Hi everyone. I'm a long time reader/viewer of the site just never have pulled the trigger on creating an account.

How does this map line up with your area? Last year I killed a 8 pt on Nov. 5th or 6th and a 9 pt on Dec 1. I had a wide range of young and matire bucks from late Oct until mid Jan on camera daily/weekly so it was hard to pinpoint when it was the peak rut for me. This season is different ive many deer on camera since the summer but not as many mature bucks. Also not may local kills ive heard of and almost no one around me has been shooting (morning or evening) until the last two days? I'm excited now as it's been slow with only seeing does since opening day of bow season when my oldest son got his 1st deer (small buck..but I was excited more than if I had killed a big deer)


2023 Rut Map

It’s off for half of chilton cnty. It says Jan 9-24 but rut is actually dec 25- Jan 8 timeframe.

Yes the date on the red area map hasn't always been accurate in terms of past seasons here imo.. Ive always in the past starting looking for it after the hunters full moon but before the following beaver full moon which is typically around mid-late November. However this year I had a doe blown out on both sides about all summer on cam then I finally saw her with barely walking twins on another cam in late July this year which seemed way late? Idk I'm no guru so that may be common to other areas. ( I don't know how to add pictures or I would post them)

Good Luck everyone when the woods come alive in your area.

Dead nuts for me in Dale County

Northern Clarke co/Marengo line is a lil off…week before in the Jan 14-21 is really good but wanna be in the woods all of January

^^
Yea - seems like 21st on is magic and it starts getting good just before that

It’s spot on for most areas. It’s representative of actual fetal data collected from bred does.

Moon phase don’t impact rut timing. It only affects deer activity and the times they move, making them more observable in daylight.

It's not a complete map......It's just enough resolution to give you a good general idea of what's happening

This. When you see bucks rambling around everywhere and bumping doe groups is not the rut. The rut is when they actually breed does and happens out of sight or at night most of the time.

Yep. Ppl often confuse observed active chasing as the rut, when in actuality you often see that increased before and after actual peak breeding.

And chasing is usually younger bucks, they're like teen aged boys . The old bucks, big bucks we all want don't have to chase , they know when it's prime time. Kinda like the story of the young bull and old bull standing on the hill watching all the cows.

BTW, that map is spot on for central and western Jackson Co.

Something you can take to the bank and one of the reasons I say its not a complete map is that all of these areas aren't defined by a perfect circle.....the circle basically represents the epicenter of the fetal testing for that area

Yep

What’s crazy is if you go 4 miles south thru the woods from my house the map is right. North of me its Christmas to around the 5 of January and that runs all the way to jemison over to lay dam.

Red Hills WMA area is usually Jan 15-25 timeframe by my observations. The posted time period right afterward is about the only time I’ve seen good bucks regularly hit a corn feeder and kick a doe out of the way. They hungry.

Its all about the doe herds......

It’s close,
I seen one cross the highway Behind a doe this very night…

I always consider it rut time when I see those new bucks showing up

Coolest thing I saw around supposed time of rut one morning after it snowed about 9-10 years back in late January was 3 does in a food plot and there were other bucks running around in surrounding woods. Snow on the ground 2-3 inches accumulation or more An 8 point came in not chasing just walked in. Does really didn’t pay attention and we’re eating even with snow. Shot at him and missed. None of the deer even flinched. He walks off and a bigger 9 point comes in and I kill him. They finally clear the food plot. Thought it was bizarre seeing multiple bucks cruising around and checking the does out but not the all out chase I have seen where bucks run the does off a food plot chasing. One and only time I’ve seen that type of behavior. Don’t know if it was rut or post rut but haven’t seen again. Always used to seeing the bucks chasing the does.

Ours will always be starting around Christmas and go thru damn March due to the amount of does