rut in east texas

[dcrow]

I hunted Polk county for 6 years and Hardin county for 5 years, the rut always was mid oct to the first two weeks of nov. Then deer hunting got real hard after that. thank goodness for ducks!

Jackpot...

[texasboy1]

East Texas Rut

I have land in Huntington,TX (Angelina ) the rut start late OCT , however around Nov 9 to 17 you better keep the rifle in your hand while in your stand, big boy's are out at all time's of the day and on the move.

[HoustonR6ryda]

Oct-18

hunt in Leon county and the rut for me started 3rd week October and lasted a long time because all the does, but the time i saw most bucks was late oct, October is the best month where I hunt near buffalo

Exact time I saw rut activity last season in Oakwood--

[sharkhunter]

The peak according to the moon chart is around Nov 3rd. The pre-rut though is when those big boys are realy moving. Last week in October with a cold snap you had better be on stand...

[Lhamilton]

There ain't no rut in East Texas. The poachers stole it.

Yes so so true

[Bonesplitter]

Im on a lease in east tx for the first time this year. Im in Polk cty. From what I have heard its typically in the later part of November. Most of the guys on our lease and neighboring properties said the rut last year was hardly evident. They tend to blame the hurricane. Said there wasnt much of a second or later rut to be noted either. Dont know if this helps or just screws it up worse for you. I just figured Id pass along the hear say Ive recaived.

Lower polk county pre rut occured during Oct last year. I watched countless bucks chasing does .

[Texbow]

I would say it is not as pronounced as some other areas, but last year, an increased level rut-type activity the last week of October and through the first two weeks of November.

Ditto. I've hunted Harrison and Rusk counties for almost 30 years and the rut has for the most part been between the 3rd week of October to the 2nd week in November. River bottom bucks seem slightly ahead of each years main rut.

[White Falcon]

This pic is hard to see, but had a 6 point tending a doe in my back yard last Thursday in Holly Lake,

[White Falcon]

[tomkat]

I hunt close to Apple Springs and the rut starts 3rd week of oct and runs to 2nd week of nov.

I agree. full rut is usually last week of October and first week of November.

[ETXBow]

You can't shoot does in the forest? What?

[ETXBow]

IMO...Rut is too hard to define in East Texas because there are waaay too many does. There is a great number of hunters in ETX that don't believe in taking a doe...and now the US Forest Service will not let you take one either.

Until the buck-doe ratio gets in balance, the rut is up in the air.

Now having said that..I hunt in Shelby Co and saw rutting activity during the last week of October and first week of November

This is what I was replying to. We are full of does in the forest! Can't believe we can't harvest

[firemanjj82]

Since the last week of October, I have been three times, and the chasing had decreased to nothing from that first time. If I had to pin point it, from the last three years, I would say rut in van zandt county, in the part around 3227 and 47, is heavier around the last week of October to the first week or November. I will he going out again soon, and I will see what it is doing and update then.

[Coon]

IMO...Rut is too hard to define in East Texas because there are waaay too many does. There is a great number of hunters in ETX that don't believe in taking a doe...and now the US Forest Service will not let you take one either.

Until the buck-doe ratio gets in balance, the rut is up in the air.

Now having said that..I hunt in Shelby Co and saw rutting activity during the last week of October and first week of November

Spud, I used to believe this exactly. But after rethinking it, I believe that there aren't too many does. I believe there aren't enough bucks. The deer herd is not at or above the carrying capacity of the habitat. It's just that we've killed so many bucks, usually young, immature bucks that there aren't enough to breed all the does during the first rut. This is why the rut drags on so long and there are fawns being born so late. This is also why antler restrictions are going to help, because it will allow more bucks to survive and breed more does during the early November rut. I'm no biologist, but this makes sense to me, however, it's just my opinion based on my observations in the Sam Houston National Forest over the past 20 years or so.


Dave

[C'mereDeer]

I witnessed signs of the rut opening weekend of gun season this year, and saw a buck chasing a doe this past weekend. So my guess would be late Oct. - end of Nov. Madison/Leon County