Anyway, this summer when I was laid up with my ankle I got on Facebook. Someone had talked me into opening an account 3-4 yrs ago but I had never really used it but this summer laid up for 3 months I got tired of watching Law and Order reruns and there were no new shows on Netflix so I started playing with it. I never thought I would like it but it is good to keep in touch with family and friends. I found a lot of old friends from high school and college.
Anyway enough of that , I found and get info from QDMA. First, the QDMA magazine is the BEST source for deer info hands down. The magazine is awesome( plus they have a deal now that you get a good knife with a gut hook if you join for a year at the regular 30.00 membership), but even if you don't you can still get news feeds from them on Facebook for free,
QDMA is helping support exciting new research in the last few years using GPS tracking on deer and they are busting some old ideas about deer wide open.
One of the most interesting is evidence on how the rut progresses. I used to think that once the prerut begins bucks kinda started into the rut cycle and it gradually built up until it hits a few days of a frenzy.
Turns out that is not the case, on any given property bucks in one holler can be chasing and scent checking does like crazy while 2 hollers over bucks and does can be feeding together with the bucks paying no attention to does . What's interesting is that the next day the ones that were chasing may feed with does and pay no attention to them, while the ones in the next holler that showed no interest the day before may be chasing does all over the place.
Looking back in hindsight it makes perfect sense because we have all heard stories of one person seeing chasing while another person in the same county is seeing bucks and does together paying no attention to each other. This occurs throughout the prerut up to the 3-4 days that they all go nuts and are all chasing and finally start locking up with a doe that is going to be ready in a day or two. The buck will stay with a doe up to 72 hours to breed her usually in a thicket somewhere, then he's off running again to find another one.
Anyway I found that really interesting and helps explain what I've seen for years but never fully understood.
