The primary rut is over in much of the Northern Tier, yet a good portion of yearling does (fawns) will breed in the post-rut segment of mid winter. The percentage of these maturing females depends on body weight, nature’s way of assuring a full term pregnancy. I live in Maryland where few deer starve in even the most difficult winters and most deer eat well and are in good physical condition. Our DRN estimates that about 60 percent of yearling does will breed which means there is a lot of estrous scent in the air.
Survivor Bucks
Despite a robust gun season, many bucks survive and it’s worth your time and effort to be out there looking for them in the post-rut. Now’s a great time to re-scout your deer terrain looking for food sources and buck sign. Much like the regular rut, once you find a concentration of does, you can bet a buck will soon show up.
Dr. Grant Woods
This post comes from one of the most knowledgeable biologists on whitetail deer and every piece he puts together is a Booner. Check it out:
Wow!! Code Blue Scents
Posted by Grant Woods on Tuesday, November 28, 2017