| The Rut |
| Alabama January 10-15 Nebraska November 10 Arkansas Novenber 20 New Hampshire Nov 10-20 Colorado Early November New Jersey mid November Connecticut November 16-22 New York November 10-25 Delaware Mid November N. Carolina Late Oct to early Nov Georgia November 15-25 N. Dakota November 4-6 Idaho November 15 Ohio November 3-16 Illinois November 5-15 Oklahoma mid November Indiana mid November Pennsylvania mid November Iowa November 10 Rhode Island mid to late Nov Kansas November 14-20 S. Carolina late Oct to mid Nov Louisiana mid Dec to Early Jan S. Dakota November 15 Maine November 12-20 Tennessee mid to late November Maryland November 1-15 Texas December 15-20 Massachusetts November 1-10 Virginia November 10 Michigan November 16-20 Vermont mid November Minnesota Early to mid Nov Washington mid November Mississiooi November 15 Wisconsin early November Missouri mid November Wyoming mid November Montana November 15 Rut date may vary from one region to another in any state due to weather and buck:doe ratio. These factors can delay or accelerate the breeding season. Weather patterns can change rut. Less deer will be seen during the day with heavy rain, snow or high winds. Warm weather will shut the rut down. A buck's winter coat prevents him from being active when the temperature goes over 55 degrees. With warm weather and a hunter's moon the buck become nocturnal. Hunting pressure can alter the rutting season. Whitetails quickly alter their behavioral patterns to the darkness when it is quieter and less threatening. Looking for food sources will change the rutting patter as well. The deer will move from one area to another in search of food. Deer switch food sources quite often. |