Friends are sending pics of bucks breeding does. So it’s on right now as usual. Without pics or seeing in person how do most hunters figure out the breeding phase?

Years of experience and coming across fawns less than 2 weeks old and backdating using a gestational calendar. States also do fetal studies on does and can figure out the date of conception.

Yeah the dates are pretty locked in I believe from fetal data going back to the 70s.

Im just curious what determines hunters sentiment as when the rut actually is occurring. Chasing, cruising, scrapes and rubs or whatever else. Chasing has been the most talked about as the rut is on from what I hear.

I have kept records for a long time. I have hunted the same area of Conecuh since 1988 .I have killed more bucks on Jan. 17th. than any other day. Velvet starts to come off in mid Oct. And small scrapes start showing up. By Christmas scrapes are around plots and along firebreaks. Young bucks start pushing does the first week of Jan. and you will start to see big running tracks on dirt roads usually by the 15th., you will start to see more dead deer along 65. Cameras tell me bucks are cruising mostly at night right now and checking feeders for does. Does are spooky as can be. The leaves are gone, the woods are full of man scent and every acre around me is hunted by someone. I sit as much as I can this time of year, you never know when one of those traveling bucks will come along.

Usually when the does and bucks come up missing from your corn pile or food plot is when they hunkered down getting it done. Usually that will last a week or 2 and when they start showing back up they will start herding back up and it's over and done with.
Funny thing is I was at the processor dropping off my paw n laws deer and somebody had killed a big old doe and they were gutting her and she done had twin embryos in here. I asked where she was killed and they didn't know. But I'm fairly certain she came out of east central Alabama.

They’ve been yanking fawns out of pregnant does around here for two weeks now. And folks are saying the rut just started. 😂😂😂

C’mon Matt, you know if people don’t see multiple bucks chasing the same doe then the rut never happened. 😂

You can tell when the rut is in most places because of the amount of road killed deer.

I’d always thought the actual breeding happened when the woods went quiet. Bucks had does locked down. The chasing was before and after for the most part. Not an actual day but a week of light
Movement and an occasional mature buck(s) pursuing a doe. Groups of button bucks out and about Ali’s and indicator.

Just kinda curious what most hunters think to be compared to the actuality of breeding.

Me too. I usually see more youngsters wandering around without mama and looking like a lost puppy.

I think sj has Intel on this question

BARBOUR CO: Dec 3 is a good day ( cannot always hunt it). Jan 18-28 is good (usually get a buck during this time). Feb 4-10 is great - but only some years. Some years a real good buck, some not.
Good is bucks of all sizes on their feet in daylight, moving or checking does. Great is older/ better bucks hard chasing- grunting or locked on a moving doe.
Don't use cameras- no idea what they do when I am not around or at night.
We have seen some spotted fawns in January this year and we still see breeding chasing the thru mid March too.

Drove to Nashville last Friday/ back Saturday. Was amazed to see the number of does and spikes dead from Montgomery to Nashville and back. Something had them moving and taking chances.