Anyone else concerned we might miss some of the rut because of the way the calendar falls this year? Noticing some talk of early chasing and sparring. and if the rut comes early, November 5 is a late opener for firearms. And by the time gun season opens on the 19th, rut may well be over. I know we still have archery season but not everyone bow hunts.

The deer kill could be down again this year just because of the calendar.

Perhaps on the years where the first Saturday in November 3rd or later, the DGIF could open Muzzy on the last Saturday in October?

Better learn how to bow hunt because the rut will be on come November.

They'll be plenty of rutting left for the muzzleloader season. Don't know about the gun season. But I don't like the late start for other reasons.

Gun Hunters unhappy.. bow hunters are happy.. what are you going to do.. can't please em both.. last year Muzzle came in on October 31st .. so I know they do open it the last Saturday in October sometimes..

The rutting moon will appear on the 10th of November. Therefore deer activity will really be starting to increase from then onwards till about the end of november. Peak of rut should appear about one-two weeks following the moon. Of course this can be affected by various factors that will make it less noticable in certain areas.

Can someone tell me why i always see lots of does with no bucks chasing. This is always my experiece in latter nov.

When you say "lots of does" .....are you referring to large groups of does? I always took large groupings of does in late fall to meat they have been bred and the rut is pretty much over. As opposed to the small family groups you typically see this time of year.

Because you have alot of does, and not alot of bucks..

Roy,

I am sure you can get some help reducing the number of does. Just saying.

Vic

Thanx for the replies

Maybe i should clear this up and say this was when i was living in wv. U guys know that wv rifle comes in the week of thanxgiving. So for the past several years i havent seen any bucks chasing during that week. But when i was a kid and was hunting with my dad during thanxsgiving week i can remember seeing bucks chasing all over the place. So i dont know.

I will take the first 2 weeks of November over the last 2 anytime. From halloween till mid november is when I see the most bucks cruising. There usually locked down where I hunt by rifle season.

There is an different theory on the whole rut issue. As we see more and more later fawns born it changes the cycle time of the does. The cyle changes with age and not the time of year. The rut is more longated now because of more deer and when they were bred early or late and this can also effect the cycle as well as the age of the new fawns and when they have thier first cycle. As the number of deer continues to inscrease it will effect the Rut. There will still be a primary rut but it will not be as intense as we have seen in the past. I had a doe behind my house just yesterday that had a fawn still in spots that could'nt way ten pounds looked like a new born. I had a huge buck chasing a doe in Late Feburary behind my house last year cut her out of a herd and dogged her for two hours and she was tiny. I'm gussing that could have been her yesterday with the fawn. DR James Krohl had an article on this a while back.

I agree the rut is longer now with there being more deer but the best period is still the first couple weeks of november. Starting to see some young bucks here trailing with there nose on the ground constantly. Few more weeks before the big boys get antsy.