It looks like things are right on schedule in some areas, with other areas not showing the same thing.

According to the IL biologists peak breeding should be Nov 10-20. There, I gave you FREE Rut Dates for IL!!!!

If breeding actually starts about a month before "peak breeding" (as many deer studies show) and if scraping kicks into high gear about 2 weeks before "peak breeding" (as many studies show) and if breeding and scraping can run late becuse of low dominant buck to doe ratios (as many deer studies show), then it looks like things are about as expected for this time of year.

But, if the second full moon after the fall equinox on Sept. 21 triggers peak breeding (as some suggest, with peak breeding 5-7 days after the full moon) then peak breeding should either occur on Oct 26 or Nov 25; depending on whether or not you count the full moon on Sept 21 (the fall equiox) as the first or second full moon after the fall eqinox. One sounds kind of early, the other sounds kind of late.

Either way it doesn't look too good for the moon theories, does it? I'm betting on the biologists, not the theorists.

T.R.

T.R. Michels