Last year my phone rang off the hook with complaints about the 2005 season. Never before in my 34 years of being involved with whitetails had I heard about so many geographic regions that had problems with their hunting season. Of course, folks often formulate their own hypotheses to explain such phenomena, and usually their theories don't pan out. One hunter even proclaimed: "Why, we didn't even have a rut last year!"

According to Dr. Deer, unusually warm weather around much of the country in 2005 probably contributed to a noticeable lack of daytime deer movement in many areas during peak breeding dates.

Before I get into what happened in 2005, let's review what the "rut" really is. After all, there still seems to be much confusion about this topic. When I refer to the rut, I mean the entire breeding period of whitetails. Unfortunately, to most hunters the rut refers to only one rut activity: the "chasing period." But here is how the entire process works.

As bucks come into breeding condition, they first go through physiological changes during the "pre-rut" period, which takes place about two to four weeks before peak breeding. You don't see many bucks moving around during this time. Next, as the actual breeding period approaches, bucks begin to rub more and more as blood testosterone levels increase. At the peak level of hormone, bucks are aggressive and start making scrapes.

In order for breeding to work, though, the does have to come into estrus at the right time. If they are in good condition, this is a fairly tightly packed event. Bucks become ready to breed just before the does so that they will not miss those in early estrus. This means that the chasing period begins just about the time large numbers of scrapes begin to appear.

Chasing refers to bucks pursuing does that are approaching estrus. This is the preparatory period, not the breeding time. When hunters see this great amount of activity, they often mistakenly think it means the bucks are breeding. Also, bucks are easily lured to rattling and calling during this time. By the time an estrous doe actually picks a buck, however, movement among dominant bucks practically ceases as each buck sticks with his doe. This is when most bucks seem to disappear!

A buck stays with a doe about 36 hours. When you factor in normal variability among does, there may be a four- or five-day period in which mature bucks are practically invisible. After this time, they release their does and begin the search anew, causing many hunters to say, "The rut is back on!"

The three key factors contributing to the seemingly non-existent rut in many areas during 2005 were:

1. Peak breeding dates were near the season openers in many states.
2. High deer populations resulted in trickle ruts.
3. Warm weather conditions reduced daytime movement.

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