Can a buck breed during the rut? How long will a doe stay in heat? Does the buck stay with the doe until it’s out of heat and move to the next one or is he a one and done.

Im pretty sure its possible he could mate a different doe every day as long as the rut lasts if he was a skilled lover and fighter. More likely to find one in heat, hang with her three days, breed her then find another one. It would be near impossible to say for sure how many one buck breeds, too many variables.

Not as many as you think. I've seen studies where they say the average is 2-4. In areas with whacked out ratios, it could be more and some say as high as 8 when the rut goes on from Dec to April, in order to get all the available does successfully serviced. They also say this is highly stressful on the bucks and post rut mortality is significantly higher.

My biologist buddy told me that 60-70% of the breeding in Alabama is being done by immature bucks "2.5 yrs old and younger", in part, thanks to our out of whack ratios and piss poor age structure throughout most of the state. Does will stay in heat for a day or day and a half. Buck will stay with her during that time and breed her multiple times, unless he's run off by another buck.

A buck will breed as long as they have willing participants. I've seen during the peak rut bucks check a doe and if she ain't ready they move on to another. But it's unclear how many one buck breeds during the rut. There's way too many factors to figure an average I would think. Deer population and hunting pressure just to name a couple.

I've also thought when the lock down phase starts that signals less does are in heat and the bucks will follow and wait, unless they come across another doe that's in heat then they go after her.

They probably only breed about 3-4 every cycle for three to four months.. They will breed the same doe for 3-6 days and then move to another one. They may only breed about 8-10 per year.

I’m guessing 18. I have absolutely nothing to back that up.

It's my understanding a buck will breed only one maybe two does at most at peek of rut maybe get one more in second cycle. Mbrock I believe knows for sure. It's really not as many as people think, that's even with an effed up ratio.

ABolt is spot on. The idea that many hunter have is that a few dominant bucks do almost all of the breeding is a myth.

I saw a wet fawn last week, spots everywhere, legs were wobbling, young, when was mommy breed?

First week in April, i think

There's a whole lot more "wham , bam thank you ma'am" than you think. Many studies have shown does with twins having different fathers. There was a study that came out a few years ago that found the "lock down" was not as long as previously thought and non existent in some areas. I never put much stock in the lock down phase around here anyway.

The only one I saw breed was a wham , bam thank you ma'am. There was a small buck chasing a doe around me . Up the hill came a 3 yo 8 point. To make a long story short he took her away. He got between them , let out a sound I'd never heard before , she dropped her rear and he bred her. After it was done the 8 point went one way , the doe another and me and the small buck were left wondering what just happened.

As far as how many does one buck can breed , as many as will cooperate.

Genetic testing has concluded the average buck will breed 1-3 does successfully. WAY less than most of you think. So in areas with ratios skewed heavily toward females that leaves a LOT of does to hit a second or even a third estrous cycle, and I’ve nauseatingly tried to explain the herd health issues that creates until I’m not doing it any longer cause nobody listens. Deer breed like cattle you know. 🙄

😂

This is exactly what I've seen during peak rut. Done and gone.

Another point I want to bring up. Fortunately the mature bucks I've witnessed and killed were trailing the doe during the lock down phase or the doe came to him. That's right I've seen a doe walk up to a buck that was feeding, minding his own business and a doe walk up and flirt with him. Don't know what the outcome would of been, he had a prior arrangement with my meat grinder and my wall, but it was a cool thing to see. Another scenario I witnessed was a mature buck trailing a doe and I shot and dropped the buck, about 10mins later she came back and hoofed the crap out of him. Bleated and carried on like crazy. She even stuck around while I gutted him and started to drag him out. Back at the camp I told one of the old timers what I witnessed. He told me sometimes the doe wants "it" more than the buck does and will go crazy when they move on or in my case are killed. Don't know any science behind this but it was definitely something I've never seen before.

So do you think we should knock the doe population back until it reaches a point that it matches up better with the overharvesting of bucks that’s occurring??

Each case is different.

So you’re saying that shooting does isnt necessarily the solution to fixing skewed buck to doe ratios in all situations??.....When is it the solution and when isn’t it???

I’m trying to figure out that no matter how you spin it, seems like there’s always more does than bucks. I would say that on most properties hunters are harvesting more does than bucks. Is nature trying to tell us that the natural balance is more does than bucks? That the 2 to 1 ratios every one rants about is a pipe dream? I see benefits to trying to make it 2 to 1, but maybe that’s not natural, and I’m sure those numbers would have to be site specific.

i remember back when it was 10 to 1 ,,,, big bucks ever where . the more they research the more they manage the shitter it gets it seems . they been trying to fix deer hunting for 45 years , hows that going . lol


just my opinion.

carrying capacity is the main thing . trigger control on bucks is the next . kill what does you dont need .

just like cattle . lol

alabama never see a rut like they have in northern/other states

Revising my answer. Maybe 3.

That’s property specific. I’ve seen Midwest rutting behaviors and intensity on southern properties. It’s all about deer herd dynamics.