Do you think next weekend 10/14 could be a first estrus cycle?

[nybuckboy]

We all know that around 11/14 is considered peak estrus but do you think next weekend 10/14-15 could be a first estrus cycle? 

[suburbanfarmer]

Its around that time every yr..remember its a bell curve

[Four Seasons]

Highly doubtful. That would put birth at the end of April. Way too early in the North.  But anything is possible for sure. 

[First-light]

One Columbus day weekend a few years ago I had a big buck chasing a doe. 

[Hock3y24]

Absolutely, I had a doe bleating her brains out last night. With the cold temps its very possible a few may come in. 

[Four Seasons]

I can say after raising Whitetails for almost 25 years I have never had a fawn born in April. Mother Nature Knows. 

[First-light]

Cycles do start early and go late. On Long Island there is a January shot gun hunt. Fawns with spots on them come into the check station. This is Long Island and the Biologist said the cycle is a bit screwed up on Long Island. 

[landtracdeerhunter]

Already has happen here. And yes, I've seen fawns here in April.

[landtracdeerhunter]

1 hour ago, Four Seasons said:

I can say after raising Whitetails for almost 25 years I have never had a fawn born in April. Mother Nature Knows. 

I wasn't a believer either,  until Nature proved it to me.

[catskillkid]

I had a nice buck chasing a doe around in front of me Saturday evening. So yes

[grampy]

Bucks are ready! But the majority of the doe won't be ready until November. But......I have seen hard chasing in October. My guess is that usually it's an older doe, building up the mating hormones a bit early. She may not stand for breeding, but the bucks smell that she may be close? Even though she may be couple weeks away? Just my take on it. I am no biologist. As said above, I have never seen fawns in April. 

[chrisw]

First off, I think we need to separate "bucks chasing does" and estrous cycles. Bucks will bump does quite regularly, it does not mean that a doe is in estrus. I'm sure a doe has come into estrus early at some point, but nature has the ultimate determination of that, just because you get a cold front has no bearing on the reproductive cycles. I've witnessed bucks grunt and push a doe 50 yds in a field several times in the first few days of the season, it's fairly common for bucks to bother does. Fawns born to early are doomed, as well as too late. Nature determines the cycle, not the weather, not because bucks are pushing does, not because you hear a doe bleat etc... Is it impossible? Probably not, is it likely, absolutely not.

Sent from my motorola edge (2022) using Tapatalk

[Four Seasons]

5 hours ago, chrisw said:

First off, I think we need to separate "bucks chasing does" and estrous cycles. Bucks will bump does quite regularly, it does not mean that a doe is in estrus. I'm sure a doe has come into estrus early at some point, but nature has the ultimate determination of that, just because you get a cold front has no bearing on the reproductive cycles. I've witnessed bucks grunt and push a doe 50 yds in a field several times in the first few days of the season, it's fairly common for bucks to bother does. Fawns born to early are doomed, as well as too late. Nature determines the cycle, not the weather, not because bucks are pushing does, not because you hear a doe bleat etc... Is it impossible? Probably not, is it likely, absolutely not.

Sent from my motorola edge (2022) using Tapatalk
 

Exactly.  Amazes me how so many “ Hunters” are so far off the mark when it comes to that stuff. You could probably count on one hand the number of fawns born in Ny state in April. If it does not happen in the most cared for stress free animals behind fence it does not happen very often outside. 

[chrisw]

Right, it's based on the amount of daylight ultimately, that's why deer are referred to as "short day breeders."

Sent from my motorola edge (2022) using Tapatalk

[First-light]

Anything is possible. For sure there are early and late breeders. 

[silent death]

The end of October is the magic time around here it seems.. 

Edited October 11, 2023 by silent death

[knehrke]

I do believe that animals behind fences synchronize, much like females in the same house. The bell curve is much steeper for deer in captivity than in the wild. But I've also never seen an April drop, even though just last night there was some decent chasing going on in the corn in front of me. Chasing, yes...locked down breeding, probably not, with the caveat that there's always the exception to prove the rule.

It's going to be interesting to see how the early full moon affects the cycle this year.

[skully]

I had a giant 8 pointer chasing a doe while I was working on a roof right in ladys front lawn by vassar farm about 15 yrs ago.  I thought the rut was starting early so hunted my ass off and when the real rut started in nov I was exhausted . It was a fluke... Rut is typycally same time evry yr just better when its cool.......

[Four Seasons]

45 minutes ago, knehrke said:

I do believe that animals behind fences synchronize, much like females in the same house. The bell curve is much steeper for deer in captivity than in the wild. But I've also never seen an April drop, even though just last night there was some decent chasing going on in the corn in front of me. Chasing, yes...locked down breeding, probably not, with the caveat that there's always the exception to prove the rule.

It's going to be interesting to see how the early full moon affects the cycle this year.

Do you think they synchronize by themselves just because their behind fence?

[knehrke]

I think, like all animals, they synchronize with their closest interactions...ie, two girls sharing a dorm room with sync over time, generally. Being behind a fence simply means that they have enforced interactions and less chance of being influenced by outsiders. 

[Four Seasons]

2 hours ago, knehrke said:

I think, like all animals, they synchronize with their closest interactions...ie, two girls sharing a dorm room with sync over time, generally. Being behind a fence simply means that they have enforced interactions and less chance of being influenced by outsiders. 

Never see that behind these fences. Out of 100 does of course a few might fawn on the same day but pen mates are usually  not that close unless i synchronize them with CIDR’s and manipulate their cycles.