Texas Hunting Forum

The drip rut and who's right

Posted By: Texas Dan

The drip rut and who's right - 10/22/17 02:43 PM

The current issue of Deer and Deer Hunting includes a good article on strategies for hunting southern bucks. The author mentions the term "drip rut" to describe what I believe many southern hunters call the second or even third rut. The author describes it as rutting activity that happens later in the season as doe not bred during the first or initial rut come back into estrus about 28 days after not being serviced during their brief, 24 hour breeding period. The author also notes how these secondary rutting periods occur when buck/doe ratios are out of whack.

IMO, the author's observations are the same as my own, meaning that buck/doe ratios are commonly out of whack in many areas of East Texas where I rountinely see chasing and breeding activity late in the season. Still, most biologists will tell you that second ruts are only a myth because very few doe are not bred during the initial rut. It's as if they're saying buck/doe ratios are out of whack, but not so much that many doe are missed during the initial rut.
Posted By: S.A. hunter

Re: The drip rut and who's right - 10/22/17 02:46 PM

up
I buy that.
Posted By: Stub

Re: The drip rut and who's right - 10/22/17 02:51 PM

I believe in a second rut, we have a lot more does than bucks so not all are bred first round so first 10 days of December it seems like the chase is on again up
Posted By: Erathkid

Re: The drip rut and who's right - 10/22/17 03:13 PM

I think the term drip and trickle rut are one and the same. To me, it seems to barely trudge along without the madness of a full blown hooskow.
Posted By: Erathkid

Re: The drip rut and who's right - 10/22/17 03:15 PM

Warm weather and full moon phase usually dictate wether or not there'll be a 'trickle rut' Also the shape the deer are in.
Posted By: BDB

Re: The drip rut and who's right - 10/22/17 06:57 PM

Seems simple to me. They have documented proof in wild herds that some does will calf about 1 month later than most other does. Gestation period is not up for argument...they all have the same gestation period. So its a fact ...there is a 2nd and very rare third 'rut'
Posted By: Pitchfork Predator

Re: The drip rut and who's right - 10/23/17 02:22 AM

You would see all fawns with spots on them at the same time of year if there was only one rut. Not the case every where I've hunted,
Posted By: tShawnB

Re: The drip rut and who's right - 10/23/17 01:34 PM

I hunt in the rolling plains region and have good ratios of bucks to does but it's been a long time since I've seen a hard, full on rut. Our rut activity is pretty steady, though not crazy, from about the first week before Thanksgiving to the second week of December. Sometimes if you hit the weather, moon phase, etc... just right you might have day that's more active than others, but for that 4 week period you just hunt daylight to dark as much as possible and you see bucks seeking and chasing at some point just about every day.
Posted By: BenBob

Re: The drip rut and who's right - 10/23/17 02:09 PM

Some doe fawns that are born early/late whichever it would be can also contribute to a trickle rut. Some biologists/hunters may not agree with it, but there is some reason for bucks to be chasing after does 28 days or so after the initial rut. Lots of times the trickle rut is more productive because the big bucks are willing to be out and about looking for that one last doe to come into heat. Bucks do a lot of traveling looking for that first doe in heat and the last doe in heat.
Posted By: Texas Dan

Re: The drip rut and who's right - 10/23/17 02:12 PM

Originally Posted By: BenBob
Bucks do a lot of traveling looking for that first doe in heat and the last doe in heat.


Very well put BenBob.
Posted By: Trophytaker3

Re: The drip rut and who's right - 10/23/17 02:14 PM

Usually here in east Montgomery county, we see about 2 bucks chasing 1 doe, which i guess may be normal?
Posted By: Jimbo

Re: The drip rut and who's right - 10/23/17 07:42 PM

The second rut isn't a myth, and if you observe the fawns where you notice some still have spots the first of bow season or at times the first of November.
We had several fawns last year that fit that description.
Those same fawns probably will be late breeders as well just due to age differences, but that's just my theory.
As long as there are bucks, and does coming in there will be bucks in rut.
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