Understanding and Hunting the Rut

By Matt Ross
If there is ever a time during the hunting season when the average hunter gains a slight edge on a trophy buck, it is during the core phases of the whitetail breeding season; which can also be called the rut.

Why do we all of a sudden gain the upper hand? Because it is during the rutting period when most mature bucks throw caution to the wind and follow their sole urge to reproduce often and with as many does as possible.

“during the rutting period most mature bucks throw caution to the wind and follow their sole urge to reproduce”

During the rut, all bucks, big and small, will become much more active at the hours of day and night, which undoubtedly increases your chances of encountering that dream buck when he makes a mistake. In fact, most successful hunters end up harvesting a trophy because they somehow found themselves in a position to take advantage of a big bucks mishap.

That is why an intelligent approach to hunting the rut would involve learning and knowing what the signs are when the rut begins and how to benefit from the careless behaviors of the quarry.
Creating Desire
Firstly, it is important to know what the dynamics of the rut incorporates and how it is defined by wildlife biologists. Many specialists claim that the rut clearly begins when the male deer of the herd display a senseless frenetic behavior as a result of their ability to successfully breed. However, others argue that this time frame also includes the does arrival or receptiveness to breeding. Researchers often describe this as the estrus phase, usually lasting 24- to 36-hours. Individual does, however, come into estrus at different times, so the rut actually may last for more than a month.

“The estrus phase, usually lasts 24- to 36-hours. Individual does, however, come into estrus at different times, so the rut actually may last for more than a month.”

In other words, although most bucks are capable of breeding from the time they peel the velvet off their antlers in early September, that doesn’t necessarily mean that every doe is ready and willing to copulate. Therefore, the actual rut begins when both the bucks and does of the population are receptive to breeding.

Timing The Rut
So the next logical question may be: when does this occur? Well, typically because of the severity of the northern climate, the bulk of the breeding season in the northern three-quarters of the United States will take place between November 7 and 25, with the peak of the rut occurring around the week of the tenth. The southern portion of the nation experiences a rut that usually starts in late October, peaks in mid-November, and often extends into late December and sometimes early January. This less compressed rut is attributed to the mild weather patterns common to that part of the country.

” the bulk of the breeding season in the northern three-quarters of the United States will take place between November 7 and 25, with the peak of the rut occurring around the week of the tenth.”

Additionally, the darkness that accompanies the autumnal equinox during the fall decreases the amount of daylight during the average 24-hour period. This process is called photoperiodism. When this happens the pineal gland, which is the receptor of the light values accumulated by the deers’ eyes, stimulates the pituitary gland within the endocrine system. The actual decrease in daylight triggers the pituitary to release a ton of gonadotrophic hormones, which in turn increases the production of the male sex hormone testosterone. It is this increased level of testosterone in the buck’s system which officially launches the breeding season. Similar glandular activity in the doe causes her to come into estrus around the same time.

Phases Of The Rut
Although it is now clear exactly what causes the rut to take place, it is also just as important to know how the breeding season progresses through the fall. Months before the rut starts, bucks begin to establish dominance. The social hierarchy that is formed during the late summer will continue through all phases of the breeding season, which consists of: the prerut, rut, and postrut.

Pre Pre-Rut:
During the summer, bucks tend to live together in groups of six or more and usually congregate in open habitats. This creates an opportune time to scout and observe from a distance the quality level of bucks that are expected from this years herd. Within these groups the bucks will determine dominance nonviolently; smaller bucks simply yield to larger ones. Antler development plays a big role in the individuals place in the hierarchy.

Visual intimidation and mutual grooming also helps determine the pecking order. Subordinate bucks avoid eye contact with the dominant males, and sometimes resort to grooming their neck and shoulders to show deference.

Phase One – Pre Rut:
As summer turns to fall almost every buck knows his position in the hierarchy. Summer groups break up and bucks begin to move around more to establish home ranges. This is when the prerut begins.

“As the buck rubs the tree, he usually deposits scent from his preorbital gland. Also, bucks commonly rub trees in a line or cluster, but they seldom revisit a rub site.”

Whitetails often avoid settling disputes during the summer because of the soft tissue that still envelops their rack. However, when bucks shed their velvet as the blood supply is severed, their antlers harden into bone. A sure sign of the arrival of the prerut is the appearance of small rubs on aromatic saplings, such as pine, cherry, and cedar. Bucks will rake small trees with their antlers to advertise their presence and to remove the dead velvet. As the buck rubs the tree, he usually deposits scent from his preorbital gland. Also, bucks commonly rub trees in a line or cluster, but they seldom revisit a rub site.

Another common activity during the prerut is sparring. This is when bucks of similar size press their foreheads and antlers together and push nonaggressively for a short duration. This also helps maintain the aforementioned social ranking.

Phase Two – Rut:
As the days go by, these sparring matches become more aggressive and bucks will begin to challenge one another more often. When these confrontations happen more frequently, bucks feed less and begin to lose weight. That is when the rut comes into full swing; most males begin to neglect their starch-filled fattening diet in order to put 100% of their energy into breeding behaviors.

“Don’t mistake an active or primary scrape with an inactive or secondary marking. These are places that bucks have uncovered the ground, but have left no scent or urine as a sign to other deer.”

During the peak of the prerut and well into the rut phase bucks often begin to make scrapes. A scrape is a bare patch of ground that announces a bucks presence to any receptive does in the area and warn off any subordinate males. After pawing at the earth with his hooves, the buck squats and urinates down his legs into the tarsal glands. This will leave his odor for some time. When a doe comes into estrus she will seek out and urinate in the dominant males scrape as a signal of readiness to breed. That is why bucks repeatedly return to check their active scrapes.

This is also a good place to hunt during the rut. Your chances of encountering a buck drastically improves near an active scrape because males often come to freshen and inspect their scrapes a few times a day. However, don’t mistake an active or primary scrape with an inactive or secondary marking. These are places that bucks have uncovered the ground, but have left no scent or urine as a sign to other deer.

Phase Three – Post Rut:
These are all concrete signs that the rut is in full swing. However, as male hormone levels diminish and bucks can no longer find any receptive does, the postrut arrives and rubbing and scraping finally stops.

Soon, most bucks lose their antlers within a month after the rut ends. This is usually when males return to eating heavily in an attempt to regain the lost weight for the upcoming winter.

Of course, there are many more subtle and complex behaviors that come and go with the breeding period, but these are the tell tale signs that even a beginner can utilize during the hunting season. So, good luck in hunting the rut, and remember, an informed hunter is a successful hunter.