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What is the #1 Calendar Date to Be in the Woods?

tellico4x4 said:
Out of 209 bucks we've killed in southern Wayne Co:

Sept - 3
Oct - 7
Nov - 61
Dec - 108
Jan - 30

Nov 22-27: 34 (Thanksgiving)
Dec 17-22: 28 (peak rut)
Dec 27-31: 24 (Christmas*)
Jan 1-4: 21 (New Years*)
* note: period of Christmas & New Years vacation accounts for 45 bucks as it coincides with more people hunting & secondary rut getting started

My favorite time is first three weeks of December for mature deer being on feet during daylight.
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Love the data Tellico4x4! In addition, love that you pointed out how certain dates can skew the results due to the number of people hunting (holiday dates, etc.).

I see the same thing in my data. Below is a graph of daily harvest rates (bucks killed per hunting hour) for the month of November. The vast majority of our hunting hours are during the month of November because that is the local peak rut month. But the peaks in harvest rates don't necessarily correspond with peak older buck movement or sightings. Other human factors are at play. The peak in harvest rates around Nov. 5 is due to that being close to opening day of MZ season. We do not bow hunt so this is the first time the deer have been hunted that year and opportunities are obviously higher on unhunted deer. The peak around Nov. 10-12 IS due to the peak in movement and sightings. Finally, the highest peak of all, around Nov. 26-28, is the weekend after Thanksgiving. At the beginning of MZ, some hunters have high standards for what they will shoot, hence they are passing up bucks. But by the weekend after Thanksgiving, the rut is winding down and hunters are getting desperate to not go buckless, so they are less picky and tend to shoot the first legal deer of opportunity then, leading to a peak in harvest rates.
 

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It's funny how places differ. Almost everyone likes the first 2 weeks of November. I've had my lease for 7 deer seasons. The 4 best bucks (and only good bucks) were killed between November 21st and December 7th. My trail cam info verifies this is the time to be in the woods.
 
Spurhunter said:
It's funny how places differ. Almost everyone likes the first 2 weeks of November. I've had my lease for 7 deer seasons. The 4 best bucks (and only good bucks) were killed between November 21st and December 7th. My trail cam info verifies this is the time to be in the woods.
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I believe that's due to the vast differences in peak breeding dates across the state.
 
I can't narrow it down to a single day, but on our place here in Henderson County its Dec 1-5th.

Thats the absolute best time to see a mature buck cruising for the last does of fall.

We see way more action mid november, but for mature bucks, it's not a question.
 
Spurhunter said:
It's funny how places differ. Almost everyone likes the first 2 weeks of November. I've had my lease for 7 deer seasons. The 4 best bucks (and only good bucks) were killed between November 21st and December 7th. My trail cam info verifies this is the time to be in the woods.
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I really think its simple. During peak rut, bucks are visiting all the does they had been tending leading up to breeding. They don't have to go far to find a receptive doe.

By the end of November, receptive does become real scarce. But those bucks aren't quite done yet.

So that week afterwards is a great time to catch a desperate buck going places he hasn't been all fall.

And if you happen to have a hot doe in early December, there's probably a couple of bucks trailing her.
 
West KY. Hope it's tomorrow but Saturday would be OK too.
Two biggest bucks I saw last year were in mid October chasing.

Normally Nov 12th.Actual kills and pic show the biggest bucks moving then.

Good luck to all.
 
The trick is finding when the peak 10-day window of breeding is for your property. On any property where herd dynamics are good (advanced buck age structure and balanced sex ratio) there is going to be a 10-day window when around 50% of all breedings occur. This is usually towards the front end of the breeding process. Buck movement usually peaks just at the front end of the peak 10-day window and then just after the 10-day window is closing. On my place, that 10-day window is Nov. 11-20.
 
UTGrad said:
What is the #1 date on the calendar to be in the woods in your area? I've read over the years that November 6th is a top producing day for big bucks.

What date on the calendar do you plan on skipping work or calling in sick?
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What state? What county in Tennessee? Illinois November 10 in the south part to me in tenn first few days of dec then in Franklin co I like the week after Christmas
 

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