With the talk this weekend of bucks in some counties chasing hard and not much chasing being seen in other counties, what do we think are some of the main drivers/suppressors of mature bucks in terms of rutting from county to county and sometimes within the same county?

hunter perception maybe? Some go out only a few times, then show for opening day, see nothing and say "nope, no rut here" IDK

Could be, but conversely some may see a couple of smaller bucks hinting around and thinking the rut is in full effect too. Was more thinking of objective drivers like, food source, deer density, hunting pressure, lack of receptive does, etc.

Day length/photoperiod is part of it, climate is part of it, region in the state is part of and where the deer in your region orginated(re-stocking program moving deer around from other areas) in the state from are part of it IMO. I was on a ranch in north part of Kendall County where the rut would start every year in mid October (with some doe being bred before that) and in La Salle County where I could shoot does the first week of January and not find to many of them bred. Both ranches had good nutrition, great age structure and tight buck to doe ratios.

True, but can we call it "rut on" if we see a couple of bigger bucks chasin? I have only seen small bucks chasing, but they are all I have seen so far. I have seen active scrapes for a week or so. (actively pee'd in and worked over)

I have always heard it is more what STX said, Light changes mostly as the pusher.

I think people jump the gun big time on when the rut really is. I know there might be a few doe's come in early, but when I see a 4 point chasing a doe, I don't think I'm going to say the rut is on. If the rut was on that 4 point would be getting is rear kicked and still seeing to many doe's by themselves still.

Agree for sure, rut in full effect for me is when a younger buck is constantly looking over his back for that mature buck while doe are around and things are frisky.

I definitely think it comes early in the hill country, sometimes before rifle season. When I see 3 bucks chasing does driving in, as I did yesterday afternoon, and they each stand there like idiots, wanting to know why I'm interrupting, the rut is on. Agreed, younger dudes with less green are always going to try a little too hard. But not necessarily earlier.

time spent wondering about the woods tis best method

The theory that makes the most sense in my opinion is that deer rut earlier as you move north so that fawns are born earlier in the spring. By being born earlier than fawns born in warmer climates, they have more time to grow and reach a size that allows them to survive the following winter.

But I have never read a report from anyone that explains why this theory doesn't hold up for deer in very similar climates. For example, the deer in East Central Mississippi where I spent much of my youth, rut in late December and early January. And yet, the deer in East Texas, which is much like East Central Mississippi both in terrain and climate, rut in late October and early November.

So then, while there has been longstanding agreement that decreasing levels of daylight is what triggers the rut, no one seems to know why deer trigger differently from one region to the next.

Define HC? I watched 6 bucks at and over 4.5 this weekend and all could care less about does.

I was in mason county on the edge of llano and the rut is not on. In fact it doesn't get full swing there until thanksgiving.

That is because all 6 were "stags".

just like a bunch of studs at a stag party. talken about how much doe they got

Shoulda been a stag from the looks of him

PEW PEW PEW

Lol.. Ya he was about to get a bullet, changed my mind. I'll get a kid to shoot him. He has a decent frame.

Funny I've been watching a 18" wide seven for past three years. He basically a feeder pet. Last year he might of grown an inch total. This year I bet he is 21" wide. He just got a pass another year.

I had my target 6pt come out but sun and steam made it a no go. Got a pic but had to put camera in top off the blind.



Got some other pics of decent mature 8pts and young ten. Did find my target trophy....

I put out some trails end and had 3 young bucks come in to it Saturday morning. Only one of them cam in running with his head down and tongue hanging out. The others just cruised through. That afternoon I had one come charging in and 1 just ease on by. Sunday morning nothing. Sunday afternoon about 2 we were headed out and saw a buck standing in the field. The doe jumped up and the buck was running her in circles and would not let up. He a was a younger 8 point. Ruts getting close but I don't think it's in full swing. We saw chasing in early october but not like this. I say in two weeks they will be running all over my place. That's when the more mature bucks were chasing last year.

If you were only shooting spikes then this would not happen....

Great question, in Bandera County (near Medina, Tx) weekend buddy had a young buck chasing doe all morning. Same morning across the ranch I had a group of three bucks two very young and one 3 y/o and they were just calm eating corn. The two younger guys sparred a bit but no chasing, couldn't have cared less.

When I hunted in South Eastern Bandera County south of Pipe Creek the rut was always full blown opening weekend. It started the last week of October the 3 yrs I hunted there.

Shoot a spike or let kids have chance at some decent horn size.....top end studs will always be there

Here is a fun one for you I actually let that 6pt go last year as 3.5 year old. I was curious how big he would get

We will have to keep an eye out STX, normally it's been week before or of Thanksgiving. We did see more doe this weekend than we have ever seen maybe that's got something to do with the buck chasing. Getting a jump on the other guys.