Very late rut this year!

Vinny_HC · #1 12-04-2011, 07:13 PM

I have been out hunting on a regular basis this year in my hunting area and I did not observe any rutting activity until the last day of the season (Nov. 30th). Scraping activity started in late october as usual, but no seeking, chasing, breeding at all until very end. It is usually late in my hunting area, but the last day of the season is very late. I know there was a lot of winter kill last year so maybe the ratio & numbers are off. I'm scratching my head over this one. Anyone else have a late rut this year?

drake · #2 12-04-2011, 08:09 PM

nope....

#3 12-04-2011, 08:10 PM

Videoed a buck breeding a doe on Nov 30. Surprising thing was there were no other bucks arund.

hal53 · #4 12-04-2011, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sheephunter

Videoed a buck breeding a doe on Nov 30. Surprising thing was there were no other bucks arund.

Thats because...oh wait a minute!!! wrong thread...LOL!!!...seemed about a week later out here for the peak as well....

drake · #5 12-04-2011, 08:19 PM

if anything, it seemed a few days early where i hunt

WTHunter · #6 12-04-2011, 08:26 PM

I hunt in 348, 507....and some buddies hunt 509. We all say that the rut is late....we also say that the moose rut was about one week late as well.

#7 12-04-2011, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hal53

Thats because...oh wait a minute!!! wrong thread...LOL!!!...seemed about a week later out here for the peak as well....

LOL....actually we had loads of young bucks around.....not unusual to see a hot doe this late but she's usually got several suitors. Watched these two together for two days...alone.

hal53 · #8 12-04-2011, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sheephunter

LOL....actually we had loads of young bucks around.....not unusual to see a hot doe this late but she's usually got several suitors. Watched these two together for two days...alone.

Well good for him....LOL that is strange.but I think in general bad for the overall situation...only commenting on my local area of course..saw 3 forkhorns since the start....bad news....hoping this late rut, doesn't mean something... the guys up here cannot take another long, hard winter...

Hun-Ter · #9 12-04-2011, 09:09 PM

I have seen the peek of the rut on the 25th of November, however that was the last day of my deer season too.
On that day the biggest bucks - those who were not showing themselves before- went nuts, they were chasing does on cutlines and not paying attention for anything else.
IMO, it was the same for MD, not only for WTD.

Is it fairly common here? This was my first season in AB...

mulecrazy · #10 12-04-2011, 09:22 PM

seemed very normal too me. Bucks were chasing hard around the 20th by rocky. From what I heard from other friends it was the same time up at lac la biche. Another friend who hunted the smokey lake area said it had really died down by the 27th.

herc · #11 12-04-2011, 09:24 PM

It was a wierd rut in my area as well. Scrapes/rubs as usual but didn't see the bucks chasing or hanging out with does until about the 24th for about 2 days..... then nothing... then they started up chasing the does on the 30th again. My area you get at least 5 days of stupid bucks.

Moose rut was quiet as well this year. Made for a interesting season.

Lefty-Canuck · #12 12-04-2011, 09:26 PM

Just cause you don't see them doesn't mean they aren't doing what they do this time of year. The deer in my area were very nocturnal this year......just not out and about during daylight hours...

LC

FrostyinHell · #13 12-04-2011, 09:30 PM

Up my way I was out hunting the week before Remembrance Day and the rut was in full swing. In one day I saw 6 bucks, three of them hot on a doe. Seems normal to me.

albertadeer · #14 12-04-2011, 09:55 PM

Still going hard up north of peace!

Vinny_HC · #15 12-04-2011, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

Just cause you don't see them doesn't mean they aren't doing what they do this time of year. The deer in my area were very nocturnal this year......just not out and about during daylight hours...

That could be. But the reason I made this observation wasn't because I was not seeing deer during daylight running nuts. I was lucky enough to actually see some of the big boys in my area multiple times and they didn't pay any attention to nearby does, nor other bucks.

GoodTimes · #16 12-05-2011, 08:53 AM

I get a kick out of you guys that talk about the rut "being late" or "early" or "weird" etc lol. The rut dosnt change. Its the same every year. What DOES change is how much activity YOU see during daylight hours. I guarantee you if you put 4 of these guys in 4 different parts of a wmu on the same day theyl give you 4 different "expert reports" on the progression of the rut lol.

It dont change from year to year. Its always the same. Just because you didnt see a bunch of bucks gang rapin a doe on what you call "the peak day" dosnt mean its not happening 1/4 mile away.

mulecrazy · #17 12-05-2011, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoodTimes

I get a kick out of you guys that talk about the rut "being late" or "early" or "weird" etc lol. The rut dosnt change. Its the same every year. What DOES change is how much activity YOU see during daylight hours. I guarantee you if you put 4 of these guys in 4 different parts of a wmu on the same day theyl give you 4 different "expert reports" on the progression of the rut lol.

It dont change from year to year. Its always the same. Just because you didnt see a bunch of bucks gang rapin a doe on what you call "the peak day" dosnt mean its not happening 1/4 mile away.

