Changes Are Afoot
The cameras have been telling an interesting tale over the past week. Things are starting to heat up and the fall hunting season in quickly becoming very interesting. For those of you following the WOW cameras online you may have noticed a few new bucks showing up on camera over the past couple of days. Good news for those of us following the rut, great news if you’re lucky enough to be hunting.
So what’s happening? Biologically speaking, bucks experience a testosterone increase as the fall approaches. Around the first of September the boys of the woods start to experience meaningful increases in testosterone. It takes about forty-five days for the testosterone level to peak. How much of an increase you may wonder? The testosterone level doubles between September and mid October. Let that sink in for a moment, could you imaging what it would be like to double your testosterone level, let alone double it in a forty-five day period, talk about inducing full blown “road rage.” Not only are bucks becoming more aggressive but they will often gain about thirty percent body weight during the same forty-five day period.
We have been witnessing the changes on the WOW cameras. Check out the body posture on the buck on the right, he looks like a 2.5 year old, ears are back as he struts over to the yearling on the left. The rack buck is all bowed up and looking tough. The photo of the 1.5 year old buck tells the story clearly. He is crouched and looks scared. The rack buck probably beat up the smaller buck within the last couple of days. Older bucks are still hanging with loose bachelor groups but the fraternity has changed in the past couple of weeks. Older bucks are starting to command respect.
So what stage of the rut are we in right now? If the fall rut was a drag race, the cars are on the line, engines are revved and the light is just about ready to change from yellow to green! Max testosterone should be reached in our bucks within one more week and the bucks will be physically ready to drop the hammer and stir up the deer woods. Now don’t get me wrong, the boys might be ready but we are going to have to wait for the does to flip the switch before things start happening at 200mph. More than likely we still are still a month away from does coming into estrous.
The above buck is starting to harass the does but don’t be confused, we still have quite a bit of time before bucks start aggressively running does. Young bucks will do most of the harassing over the next couple of weeks. Older buck usually don’t waste energy chasing does until it’s much closer to breeding season.
So what’s the hunting strategy? The big deer are still basing their movements around consuming food. Look for good deer around the best food sources on your property. The big bucks are still virtually nocturnal. You might have a chance of catching a good buck on a food plot but you will have an easier time getting close to a good deer if you are hunting between his bedding area and the feeding area. A few good deer are being taken right now but the best is still yet to come. Look for bigger buck activity during days of below average temperature. It’s still early in the season to use grunt tubes and rattling antlers.
Our WOW cameras are documenting the action. Last Sunday was the first data point we will use to help track the rut. October 4th was the day we closed the books and calculated all the different bucks using the WOW property. On a weekly basis we will keep track of the new bucks photographed.
This is a new buck on the WOW farm. He showed up at 3:30 am, looks like he just passed through. Hopefully, he liked what he saw and will be back for the food plots and girls. I would like to have been able to see his rear a little more in the picture to age him, but his front end is much larger that a yearling buck’s. Based his neck and shoulders I would say he is 2.5 years old. Keep your eyes peeled for another photo of him; it will be easier to age him with a better body angle.
Let us know what you’re seeing on your deer cameras each week. New bucks showing up on camera is a measurement of how bucks are moving and can be linked to how close your deer are to breeding. As we keep track of the WOW site and others scattered across the north we will have a good idea how your deer acre acting and develop real time hunting strategies based on the distinct stages of the fall rut.
