Whitetail - Spring Second Estrus ?
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: AlexW.
21-Feb-18
Do Whitetail deer go through a spring breeding cycle or a second Estrus. I started picking up shed antlers this past weekend in Washington, DC and while out in the woods saw a number of shrubs and a few trees, 4-6” in diameter, had been scrapped up.
I am not sure if the bucks are making a sent line or are they trying to knock off the antlers? I have never seen this before, as I have not previously been in an area with this density of whitetail deer and have only hunted them a few times.
Thank you_
From: Drahthaar
21-Feb-18
The young does that were born in the spring will be coming into estrus JAN & FEB, I think biologist say about 60 % of the does breed. Forrest
From: Woods Walker
21-Feb-18
I'm in northern Illinois and I've seen does acting " breedy" and being pursued in late February. It's not real common and the ones I have seen were being pursued by young bucks.
From: AlexW.
21-Feb-18
This was not the freshest rub, but I saw probably 8 rubs, on shrubs or trees with fresh antler scrapes. (not sure why the text looks like this. It looks normal when I tried to edit it.)
This was not the freshest rub, but I saw probably 8 rubs, on shrubs or trees with fresh antler scrapes. (not sure why the text looks like this. It looks normal when I tried to edit it.)
What are your thoughts on why the bucks are rubbing trees? Trying to knock off antlers, or showing the does they are still around?
From: drycreek
21-Feb-18
I saw two fresh rubs last week. Remember, young bucks are like teenage boys, they are ready 24/7/365 as long as their antlers haven't dropped, and I've not seen much evidence of antler drop here. It will be any time now, but I just pulled sd cards on two cameras and several bucks were seen, all with both antlers intact. And fawns are ready to breed mostly by weight, so I'm sure there are some late born does that will also be late breeders.
From: Bowriter
21-Feb-18
(1) Deer will go through as many cycles as food and weather permit. Unbred does, may cycle four or five times in warmer climates with plenty of nutrition.
(2) Rubbing is just a by-product of the rut. Rubbed trees, for the most part, are communication devices and may be rubbed at any time the bucks have antlers and for a variety of reasons. Some rubbing may even occur after antlers are cast and this is strictly for communication. Rubbing may also, at times, be an aid in casting loose antlers.
From: hogthief
21-Feb-18
it's also a dominance signal, even for dominant buck want-a-be's.
From: Woods Walker
21-Feb-18
Or maybe they're just itchy.....nothing worse than antler dandruff.... ;-)
From: Ken
21-Feb-18
Not DC, but in Texas yesterday I saw a doe already in her light tan summer coat, stuck out like a sore thumb with all the foliage still brown. A minute later I saw a buck chasing a doe.
From: eddie c
21-Feb-18
I am told that if a doe doesn't breed they will come back in season in 28 days. biologist says our area is over populated with does and isn't unusual for breeding to last until March. I saw fresh scrapes 2 weeks ago.
From: RIT
21-Feb-18
Funny this thread popped up. I watched a young buck follow a young doe all over a picked cornfield today. He wasn’t really chasing her but he was walking in her footsteps all while it was raining sideways. Just really struck me as odd.
From: Elkhorn
21-Feb-18
I’ve noticed elk rubbing a lot in March near good sources
From: Randy Green
21-Feb-18
About 20 years ago I watched 5 bucks chasing a doe in early March here in Ohio. Today I watched a button button buck mount a 1.5 YO doe in the back yard by the bird feeder. She actually stood for it for close to a minute before walking away making me think she may be in estrus. Among my neighborhood herd there's one fawn that's extremely small and had spots in mid sept.
From: Zbone
25-Feb-18
Whitetails will rub anytime they are in hard horn...
