Best Rut dates '09

[Nubs]

bullwinkle- Though I do not completely buy C.A.'s Theory even though it seems to have good supporting evidence. I don't believe that C.A. states that beading takes place over an entire month...at least not the bulk of it. C.A.'s theory clearly outlines the various stages of the rut and the prediction of when the bulk of the breading will take place based on the moon phase. Last years rut was a lot like 2005, it was kind of a trickle rut with sporadic burst of activity prolonged over a month of time. 2007's rut was a dynamite rut with all kinds of activity early in the month of Nov. I think this years rut will be a lot like 2007.

[Goose]

Charlie always says that the rut is a marathon not a sprint.
 
Steve Bartylla brought up a good point, if the moon theory where true it would be very simple to prove by measuring fetuses in car killed does. Measure the fetus and that will tell you when it was conceived, therefore telling you when the rut took place.
Another thing is that everybody in the Midwest has the same moon over head so why would the rut vary so much from state to state or even county to county?
Nature is more exact than a month variance with fawn drop, it's critical to fawn survival that they are born at the right time. Not up to a month earlier or later in some cases.
Just to much variance for me to believe it....

[Centralwisconsinland]

Call me superstitious there are two days that I will be bow hunting no matter what.  I have not missed in twenty years, those dates are Oct. 28 and Nov. 6.  I have my biggest bow kills on those dates.  So call me superstitious or as my wife calls me stuperstitious. 

[coach]

Me ...Its Nov 16.
 
3rd week of November is when usually doe comes in estrous.  I would say the majority. They are worst
then Girls Gone Wild.  [;)]
 
Here are a pic with 2 deer shot on November 16th. 
The buck on the right...Nov 16, 1998
The buck on the left.....Nov 16. 1998

[coach]

Sorry....the one on the right.....1988  not 1998
 
They were exactly 10 years appart to the day.

[gunther89]

I feel that the rut is more brought on by the cold weather.  It seems like when we get the first back to back cold nights or days the rutting activity picks up dramatically.  This is normally in late October and this is when the first does come into heat.  Last year it was suppose to be a late rut middle of November, but I saw more rutting activity in late October then I did in all of November put together.  The reason was because we had 3 days of temps being in the 20's for lows and highs in the upper 30's to low 40's. 

I take nothing away from CA, he knows so much about whitetails and I have learned alot from him but I feel there are more major factors going into the rut then the moon.

[Centralwisconsinland]

who--eee nice deer coachy. 

[buckhunter21]

Coach, nice deer!  Hey question, what's up with the mounting board on the buck on the right?  Looks like on the bottom right it kind of just disappears as it goes up.