when you see young fawns wandering around at all times of the day but usually not all that far from mom. When the romance is over they will reunite. When you see wandering confused/dumb fawns alone or with their twin('s) you know the does are getting bred.

[nympher]

Bushrat, thanks for clearing that up for me.

[7mmremmag]

I would say from what ive seen hunting all day everyday for the last 8 days that right now is peak for sure.
Just the last 3 days I have started to see bucks chasing does, and have seen a lot of good buck activity during daylight hours.
And most of the action on my cameras seems to be from 11am - 3pm

[Jamie Black R/T]

yep warm weather has shut down the whitetail rut and fired the elk rut back up....weird how that works

put the grunt tube away and dig out those hoochie mamas!!

[Talking moose]

yep warm weather has shut down the whitetail rut and fired the elk rut back up....weird how that works

put the grunt tube away and dig out those hoochie mamas!!

Lol!

[score]

It's always interesting how many opinions there are regarding the rut. The one you hear all the time is how the weather affects it. Nature wouldn't permit a thing as fickle and unpredictable as weather to influence the perpetuation of a species.

Whitetails and Mule deer are in the midst of the rut right now and any does not bred around this time will ovulate again, I think in approximately 20 days, give or take. So into December. Hence some late fawns every year.

That said, and I'm by no means an expert, I just find it funny how much variation there is in opinions among experienced hunters, every year whenever the topic comes up. :thinking-006:

[KBF]

If this is the case, I have a few questions about it. MIf the beds I've seen are in groups of 3 on average, where do the other 2 does go when the dominant buck has one of the does bedded there? Also, how long would the buck be in the bedding area with the hot doe? Once the dominant buck is done his thing, what kind of activity occurs in the bedding area and where would the subordinate bucks go? Sorry if any of these questions are way off.

Buck, doe and her fawn

[ResidentSpokesman]

The warm weather will end the rut. Deer will most likely be nocturnal again. If only we had a full moon to kick it in again!

Oh boy...

[-CLM-]

Its crazy out there right now! Rattled in three bucks yesterday and saw several others chasing...

[crownb]

Its crazy out there right now! Rattled in three bucks yesterday and saw several others chasing...

Yup grunted in one little guy tonight who put on a show and worked a scrape 11 yards in front of us, then he proceeded to blow a load off all the while strutting around like he was the boss, my wife got a real kick out of him, right at about that time I wished one of the big boys would have cruised in just ildng to see the little guy sweat a bit.:sHa_shakeshout:
Rattled in a couple last evening as well, still holding off for a big one.

[walking buffalo]

If this is the case, I have a few questions about it. If the beds I've seen are in groups of 3 on average, where do the other 2 does go when the dominant buck has one of the does bedded there? Also, how long would the buck be in the bedding area with the hot doe? Once the dominant buck is done his thing, what kind of activity occurs in the bedding area and where would the subordinate bucks go? Sorry if any of these questions are way off.

Non receptive does and fawns will do their usual routine, fawns of receptive does might get separated during this event.

That buck will be stuck to the doe until he is "satisfied".....a day or two. ...

The subordinate bucks are often hanging nearby in the hopes of sneaking in for a chance at the doe.

Btw, I suggest getting to the edge of the bedding area, not In it..


Went out tonight and watched this exact scenario. A Very old buck was holding tight to a grazing doe, her fawn was right behind them both. A larger antlered but younger buck circled the group of three. Eventually the doe went to the trees with the old man following, the young buck left to try his luck elsewhere.

I went into the trees to try rattling for a bit. Called in five coyotes and the young buck.

This old buck is pushing 10 years old. His rack regressed this year into a cool 4x1.

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy10/keetspics/20141121_160711.jpg (http://s772.photobucket.com/user/keetspics/media/20141121_160711.jpg.html)
http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy10/keetspics/20141121_160716.jpg (http://s772.photobucket.com/user/keetspics/media/20141121_160716.jpg.html)

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy10/keetspics/20141121_163956.jpg (http://s772.photobucket.com/user/keetspics/media/20141121_163956.jpg.html)

[Milspec700]

Beds in groups of three usually mean a doe and her two fawns. When a doe is in the mood she will pair up with a buck for a day or two ignoring the fawns, sometimes she will run them off, or the buck might also, this is the time of year when you see young fawns wandering around at all times of the day but usually not all that far from mom. When the romance is over they will reunite. When you see wandering confused/dumb fawns alone or with their twin('s) you know the does are getting bred.

