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Just One Week
By Bob Humphrey
There’s no specific best time to take vacation during a long gun season.
QUESTION: Our state has a month-long gun season in November. I’m planning on using a week of vacation time for this upcoming deer season but I’m wondering which would be the best week to take. How can I decide?
ANSWER: Rather than provide a direct answer, I’ll offer a few generalities and let you make the choice.
The first week, especially the first few days of any firearms season offer the advantage of relatively undisturbed deer. With every passing day there are fewer deer, and research has shown those that remain quickly learn to avoid hunters by moving less during daylight and more in thick cover. Obviously, this applies more in more populated areas. If you hunt the big woods it may be less of a factor, and relatively milder temperatures might actually suppress daytime deer movement.
Reams of research has shown that peak rut occurs at roughly the same time every year. It can vary by location, but in northern latitudes it generally occurs around mid-November. This is when the majority of adult does go into estrus, and therefore, more bucks will be on their feet and moving during daylight.
There seems to be something of an age progression in terms of how bucks approach the rut. Young, naive yearlings are often on their feet and active early on. Middle-aged bucks soon follow. Older, more experienced bucks seem to bide their time, wait for peak rut and then begin expending energy. As the rut winds down they’re still in peak seeking mode, so the week after peak rut might offer a better chance at an older buck.
When the rut is over, the gas tank is empty and everyone is hungry. That means deer will be eager to visit concentrated food sources, possibly making them more vulnerable. Each week has its pros and cons so it becomes more of an individual choice. But as a friend of mine once said: “The best day to be in the woods is when the season is open.”