hunter25

Rut here in West Central IL is going to take place some time within the the first few weeks of November. If you're able to block off a couple of weeks away from work, this is the time to do it.

As far as what triggers the rut, who knows for sure. You can not just discredit someone (Alsheimer) that has spent the better part of the last decade monitoring, filming and recording deer behavior during those ciritical first few weeks of November in the North. He actually has years of data to back up his moon theories. I'm not saying he's 100% correct, but you can't just throw his thought process out the door.

Rather be safe than sorry...make sure you're in your stand as much as possible during the first half of November...

davidmil

You can't hang your hat and rely on ONE thing. It's a combination of things. About the ONLY constant is that the breeding season will come and peak about the same time every year in an area. We try all year to put that big buck in front of us. And where is this big buck goinng to be with the rut... he's going to be with the girls. And where are the majority of the girls going to be. They're going to be doing the things they always do 24/7/365.... traveling from or to the smorgasboard of the woods. Just eating, except for the few hours she becomes so horny she can't help herself. So, the time is right(The Rut is ON) and the girls are hungry. Now come all the variables that can slide things around. Deer have to eat or chew the cud every few hours. One, they're nocturnal so their favorite time is after sundown. Bright night with a full moon they pack it in as they can see well and aren't so on edge. Dark nights, less movement, less feeding. If deer have fed heavily all nightthey're probably bedded up before or right at close to first light. Horny buck will be in tow. They'll get hungry 5 or 6 hours later near mid day)and get up to move and browse... horny buck in tow. If it was dark the night before they probably got up and fed a couple times and bedded near or in the last food source they hit. They'll get up and feed some more before or on the way to their favorite bedding area.... horny bucks in tow. Now you have all the other variables too... Weather, it effects movement greatly..especially at it's extremes of cold/hot.. dry/wet etc etc. The deers/does natural movement is still desireable but weather can make them choose option 2 or Plan B.... with horny bucks in tow. Another variable is hunting pressure. They aren't dumb, maybe less on guard during the rut....but they aren't dumb. They feel the pressure they will not come. The rut and breeding will always go on. It's just it's outward visual sidecan be effected by weather, daylight, pressure etc. So the moon could be the optimum for you with regard to the rut timing and you could still have a vey crappy rut hunt because of other outside factors. You could also hit it exactly wrong as far as moon light and have a weather system come in and rain them or snow them up until daylight making your worst time become the best during daylight hours. The rut will still go on... you have to be there to try.

The one thing that puzzles me about the rut is "Regional Annomolies". Most of the country seems to fall in the first week second week of Nov for the primary rut. Real oddities are say TEXAS, it's January I think for most of it. And look at Alabama. On one side of the Chatahoochie river in Georgia the rut will be Nov 10-15. Across the river in Alabama, it'll be January. Wierd.

BDC

I use a very reliable rut indicator, the interstate. When I-79 is polluted with deer carcasses I know the rut is on.