2nd rut?
 

any estimations on when the 2nd rut starts here in central Illinois?

I was thinking around they second week in Dec, but not sure.

thanks all!

RE: 2nd rut?
 

28 days after the 1st rut! So i've read!:eek:

RE: 2nd rut?
 

She is all done here in MN.

RE: 2nd rut?
 

I have heard that it depends on the deer in the area where you are hunting. If there are a lot more does then there are bucks, some of the does wont get bread their first time around so they will go into a second estrous cycle. If you have a good buck to doe ratio you probably wont experience much of a "second rut"

RE: 2nd rut?
 

Well here in MD we still have bucks fightin and chasin with swolen necks.

RE: 2nd rut?
 

I believe you are correct MH. There really is no such thing as a second rut. There are just does or yearlings that may be bred a little later for several reasons such as the buck to doe ratio that you mentioned. Or a yearling doe that was not mature enough to breed until a little later in the year. So it just depends on the land and the deer herd where you hunt.

RE: 2nd rut?
 

You don't believe in a 2nd rut, because it is just some does who did''t get bred the first time around?

If you don't mind, please define the 1st rut then.

RE: 2nd rut?
 

Not only will mature does that didn't get bred in the first rut come into heat 28 days later, but female fawns over 85 lbs. will also come into heat during the 2nd rut, which is in the middle of December, north of Tennessee.

RE: 2nd rut?
 

And in the case of many states or areas that are over run with doe vs buck there could likely be a third rut. Or in reality it's all the rut just phases of Peak estrous time.

RE: 2nd rut?
 

I think he was trying to say that there isnt a 1st and 2nd rut everywhere...some places there might appear to be a second rut if the ratios are right or if does havent been bread yet. The 1st rut would just be when the majority of does begin to come into heat...

I think hes saying that does wont come into heat again if they have already been bread once. Therefor not eveyone will notice or experience a second rut

RE: 2nd rut?
 

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!!!

RE: 2nd rut?
 

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

RE: 2nd rut?
 

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.

RE: 2nd rut?
 

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.