As hunters prepare to head to the field this weekend for the opening of Texas’ general deer hunting season, white-tailed deer in the central part of the state have already begun their rutting activity. Cooler weather combined with the last week in October is a recipe to kick off the deer breeding season in the Hill Country and, yes, bucks are already chasing does!

As a matter of fact, I received a report from Coryell County late last week that several bucks were following does closely. In addition to decreasing photoperiod, the cold front that rolled through the central Texas on Sunday night really put the bucks on the move, so we know does are cycling into estrous. A number of biological and behavioural changes are dependent on photoperiod, but cooler weather always seems to put bucks on the move.

Over the last week, I’ve seen several white-tailed bucks that were road-killed — a sure sign that bucks are not thinking straight. Then Monday morning, I spotted two different bucks chasing does in Burnet County where I typically do not see deer. If you are planning on heading to the field this week to bag your buck be prepared to see some rutting activity and stay a little longer – because rutting deer can move anytime. But if you don’t bag your buck during the early rut this weekend, don’t worry. The rut peaks on the eastern part of the Hill Country around November 10 and the central and western parts near November 30.      

I’ve discussed buck to doe ratio more than once, but today we are going to talk about how buck to doe ratios impact subsequent fawning dates and recruitment of fawns into your white-tailed deer herd. Many factors can impact rutting or breeding activity, but most of the breeding takes place over a relatively short time in healthy deer herds. Timing, of course, depends on latitude, local conditions, and a host of other factors, but year-in and year-out most of the rut takes place more or less over the same time each year in a given area. Though often overlooked, buck to doe ratio should be an important deer management consideration on your ranch. 

In the previous sentences, I was talking about a “healthy” deer herd and said “most” of the breeding takes place at the same time, but what exactly does that mean. Well, a healthy deer herd would be one that is at carrying capacity for the habitat, has a buck to doe ratio of no fewer than 1 buck per 3 does, and all animals are in good body condition. With that said, most of the breeding would happen over the course of a 10-day period or less. (more…)

If you’re like most deer hunters, you spend the majority of your time in the woods during the fall and winter of each year. However, the habitat that deer live in, just like the animals themselves, are found there year-round — so get out and explore it, learn more about it, and find some shed antlers!

With spring just around the corner and whitetail bucks starting to shed antlers, there is a good opportunity to learn more about your hunting area and the deer that live there. Most hunters get excited when bucks start growing their antlers each year — it’s a chance to witness the impact of past management and look forward to future harvests. It really is something to get pumped up about. (more…)

White-tailed doe fawns can become capable of breeding at six to seven months of age and approximately 70-pounds, but this varies a bit depending upon latitude and individual body condition. In northern states, whitetail fawns may achieve adequate size, but because of their bodies need for energy for survival, reproductive development will be delayed.

In addition, shorter days and cooler temperatures provide environmental cues that limit both sexual maturity and the breeding season in does. In southern parts of the United States, doe fawns can achieve puberty toward the end of the rut (January and early February) and be bred during that period. Often times, big whitetail bucks observed chasing doe fawns that have come into estrus are blamed for the “late rut.” (more…)

South Texas has the latest rut in the state, which is not suprising considering it’s at the lowest latitude and it takes until late fall to get the mercury dropping down there. Breeding (conception) dates for white-tailed deer ranged from November 9 to February 1 during the three years of a breeding/rutting study.

In the eastern part of South Texas the peak breeding date was December 16, while in the west it was a little later, December 24. The pregnancy rate of does was 95 percent and there was an average of 1.5 fetuses for each sampled doe. The majority (90%) of the fawns are born by July 19 in the eastern area and by July 25 in the western area.

If you plan on hunting the rut in the Edward’s Plateau, better known as the Texas Hill Country, you need to know that research has found conception dates for this region ranged from as early as October 9 to a late date of January 30, meaning hunters may see what is called the early and late rut. The Edwards Plateau, home to Texas’ highest deer production ecoregion, was divided into three areas for the breeding study – east, central, and west.

The eastern part had a peak breeding date of November 7, the central portion was November 24, and the western area had a peak date of December 5. On average, 90 percent of the does were bred and the average number of fetuses found was 1.3 per doe. These breeding/rutting dates meant the majority (90%) of the fawns are born by June 14 in the eastern area, June 26 in the central area, and by July 13 in the western area.

If you hunt in north-central Texas and want to hunt the rut, research on white-tailed deer in this ecoregion has shown conception dates in the Cross Timbers and Prairies were as early as October 13 and extended to December 17. Thus, mid to late season bowhunters literally get the first shot as rutting bucks, but whitetails in the region continue rutting almost up until Christmas.

In the northern portion of the region the average breeding date was November 15 and the average breeding date in the southern part was November 17. Biologists recorded an average of 1.7 fetuses per doe and 95 percent of the females had been successfully bred.

The majority (90%) of the fawns are born by June 15 in the northern area and by June 20 in the southern area.

What about the early and late ruts? Hunters often talk about the rut being early or late. In much of Texas at least, the breeding season for white-tailed deer is fairly predictable each year. Within a specific area, habitat conditions not only affect fawn survival, but can affect the timing of breeding as well. For example, a doe in poor condition (not enough deer food)or a young doe may not breed until late in the season. In addition, a doe may be attractive to bucks for about five days, but may be willing to breed for a period of only 24 hours. If the doe is not bred during her first cycle, she will generally come into heat again about 28 days later.

In areas where there are a low number of bucks compared to does, a doe may not encounter a buck when she is first receptive and may not be bred until one of her later cycles. A hunter who sees the late breeding activity may be convinced that there was a late rut. On the other hand, those who see does attended by bucks in the early part of the season believe there was an early rut. This biological reasoning helps explain the wide variety of opinions on the timing of the rut during a particular year. (more…)