I knew that the does that didn't get bredand some of the younger ones come into heat. I always refered to it as 2nd rut. I guess "phase" may seem a little better. I just heard that around the second week in Dec was pretty close on the time frame. Just wanted to know if I should wait on the estrus scent until around that time.If the doe fawns come into heat, do they make an estrus bleat also? Do they make a call that sounds like a fawn estrus bleat? If they do, that call maybe a good one to try out.

I am not done hunting yet...Just trying to get a heads up, so I may be able to put a couple heads down[8D]

letting area I hunt sit a week after shotgun season...then back at it!

Thanks a bunch for the replies!!!

Where I hunt in Miss, the first rut is generally the first to second week in January. This is about the end of gun season and the last two weeks or so of Jan is usually primitive/bow season again. A little further south, I think they added a couple of weeks to extend the season into Feb so they could at least get to hunt during the rut.

Around here, I don't think there is any argument about there being a second rut. If there is any debate, it probably is centered on whether or not there is a third. I am in the camp that there is actually a third rut. My reasons are two fold. Firt, we are seeing fawns with spots all through bow season, October, and as late as the first part of gun season in some areas, around the middle of November. That, and I killed a large doe last year and another this year (both in the early bow season)that had not been bread. Well, I don't think they had, neither was lactating. I guess they could have lost thier fawns and stopped producing milk.

So, they guys above have it right. If all the does don't get bred, 28 days later they go at it again, and again.

Hank

I think that the 2nd is starting right now. There is a lot of doe and fawn checking going on right now. There is a third also, if your population supports it. I usually see it around Jan. 3-5th. Very short. These observations are from Northern Ill.

GregH,
You are correct.
I'm in Champaign Co. & the "second" rut is on right now. I was out watching some deer last weekend (the 2nd & 3rd) & saw several nice bucks paired up with a doe, I even saw one decent buck breed a doe in one of the hedge rows I hunt. I don't know what they are doing in other areas, (should be the same.. full moon) but, I would be hunting if I were you!
Later, Phil B.