When can you tell anyway? When the bucks are running around non-stop looking for tail?
"Weather can have an effect on the timing and intensity of the rut. Cold, cloudy weather can trigger an earlier rut with increased buck activity while warm weather can delay the rut and slow down buck movement. Low-light or less light conditions caused by the arrival of the fall season attributes greatly to the start of the rut. "
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- kk
http://archery.newjerseyhunter.com
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That's pretty much true across the hemisphere.....remember the bucks don't control the rut, the does do.....
Watch the tarsal glands on the deer, when rutting activity takes place they will turn black as coal when normally white.....and on the does, after breeding they will clean their tarsal glands so pay attention when one walks by.
I hunt Nothwestern NJ, I love hunting all the time, but in all my years the week of the 8th thru the 21st in NOVEMBER I see those deer allover the place
I have been keeping a log for Zone 2 for 10 years now and here are my findings.
Nov 10--Nov 18 has been an awesome time to be in the woods with some of my best activity on 11/15 and 11/16th. However, last year the bucks were still rutting for the 1st day of early Muzzleloader as I shot a nice 7pt that came into scent followed by a spike. That day (12/1st?; we shot 4 bucks out of 4 guys and all were rutted up. In 1998, I shot my best NJ buck (134") on the shotgun opener that came into a field and made a rub!
However, the rut has been hot and cold some years according to the weather/etc.
In the end, you gotta be in the woods around the middle of NOV---bar none!!
Good luck!
Bob
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Hunting the wilds of NW Jersey..
The hottest days in my area seem to be Nov. 10th -15th each year. However, THIS year everything I'm seeing is a month or more ahead of schedule--tons of rubs, some scrapes, grunting, doe chasing--all being seen right now.
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Today' s small bucks are tomorrow' s trophies.
[image]http://www.whitetails.com/deer8.html[image]
In reality the rut starts as soon as the velvet is rubbed off. And it runs into December, any does that are not bred in the first rut will come back into "heat" in 28 (or so) days, and that cycle will continue until she is bred.
NJ Rut Dates: Nov. 15 - Nov. 17
