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tn24

tn24

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Jan 31, 2015
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very early this year or very late last year? Biggest button buck I've ever seen this time of year.
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BSK said:
That's a yearling buck. I'm seeing a LOT of underdeveloped yearlings this year. Spike antler percentages are through the roof. I hate to keep blaming last year's drought on everything, but I think that's to blame, at least in the western half of TN.
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Sign of a late rut last year? I recall lots of concern among hunters that they weren't seeing the action at the time they usually do. This kind of supports their feelings at the time that rut was at least being partially pushed back. My question is what's going to happen this year? I've noticed that an individual doe will come into estrus pretty close to same day year after year. If something knocked the clock out of time, will it correct itself or continue holding that new time?
 
Ski said:
Sign of a late rut last year? I recall lots of concern among hunters that they weren't seeing the action at the time they usually do. This kind of supports their feelings at the time that rut was at least being partially pushed back. My question is what's going to happen this year? I've noticed that an individual doe will come into estrus pretty close to same day year after year. If something knocked the clock out of time, will it correct itself or continue holding that new time?
Click to expand...
Considering these are yearling bucks born a year and a half ago, not born late due to the late breeding last fall, their underdevelopment is due to terrible food resources over the fall and winter months last year. Normally, yearling bucks are easily as big as their mothers by this time and will be considerably bigger than their mothers come rut, but I'm seeing little stunted yearlings nowhere near the size of their mothers this year. This may have a lasting effect on this cohort (all deer 1 1/2 years old this year). They could be stunted for life. Not good news for the future.

I'm also seeing a significant decline in fawn survival this year compared to last, which was a banner year for fawn survival.

In 2008, we did not see a late rut, even though the previous year (2007 - severe drought and EHD) had a very late rut.
 

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