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No such thing as "THE" rut

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27 October 2020, 00:39
Stonecreek
No such thing as "THE" rut
At least not around these parts.

Here's a game cam photo taken on my place in Central Texas about October 21. You can see that the whitetail fawn is very young and very spotted. From its size, I judge that the deer to its right is an earlier fawn from this year, and the two does to the left are mamas. I calculate that the spotted fawn's mother couldn't have been bred any earlier than March, and perhaps even later.

Hunters are often under the impression that there is a major rut, followed by a minor one perhaps four weeks later. But we find that whitetails in warmer climates breed from as early as October to well up into the spring. So don't get all caught up in trying to time the "rut" when you're hunting in these parts.

By the same token, I've seen bucks lose their antlers as early as late December, but some with antlers intact in early April.


27 October 2020, 01:20
miles58
On occasion I see spotted fawns in November here in Minnesota. Does that are less than 1 year old do get bred up here as well, sometimes later, maybe considerably later if they are big. Texas size does (little ones) almost never get bred first year up here.
27 October 2020, 05:01
LHeym500
I have seen bucks breeding does in February.
27 October 2020, 07:04
Live Oak
Whole purpose of the 13" rule! That rule has made all the difference around here. The breeding period is really tightening up. We still do not have a south Texas rut but its getting there. We have way too many deer so I doubt it will get really tight, but maybe!