In y'all's observations, about how long does it take for bucks to start running back together after breaking apart for the rut? 4 weeks? More? Is it consistent year to year or does it vary depending on the deer?

Mine are back together now. I’d say around 3-4 weeks after rut

Depending on what area you hunt and when the rut is you may or may not see them back together. Our rut where I am is wide open right now so we won't see them back together before season goes out

We are in the middle of the rut and every time i get pics of good bucks theres more than one. Seems like theyre still running together. Two or three at a time eating off the same plate. Crazy stuff

I've got a personal theory that some bachelor groups never break up completely. I think sometimes young bucks will stay attached to an older one, but may hang back a hundred yards or more just shadowing the older one. Just a theory. I've seen the same that you have on different properties with different rut dates.

Good point too. I see mine stay somewhat together during peak of rut. Dec 4 the day I killed mine I saw every decent buck around my place that afternoon. But there was hot does piled in there too so that makes sense too.

Don’t take too long. This was limestone county a few weeks ago.

I put a spypoint on plotwatcher a few days this week, just wondering how many deer were using my foodplot at night. It might light up 1/2 acre well enough to even tell deer are there. Not uncommon to have 12-15 deer in the picture. No telling how many more are in that 10acre field. I usually have that camera watching a feeder. I guess when im getting pics of two or three bucks at a time, there are probably a bunch of does around, just out of the picture. I was under the impression that bucks, especially older bucks, would not tolerate being around eachother during rut. That seems to be false. According to my pics they will and do tolerate eachother to some degree. I have also heard bucks simply dont eat when chasing, which is also false. I get pics of bucks every night eating. I believe they do eat less but are much more active. They are on a high exercise low calorie diet during rut. I really do wish i could sit and watch the activity going on in that field at night, except in the daylight. I know i would learn so much being able to watch them interact.

I know a guy but.......

Just my opinion but I think a lot of what y'all are seeing has to do with dominance and subordinance during the rut.......I think subordinate bucks will tolerate being around one another but the ones that have alpha type personalities will not......

After the secondary rut. I believe some of the little fellers don't bust up at all.