Hoytail Hunter

Here in the Midwest, spring was 3 weeks late this year. Developmentally, this pushes mast crop as well as other browse back. I've never experienced a year like this before. Beyond average temperatures and daily available sunlight, how do you think this will affect the rut?

nchawkeye

It won't....

Decrease in daily sunlight in the fall triggers the hormones in the bucks to get frisky, this hasn't changed...

Also, the does start coming into heat about 5-6 months after fawn drop...So as far as the does coming into heat, that was established last fall when they were bred...

AR Bowhunter

Best weeks will be from Oct. 19th-November 15th. I plan to be in the woods as munch as possible those weeks. With first week of Nov. through mid Nov. being best. Year in an year out. Sometimes the movement is better during the day time during that time. Just depends on the weather.

bronko22000

Funny - I was just reading up on this and from what I've seen, scientist are still trying to determine what actually does trigger the rut. There are varied opinions on the cause from shorter days (photoperiod), drops in temperature, moon phases etc. No one really knows. IMO it is a combination of everything. They can describe the pre rut, rut, and post rut.
I honestly don't care what triggers it but in my over 45 years experience I've found that here in PA, the last week in Oct through the first 2 weeks in Nov, the deer activity really picks up. During this period, even when deer numbers were supposedly down, I have seen as many as 7 different buck cruising the woods in a single sit in areas where you would normally see only one or two deer in a morning or evening sit. When I see things picking up, I try to stay out as much as possible as it is a magical time.
One of my most memorable hunts was during the rut. Although I didn't get a shot that day I had 6 buck chasing 4 different doe all around my stand. It was the craziest and coolest thing I ever watched in my life in the woods.

early in

I agree, the last week of Oct and the first 2 weeks of Nov are prime time to be in the woods here in Pa. I'll take one of those weeks (I'm lucky, I can choose at the last minute) and do dark to dark hunts every day. It can happen at any time. The rut to me is like Christmas to a child.

fastetti

I dont thin summer temps and food sources matter. Put me in the woods starting at Halloween until November and I'll hit the rut right on. Last year though driving down to Southern Illinois from Chicago we hit day light around Champaign and for the next hour and a half, we probably saw 30 bucks all with does in the fields and right along wood lines. I mean every mile we would see another buck with a doe. One of coolest things I've ever seen. It was nice that the next day I killed a 140" 8 point and the next day my buddy killed a nice 9 point as well.

chazspot

A friend of mine filmed a stud six pointer giving a bunch of does the business a couple days ago. Had his nose to the ground and started to chase a couple of them.

early in

Where are you located?

chazspot

I'm located in Central Maryland. The area where my friend saw this activity is where their is a very healthy ratio of bucks to does.

Football2322

most of the big bucks I see are dering the day and they seem more cautious then they usually are.