I mentioned the North to South variation as an aside from looking at the significant different rutting times based on the most part by location. Did the majority of the late rutting Deer get transplanted at the extreme Southern border? How does their conclusion relate to the intermingling of genetic rutting times over the last 50 years? You mix genes, you eventually getting a mixture of characteristics that become the norm.
The N to S heat variation was just thrown out as food for thought.
I'm not saying there are not different rutting periods. I am saying, by now, with a 50year plus window of genetic intermingling, other factors are the cause of different rutting periods. The map write-up said it was based on the genetics of where the transplants came from. That part I'm not buying.
Her in Pa we obviously have an extended rutting period. There were fresh scrapes in the area my Bud found them the other day back in October. Yet some were still being make a couple days ago. What causes it? That area has an overabundance of Does, and some because they were missed on their first go, go into a second heat.
The overabundance of does will cause a longer, more drawn out rut. No doubt about it. I need to shoot more does....I need to focus on it early in the season.
The variations of "peak" rut dates exists in AL. If a person wants to travel they can hunt the rut for 3 months. I grew up here hunting the management areas, the original stocking locations. Huge difference between Skyline (January), Little River (December), and Choccolocco (November...even late October) WMA's even though they aren't that far apart geographically. Deer have spread like crazy the past 30 years. I've wondered a lot about interbreeding changing rut dates. In most things genetic, there will be a dominate and recessive trait. I wonder how it works for the rut timing trait?
Here's an older link that discusses where some deer were originally stocked from and rut dates:
https://www.al.com/sports/2013/01/rut_report_deer_in_various_pha.html
