in tennessee what i think kicks off the rut is the first frost we get......i have seen deer running everywhere

BOWFANATIC,

that is exactly what Alsheimer is saying...He claims that the second full moon after the autumnal equinox is what triggers does to start their estrus cycle. Of course, it is in fact the sexual pheromones that drives the rut, no doubt, but he's linking the pheromones (at least the does) to the full moon. he has years of research to back his claims. He hopes to get at least 15 years of data to see if his claims hold true. in every research year he has seen that about 80% of the doe population that he researches is bred during what he calls the breeding window following the second full moon after the autumnal equinox. 10% typically are bred during the breeding window following the first full moon after the autumnal equinox (harvest moon.) the remaining 10% or so are bred during the next estrus cycles (which occur 28 days later) during the breeding window following the second full moon after the autumnal equinox.

Thats your first mistake.

Me Too! It's got to be the best week of the year!

Do not conclude that increased "buck sightings" or activity is an indicator of full rut. This is where much confusion is started.

Peak rut is the small time frame that the majority of the does are bred. The running around of bucks - mature or not - really has no true correllation to the above.

Cold fronts, new moons...etc......can greatly increase the daylight activity of bucks - again this has nothing to do with does being bred.

I am a firm believer in photoperiodism - (deers actions controlled by hormones - triggered by daylight)

For the most part - the true "peak" rut has limited mature buck movement - as they are on hot does that often do not move much and often seek out deep cover.

good point. it seems everyone has a different idea what the "rut" really means. i think of the rut as the actual breeding of does, not the seeking and chasing phases. I definately see a huge increase in buck activity a week or so before what i call the "rut" (breeding does.) once the rut peaks, i see very little buck activity for quite some time. so, that's the reason i would like to know what triggers the rut. (if anything does.) it would make planning for the rut much easier.

so, rack, do you see the rut happening the same time every year in your area?

Yes - photoperiodism predicts this - the decrease in light is always consistant year to year.

But daylight buck activity may be dependent on many other factors

I hunt deer thoughout the entire season but hold off in shooting some respectable bucks in anticapation of the rut. I live for the rut. I have kept a hunting journal on when it peaked out here. 4 out of 5 years it has been the last week in Nov., regardless of the moon but at this time in nov. the days get a lot shorter and sure signs of winter already here that also effect it. 3 years ago it was about 10 days later and I can only relate that too the snow didn't come yet and the weather was mild. Seems like when that snow hits the ground I see increase amounts of buck ativity at unusual times thoughout the day being stupid. This last week in nov. here is pretty accruate because right near 200 days later you can see the dropping of fawns. Bobby

When I say the rut is on is when I see bucks chasing does and or does standing for bucks. Our rut hovers right around Nov. 10th give or take depending on conditions. I have always been firm believer in photoperiodism as the primary rut trigger. However, what I witnessed last year changed my thinking. I now believe there are multiple triggers. What I wound up seeing was a small amount of rut activity during the normal time. The rut normally corresponds to our shotgun season so there is normally a great deal of input with which to guage the amount of rut activity going on in the woods. Well this year was unseasonably warm and there was very very little rut activity. However, I, as well as others, saw a great amount of rut activity the from Nov. 27th - Dec. 2nd, which is way late for use. I realize that some does were bred in early Nov. however the "peek" of the rutting activity was 2 -3 weeks later than normal. I talk to several people on a daily basis during hunting season to discuss deer movement, several of which are fire fighters that hunt so much it would get most of us divorced. So basically I was either in the woods or talking to people that were, everyday of the season and those were my observations from last year. The warm weather seemed to play a huge role in the timing of our rut which is almost always in the second week of Nov. I think the moon plays a role but I am certainly not going to not hunt because the moon cycle is wrong. Now I may plan my trip to go somewhere during a favorable moon cycle, but I am certainly not going to set home. Just my observations

Rack is correct. the amount of daylight triggers the rut, just like it triggers the time when deer begin growing their winter coat. mother nature is too unpredictable for anything to be based on the weather. If deer began the rut when the temperature the deer in souther california may never start. As far as the moon goes, I'm not sure about how it affects the rut, but I too believe that it affects bucks in daylight hours.

i firmly believe when the first frost hits.......deer hormones......go nuts..