rut behaviors

NDA’s Guide to the Whitetail Rut

Nov 4, 2022 NDA Staff

The whitetail rut is the most exciting time of the season for deer hunters, and it’s also a time when the NDA receives a lot of questions about this important season in the whitetail’s year….

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How Many Fawns Does the Average Buck Produce?

Dec 15, 2021 Randy DeYoung

Forty-two is the number that comes to my mind when I’m asked this question, but not because it’s accurate or has anything to do with deer. Instead, “42” is the line from Hitchhiker’s Guide to…

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The Science of the Second Rut

Dec 8, 2021 Cheyne Matzenbacher

I hit the grunt call three times, and within minutes a nice mature buck jumped the fence and came in with his ears laid back in search of whatever buck just made that sound in…

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Anatomy of a Whitetail Tarsal Gland

Nov 17, 2021 Matt Ross

Of the seven glands that deer use to communicate with one another, hunters are probably most familiar with the tarsal gland and its role when deer make a scrape. But have you ever wondered exactly…

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Now You See Him: 9 Things We Know About Deer Excursions

Nov 6, 2019 Matt Ross

Nothing about whitetails ever seems routine, does it? Just when you think you’ve got ‘em figured out, they seemingly throw another curve ball in the grand scheme of World Series play we call “hunting.” But that…

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3 Ways Bucks Win the Rut

Nov 6, 2017 Kip Adams

Do you believe the list of attributes a buck must possess to be a successful breeder is long or short? Does it change depending on where you are in the whitetail’s range? Much research has…

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Defend, Display or Duel: What Are Antlers Good For?

Jul 28, 2016 Kip Adams

Antlers are like the beards on guys at hunting camp – they are secondary sexual characteristics that separate females and males but don’t directly contribute to reproduction. So, why exactly do bucks grow them?  There…

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Chasing An Explanation for the South’s Odd Rut

Jan 19, 2016 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

No matter what month of the year you read this article, if you put your finger down on a rut map of the Deep South, it’s likely you’ll touch a place where there’s a whitetail…

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When Doe Fawns Breed, It’s a Good Sign

Dec 8, 2015 Kip Adams

Some doe fawns breed and conceive in their first fall, at around six to eight months of age. The percentage that do this is determined by nutrition – they attain sexual maturity if they reach…

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No Link Between Moon Phase and Rut Peak

Oct 13, 2014 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

This graphic illustrates a fact that has stood up to repeated scientific testing over the years: The moon does not have a detectable influence on the timing of whitetail breeding. Scientists have known for decades that…

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