Busting a Few Common Myths About the Deer Rut

You’ll come across various articles over the course of the year discussing how to determine the exact timing of the deer rut. This annual article phenomenon is often based on the Earth’s orientation to the moon’s position and phase in your area.

Well, if you believe in the moon theory, best of luck to you this year. Perhaps gazing at the moon during the hunting season and rut will work for you. I, however, believe that boots-on-the-ground experience is the best way to successfully hunt deer, regardless of what’s happening in the sky.

From the perspective of a deer biologist, there is absolutely no correlation between the moon and the timing of the deer rut. Millions of data points from radio-collared deer, collected across many peer-reviewed research studies, provide concrete evidence for this. If you feel I don’t want to waste any more time discussing moon-related theories, you are correct.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the topic, there are two main arguments about determining the timing of the rut. Biologists typically consider the photoperiod, specifically the decreasing number of daylight hours, while moon theorists often present pictures of deer with large antlers to support their claims. While it’s hard to argue with the latter’s success, many times these moon theory proponents are motivated by financial gain or the desire to secure sponsorships for their hunting careers.

Hunting success can take various forms. If you’re aiming to fill your buck tag during the rut, I’d recommend avoiding further moon theory articles and simply hunting whenever you can.

Don’t Forget the Does

This is also the time of year when many biologists remind hunters to ensure they harvest enough antlerless deer in relation to their habitat. When biologists observe non-desirable plant species already being eaten in the field, it doesn’t take a genius to determine whitetails in the area are under nutritional stress.

From the first day of the archery season until the end, hunters should focus on harvesting antlerless deer. While this may not apply to all areas across the deer’s range, it’s very important to harvest more antlerless deer. I always like to award the prestigious DKM award to the hunter who harvests the most antlerless deer — DKM stands for “Deer Killin’ Machine.”

Many hunters stop harvesting does during the rut to avoid impacting their chances at a big buck. However, reducing the buck-to-doe ratio makes bucks in the area search harder to find any does in estrus. If a doe presents an ethical shot opportunity during the rut, or at any time throughout the season, it is highly recommended you take the shot.

Harvesting antlerless deer not only helps the rut in the area and assists in regulating the deer population; it also benefits the habitat. Research has shown that the average 100-pound deer consumes close to three quarters of a ton of dry-weight vegetation per year. Hunters can increase fawn production for the following year by harvesting more antlerless deer, particularly since whitetails need food the most in late winter and early spring. In short, fewer healthy does can and will produce more fawns that will survive until the next hunting season.

I’ll be the first to tell you that when a biologist doesn’t know something, we generally say, “It’s genetics.” In other words, we don’t know the answer. Yet, almost invariably the person who asks the question will simply shake their head in agreement to whatever we may be discussing.

Many of the genetic questions we have about deer populations are slowly starting to be answered. Although mature bucks will dominate the breeding in many well-managed herds, yearling bucks such as spikes can and do breed many estrous does. It is known that about 25 percent of all twin fawns will be sired by two different bucks, and one doe that dropped triplets was sired by three different bucks. Go figure!

Bucks and Genetics

Have you ever heard a hunter on TV say he just did the herd a favor by tipping over a small-antlered buck that would never amount to anything? Well, neither he or anyone else knows what kind of genetic matchup can be produced from free-ranging deer.

The TV hunter is apologizing for the wrong reason. Instead of giving excuses for taking a smaller-racked buck, he should be more than delighted on tipping over a mature buck. This is assuming he knows how to age deer on the hoof or from the wear and tear on their teeth.

Research has shown that antler traits from one generation to the next are only 36 percent heritable, meaning that managing free-ranging deer genetics is not doable. Additionally, “cull bucks” can produce offspring with exceptional antler traits, since the next generation’s antler quality is influenced by both the buck and the doe. Without getting complicated, a small-antlered cull buck teamed up with the right doe can drop mega-antlered offspring! We simply have no way of pairing the right buck with the right doe.

Of course, the genetic makeup of any harvested buck might still contribute to the herd through breeding before it is harvested. That’s because the buck you just tipped over may have bred three times before you killed him. Additionally, his genetics may still be in the area from last year or the previous years. This unknown component of inheritance in a free-ranging herd confirms you simply can’t manage genetics.

The mixing of deer gene pools in a herd is common due to bucks and does dispersing miles from their maternal home range and not returning. Just re- cently, biologists have recorded excursions in bucks and does. These mini-vacations may only last a few days and occur throughout the year. Many times, these deer will travel well outside their core home range and then return. Some biologists think these deer may be visiting their maternal home range. Who knows? This is one reason why you just might see a buck you never knew existed.

C.J.’s Summary

The rut is a special time of year for all bowhunters, but don’t forget to turn your archery “blood type” over to “doe positive,” since increasing your antlerless deer harvest has many benefits to the herd, including increasing the total poundage of preferred deer foods on the landscape and making the rut even more intense. If you want bigger antlers, the key is tipping over enough does while providing the herd with adequate food resources. This may be accomplished through supplemental feeding, food plots or improving the existing natural vegetation.

If you think you did the herd a favor by knocking down a “cull buck,” I’d argue it’s the same as paying your federal taxes and believing you have helped lower the federal debt. The truth is, you can’t look at a buck and guess what type of antler characteristics his offspring will exhibit. It’s also important to avoid shooting those 6-month-old button bucks. However, if button bucks make up less than 10 percent of the total deer harvest, you won’t have any problems.

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