Rut timing?

[Dejashoot]

If this was the only factor most deer in a given latitude would go into estrus at essentially the same time. If you look at the actual data for the "Gulf Coast Marsh" area and the adjacent "South Texas Plains" area the average peak estrus for the two areas is over a month apart. Are the days longer in Corpus Christi than they are in Pearsall? Whitetail in Western Canada rut in mid November and the amount of daylight that far north is significantly less than parts of Texas that have peak estrus at the same time..... Light in a day is a factor but not the only factor for sure.

The data from this study also indicated little variance in peak estrus over the 3 year period despite differences in weather, moon phase, etc.... I think deer in a given geography get in sync with one another in addition to being effected by daylight, seasonal variability in food sources effecting fawn survival, etc. It's a complex set of variable for sure.

You have to take the different sub-species into account. One sub-species may go into rut when the light phase is at one point but the other may go into rut when the light phase is decreased. For example, deer in the coastal plains are affected by 12.5 hours of daylight (mid-September) but south texas sub-species go into rut at 10.4 hours of daylight (Mid-December).

[robbyreneeward]

All I know is most of my fawns are losing spots, except one that looks to be a couple of weeks old.

I have a couple as well that are losing most of their spots already, which seems really for this time of year.

[dustoffer]

The amount of daylight that they see.

Daylight observed through the deer's eye, and has an impact on the pituitary gland (I think it's that one), which regulates the cycle.

[TXJIM]

You have to take the different sub-species into account. One sub-species may go into rut when the light phase is at one point but the other may go into rut when the light phase is decreased. For example, deer in the coastal plains are affected by 12.5 hours of daylight (mid-September) but south texas sub-species go into rut at 10.4 hours of daylight (Mid-December).

So how would this sub-species theory account for the data collected on the Edwards Plateau? You have three distinct regions with different ruts with the timing of each peak estrus getting later as you move East to West. These are the same species of deer getting the same amount of daylight yet there is a month plus difference in peak estrus from the East Region of Edwards Plateau to the West Region a couple hundred miles away. The two major variables as you move East to West in this area are moisture and type/quantity of browse. There is no difference in daylight or sub-species.

[fsevin]

very interesting question there TXJIM. I am hunting Coke County on a friend's place, and I just hope the peak of the rut there is right after Thanksgiving, like they say it is, cause I'll be there!

[elkbowhunter]

The estrous cycle in deer varies from 17 - 22 days, depending on the species, and this cyclical breeding activity may continue for as long as six months in animals which do not become pregnant (Gordon). The seasonal changes in fertility are controlled by the secretion of LHRH (luteinizing hormone releasing hormone) from the hypothalamus, which is influenced by melatonin from the pineal gland. LHRH influences the secretion of LH and FSH from the anterior pituitary (Lincoln).

This is triggered mainly by a decrease in photoperiod. A hormone called melatonin is produced by the pineal gland in response to the onset of darkness. When it reaches a certain level in the blood plasma it induces estrus (Webster). However, it is unclear how exactly this occurs. It is thought to be very similar to the pathway in sheep, but this has yet to be proven (Adam). In this pathway, there are high amounts of progesterone present in the deer during the anestrous season; this is true for both pregnant and non-pregnant individuals, though it is higher in pregnant ones (Plotka). The high amounts of progesterone cause estrogen to have negative feedback, limiting the amount of GnRH and subsequently LH, that are produced to levels that do not support estrus. The presence of enough melatonin in the blood plasma somehow triggers progesterone levels to decrease while increasing the responsiveness of estrogen receptors. When the progesterone reaches significantly low levels, estrogen begins having positive feedback effects on GnRH production, resulting in the first LH surge (Parrish). Deer generally cycle only a few times, until they are bred and become pregnant, when the increased progesterone again causes negative feedback of GnRH by estrogen. Deer can, however, continue cycling through March, if they fail to be bred (Webster).
Seasonality of breeding is important in deer because it allows the offspring the maximum chance at survival since they are born in the spring to early summer when food is plentiful and it is not as cold out.

Scientifically speaking of course.


Lamens terms... its the amount of light in a day.

this....good google search Coach!!! I had no idea what Plotka was.

[lexingtontexas]

I know this sounds crazy, but I live in cypress and I saw a huge ten point chasing two does yesterday...... And then this morning I saw a dead buck right down the street.

[Taylor82134]

NE Texas the last few years it has seemed the last week in Oct to the first few days in Nov are peak.

[Billy Shipp]

No scientific data to back it up but in Anderson Co. it's normally the first 3 weeks in November.

[robbyreneeward]

NE Texas the last few years it has seemed the last week in Oct to the first few days in Nov are peak.

Where in NETX? I noticed two years ago bucks chasing does right around Halloween as well. Most of the deer movement that I saw for that three month period was right around Halloween. Which is kind of weird.

[Coach W]

this....good google search Coach!!! I had no idea what Plotka was.

Heck ya M-2 taught me mad googling skills...

Ive always knew it had to do with the amount of light... But last year back i did go on a fact finding mission... I found that site to be very helpful.

In the end somethings like fluctuations between areas are just nature... As the site describes.

[arrowslinger]

Technically you are in the piney woods. And the rut in your area will be between oct. 30 thru nov. 10, peaking around the 5th or 6th. Bank on it!

That is correct I beloved. Been up there for 5 years but IMO hunt the first week in December the 2nd rut. Less does makes the mature bucks move more. The first rut they don't have to go far because the ratio is way out of wack.

[WhitetailMecca]

DDH had a great episode i recorder last week. Just got to watch it last night and it was about rut sequence. it had some really good information some that I had not heard. anyone hunting up north they predict that oct31-nov.6 will be the magic days. these are predicted to be the times when does and bucks are both at their peak and right after the full moon.