ORIGINAL: timbercruiser
T.R., not to beat a dead horse, but at the bottom of page two I noted what I have experienced in close to 42 years of deer hunting. If the shortness of days sets the rut then why don't all the deer rut at the same time? I hunted nearClayton, Alabamafor over 15 years, up till about 25 years ago,and back then the rut was usually in December. I now hunt about 35 miles due west of there and the rut starts mid January and runs till sometimes in April. I don't know if Charlie or Karl are right or if both are wrong.
Because the timing of the rut is set to maximize fawn survival. In the north, the deer breed during a very short window so fawns are all dropped about the same time--early enough to gain enough weight for the coming winter, but late enough to survive any late snow or severe cold. Deer in the south have a longer breeding period because fawns typically don't have to deal with harsh elements.
There is some belief that some southern herds still retain their northern breeding dates because those deer are descendents of northern deer that were stocked back in the 30s-50s. Northern deer rut dates are quite predictable and it's based on calendar, not moon.
Mojo, I bet your lack of buck sightings on your return trip had more to do with hunting pressure than breeding activity. Even rutting bucks will be much more cautious when they know they are being hunted. It's difficult to make any positive claims based on personal observation.
I would also trust professional wildlife biologists over a writer/photographer. Alsheimer is certainly very knowlegeable, but when it comes to science, I trust scientists.