rut

Bucks of All Ages Succeed in the Wild Whitetail Rut. Yes, Even These.

Nov 29, 2023 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

In the frenzied breeding scramble that is the whitetail rut, are bucks and does selective about the age of their mates, or is rut success random? The answer is: Yes. There’s scientific evidence that age…

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Best Trail-Camera Setups for the Rut

Oct 18, 2023 Matt Ross

Earlier this year we talked about summer and pre-rut trail-camera strategies and discussed the unique deer behavior and biology at those times of year to guide our camera placement. Now, it’s time to move into…

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The Science Behind the South’s Odd Whitetail Rut With Jason Sumners

Jan 10, 2023 NDA Staff

In this episode of the Deer Season 365 podcast, we’re talking with wildlife biologist Jason Sumners about the science behind the odd whitetail rut timing in the Southeastern U.S. Jason studied the impact of deer…

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Do Whitetail Bucks Ever Mate With Their Own Doe Offspring?

Nov 16, 2022 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

The whitetail rut is a frenzied scramble. Literally, that’s the biological term for the whitetail breeding strategy – “scramble competition” – because a buck’s success at breeding does is determined mostly by his ability to…

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Bucks Are More Visible When Deer Hunters Harvest Does

Nov 9, 2022 Ben Westfall

“If you shoot a bunch of does, you won’t see any bucks!” I have heard this phrase and its variations time and time again over my years as a deer hunter, land manager and biologist….

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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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Hunting the Whitetail Rut With Legendary Outdoor Writer Scott Bestul

Oct 27, 2021 NDA Staff

it’s almost November and that means it’s the Super Bowl of deer season for most whitetail hunters. This episode is all about hunting the rut and Nick and “The Doctor” were joined by legendary outdoor…

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Cold Fronts May Get Hunters On Their Feet, But Bucks Answer a Different Call

Oct 6, 2021 Lindsay Thomas Jr.

Don’t say it. Do not say it! Don’t say the cold front has got the bucks on their feet. You are going to say it, aren’t you? Seriously, listen to yourself this fall. You’re going…

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