Early rut this year?

The peak is the peak and doesn't change but...Some small percentage, 10% give or take, of does breed in Mid to late October. I have very little reason to doubt that the doe I saw with a buck the other day was one of them. Both were exhibiting classic tending behavior.

From a Pennsylvania study of conception data, the 1st one that popped up. Ozoga has plenty of Michigan specific data that says more or less the same thing. Turtle lake does something similar too if I'm not mistaken.

By far, the most popular question in the fall is "When is the rut in Pennsylvania?" To answer that question, the Game Commission collected breeding date information from road-killed does in the spring from 2000-2007. Fetus length from these unlucky does was measured. From these data, we can determine the age of the fetus. Since the gestation period of deer is about 200 days, knowing the age of the fetus allows us to estimate when conception took place.


Over 6,000 does were examined over this period. What did those unlucky does tell us? Nine out of 10 does were bred from mid-October to mid-December. And the peak of the rut occurred in mid-November.



https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/WildlifeSpecies/White-tailedDeer/Pages/Whenistherut.aspx

 

Yep, just like a doe fawn. 6 months, good to go.

 

I would say early pre-rut for sure.
Does going into estrus have nothing to do with the weather but with the shortening of daylight hours.

 

I think Don said there may be a very small amount in October in the wild. In fact, it was just about the second sentence. Just very little, in his opinion.
BTW, I just post things like this for the content added to thread. I don't pretend to know if someone who raised deer for 25 years knows anything about them.

 

I'm supporting your post not challenging it.

#needsahug

 

Quoted you, but not really meant for you. No hugs required.

 

My grandson and I watched a 3 or 4 year old last night do everything a one year old is doing. What a treat that was. This morning at 10:30 we watched a nice 3 year old eight easing across my crp field just south of the house.

They are up on their feet a few days earlier than normal which is good for us to catch one looking for his first smelly date of the year . Actual breeding to me is still a good week away.
This time of year there is no place I'd rather be. So get out there and enjoy.
Best of luck and pick a spot.

 

I know someone that raised deer for many years. He said he had a doe that was bred in September every year.

 

Does he wipe the milk off his chin first?

 

I've seen bbs try nearly every year. Why would anybody be surprised if one occasionally succeeded?
Wow, September is early. Did he keep her in a dark closet to control her pineal gland?

 

Steers try too.

 

Apparently, sexual maturity among buck fawns is a function of body weight and age. For male fawns to become fertile when 6 to 8 months old, they must be born early — during late May or early June — enjoy a high level of nutrition and weigh 90 pounds or more by December.Apr 13, 2017
DeerandDeerHunting.com › precoci...
Advanced Fawns Typically Become Superior Adults - Deer & Deer ...

 

So, it can happen....I believe Don mentioned the weight thing in the video but referring to doe fawns. Did you find anything about what would cause a doe to come into heat every year in September? Seems even more rare then a fertile button buck.

 

https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/oct-breeding.424080/

 

Based on this info an outlier in September is plausible


http://www.ansci.wisc.edu/jjp1/ansc...9/thur/Deer Seasonality/Deer Seasonality.html