Odd rut

[Hank74]

I was wondering if anyone else out there experienced an odd rut this year. I hunt in central Kentucky, mostly farm land with a ton of thick draws. The property I hunt has a high deer density with moderate pressure during rifle season. I have been hunting about 5 sits a week since later October. In that time I have only seen 1 two year old 8 point bumping a doe around. On the final weekend of rifle season I decided to fill the freezer and shot a doe that blew at me. This doe was in a group of 8 other does (some fawns and other mature does). Once I started to field dress the doe I noticed she had a substantial amount of milk. I have a few theories on what could possibly be happening. I want to see if anyone can explain way it seems all the deer around me were acting like it was the middle of October throughout November.

[Boogieman1]

Are you positive nov is the best time for your rut or just going off word of mouth? The rut in a given area is gonna happen like clock work every year. Now there are certain things that effect the intensity of it every year but rest assure its gonna happen at the same time reguardless.

Certain things I look for to judge timing and locations I wanna hunt. One being if all the doe's are still running with fawns there not even close or completely done. Also young bucks get excited long b4 the big boys make there move, experience has taught them the doe's aren't ready and it's a waste of time. I watch the glands on the inside hocks of a doe's leg they will start getting darker the closer she get due to vaginal secretions. They will also run there fawns off by now. When those glands are black she is primed and ready.

Right after fawns are run off is when I start to make my move and it's like clockwork every year.

[Hank74]

Thank you for the quick reply! Out of all the does that were taken off this particular property this year none of them hand glands with bigger than dime sized bark spots. Also the 2 shooters that skirted me this year seemed to have no interest in the does that had passed earlier in the hunt. Meanwhile my friends hunting in sorounding counties said the bucks were running around like crazy out there. I have been trying to hunt “cruising” areas the past few weeks thinking maybe the does were just not ready yet. Should I continue to do so or make the switch to late season travel routs to food?

[Evanszach7]

Thank you for the quick reply! Out of all the does that were taken off this particular property this year none of them hand glands with bigger than dime sized bark spots. Also the 2 shooters that skirted me this year seemed to have no interest in the does that had passed earlier in the hunt. Meanwhile my friends hunting in sorounding counties said the bucks were running around like crazy out there. I have been trying to hunt “cruising” areas the past few weeks thinking maybe the does were just not ready yet. Should I continue to do so or make the switch to late season travel routs to food?

Most of the public I hunt, the rut is pretty similar to what you’re describing when the areas have been pressured within the past few weeks. If there’s been a lot of pressure to where you’re hunting most of the cruising and chasing by shooters is probably happening at night. 2 shooters skirting you with little doe interest kind of confirms that. Based on what your friends have said, and some of my KY buddies, 95% of rutting behavior has passed. I’d switch to late season bedding>travel routes and fresh sits.

[Redman232]

Doe estrus is a bell curve, in a perfect world where no does are killed the same amount of does will come into estrous AFTER the peak as before. It's also been pretty well documented that some years peak breeding is more intense than others. But the bottom line is, the rut happens the same general time frame every year. It's the hunters job to adjust. If you aren't seeing 3.5 yo or older bucks, they are either locked down with a doe or they aren't where you are hunting. Classic/popular rut spots are great when you are seeing bucks, but they suck if you aren't. I like to hit the ground and figure out whats going on. Best case scenario is you see some bucks cruising and set up. Worst case scenario you walk/scout until you bump a buck with a doe, then you have 1 spot with a whole bunch of estrous scent in it and other bucks are likely to come check it out.