You boys seeing any action down that way yet? Looks like I will be down there with a buddy mid next week, then possible again a few days after Christmas.

Depending on where you are, we typically don't see much activity to mid/late January. That said, I have seen more bucks this year than any I can recall. Seen some folks around here killing some good ones too.

No deer in Dallas county

The lack of acorns has led to more good buck activity so far that is certain. As to the rut, I've hunted the same property around Sardis for 40+ years and nothing has really changed much in all those years. Around Christmas, or shortly there after, the pre-rut will kick off. The first week or so of January will have a lot of bucks roaming looking for a hot doe. The middle two weeks look for does and hope one is hot and has the boss buck locked up on her. The last part of Jan. and the rest of the season is really big buck killing time. They will be the ones with energy left to roam and look for the leftover hot does. The avererage to young bucks can be easily killed in this time in food plots eating to get their strength back.

It was always Jan 10 on for us in Marion junction

When I hunted in Valley Grande, this was the standard. Only place I ever hunted that you could set your watch by it.

According to years of fetal age/conception data, 99% of Dallas county rutting is Jan. 15th-30th.

How do they get that bull crap circle in pike and Macon county?

Old joke is, aliens take the deer away the second week of December then return’em one month later. But I’m in Marengo county, five miles away..

I must have been in the 1% area last year on Cedar Creek SOA during Feb. 2-5 SOA hunt. The bucks were in full rut and chasing does. It was the best hunt I have personally ever been on here In Alabama for hunting the rut. That specific area of Dallas County for the Cedar Creek SOA does show a later rut date on map than the rest of Dallas County. This is my experience in hunting that area.

They date the conception date based on fetus in the doe. Pretty much exact dates the does were bred then they draw a circle

That is not the rut. The rut is when the does stand still and the bucks breed them

Yes, the data I looked at was "Average Conception Date". They studied and reported 5-7ish locations in Dallas County (several different years). Most does conceived in that two week time frame I mentioned.

Take a look at the map for rutting activity on Outdoor Alabama site. That specific area of Dallas County is slightly different on dates. Not by much but it does show different. That is the only time I have ever hunted Dallas County and it was perfect timing for Feb 2-5 after a cold front had moved in and settled.