cold weather rut

[fishinjosh98]

Does anybody think the cold weather has spiked up the rut?

[TRZ II]

Has no influence.

[BRB]

How do you figure that it has not influence? Yes it is mostly because of moon phases, and day light, but with the strong winds and unusually warm temperatures, the deer were just not moving. Now with the colder temps this will make the does move more, that might now have been bread before. Therefor more does moving=more bucks looking for the unbred does

[propster]

Technically he's right, it does not directly affect the rut, though it may indirectly affect your visibility of it if they do move around more during daylight hours due to colder weather and you get to see some of it.

[cavalierowner]

Hopefully, they aren't all worn out by November 26, opener for muzzleloader season. I will never understand why ML season is so late. It most often misses the rut, it's a lot harder to find deer than in rifle season and with my old eyes it's a lot harder to get a good clean shot with open sights. At least in the area I hunt in up by Isabella.

[Wolfpaak]

Hopefully, they aren't all worn out by November 26, opener for muzzleloader season. I will never understand why ML season is so late. It most often misses the rut, it's a lot harder to find deer than in rifle season and with my old eyes it's a lot harder to get a good clean shot with open sights. At least in the area I hunt in up by Isabella.

I hope I can shed some light on the reason why. Back when the people that used "muzzleloaders" to hunt were lobbying for a season of thier own to hunt in, the rifle season started "traditionally" the weekend after Thanksgiving. The rifle season had been moved to the current start time and the "old" time frame was open. So the DNR set that up as the muzzleloader season and lengthened it and also made it either sex because of the "dificulties" of using the "muzzleloaders" that were mainly available at the time, IE Flintlocks and cap and ball guns with open sights. It does "miss" the bulk of the rut, but does take in the "second" rut where the bucks are out looking for the does that were not bred during the main rut. Not as many does in heat in a given area but the bucks are still cruising. Think of the number of does in heat like a Bell graph. Some come into heat early and are bred during bow season. Then as more come into heat during rifle season and some during muzzleloader season. They dont ALL come into heat at the same time.

I hope this helps a little.

LAter,

Kenny

[fivebucks]

When was the MN "tradition" having the season start after Thanksgiving? Been deer hunting for 35 years and it's always been early November. Not being a smart alec - just curious is all. Was it in the 70's before the closed the season? Thanks.

[Wolfpaak]

Yes, in the early 70's. I guess that would make me OLD! And to some younguns old may be during the 80's or 90's.I guess point of view would have to come into the picture. I have been using the "old" style muzzleloaders since the late 80s and at that time those of us that used them would have to wait until the DNR decided "where" we could hunt to make our plans for hunting. So having a seperate season the same time every year was what we were looking for. Let me say this, I did NOT do any of the lobbying but was watching intently to what was going on during the process and this is MY take on the results.

Later,

Kenny

[cavalierowner]

I don't think rifle season was ever after Thanksgiving, but it was later in November than it is now. I don't remember when it changed. I do remember the closed season vividly. I got home from Vietnam earlier that year, really looking forward to deer hunting. Then they closed the season. I said to heck with it and went hunting anyway...with a camera. Got a picture of a doe that year.

Edit: are you sure the deer season was after Thanksgiving? I just don't remember it being that late. But then my memory (or anything else, for that matter) isn't what it used to be!

[Musky Buck]

Definite influence maybe not rutting but getting the deer on their feet which draws out the bucks a hair better anyway, last night, had 6 does, 4 fawns and 1 large bodied buck chasing them like crazy, not that it was cold really, he now hangs in my garage ! SImply put the warmer it is the less they move during November, colder the more they move and the less we move. He was grunting like crazy and had quite the harem.

[Musky Buck]

It's more about this front that's approaching, but all in all the does will be bred so ?

[Wolfpaak]

I don't think rifle season was ever after Thanksgiving, but it was later in November than it is now. I don't remember when it changed. I do remember the closed season vividly. I got home from Vietnam earlier that year, really looking forward to deer hunting. Then they closed the season. I said to heck with it and went hunting anyway...with a camera. Got a picture of a doe that year.

Edit: are you sure the deer season was after Thanksgiving? I just don't remember it being that late. But then my memory (or anything else, for that matter) isn't what it used to be!

Relying on MY memory here but I remember my Dad heading off to deer camp the Friday after thanksgiving and my father-in-law talking about the same thing. So maybe it was during the 60's....

Later,

Kenny

[harvey lee]

Have been hunting the last 3 days in North Dakota and with colder temps or as cold as it has been since last winter, no difference in what we saw running. I do believe if it gets to the warmer temps the deer will run alot at night but when it is time, temps will not do much.

[Solaris79]

One of the first state regulated laws or policies implemented on deer hunting took effect in the late 1800's, which mandated the season takes places in November. So, at some point in MN's history deer season or firearms season definitely took place around Thanksgiving too. However, as far as I can see when they implemented a set 9 day statewide consecutive season, it seems it always began in early November. I've found no information to say otherwise but will admit finding the actual historical seasons and dates for MN firearms seasons before 1971 has proven a bit difficult.

On a side note, I believe the cold temps or temps in general only influences more or less activity, and this occurs at any time of the year. So, the temps themselves don't affect the rut from occurring in any way, they only affect whether or not increased or decreased deer activity occurs (especially during daylight hours).

[mntatonka]

from what I saw on my first day of hunting in SE MN today, the major seeking part of the rut is just starting. I've honestly never seen so many rubs or scrapes in this area at one time. The problem we're having (and the bucks too by the look of things) is actually finding the does. I think they've moved over to the next valley for food or something, because we can't seem to push anything other than bucks through the woods.