Derived from the Latin word rugire, which means “to roar” the annual mating season for deer, “The Rut”, is primarily driven by decreasing autumn daylight.
Buck along Allen’s Mills Road exhibiting swollen neck and sent testing with his tongue during the Rut
While male White-tailed Deer (Bucks) do not verbally “roar”, their testosterone level sure surges causing them to become aggressive, territorial, and less cautious. They rub and thrash their antlers against trees, create ground “scrapes” to leave scent, spar with other males, and actively chase does. During the rut, a buck’s neck swells dramatically, and its tongue is often involved in specialized scent-checking and marking behaviors. Bucks frequently curl their upper lip and flick or stick out their tongue while keeping their mouth slightly open. This action draws doe urine and pheromones over the vomeronasal organ (Jacob’s organ) located on the roof of the mouth to test if a doe is in estrus.
During the Rut, bucks have only one thing in mind – mating. During this time, they barely eat or sleep and can lose 20% to 25% (or 30 to 40 pounds) of their body weight!
For the female deer (Does) the time of the Rut brings on their own hormonal changes and enter estrus (or “heat”) for a very brief window, typically lasting about 24 to 48 hours. This is the time when the female is sexually receptive and ready to breed.
In Northern New Jersey, the typical Rut pattern is as follows:
- Pre-Rut: Late October to Early November: Bucks begin actively rubbing trees, making scrapes, and increasing daytime movement.
- Peak Breeding: Early November to Mid-November: Intense chasing and breeding activity; bucks are heavily on the move and less cautious.
- Post-Rut: Late November to early December: Buck activity starts to taper off as primary does are bred.
- Late Rut: Early December to Mid-December: Secondary or minor breeding cycles can occur for does not bred during the primary window
Buck running across Richline Road into MCR property during the Rut
Remember: Driving during the white-tailed deer rutting season (late October through mid-December) requires extra vigilance, especially at dawn and dusk, because bucks become distracted and unpredictable while chasing does and will run out into roads regardless of traffic!