Extended Rut..

[Kevin Snook]

Just saw a 6 pt ( as lean as a greyhound) standing in a field with a doe and a tiny fawn that looked just out of spots.
I'm pretty sure around here that they are breeding at least up into February or early march..
Anyone else seeing small fawns that would indicate a late summer birth??

 

[Biggun4214]

Just saw a 6 pt ( as lean as a greyhound) standing in a field with a doe and a tiny fawn that looked just out of spots.
I'm pretty sure around here that they are breeding at least up into February or early march..
Anyone else seeing small fawns that would indicate a late summer birth??

It's not unusual to see an occasional spotted fawn this late in the year.

 

[BSK]

In the areas hit hardest by last summer/fall drought, the rut has been delayed, just like it was after the 2022 drought. But only by a few weeks.

The most common causes of a long duration "trickle rut" are poor adult sex ratios, and poor buck age structure. I've seen these conditions stretch breeding out to over 120 days instead of the 30-40 that it should be.