Blacktail Second Estrus

[TriggerMike]

Anyone seeing any second estrus activity? It should be starting right around now.

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[Skyvalhunter]

I haven't seen any activity yet the does appear to be by their selves but that's just in my area.

[brokentrail]

I think that already started/happened where I am.  I saw a couple neighborhood bucks in the daylight that I've never seen before with does on December 6th.  Saw two more on December 8th.

[DaveMonti]

Had a buck wander through my property a few days back.  I have him on cam.  I usually see ZERO all year until the 3-4 days of heavy rutting in late November, so one showing up 3 weeks later is rare.  I have to think he was cruising. 

[Mallardmasher]

The one I got on Sunday had his nose glued to a big does butt, and his neck is still thick and he was STINKY

[Turner89]

I saw a 2point buck with 1doe on saturday, a nice buck with 3 does on Sunday, 5 does by themselves yesturday, and 4 does alone today. A friend shot a nice 3 point Sunday that his daughter doe bleeted in out of the timber.
 Prior to saturday I couldn't find a deer to save my life. Lol
 Something has changed.

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[Skyvalhunter]

Ethan I thought you were muzzle loading hunting for deer?

[fishnfur]

Presumably there's still a little activity going on through the end of the month.  Something like 98% of the does have been bred by the end of the first week of December.  Depending on the number of doe in an area, there still could be one or two animals still estrus cycling, which will keep at least a few of the bucks up and searching through the end of the month. 

In an area with low deer numbers, the chances are getting slimmer by the minute that bucks are still rutting, though one of the great hunters here told me that he rattled in a big buck for a friend on New Years Eve years ago.  Never say die!

[Whitenuckles]

Happened over here around the 2nd.

[kodiak 907]

Saw 3 mature bucks today hanging out in the neighbors yard. Seems like all the does around town have been bred.

[TriggerMike]

Presumably there's still a little activity going on through the end of the month.  Something like 98% of the does have been bred by the end of the first week of December.  Depending on the number of doe in an area, there still could be one or two animals still estrus cycling, which will keep at least a few of the bucks up and searching through the end of the month. 

In an area with low deer numbers, the chances are getting slimmer by the minute that bucks are still rutting, though one of the great hunters here told me that he rattled in a big buck for a friend on New Years Eve years ago.  Never say die!

Just out of genuine curiosity, where does that 98% number come from? Is there research backing that number?

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[fishnfur]

Glad you asked.  This is a book/study published by the SOW back in the 50s.  I got this copy for a buck on Amazon "new and used".  Chock full of good biological info. on BTs.  I was a little lucky to correctly quote the percentages in my earlier guess.

BTW, an interesting side to this information - these are dates that the does conceived.  Other studies indicate that BT does don't normally don't conceive on the first estrus period, which means that if you count 21 days (+/-) forward (into Oct), the first estrus of many does occurs anywhere from mid-Oct through the end of that month, some a bit earlier, which accounts for the early showing of bucks we often see around 13 Oct - 20 Oct. 

[np205]

I saw 2 bucks fighting on Saturday in a meadow. Heads down and going at it. Pretty cool.

[TriggerMike]

Glad you asked.  This is a book/study published by the SOW back in the 50s.  I got this copy for a buck on Amazon "new and used".  Chock full of good biological info. on BTs.  I was a little lucky to correctly quote the percentages in my earlier guess.

BTW, an interesting side to this information - these are dates that the does conceived.  Other studies indicate that BT does don't normally don't conceive on the first estrus period, which means that if you count 21 days (+/-) forward (into Oct), the first estrus of many does occurs anywhere from mid-Oct through the end of that month, some a bit earlier, which accounts for the early showing of bucks we often see around 13 Oct - 20 Oct.

Wow that looks pretty interesting! I need to find a copy of that study somewhere.

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[pope]

Glad you asked.  This is a book/study published by the SOW back in the 50s.  I got this copy for a buck on Amazon "new and used".  Chock full of good biological info. on BTs.  I was a little lucky to correctly quote the percentages in my earlier guess.

BTW, an interesting side to this information - these are dates that the does conceived.  Other studies indicate that BT does don't normally don't conceive on the first estrus period, which means that if you count 21 days (+/-) forward (into Oct), the first estrus of many does occurs anywhere from mid-Oct through the end of that month, some a bit earlier, which accounts for the early showing of bucks we often see around 13 Oct - 20 Oct.

Wow that looks pretty interesting! I need to find a copy of that study somewhere.

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Definitely will have to find a copy of that. Nice find, Fishnfur! 

[fishnfur]

I don't think it's on the hot 100 list of books at Amazon.  Check periodically, you might find a used copy for sale.

https://www.amazon.com/black-tailed-western-Washington-Biological-bulletin/dp/B0007FIDCA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513754713&sr=8-1&keywords=black-tailed+deer+of+western+Washington

[Skyvalhunter]

Might be able to pick up the 3rd Estrus cycle pretty soon

[pope]

Might be able to pick up the 3rd Estrus cycle pretty soon

Hopefully. I still have a tag and will finally have a block of time after Christmas.

[fishnfur]

That's it!  Never say die!