Many of my loyal readers have been clamoring for my rut predictions. I will apologize up front for not posting them earlier. I usually do it in enough time that those of you that want to take vacation during this frenzied time of the season can notify your employers in advance.

Well, this year, being as I’m late and time is short, if you anticipate problems with you job just don’t say anything and call in sick or make up an excuse. Hey, when I worked a real job I use to do it all the time.

Come to think of it, that may be one of the reasons I don’t work a real job anymore.

Anyway, here goes... enjoy!

Cheatin’

This year I’m going to cheat a little. Normally, I do all kind of research and calculations but all that has changed. Last Christmas, yes “Christmas,” I’m still a God-fearin’ redneck who believes that Christmas is Christmas, not some yuppie made up politically correct word that takes away from the true meaning of the season, “Christ and celebrating His birth. Ok back on track, last Christmas I received a calendar from “Deer & Deer Hunting” a gift from Janie, no big deal, right? Wrong answer. bubba, it is a big deal.

As many of you know, I go by the lunar (moon) phases to calculate the rut and am big follower of Charles Alsheimer who is the deer behavior editor for Deer & Deer Hunting magazine. Well, Charlie finally made it easy on me and put out a calendar with his ten years worth of documented research on it. It has been condensed into dates when the lunar phase will trigger the rut and the various phases of the rut, seeking, chasing, and tending.

Without further ado, I will try to decipher what I predict will be prime dates for this year’s rut.

Seeking

We’ve already seen the an early Seeking Phase during the middle of October, the 9th to the 15th, and from what I gather so far, some of the bow hunters that were out there made good use of this time period.

Without going into detail as in the past, this phase consists of the bucks being on the move looking for possible does in heat. During this time, bucks will travel into the wind flehmening, or lip curling, testing the air for the scent of a doe that may be coming into estrous. He will follow her trail as if a beagle on a rabbit track. Does will be running pretty much full bore in and effort to keep away from him. This is a very vulnerable time for the buck, using doe in heat lures and doe bleats can be very productive as well a rattling.

Chasing