100% right...would you make love or "breed" with the kids in the room! Lol

[grinr]

That buck will be stuck to the doe until he is "satisfied".....a day or two. ...


....except it's actually the doe that gets "satisfied" and calls the shots,the buck will continue to mount her for 24-48hrs until she no longer allows it,or he gets run off by a more dominant buck...then he runs off to find another girlfriend right away before this magical window of opportunity that we call "the rut" closes.

[flyguyd]

Usually the last week down south in my area

[Sledhead71]

I personally hate this time of the season, all the effort spent on scouting and patterning your prey is pretty much useless...

Regarding multiple beds, well anyone who spends time in the field will note that animals are not like humans, they eat and will often bed on the outer edges of feeding areas and chew their cud.. This feeding pattern will increase as the weather cools making some areas appear like there is dozens of animals where it may only be a few making multiple beds in this area.

From memory, average courting will be around 18 hours before a doe will submit to the dude standing over her, once bred the dude will search out his next girlfriend and repeat the dance. Here is where many loose site of this whole dominant buck in area breeding everything in sight. They don't, the younger gentlemen get the same opportunity to dance as the older warriors.. Just some have to take the ugly ones homes after the knuckle were thrown..

Now, busting anything out of their bedding area at this stage of the game probably won't hurt your success rate as during the peek, well everything has already been disturbed.

Next week we should be experiencing the post rut where there will be more activity as the girls who where left out of the dance will be targets for the boys again... Pre and post in my experience are when the average Joe witnesses the most activity as the animals are constantly cruising or pushing the ladies around.

All the best.

[csmith78]

I personally hate this time of the season, all the effort spent on scouting and patterning your prey is pretty much useless...

Regarding multiple beds, well anyone who spends time in the field will note that animals are not like humans, they eat and will often bed on the outer edges of feeding areas and chew their cud.. This feeding pattern will increase as the weather cools making some areas appear like there is dozens of animals where it may only be a few making multiple beds in this area.

From memory, average courting will be around 18 hours before a doe will submit to the dude standing over her, once bred the dude will search out his next girlfriend and repeat the dance. Here is where many loose site of this whole dominant buck in area breeding everything in sight. They don't, the younger gentlemen get the same opportunity to dance as the older warriors.. Just some have to take the ugly ones homes after the knuckle were thrown..

Now, busting anything out of their bedding area at this stage of the game probably won't hurt your success rate as during the peek, well everything has already been disturbed.

Next week we should be experiencing the post rut where there will be more activity as the girls who where left out of the dance will be targets for the boys again... Pre and post in my experience are when the average Joe witnesses the most activity as the animals are constantly cruising or pushing the ladies around.

All the best.
Do would you watch bedding areas or the hwy? Or both for 20 min and move on. I've been spending some time sitting 20 - 30 min. Then I move to see if they are at a different spot.

[AlbertaWhitetail]

rattling isnt working for me at all. absolutely no response

[edmhunter]

rattling isnt working for me at all. absolutely no response

If you are in a good area try doe in heat scent and bleating, both have worked for me in the past, good luck :)

[780sjc]

rattling isnt working for me at all. absolutely no response

Same here. I've rattled and grunted for the past week in an area with tons of good sign and zero response. Can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

[score]

Theoretically, IF the populations are in fact down, buck to doe ratios, etc., may produce conditions to which deer are more apt to respond to different types of calling.


I'm looking forward to the last week with hopes that all the huge bucks for miles run to me thinking I'm the last hot doe in the country.......when I'll take the biggest and post the pics.......or not. :sHa_sarcasticlol:

[albertadeer]

Theoretically, IF the populations are in fact down, buck to doe ratios, etc., may produce conditions to which deer are more apt to respond to different types of calling.


I'm looking forward to the last week with hopes that all the huge bucks for miles run to me thinking I'm the last hot doe in the country.......when I'll take the biggest and post the pics.......or not. :sHa_sarcasticlol:

This is what I thought, but it seems more the opposite. Not sure why.

[RBI]

will a( hot ) doe seek out a buck or do then just hang out . Is their activity any different than normal ?:thinking-006: