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Whitetail Rut

Hoytman62

Junior Member
I just watched a video on the whitetail rut in Ohio and they said no matter what that, the rut is the same time every year. Whether it’s hot or cold. They said it is usually around the 10th of every November. Do you agree with this in Ohio? I am in Central Ohio.
 

NWOHhunter

Junior Member
879
58
NW Ohio
I just started keeping local data, 2 yrs so far...... Nov 4-13th 42% of local bucks p&y or bigger have been killed during that time. Mind you this is only about a 3 mile radius from one of my woods. I am not expert or scientist!!
 
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Peak breeding does occur in the Nov 10-18 timeframe in this part of the country and that doesn't change with weather, moon phase, etc. Been alot of studies and data collected on that. Does actually are bred from the beginning of Oct thru December. It is pretty much a bell curve with the most being bred in mid November.

The peak of rut activity generally occurs just prior the the peak breeding time when does are just starting to come in and bucks are on the move. Based upon the locality and when does are coming in and how the buck movement you may see more activity in late October from your stand than you do the 1st week of November. People see 5 buck chasing a buck in mid-October and they say the rut is early. It actually isn't but they just happened to have a doe close that was coming in and every buck around was chasing her.
 
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Wildlife

Denny
Supporting Member
5,248
191
Ross County, Ohio
For the past four years, the rut has launched either on the 12th, 13th or the 14th of November for my area here in Ross County.

My wife's birthday is on the 12th and my younger brother's birthday is on the 15th.

Needless to say, for the past fours years, neither of them have seen me on their birthday unless the celebration starts in the evening and I haven't harvested a deer on that day.

So it's nearly same calendar day each year, but not quite exactly, at least from my experience. I may have to add or subtract a day or two depending on the local deer herd activity happening just prior.

When it gets down close to those calendar days, I'll pay very close attention to the deer behavior to help pin point the precise day of the rut.

I live to hunt and hunt where I live, so keep that in mind 'TOO'!
 
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jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
From my observations over the years, you simply can't pin the rut down to a single day. The whitetail "rut" is a drawn-out process with multiple phases. In my opinion the PEAK of the rut, where we hunters see the most action (bucks cruising at midday, bucks aggressively chasing does), is about a 2-3 week window. I personally think this usually kicks off right around October 31st, sometimes a little sooner, and lasts through about youth gun weekend. From what I've seen this year has matched this theory to a T. You just have to plant your ass in a treestand for as many hours as you possibly can inside that 3-week window. Timing your hunts with the weather (cold temps, high pressure, ideal wind, etc) is the best way to increase your odds.
 

Bowkills

Well-Known Member
2,577
85
Nw oh
From my observations over the years, you simply can't pin the rut down to a single day. The whitetail "rut" is a drawn-out process with multiple phases. In my opinion the PEAK of the rut, where we hunters see the most action (bucks cruising at midday, bucks aggressively chasing does), is about a 2-3 week window. I personally think this usually kicks off right around October 31st, sometimes a little sooner, and lasts through about youth gun weekend. From what I've seen this year has matched this theory to a T. You just have to plant your ass in a treestand for as many hours as you possibly can inside that 3-week window. Timing your hunts with the weather (cold temps, high pressure, ideal wind, etc) is the best way to increase your odds.
Yep!!!!!! I believe there's alot more to rut (or alot less thought should go into it) than hunters think. I've watched it for twelve years out in the open out my front window and around my township. The last 3 have been able to watch it intensely almost everyday when it happens section to section. It's happening somewhere always after does start coming in!!! Little bucks get lucky alot!(unless they are getting sloppy seconds) Even when there are bigger more mature deer around close in the same sections. Being a weekend warrior sucks, taking a rutcation sucks unless you hit it on the head. I could definitely see it hard hunting peak rut in a high deer population and tons of cover. if he's got a now serving number on his door he's not moving much....sex food and drink why go out looking I think that's why alot of people say the later November days r better because they r out looking for their last piece.....