Re: That's it..! Who's ready 2 hunt these?
Bucks can be seen shedding antlers in early Dec. depending on how stressed they are from the rut. Once a deer is finished with the rut his body anually knows it doesnt need to be carrying around those antlers. so some may lose one early and carry the other for quite some time, or lose both in the same day. Also the rut did not happen any earlier in Iowa than it does any other year. Bucks are ready to breed as soon as the velvet is rubbed from thier horns. some doe's start to estrus at this same time. The peak of the rut is only when the majority come into estrus at the same time. So breeding can go from early Oct. into late Dec.. If you don't see very much breeding going on in your area, its going to be from too much human pressure. Hot weather,cold,rain, or snow the rut happens the same every year. (tell me the last time you passed up sex because of the weather).