trophyhuntr

I have been hunting 18 years and i am only 31 yrs. old. I have killed deer from florida to texas to kansas to virginia. My theory is people talk about cold weather and the moon. I feel like this is partly true we all know that deer move better when it is cooler and more on a full moon night, but what causes the rut to be strong and weak my theory is food. The reason i say this is that when we have alot of acorns during the end of summer and beginning of fall the deer move more and the bucks seem to show them selves more and rutting activity seems to be stronger earlier in the year. This year the acorns are not plentiful and the deer dont seem to be close to rutting. This time last year alot of acorns and there was sign everywhere. I have payed attention to this the past 7 years while hunting this land and the same pattern holds true year end and year out, atleast on this property. I want to hear everyones comments and see what you think about this, and i know it will be different in diff. parts of the USA, GOOD HUNTN

DougMD

That' s very interesting. I have noticed that the rut falls on about the same general time each year, but some years it is more intense than others. I wonder if indeed food plays a part. If deer are well fed, they have a lot of energy. Conversely, if they haven' t eaten well due to poor mast or drought or some other reason, they may not have as much energy to burn running around all the time and may be inclined to conserve it by exhibiting less chasing and seeking behavior.

model722

Wow that is alot of walking

I do agree rut has some to do with food, it also has to do with whether and where someone lives. If you gave a deer all the protien they need in june they would still not go into rut. See what I' m getting at, there are many factors as to why rut happens, when it happens. Up here in the north it would be easier on a buck if he could do his " thing" during the summer then he wouldn' t have to worry so much about dying in the winter because of lack of food. He would be able to get his " rocks off" then eat enough to bring his strength back up for winter. Mother nature has a purpose for why things happen the way they do, doesn' t mean we will or ever have to know why........

formula1

TrophyHuntr:

I like your theory pretty well. It may be valid. There may very well be just as much sign as in years with alot of acorns, just not in the areas where most hunters frequent. Deer tend to stay in the thickets and browse in the thickets and briars more when there' s not much food. I' ll bet you' ll find more sign there.

I espouse my on rutting theory. I think hunting pressure affects the rut, too, at least for the really big bruisers. Have you ever noticed that most chasing is done by younger bucks, say 2.5 to 3.5 years old? Now sure some of those are nice bucks, but I don' t think they are the super bucks in the area. I believe in areas where there is alot of hunters and hunter activity, the really big bucks go nocturnal in their rutting activity. Further, I' ve observed really big bucks hanging out with the does rather than chasing them( A harem of sorts). I think they' re just waiting on them to get ready. These deer don' t get big by following the same pattern and getting ' stupid' over a doe. Is it safe for me to theorize that really mature bucks don' t allow the breeding instinct to overrule their survival instinct? Like I said, it' s just a theory.

trophyhuntr

I think it is a puzzle that can never be fully put togeather,but this theory is repeating itself year after year where i hunt

Gryan

I' ve also wondered why some years, the deer seem to running around everywhere like crazy and other years there is less rutting activity. I haven' t noticed anthing like that here. The weather seems to have a daily effect just like other times when weather affects deer movement. During the rut, the chasing gets more and more intense up until the does are ready to breed. Physically, bucks can' t breed until their " acorns" drop. Once they do they are ready but the ladies are not. That is why we see so much chasing for the three weeks before the rut. It is kinda like high school.

How do you guys think the food supply affects the rut?

Greg

JagMagMan

Here in East Texas, the rut will usually start at just about the same time each year, within about a week or so, year to year. Photoperiods govern this pretty well.
So, why is the rut strong one year and not the next?
I think the " strength" of the rut is just what we see.
The deer are going to breed, so its going to get done!
I think that moon phase, weather, hunting pressure and yes, food play a part in how much of the rut that we see. When the conditions are right, (for hunters) we see more rut activity, such as scrapes and chasing, and we say that the rut is strong.
The same conditions that make deer move more during the rut, are conditions that will make them move more to feed in daylight hours. I think that bucks that are moving more to feed, due to lack of abundant mast, will just naturally cover more ground and naturally leave more " calling cards" as he goes.
So I think that the only time that food would have any REAL effect on the rut would be if there is not enough food and the deer are in poor health!

thundermug

Sure I think you may be right, food could play a part, but so does temperature. The hotter it is makes the rutting activity happen at night during the lower temps. At least that is what happens down here, where the daytime temps run in the upper 90' s. By the way, our peak rut has already happened. Yep, them rascals gotta be prepared for the monsoon season!

trophyhuntr

Rut is trying to get started a little here

SchuylkillOutdoorsman

Very interesting you may be on to something there.