Any sign of the whitetail rut ?

[if its brown its down]

Pretty sure it's still pre rut hows the sign looking? Possible to kick off within a week?

[tikka250]

Dont know about WT but i know i just saw 2 mulie bucks goin at each other.

[WC Hunter]

Saw a wt buck chasing a does this weekend. Don't think the rut will be kicking in until later this month but a good sign nonetheless.

[dmcbride]

13 more day's + or - a day or two for the rut.

[Stinky Buffalo]

Good time to do a bit of rattling.

Plus the bucks aren't quite as sweaty yet...

[deerguy]

Was out in 320 Sunday/Monday, does we're all still together in large groups. Hopefully this Sunday is a bit different

[ForwardBias]

Getting closer. Rattling might be a good option right now.

[ForwardBias]

Originally Posted by Stinky Buffalo

Good time to do a bit of rattling.

Plus the bucks aren't quite as sweaty yet...

X2

[calgarychef]

I shot a very keen whitetail last night, he stunk to high heavens and his neck was pretty big. So, I'd say a little doe bleating and buck grunting might bring something in...it did for me.

[Bigmountainrider]

Shot mine last Sunday, head down chasing a doe. She brought him right to me.

[curtis_rak]

Lots of sparring going on and they are coming to the stand to a doe bleat...

[Fwee6]

Got my antlered WT on Monday.

He was solo a couple hundred yards away on the edge of a draw. 2 short grunts on the tube and he was on a B-line to me. 5 mins later he was down.

I haven't seen any rutting activity such as rubs or scrapes, but I'd suspect this week business will pick up.

The actual rut....2 weeks away, maybe a day or two longer. Same every year regardless of the sun, the moon, the stars, the weather, the....., the...., the.....

[husky7mm]

Saw a beauty late last week head down and just cruising for does, 1 in the afternoon. Saw a big buck on private land last night chasing a doe right near dark in a nice alfalfa feild with about 6-7 does in it. I would have thought it early to but would say its on!!

[Talking moose]

Seen this sign. Probably rutting.

[KegRiver]

They are rutting here. Maybe not full rut but rutting non-the-less.

So far as I can tell Deer don't use calenders or clocks. It's been my experiance that they start rutting when the does start coming into heat and that can happen any time from the middle of October right through to February, for some.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

They are rutting here. Maybe not full rut but rutting non-the-less.

So far as I can tell Deer don't use calenders or clocks. It's been my experiance that they start rutting when the does start coming into heat and that can happen any time from the middle of October right through to February, for some.

Better hope for an early spring!

[husky7mm]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Better hope for an early spring!

We really dont need to hope for anything different, animals do what they do regardless of us worrying about chit. My guess is that Does that come into estrus early just gestate a week or two longer. If not its not the end of the world as some farmers time their calving season at Christmas and others in april/ june.... Animals are pretty tough.

[Fwee6]

https://www.qdma.com/articles/what-t...-whitetail-rut

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by Fwee6

https://www.qdma.com/articles/what-t...-whitetail-rut

Yup. I don't believe does are being mounted at this time. Maybe 3 weeks from now still.

[SKSniper]

I spent last weekend up hunting. Does still had their fawns right beside them and all the bucks I saw were alone or with another buck. The bucks are really starting to make scrapes and rubs though, I lost count of how many scrapes in the dirt I saw. Some areas had 4 or 5 scrapes within a 100 yard stretch.

[SKSniper]

Originally Posted by dmcbride

13 more day's + or - a day or two for the rut.

I'm curious how you are so certain when it will take place. Not being a dick I am honestly curious.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by SKSniper

I'm curious how you are so certain when it will take place. Not being a dick I am honestly curious.

Up north here in Canada, the breeding window is so narrow you can almost set your clock to it. Down in the states, with mild temps and earlier springs, the breeding window is a lot wider due to the fact that it's not as critical to be dropping fawns at a certain time. In the north, too early is not good for obvious reasons, and to late in the spring is not good either. The rut is the same time each year no matter the type of fall/winter we are having.

[SKSniper]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Up north here in Canada, the breeding window is so narrow you can almost set your clock to it. Down in the states, with mild temps and earlier springs, the breeding window is a lot wider due to the fact that it's not as critical to be dropping fawns at a certain time. In the north, too early is not good for obvious reasons, and to late in the spring is not good either. The rut is the same time each year no matter the type of fall/winter we are having.

I always thought it was +/- a week, not a day lol. I've always had my best luck rattling bucks in around the 10-15th, which makes sense I guess if the "rut" is a week later, the bucks for the most part are still lonesome and lookin' for love lol.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by SKSniper

I always thought it was +/- a week, not a day lol. I've always had my best luck rattling bucks in around the 10-15th, which makes sense I guess if the "rut" is a week later, the bucks for the most part are still lonesome and lookin' for love lol.

It probably is + or minus a week, moon phase during that week will play a part as well.

[Knot Rite]

From now to the end of November get your arses out there and stay in the bush all day. They will move at any given time of the day so be patient. Tinks 69 and and few calls on primos estrus doe in heat call works out pretty well too. Good luck.

Bobby

[Badone20]

Was hunting Sunday and saw a nice 5 x 5 buck bedded down with 7 - 8 does feeding around him. He has his harem and likely waiting for the does to come into heat. No attempts to mount or any harassment going on that I saw. All I can assume is that is it hasn't started yet but he is ready for when it does and things can ramp up quick. Good Luck to all!

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Better hope for an early spring!

Lol, I got a chuckle out of this one. Yeah, a little early yet.

The peak of the rut will take place in the third week of November just like it does every year. If you are taking time off from work, that's when you want to do it. Whatever weirdness that you see now with scrapes, spariring, checking out the does, etc is the pre-rut. Rattling works well now but once the rut kicks in and the Bucks get really stupid, they won't leave a doe for a fight. Every year, always the same.

Edit......The rut kicks in when the first doe goes into estrus.

[Talking moose]

Whitetail deer have a gland in the corner of their eye, in the tear duct called the preorbital gland. This gland senses hour of daylight. When the daylight hours are below 10 hrs and about 15 min the gland senses this and they begin the pre rut process. Does have a 28 day cycle and only come into heat for a day or two every 28 days. Does can start cycling anytime between the second week of October and the middle of December. The majority of the does though will reach a heat cycle in the third week to the end of November which puts a lot of hot does running around at the same time hence "peak rut". A buck will never turn down a hot doe regardless of his current state of rut. Cold weather makes deer move not rut. The preorbital gland determines rut, cold weather makes them move, and does in heat make bucks run! I've learned more about the rut from what the does are doing than the Bucks.

Found this. Sums it up.

[beaver hunter]

I rattled in a fork horn and a 3x3 at different times yesterday, the old boys should be getting riled up soon!

[norwestalta]

Does that doe estrus stuff work or is it a waste of time?