Deer species rut time !

[Arctic Lake]

This is a subject that gets beat to death but ....... Jelvis has stared a thread concerning rut times in Kamloops for moose and deer which I have replied to but I know there are some very educated hunters on this site, so if some could answer a few questions and either verify what I think, or shed new light on the subject it would be appreciated by myself and others I'm sure .

#1 The only constant in nature that would trigger the rut is daylight hours . Weather changes throughout different years in fall, so the rut surely can't be based on that . Yes colder weather may make the animals move around more . Right ?


#2 If the daylight factor is key then it would suggest that the farther North you are in the province the earlier the rut would start as opposed to how far South you are . Right ?



#3 Do Moose , Mule Deer, White Tails, and Elk all respond this way ? If not please explain .
Also what about Caribou ! What about Goats and Sheep ?
Thanks
Arctic Lake

[Liveforthehunt]

Just from personal experience to answer #2 with elk and moose I would say they tend to fire up a week earlier than down south here. That's just from years of seeing it first hand. I'm no biologist and completely open to any opinions or different experiences ?

[Bugle M In]

Talking to another member privately recently.
When it comes to Elk, there seems to be a week or 2 difference between the cycles.
Earlier, like mid/late September, up north/East.
Way down south/west, it tends to hit later, being early October.

They say it has to do with the "fall equinox" and light etc.
To actually say when the "high point" is, is impossible to say.
I have seen MD at full rut (you can walk right thru the group of deer, and no one really cares)
Lots of action, and then, boom, it's over.
But leading up to the high point or between cycles is what we tend to hunt.
When Bucks/bulls are little more interested in females, and less interested in what else is around them.

I have seen Moose in the EK, already into their "rutting activity" and tailing cows the last week of September,
lots of times!!
They say the rut is October (which is maybe better put as "Breeding").
But the rutting activity starts sooner.

Pretty much with any Ungulate.

Look at Elk in the Parks come late August.
Easy to say the "rut has already started"
Breeding when a cow/doe goes into heat is another story!!??????
The rut is really the male "waiting" and "challenging" other males to breed with the female when she goes into heat.

So really, the rut is one thing, and the high point, is when they go into heat....imo.

[Piperdown]

Rule #1 put Jelvis on your ignore list then things get better

[Arctic Lake]

Thanks for your input fellas ! It really is something .
Arctic Lake

[tomahawk]

Artic Lake ….. your right the rut is triggered by the light/darkness of the days and is constant year after year. MoE Biologist at the time Ken C from PG did study's in the 80's and we were hearing moose calling in august on Tabor Mtn. He was the most knowledgeable moose person I ever met and he said that young bulls came into rut activity early and lasted longer and usually considered them excited for about 2 months. However the breeding mature bulls cycle was about half that but was way more intense with the last week of sept and first week of oct being peak time. You will always get bulls mature and young showing rut signs well before and well after but the majority of cows are bred close to or during that 2 week stretch as the cow comes into ovulation. If she isn't bred she will come into heat weeks later and could be bred at that time. Ken was and still is an amazing animal specialist and im in awe of his knowledge time after time.

[Arctic Lake]

Artic Lake ….. your right the rut is triggered by the light/darkness of the days and is constant year after year. MoE Biologist at the time Ken C from PG did study's in the 80's and we were hearing moose calling in august on Tabor Mtn. He was the most knowledgeable moose person I ever met and he said that young bulls came into rut activity early and lasted longer and usually considered them excited for about 2 months. However the breeding mature bulls cycle was about half that but was way more intense with the last week of sept and first week of oct being peak time. You will always get bulls mature and young showing rut signs well before and well after but the majority of cows are bred close to or during that 2 week stretch as the cow comes into ovulation. If she isn't bred she will come into heat weeks later and could be bred at that time. Ken was and still is an amazing animal specialist and im in awe of his knowledge time after time.

Tomahawk Thanks for your reply all good information !
Arctic Lake