This year's rut

[draketungsten]

I'm trying out deer hunting for the first time this year. Crossbow archery in fact since it's got a much longer season than firearm. I'm planning to take a week off from work to give myself plenty of time to make mistakes, get in on the weekdays when most hunters aren't in the woods, and hopefully bag 1 or 2. However since I'm taking a week's worth of vacation, I need to give work as much lead time as possible.

Since the rut happens at different times each year and it can't necessarily be predict (although some try to by lunar cycles) and the need to give the office enough advanced notice, when do you usually go out for archery?

I'm thinking the first full week in November. This is close to the time the rut usually happens and it's before firearm season starts.

 

[Lammchop93]

The work week of November 4th-8th is what I would be taking off.

 

[rkesar]

I would take a week off between Oct 31 and Nov 14, I've seen many big deer between those dates

 

[nkhrfh]

+ 1 with rkesar, with extending it to 11/17.

 

[clfergus]

I would take a week off between Oct 31 and Nov 14, I've seen many big deer between those dates

Agree with these dates....10/31 has always been a good day for me for seeing activity.

 

[Willie]

Halloween on........................until the gun opener

 

[HuntMeister]

Halloween on........................until the gun opener

^^^THIS^^^^

 

[SNAGGLE TOOTH]

I would take off all of October and November if I could.....

 

[yotewacker]

supposedly the deer go into rut 24 hours after the third frost of the year. when the deer rest at night on the cold ground it triggers the rut.

This is the explanation I was given by a CO many years ago. When deer season for opened.

 

[Willie]

supposedly the deer go into rut 24 hours after the third frost of the year. when the deer rest at night on the cold ground it triggers the rut.

This is the explanation I was given by a CO many years ago. When deer season for opened.

Nope.


..... It is when the moon is in the seventh house and Jupitor aligns with Mars and peace will guide the planets and the RUT will guide the stars. it is the dawning of the age of Aqaurius..




.

 

[rkesar]

Halloween has always been a great day to be in the woods, If youre hunting those dates you need to plan on all day sits.

 

[bd1024]

11-11-2013 Early A.M. The big buck will show. --- In all seriousness, I think that the timing of the rut, like the turning of the trees, is predicated by the amount of daylight, versus darkness. Many years we have had warm fall seasons, and the rut still starts on schedule. In more southerly latitudes, there are no "cold " seasons, or frost. But the daylight / darkness still changes with the seasons.------- So for me, on 11 / 11, they all go to heaven.

 

[M4Madness]

The rut pretty much occurs at the same time each and every year, and is triggered by the photoperiod decreasing in autumn. The only discernible difference from year to year is the intensity of the rut during daylight hours, but it still occurs on the same dates. One need only to look at fawn birthing dates then count back the length of the gestation period to see that this is the case. I agree with the poster earlier who said that they prefer November 4-8, as I consider those 5 days to be the best times to be in the woods as well.

 

[whitetailbowhunter]

Like stated by others i have found the greatest success from the first of novemeber untill gun season opens. You'll see does all the time, but this is when i've seen the most bucks in the woods. Good Luck to you this season!

 

[Sgt7330]

I have seen bucks rutting hard even on warmer days during that first couple weeks of November. You will know when to stay in the stand when you see the does bouncing around here and there and on the run or trot. Its a great time to be in the woods

 

[trailrider]

Another vote for halloween on thru gun. For me it seems the big bucks cruise through my woods the first couple of weeks of november during daylight. Oct. 31 has been awesome for me.

 

[beehunter]

Nope.


..... It is when the moon is in the seventh house and Jupitor aligns with Mars and peace will guide the planets and the RUT will guide the stars. it is the dawning of the age of Aqaurius..




.

Nope the peak of the rut always falls exactly 1 day before or 1 day after my vacation ends. I always see scads of big bucks cruising when I drive to and from work.