Ok, I have two kinda silly questions....the first is when would you say the rut ends/ended in Maryland? I'm not sure since we have had all this crazy weather. And second I've heard things about a "2nd rut" and was wondering what this is all about, in other words how do you dertermine when it starts/ends?
Thanks for any help I can get on these topics... good luck and god bless!
Ruts are usually somewhat drawn out. From what I'm hearing, the first rut is pretty much over, though some bucks may be moving to find some last estrous does. The second rut may kick in here in a week or three, as does dropped this spring may reach maturity and go into estrous. Also, does that didn't take during this past rut will go into estrous again.
28days after the 1st one which was pretty much over around Nov 15-18. The 2nd rut is nowhere as intense as the first. There will be a 3rd and maybe a 4th untill all doe's come into season. Each later one is less noteable than the one that preceeded it.
Haven't hunted E.Shore of MD in a few years,but hunted both MD and DE for many years.
What I saw and heard was Md and Delaware depending on area hunting,Buck/Doe ratio had a huge effect on 2nd & maybe 3rd less intense rut.
Go 25+ miles down road with more stable ratio and rut start,end,along with 2nd,3rd rut can change dramaticaly.We have 3 Jan seasons.For the past 2 years I have seen the largest (mature dominent)bucks following Does in Jan.Last year in Jan during our 1st Delaware handgun season I watched monster 10-12pnt at 110 yrds follow 3 does - nose to ground.Obviously not a handgun shot- for me anyway.Saw 8pnt about 15yrs ago in Chestertown Md chasing a doe in Feb!! Back then the area was lousy with Doe.
From what I've seen, it's just ending around here. The scrapes re-opened last week and they're still being worked.
Last week, I called a very wide 6 point across a field after he checked some does and this morning a huge buck was dogging 3 does and a smaller 6 point was following them all. If I had been toting a shotgun instead of just my bow, he would've been hanging in my garage right now!
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Today' s small bucks are tomorrow' s trophies.
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I've got my eyes,ears,nose,binochs in the wind 24/7/365
BTW - I sent you an e-mail about 2 months ago re a farm to hunt.Never got a response??
You did?Was it an email or PM? If it was an email it might have gone into my junk mail without me ever seeing it and don't remember a PM.Man, I have been idle most all year because of no place to hunt, 15 hours total in the woods.Was it the one me and Ron took a look at? If it was the place really looked good and he only wanted $1500 for itbutI would have missed about 60 days of the bow season and had no one to go in with me on it.
MD Rut and "2nd" Rut??
