I would agree that on my family land in 40 years it has always pivoted around Jan 17-18. Never more than a day or 2 according to what I see and when fawns are born. But we as hunters see 3 different bucks behind 3 different does on Jan 10 in 1 season will not say I got lucky today but will say the breeding was earlier this year. Let me add, in 40 years we've been through several swings in population and the breeding stayed the same.

I'm the odd man out. I care nothing about rubs and scrapes. I'll look at them in Feb or Mar if I'm questioning an area. If I find them I've intruded too much for me. I been burned too many times with them. Give me the does. Does, does, does. But that is just me.

Just because 2YO are chasing doesn't mean peak breeding is happening. Chasing ain't breeding. The mature bucks and mature does will tell you when they are breeding. Watch when the 4YO studs start moving and getting shot. Take note of when most of your fawns hit the ground next summer, I'll bet $ it's just bout like always.

The peak breeding period where I have hunted in Jackson Co. has been right around Jan 1 ever since I knew what a rut was.

Yep.

NORTH EAST MADISON COUNTY: yearling - 2 year olds are tailing doe as well as making rub and scrape lines. Few doe are showing signs of cycling at the moment. As history has shown in my neck of the woods, pre rut should have begun rough a week ago and should last for another two weeks. Mature bucks should not show any interest in scraping or chasing until the last few days of the 3rd week unless a weather front turns them on early. At that point, roughly the second week of January, the rut will be wide open through the first week of February.

Y'all must be looking at DATA. The data tells me we should only kill 8 year old spikes on the second Tuesday of each month

Without a doubt. Has never changed in my hunting life. A buck I think is questionable chasing a doe gets a pass. A buck walking behind a doe and is questionable very well could get no older. Just what I've seen the older bucks don't really harass the does until the doe is close. Then he gets behind her and just walks. But will go anywhere she does. Now, I'm not saying I've never seen an old buck chase a doe. Even some old men still have a little get up and go in them.

Not doubting you bc we have very isolated pockets of deer that vary a bit .Ider was on fire a week ago .PLesant view 4 way south like section, dutton , sylvania , Macedonia ,fyffe and the likes very few 4yo+ deer are hitting the ground .l have seen lots of dinks and a few two year old 8s harassing does last week and a half . I looked in the cooler at the processor 2 decent deer and about 25 spikes ... Shooting spikes and 4 points doesn't mean the rut is happening

I'm not going to question the lock down phase or not a lock down phase for Alabama. I don't hunt it enough. In Virginia with low deer density, there is a lock down phase. The dominant buck has all the doe around him or vice versa. That dominant buck has already established himself as the boss causing the other bucks to go crazy. Yes, you can take that dominant buck during this period, all of them have to eat and drink, it just makes it harder. It's abit easier in the searching/chasing phase. Yes it is different in Alabama especially with higher deer densities. Heck, it's different from county to county when the breeding occurs. I have been coming to Alabama for 35 years on and off, early and late to the same area, and there is a difference. Yes, other factors do play a role, but I have seen periods of low activity based on observations and word of mouth during this period of breeding.

Harvest/Toney area?

Lefthorn, In Windham Springs it was like a light switch went on today. Between 9:30 and 12:30 I saw four bucks. One hanging with a doe, two cruising, and one chasing hard. Up until today I thought our deer had vanished.

My bullock county place is gonna be wide open in the next week or so

They are up and moving now. I tracked a buck last night for a guy on Sand Mtn that shot one of the 6 bucks that chased a doe by him. Tracked another one this morning on the North end of the mtn that was chasing last night.

Lamar/Marion/parts of Fayette should be wide open right now and according to reports it is. I just ain't seeing any of it where I been.

Absolutely no rut in Mobile county lol

Question related to rut, we had 3 spotted fawns on camera November 8 this year. What was the most likely date of those does being bred?

Yeah been going good since first week of December

Still dead in chilton which is weird for this week of the year.

My part of Lamar(Kennedy) really isn’t in the peak rut. I watched a meandering 8 point that looked to be in the seeking phase. We saw a total of six does today and one racked buck. Not in the same time frame or general vicinity. The buck today had his nose to the ground but not in any hurry. Non of the does were stressed nor did they have the appearance (tucked tail, distressed demeanor) that they were in heat and have come in contact with a buck ready to breed.

Dallas County. Nothing. Same ole routine.

Heck. Bucks still running together.