Is it possible to see whitetail rutting behavior in turkey season?
QUESTION: While turkey hunting in Florida last spring, I witnessed an antlered buck chasing a doe just like they do in the rut. When I mentioned it to my outfitter, he didn’t think it was all that unusual and said the deer rut at different times down there. How is this possible?
ANSWER:Several factors influence timing of the rut, not the least of which is selective pressure associated with survival, which is why the rut tends to be more synchronized and consistent in northern latitudes.
Peak breeding occurs during a time that offers optimal chances of survival for fawns born the following year. If they’re born too early, there isn’t enough food for does nursing their fawns and later for weaned fawns. If they’re born too late, they haven’t achieved sufficient growth to survive their first winter.
Southern deer are less influenced by these selective pressures and, thus, can accommodate a wider window. This is particularly true of sub-tropical areas like Florida, where there may be sufficient nutrition available almost year round. Daylight also influences rutting behavior by triggering physiological changes. Changes in day length are more subtle and less extreme in the South, and this likely has an effect as well.
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