X2

No kidding hey

Its amazing how many people still think the peak breeding dates change. The only thing weather changes is the feeding habits. If it has been colder or lots of snow the does move more to feed. This leaves more scent trails for the bucks to follow and exposes them more. Also, with much of the province seeing far fewer deer due to last years winterkill it makes sense to see less rutting activity.

#18 12-05-2011, 09:08 AM

Yes and no. No question the rut is controled by photoperiodism but a very high doe to buck ratio or a number of other factors can contribute to a very strong second cycle....or what a lot of people refer to as a late rut.

Sledhead71 · #19 12-05-2011, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sheephunter

Yes and no. No question the rut is controled by photoperiodism but a very high doe to buck ratio or a number of other factors can contribute to a very strong second cycle....or what a lot of people refer to as a late rut.

Sheep,

Correct me if I am wrong, is it not a period of like 23 days later when the doe will go back into her cycle if not bred on the original ?

Rut was pretty much the norm in our areas down south.

catnthehat · #20 12-05-2011, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sledhead71

Sheep,

Correct me if I am wrong, is it not a period of like 23 days later when the doe will go back into her cycle if not bred on the original ?

Rut was pretty much the norm in our areas down south.

21 days from what I understand, but they do not all come into estrus at the same time, of course.
Cat

duffy4 · #21 12-05-2011, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoodTimes

I get a kick out of you guys that talk about the rut "being late" or "early" or "weird" etc lol. The rut dosnt change. Its the same every year. What DOES change is how much activity YOU see during daylight hours. I guarantee you if you put 4 of these guys in 4 different parts of a wmu on the same day theyl give you 4 different "expert reports" on the progression of the rut lol.

It dont change from year to year. Its always the same. Just because you didnt see a bunch of bucks gang rapin a doe on what you call "the peak day" dosnt mean its not happening 1/4 mile away.

I think every time we have a "wierd rut this year" thread we also get a post like this telling it like it is. However it never seems to sink in with everybody so the threads keep coming.

I had the whole month of Nov. to hunt and it seemed about "normal" to me around Rocky.

trigger7mm · #22 12-05-2011, 07:05 PM

In the area I live the deer really were chasing hard the last couple days in Nov. and especially up until a couple days ago.

Traps · #23 12-05-2011, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catnthehat

21 days from what I understand, but they do not all come into estrus at the same time, of course.
Cat

Finally some good common sense.

ishootbambi · #24 12-05-2011, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sheephunter

Yes and no. No question the rut is controled by photoperiodism but a very high doe to buck ratio or a number of other factors can contribute to a very strong second cycle....or what a lot of people refer to as a late rut.

photoperiod is what determines the rut every single year, and this one is no exception. a second cycle will occur for those does not initially bred, and that is 28 days after the first go round....which is nowhere near the tail end of november. a few guys in this thread understand it, and for those that dont, this is a good explanation.....

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild...tetailed_deer/

there is no late rut this year, or any other year....just a perceived visual thing is all. no doubt there is a few does receptive on the 30th, and a few right now. the peak depending on area is between nov 16-23 for alberta, but some does will be receptive outside of that. im sure you are familiar with a "bell curve".....thats what you are seeing.

muzzy · #25 12-05-2011, 07:56 PM

I think the second cycle is happening right now seen 4 decent bucks hit by trucks on just an 8 km drive to work this morning They are moving hard again
Two of them put the trucks in ditch too!!
Gord

hal53 · #26 12-05-2011, 08:01 PM

Don't think it's the secondary rut...one consideration may be is that when the buck/doe ratio is out of whack...the guys are travelling frantically to find does in heat....

whitetail Junkie · #27 12-05-2011, 08:07 PM

Some does are bread very late.....

When I was 15 years old I caught a Tiny Spotted whitetail fawn ,while duck hunting in early september.the little guy must have only been 1-3 days old !!! So for that doe to have a fawn in early september she was bread sometime in late January\early Febuary I'm guessing.

TakDriver00 · #28 12-05-2011, 08:10 PM

in southern Ontario two different pairs of bucks were spotted fighting on the same evening....3 days ago!

Vinny_HC · #29 12-05-2011, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mulecrazy

X2

No kidding hey

Its amazing how many people still think the peak breeding dates change. The only thing weather changes is the feeding habits. If it has been colder or lots of snow the does move more to feed. This leaves more scent trails for the bucks to follow and exposes them more. Also, with much of the province seeing far fewer deer due to last years winterkill it makes sense to see less rutting activity.

I have been hunting my farm area for 25 years with family and this year was different for sure. I am not a rut hunter that judges the rut by when they make an appearance, but how they interact. I am glad to hear weather nor population, nor ratios affect your area ever.

TRAPPER92 · #30 12-05-2011, 10:40 PM

What makes people think that the rut can be early or late from year to year? My experience is that it happens on time every year but the weather determines the movement of deer whether they will be out and about or in the bush.