Buckmasters Magazine

Fawns that mature and breed later in the rut make finding bucks a little easier.

There has been much debate over whether there is a secondary whitetail rut. Some say it exists while others say it’s a hunting myth. It makes you wonder about all the articles you’ve read about how to take advantage of late breeding activity.

Biologist Dr. Grant Woods knows about the rut and how to maximize hunting opportunities. Woods has studied deer extensively, and he’s known for tackling difficult topics. Woods says we really don’t have to debate the rut anymore.

“Tens of thousands of data points tell us all about the rut and when it takes place,” he said. “We don’t have to guess. There isn’t a secondary rut, at least the way some folks think.”

He explained that while there is a secondary spike in breeding, it’s not accurate to think of the rut as something that stops and starts throughout the breeding season.

“The rut is a big bell-shaped curve,” he said. “The shape of that curve depends on the adult sex ratio and age class of the deer herd in the area. It isn’t the exact same everywhere, but the curve is either a really long drawn out curve or a really tall peak and a secondary bump that is thought of by some as a second rut.”

Woods said that second bump is caused by female fawns that become receptive later in deer season.

According to him and studies on the subject, that secondary bump is dictated by fawns hitting a certain body weight.

“In the South, does are a little lighter when they mature,” he said. “In the Midwest and North, they are a little heavier, but the rule of thumb is when a doe gets between 65 and 70 pounds, she has her first estrus cycle.

“In many parts of the country, that happens around the beginning of January,” he added. “Elsewhere, it can be later in January or even February. When it happens, if the bucks still have hard antlers, they will chase those does and breed them. That’s the flurry of activity people see that makes them think there is a second rut.”

As visible as that late activity can be, Woods said it makes up a very small percentage of breeding activity. Research indicates the majority of breeding takes place in November, regardless of weather, temperature or moon phase.

“Fawns are born at the same time every year,” he said. That wouldn’t be the case if breeding was affected by unpredictable influences.

“If it is warm during November, bucks are still going to breed does,” Woods continued. “It happens more at night when it’s cooler, but it happens just the same. If it is really cold and deer are moving during daylight hours, we see more rut activity, but at the end of the day we have one rut.”

So what does that mean for hunters who still have a tag to fill late in the season?

“If you have a tag in your pocket in late December, you shouldn’t give up, but you need to hunt differently,” Woods advised. “The latter part of the rut is different from the early rut.”

Woods’ favorite time to hunt is late in the year because young does that are being bred are fairly easy to pattern, which makes finding bucks easier, too.

He said the does bred late in the rut are either youngsters coming into estrus for the first time or those that didn’t get pregnant during peak breeding.

During the chase phase of the rut, it seems there are bucks everywhere hot on the trail of fleeing does. Those does have forced their fawns to fend for themselves and often abandon the places they typically live.

As a result, patterning a doe can be nearly impossible, which means bucks that pursue those does are impossible to pattern, too.

Female fawns, on the other hand, maintain a fairly consistent pattern, even when they reach the proper weight and become ready to breed. That’s why Woods likes hunting the late rut.

“When a fawn hits puberty, which typically happens during the late season, she doesn’t really know what is going on,” he said. “She goes about life as usual. Whatever late season food source she typically feeds on, she still goes there to eat. In contrast to older, mature does, she doesn’t do anything different. The young doe just marches out into the open, and a buck looking for a hot doe can’t help himself.”

Woods’ favorite tactic is to find a food source where lots of fawns are feeding.

“It is a tremendous technique to use when trying to locate and kill a buck late in the season,” he said. “I just sit and wait for a buck to show up. I have harvested several bucks this way, and I’ve filmed several bucks being taken in such areas. The wonderful thing about this type of hunting is all it requires is a good food source and a lot of patience.”

Another benefit to patterning doe fawns is they often come to dinner early.

“A mature doe that is in heat often sneaks around and walks into a food plot late in the day or after dark,” Woods said. “A young doe will typically feed earlier in the day. As a result, being in the stand in early afternoon is important. When young does come out early, so do the bucks.”

Life is hectic, and we all struggle to find enough hunting time. That is what is so great about late rut activity. It lasts awhile, which provides plenty of opportunity to get to the woods and fill a tag.

Call it the second rut or the late rut, but one thing is certain: We should all be sitting near a food source when it happens.

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