Hello,

I do not live or hunt in Canada but I posted this here because I am so far North in Maine that I feel Canadian information will do better for me than the usual mid west American whitetail predictions.

When do you guys feel that the rut will kick in to high gear this year??? I live in northern Maine just 20 miles South of the Beauce reigon of Quebec. I am going to try some of the code blue standing doe estrus and I think that if you use it just before the rut starts when there aren't that many does ready to breed it would work. I plan to drag it in to my stand and put it on some wicks in the area.

Thanks

Way west and north of you in Sask but here it is usually in full swing around the 10 of Nov. As for start they will be fighting and looking now.Good time to rattle before they get on to the serious business.

Here in Western Manitoba, full rut ussually starts mid Nov. 18-25. The last couple of years it didn't seem to be a peak rut. It seemed to start slowly and end slowly. It dragged out for a long period. You can see it this year with the fawns born this spring. There is a wide varriaty in there sizes. The reason being, last year we had a very warm hunting season and beyond.

Again way west and north last year is seemed way late 20th of nov or so there seemed to be no activity then boom for a week. But mid November is a good yard stick

In southern BC, the standard is:

pre-rut= first week of NOV
peak of rut = mid NOV

Can vary from year to year a little.

Cheers,
Canuck

What the others have said is right....although I've had one buck come to an estrous call so they are thinking of it. So would I if I only got it once a year


the chef

Hello;
Around here, Remembrance Day seems to mark the peak of the action.
Grizz

The theory is from light levels the rut will kick in on November 10th. From my practical observations hunting in Sask north of Prince Albert that November 15th is a closer estimate.

jim

Light levels seem to play an important role but it would appear to be only oe of several factors. Deer density, sex ratios and temperature mst affect the timing and intensity. I have seen years when there was virtually no activity one day but full blown rut 2 days later. One year we went scouting on a Sat before the rut and saw about 90 deer in sveral small groups consisting of bucks, does and fawns. The bucks were barely showing any interest. By openning day on Monday almost every group of deer had a buck that had cut out the hot doe from the group and he was tending to her. Often they were out in the open, bedded in wheat stubb;le, cut hay sloughs etc and paying no attention to human activity being totally focussed on the lady of the moment.
Other years there is virtually no change in their daylight hours behavior all durring Nov. It seems warmer weather leads to the rut being nocturnal more than durring a cold weather rut. Also I imagine the number of does has an effect as the boys keep getting enough of a nose full to keep them revved up.In years with lower densites the bucks must travel several miles in hopes of finding a lively one. I once followed a buck's trail for 9 or 10 miles as he cruised along. He would meet others but always left to find greener pastures. Come morning he was resting up for the next nights search.

As far as getting tired out by the rut it may well be that as in humans it aint the wimmins that hurt you it is the chassin' after them .

Hey calgarychef1--it is just like the hunting season for us. The day after the season closes, we start saving, planning, dreaming, scouting, etc. for the upcoming "event". Then when it happens, we go goofy, forgetting family, non-hunting friends, common sense, etc. The bucks are sort of like that as well.

Dustoffer, that's an interesting alalogy. I mentioned it to my wife and she got theis strange look in her eyes and said it's true. Maybe I'll stay home tonight and tend to the "home fires"

In Ontario's central range, you can normally expect the rut to peak in mid-November - around the 15th to 18th.

That Mid November peak, combined with this years later than normal (Ontario) deer deason, has my trigger finger itching. Should be a good, if cold season.

Based on the peak date of fawning and extrapolating backwards average gestation period here in Alberta you will arrive at November 18.The "rut" of course has many phases and many variables but year in year out the peak of breeding will be on or about this date

Saw two better-than-average bucks on the K-country highway on Friday night. They seemed friendly enough towards one another...

They looked magnificent though, I hope I find one just like'm later...

Frans