Southern Rut

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whi52873
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Re: Southern Rut

Unread postby whi52873 » Wed Jul 24, 2019 1:01 am

austin1990 wrote:This is the closest to accurate based on mine and many friends and family's observations. I hunt in saline, Garland and Perry county public land and about October 20th you better be in a tree if you get a cold snap. Places I hunt in grant, Jefferson and arkansas county seem to be the best rut activity around Thanksgiving year in and out.FB_IMG_1563846123945.jpg



I hunt the border of Washington & Benton count in Northwest Arkansas.....the serious chasing stage of the rut in my experience is Halloween week. Pretty accurate map I'd say.


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thwack16
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Re: Southern Rut

Unread postby thwack16 » Wed Jul 24, 2019 1:12 am

Wannabelikedan wrote:The biggest thing we must remember as hunters is our visual data is only a sliver of a fraction of the areas represented in these maps. These maps reflect peak rut. Rut lasts longer than a week. All the outliers we witness at extreme ends of the spectrum are just that. They don’t reflect the majority. The rut in my area reflects what the scientific data shows but I still see rut activity at odd periods but thats a doe here and there. You guys hunting the coastal regions definitely have some weird stuff going on. I’ll pray for you Florida boys. :lol:D5FA9806-32D8-4B35-8E19-716227978CB4.jpeg


The Mississippi map is done off peak conception dates which is based off fetus studies. I would imagine the others are too. Peak conception dates should line up with what most call the lockdown phase; therefore, it's not exactly when you want to be spending the majority of your time on stand. To me, the two weeks leading up to the peak conception is when I'm seeing the most activity.

Another thought on this southern rut thing. The secondary rut doesn't really seem to get much talk in the Midwest. But the secondary rut is a real thing in my neck of the woods, and can be even better than the first phase due to less does coming into heat and more bucks seeking them.
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Wannabelikedan
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Re: Southern Rut

Unread postby Wannabelikedan » Wed Jul 24, 2019 2:00 am

thwack16 wrote:
Wannabelikedan wrote:The biggest thing we must remember as hunters is our visual data is only a sliver of a fraction of the areas represented in these maps. These maps reflect peak rut. Rut lasts longer than a week. All the outliers we witness at extreme ends of the spectrum are just that. They don’t reflect the majority. The rut in my area reflects what the scientific data shows but I still see rut activity at odd periods but thats a doe here and there. You guys hunting the coastal regions definitely have some weird stuff going on. I’ll pray for you Florida boys. :lol:D5FA9806-32D8-4B35-8E19-716227978CB4.jpeg


The Mississippi map is done off peak conception dates which is based off fetus studies. I would imagine the others are too. Peak conception dates should line up with what most call the lockdown phase; therefore, it's not exactly when you want to be spending the majority of your time on stand. To me, the two weeks leading up to the peak conception is when I'm seeing the most activity.

Another thought on this southern rut thing. The secondary rut doesn't really seem to get much talk in the Midwest. But the secondary rut is a real thing in my neck of the woods, and can be even better than the first phase due to less does coming into heat and more bucks seeking them.


I agree with a lot here. Peak rut to me is lock down. Largest number of does in heat and more bucks not looking for them. Not the greatest period to see anything if you aren’t in the wheelhouse (bedding areas). I don’t consistently see a “second” rut here but it happens and you’re correct it can be really productive.
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Re: Southern Rut

Unread postby Andy1965 » Wed Jul 24, 2019 7:15 am

In ga it goes back to the restocking efforts back in the late sixties or early seventies. Most of the deer were gone except for a few pockets from overhunting. Deer were restocked from Wisconsin , Texas , and some coastal islands. This is what caused the major differences for us. The Wisconsin deer rut mid to late nov. the Texas deer rut late dec to early Jan and the island deer in sept. I can start on our east coast in sept and be hunting prime rut and work my way west and enjoy the rut all the way to the sw side of the state into January.
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Re: Southern Rut

Unread postby Dalton916 » Wed Jul 24, 2019 10:22 am

Boogieman1 wrote:
Dalton916 wrote:Age structure and doe-buck ratios play a larger role than most perceive in a lot of the southern States.

I will agree age structure and sex ratio play into the intensity and activities. But don't personally feel it has anything to do with a doe's biological clock. I'm after what triggers our deer to come into estrus


Length of day is the trigger. What determines what specific length a doe in a particular area is triggered by is not known to me.

Age affects it in the sense that a late born doe fawn may not become sexually mature in time for estrus to be triggered by the length of day.

Sex ratio affects it when the ratio is skewed and all the does aren’t bred their first cycle. This perpetuates the problem by producing late born fawns which leads us back to the age issue above.
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Re: Southern Rut

Unread postby Southern slayer » Thu Jul 25, 2019 2:53 pm

thwack16 wrote:7F2EBC18-006E-49B6-A7BB-C3075E0DD9CD.jpeg

This is a very accurate representation of MS from my experience. I actually really like having our rut the way it is. Plays into my hand. Spend a week in the Midwest in November. catch the pre-rut in a several really good public areas 30-45 minutes from my house in late November through mid December. Then stay at home from December 20-Jan 31 and catch all phases of the rut on my private pieces.

As to why? The most accepted answer here has always been the different strains of deer brought. I imagine it also has something to do with adaptation of when it’s most advantageous for the deer to drop fawns.


I find this map of Mississippi to be very accurate myself. I get two weeks off for Christmas every year and it’s always the best time to be in the woods.
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Re: Southern Rut

Unread postby Twenty Up » Fri Jul 26, 2019 1:48 pm

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Re: Southern Rut

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Fri Jul 26, 2019 2:22 pm

I assure you southern bucks like sex as much as their northern counterparts. Doesnt really matters what charts say, a hot doe anytime from Sep through antler drop can get things humping.... pun intended. if you spend several years and dont see signs of the rut you are in the wrong spots... keep pressing in. A quick call to any state biologist can tell you when the rut peaks for their area.... it's not magical and it is very predictable.


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