Hunting the Peak of the Rut: The DEFINITIVE How-To, Where-To, When-To

Technically, or physiologically, a whitetail buck is "in rut" from the instant his antler velvet is shed until he sheds his antlers in late winter/early spring.  "O. K., then;  enough already on the technical stuff, get on to the meat and 'taters:  when is the PEAK?" We can't go there yet.  The primary controlling factor of the rut in bucks, and more importantly, the estrus in does is a process known as "photoperiodism".  Put as simply as possible, this is the angle of the sun's rays striking the deer's retina, causing the pineal gland to trigger testosterone release in bucks, and estrogen...

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