Pre Rut Bucks
Posted By
indiana
at
9/24/2009 12:00:00 AM
The storied Pre-Rut period has actually been underway for about a month, or so now. Some writers have coined the term Rut Preparation Period to describe this time frame, and it's a fitting title in many ways. At the end of summer the shortening amounts of daylight trigger the bucks' Pineal Glands and hormonal changes begin to slowly take over the antler hardening process and may have a bit to do with the shedding of summer coats as well. Both processes, in conjunction, take tremendous amounts of protein.
I've noticed over the years that all bucks are not on the exact same schedules: some shed their summer coats and velvet earlier than others, some later, and vice versa. It's a cool time to witness the morphing process. I always love looking at the trail camera pictures of bucks in August and seeing the patches of sleek, grayish-brown winter coat coming in next to the red summer coat that still remains.
As testosterone is injected into their bloodstreams daily, Rut-related behaviors (or Pre Rut behaviors) become more and more prevalent. Some folks are surprised to learn that light scraping behavior can actually start as early as August (sometimes even sooner yet). It's always cool to see Pre-Rut activities begin.
Hormones continue to influence the physiological changes in bucks (and also their general behaviors as well) through the month of October. Technically, bucks could breed does at this time, but they aren't producing the amounts of semen yet to breed several does. This comes later..jpg)
Scraping activity is considered a "fixed action pattern" by some professional biologists. This means that the activity is caused by rising testosterone levels and not by an actual "decision" by bucks to "make a scrape". This helps explain why more scrapes show up as the Rut approaches. Hormone levels reach their zenith in early November--just in time to synchronize with the onset of breeding estrus in does. This is Mom Nature's way of making sure that both sexes are ready at the same time. It's been that way for ions. Once breeding gets underway, scraping all but stops.
Usually by the third week of October bucks have all separated and dispersed and went their separate ways. Even bucks that hung out together all summer and early fall are now intolerant of each other because of skyrocketing testosterone levels. Necks are swollen, behaviors are turning more aggessive, posturing is more and more prevalent...it's almost time!
As the Pre-Rut melts into that all-important hard Pre-Rut phase (think late October), bucks are producing more scrapes and rubs as a result of increasing testosterone levels. Studies have shown that individual bucks can create hundreds of rubs during the Pre-Rut period. It's no wonder their necks can get pumped up to such sizes. Simply stated the hormones are getting bucks ready to be able to produce enough semen to get their jobs done. Bucks go through the equivalent of human puberty every fall. Wouldn't that be fun?
The Pre-Rut period is a great time for all of us to witness the morphing process of summer's bachelors into their testosterone pumped, individual selves. They go from the skinny, red coated, furry antlered former selves into their pumped up, testosterone injected, NFL linebacker-like alter egos in this rather short period of time known as the Pre Rut. Hopefully by the end of the Pre Rut they're ready to do what they were put on this planet to do: propagate the species.
Have a great time and enjoy yourself out there. Here's hoping you shoot that buck-of-a-lifetime this season.
Dean Weimer
