The Rut

1
The Rut

• Original Power Point Created by
• Andy Harrison

Modified by the GA Agriculture Education
Curriculum Office July 2002
2
Driven By Need to Reproduce

• Must pass on traits to offspring
• They then reproduce

3
Basics

• Whitetail evolved primarily as forest animals in
  the eastern United States
• First record of deer was recorded by explorers
  from the old world
• Reported in New England and Atlantic coastal
  states
• Whitetail were the primary source of food for
  settlers and Indians

4
Basics

• Mating animals have various methods for
  attracting mates
• Birds colorful plumage
• Monkeys screeching calls

5
Basics

• Population of deer at time of colonization
• 7 deer/square mile (640 acres)
• Deer do not thrive in virgin forest land or dense
  vegetation
• Need areas that have been disturbed
• For example fires, storms, tornadoes, or ice
  storms
• These create openings and new vegetation

6
Basics

• Deer have a developed system for announcing their
  availability for mating
• Scent attracts opposite sex
• Visual signs e.g. markings
• Deer not known for vocalization
• Elk are the exception
• Deer evolved to rely heavily on scent cues and
  visual cues
• These are the basis for rut

7
Pre-Rut

• In late summer food quality poor or declining
• Deer enter fall in fairly poor condition
• Must get into breeding condition fairly fast
• Fruit, nuts, and acorns mature about this time
• High in energy and fat

8
Bucks Pre-Rut

• Have expended a lot of energy for
• Antler growth
• Shedding their velvet
• Caused by short term loss of blood flow to
  antlers
• Shedding summer coat and subsequent growth of
  heavier winter coat
• Developing muscles for upcoming combat period

9
Bucks Pre-Rut

• Nutrient resources shunted to growing antlers
• Minerals and protein come from the bones of the
  body
• Shedding of coat and growth of grayish winter
  coat

10
Bucks Pre-Rut

• Shedding of velvet
• Bur forms at base which shuts off blood supply to
  velvet
• Process occurs inside of the antlers
• Similar to hardening of arteries
• In only a matter of hours, the velvet dies and
  falls off
• The buck can now get ready for rutting and combat

11
Bucks Pre Rut

• Many anatomical and physiological changes take
  place at this time
• Remain in their summer sanctuaries and move very
  little
• Yearling bucks tend to roam because of no habitat
  
• Yearling bucks also attempt to become associated
  with buck groups

12
Bucks Pre-Rut

• Most of initial rutting signs occur in and around
  their summer habitats
• Size and strength important
• Must work on strength
• Male hormone levels increase
• More belligerent and often take out frustration
  on saplings

13
Bucks Pre-Rut

• Enlarged neck due to strengthened neck muscles
  from rubbing, not enlarged glands
• Mock combats with trees strengthen shoulder and
  ham regions
• Usually attack trees with light colored bark in
  order to leave signposts
• Signposts are generally near the primary bedding
  spot

14
Bucks Pre-Rut

• Scent communication is important to the Whitetail
• Body is covered with scent glands
• Communication occurs from one deer to another
• There is still little known about scent
  communication

15
Bucks Pre-Rut

• Scraping allows the buck to release information
• He is in area
• He is in breeding condition
• Scraping usually begins in mid-summer
• Not all bucks scrape
• During pre rut bucks perform mock scrapes

16
Late Pre-Rut

• Last few days prior to actual rut
• Bucks extremely aggressive and agitated
• Full scales fights are easily provoked and are
  characterized by
• Slow stiff-legged approach
• Ears laid back, hair standing on end, and
  becoming darker
• Presentation of a broadside in order to appear
  larger
• Circling each other

17
Late Pre-Rut

• Fight
• One or both may Snort-wheeze, signals intent on
  fighting
• Violent coming together of antlers
• Durations from minutes to hours
• Largest antlered buck not always winner
• Defeated buck pursued by victor

18
Rut

• Full rut begins with response to light conditions
• Bucks move and roam farther from summer area
• They expand the rubbing and scraping area
• This expansion continues as season progresses

19
Rut

• Doe social groups are, for the most part, related
• Bucks roaming away from related social groups
  prevents inbreeding
• In overpopulated areas inbreeding is common

20
Rut

• Vagrant (roaming) bucks set up lines of scrapes
  as they move along from one group to another

21
Full Scrape Sequence

• Begin by pawing-out a depression in the ground
  beneath a bush
• Urinates in the depression
• Urine carries male secretions
• Signals other bucks that he is in the area
• Signals the does that he is available for mating
• He may also refresh his signpost markings

22
Full Scrape Sequence

• Information is left from the forehead gland or
  glands around antlers
• This information is picked up by other bucks
  either by smell or by taste (licking the scrapes)
• Buck follows the series or line of scrapes
• If scrape produces a doe he sticks with it
• If no doe appears, he moves on

23
Rut

• No special time of day
• If does are in heat, bucks move
• If does are in good condition, they come into
  heat about the same time as the buck comes into
  rut

24
Doe Estrus

• Well-managed herds or herds with low populations
  have 2 3 distinct periods of rut
• 1st strongest early in season
• 2nd 20 30 days later includes does that
  became pregnant in primary rut plus younger does
  that did not come into heat
• 3rd small group includes a few fawn does

25
Doe Estrus

• Up to 40 of fawn does have ability to reproduce
  in well-managed herds or low population densities

26
Buck Doe Behavior

• Communication
• Scrapes
• Bucks can trail does over great distance
• Some believe that does show preference to
  selected bucks

27
Buck Doe Behavior

• Pheromones are chemical communicators
• Sex hormones source is not urine
• Does also make scrapes
• Signposts are most often located in open areas
  visible to each sex

28
Buck Doe Behavior

• Buck approaches doe
• Struts
• Antlers held high
• Walks stiff-legged
• Could come running with a wagging tail
• Doe initially not willing to cooperate

29
Buck Doe Behavior

• Vocalizations
• Several pig-like grunts when buck approaches doe
• Variable in pitch and delivery
• May also attract other bucks
• Does do not make grunting sounds during mating

30
Buck Doe Behavior

• Once contact is established the buck and doe stay
  together for several days
• Mating occurs during this time
• Only after the doe decides to mate
• Doe positions more easily for mating
• Mating may take place several times over short
  period
• Buck may breed 6 to 8 does

31
Post-Rut

• Instinct for survival takes over
• Bucks become wary of hunters
• Spend much of their time in sanctuaries
• Limit movement to when hunters are not out
• Lose a good portion of their weight and fat
  reserves

32
Post-Rut

• As high as 40 mortality rate in northern US and
  Canada
• Does do not experience this high rate because of
  a lower level of rutting activity
• Bucks seek out high carbohydrate and high fat
  foods
• Higher acorn production years
• Agricultural crops

33
Post Rut

• Light conditions and breeding activity cause buck
  to lose interest in rutting
• Loss of male hormones cause a breaking layer
• Break between the base of the antler and the
  skull
• Antlers fall off singularly or as a set
• Bucks may continue scraping out of habit