Ohio Valley Outdoors Magazine

Post-Rut Whitetails

By Tommy Kirkland

Though most of the hunting season is winding down, their still remains a few rut crazed bucks that are still exposing themselves in their pursuit of females. It’s the post-rut, a time to still focus on taking a whitetail.

This is the time when females that were not bred during the height of the rut come into estrus again. This second rut is usually 28 days after their first mating cycle. Of course regions and counties wherever you are hunting whitetails is going to vary on rut and post-rut breeding times. So what takes place with whitetail mating in one place may be a couple of weeks later for another area.

Also, hunting late season bucks may not legal if the post-rut is taking place and state laws says it’s time to put away the gun. Yet for the most part, most regions still give hunters an opportunity to pursue whitetails on into the post-rut.

Once the basic time for breeding are pinpointed in the locale you are hunting, the chances of getting a buck in the post-rut are still feasible — and in some instances actually better than the rut itself. This time period is not as chaotic as the rut’s peak. Most bucks usually return to their routine bedding and feeding areas or at least periodically. Their alertness to their surroundings returns to normal — being they are not quite as pre-occupied with the pursuit of females.

With the exception of a few highly energetic breeder bucks still on the move, the post-rut is a time when most bucks slow down significantly and begin to feed and bed. Yet, younger bucks are still trying to get in on the action of late breeding and are always stirring up trouble somewhere.
Depending on the buck to doe ratio in the locale you’re pursuing whitetails; late season estrous does can attract more bucks in comparison to the rut’s peak time. The reason being is simply that when there are only a few does to breed — the competition goes up. If you can set your sights upon female deer, then the chances of having a window to bring down a post-rut buck is a real possibility.

During the post-rut, bucks and does tend to congregate as females tolerate bucks — simply because buck testosterone levels are diminishing. By concealing yourself within prime doe habitat, bucks are sure to come, not only for the nutrition, but to still test the waters to see if any breeding receptivity still exists.

The post-rut may also be a good time to hunt public land as fewer hunters are amid the timber — allowing whitetails to let their guard down somewhat. A little normal routine sets in by now also making the deer more predictable in their habits.
So don’t think that just because the rut is over that the hunting opportunities have come to an end. Signs that a post-rut are underway is when bucks begin to return to their spring, summer, and early fall ranges. There is less chasing of does as well as a decrease in rubs and scrape activity. Yet there will still be isolated pockets of rut activity as a few remaining does come into estrus — providing the chance to evaluate deer not taken and which whitetails can still be harvested.