2017 Whitetail Rut Predictions

[270person]

Originally Posted by Ultimate Predator

If i could only hunt WT for 3 days it would be the 19-21!

For me it'd be the 3 days all you guys have to work.

[dfrobert]

Originally Posted by Ultimate Predator

If i could only hunt WT for 3 days it would be the 19-21!

If you hunt bucks this year like you hunt wild roosters all your gonna do is scare everything away boy!!

[Bub]

Originally Posted by CNP

No deer have been killed on 31 Nov

[zhunter11]

November 14th-22nd in the 300's!

[curtisb]

Thinking about cheating this year and using a gun so this same question has been on my mind for about a month! Good thread.

In the area I've been bow hunting the last 2 years (unsuccessfully! lol), I would give the following findings, based purely on trail cameras:
Most bucks IN DAYLIGHT 9th to about 18th.

With no exposure to southern AB, I think this year however might be a bit of a crap shoot...!

A couple reasons:
-Weather is a huge driver for whitetail movement and feeding. For all intensive purposes it is staying very mild. I drove down to EDM last week and geese and seagulls were still around. Not a couple. Lots.

Contrary to this, I was in 509 chasing around moose with the bow, scouting the 21 Sept to have heavy rut activity, only to return the 4th Oct to hunt (historical prime time) and I THINK everything was paired up as they were stuck on silent.
But as I finish that sentence the whitetails were moving like crazy. Not only did I see lots of horns, they had heavily established their scrapes, rub lines, etc. between the 21st of Sept and 4th of October...
When I lived in the bow zone they traditionally didn't really lay down ANY scrapes until mid October being the earliest.

None the less. I feel you need to re-learn it every year but can't go wrong mid to late November for whitetails in central and northern AB.
If I had to choose one week it would be in the middle of the month, as it's easier to sit still for longer!

[Tarmac]

The rutting moon is November 4th this year. 2017 predictions calling for the best hunting to be between October 31 - November 12th.

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by Tarmac

The rutting moon is November 4th this year. 2017 predictions calling for the best hunting to be between October 31 - November 12th.

A problem with this is that Deer reproductive cycles does not follow the lunar calendar.

[hal53]

Originally Posted by walking buffalo

A problem with this is that Deer reproductive cycles does not follow the lunar calendar.

^^^

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by Tarmac

The rutting moon is November 4th this year. 2017 predictions calling for the best hunting to be between October 31 - November 12th.

Better go see a high school biology teacher my friend, you've had some bad Intel sent your way if you're hanging onto the rutting moon wives tale.

[kujoseto]

I predict the rut will happen!
I also will go out on a limb with a bold prediction that it will occur in November!
You heard it here first

[Hunter4ever12]

Originally Posted by walking buffalo

A problem with this is that Deer reproductive cycles does not follow the lunar calendar.

Thank god!!! I’m off the 17-21

[SKSniper]

Originally Posted by Dick284

It will coincide with the photo period.

For Central Alberta that will be + or - a couple of days from the 17th of November.

Intensity will be dictated by herd dynamics, food source availability, and other things like predator pressure, weather, and lunar phase.

Not all areas or locales will exhibit the same type of rut intensity, due to the above variables, the science is very impericale that the photo period will result in the majority of mature does coming into their first estrus at or around the 17th.

Depending how the variables stack up the 17th may or may not be the be all best date to be hunting. If a dominant buck locks down his hot and ready does in the ugly thick timber the hunting on those days may actually be kind of slow. But if the social hierarchy of that herd is in flux those days could be crazy with all sorts of daylight movement and lots of opportunities.
If the herd has many younger first time into estrus does, or perhaps many of the does are scattered and the like, later in the month could be better due to a larger number of does that would come into second estrus.

Your best bet is putting lots of hours in your stand, book off as much time as you can, and set a plan and work it.

I agree with Dick^. Last year I tried during the rememberance day weekend and saw little to no activity at all. Went back up a few days later on the 16th and it was like a switch had went off, the deer were moving like crazy. Called my buck in with a grunt tube on the morning of the 17th and have never seen or heard a whitetail make so much noise crashing through the bush, thought for sure a moose was going to step out. Buddy shot his buck two days later on the 19th amidst a deer breeding frenzy where there were two hot does amd multiple bucks running around.

Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

[beaver hunter]

If you believe in the moon theories, the rutting moon was later last year and called for peak rut from the 15th to 21st...This year it occurs earlier in November. I am currently designing/developing a teleporter that I can jump in and check out my spots in a matter of seconds, if the action is nil I will simply teleport back home. Feel free to PM me with donation's!

[wildwoods]

Nov 11 last year we couldn't stop grunting them in. Had some scary close calls with a couple big deer but could only connect to a marginal 5x5. In the 300's
Better plans this year. Tree stand built. Planning mid November again for a week

[West O'5]

I predict the rut will be the same time as it's been every year for centuries.