I’ve been sitting back watching the pig rasslin’ going on over at the Deer & Deer Hunting site over whose theory of deer rutting is closer: Charlie Alsheimer or Leonard Lee Rue III. I think both guys have done a great job of research. For all the arguing and fussing and things are coming out crystal clear: There is not enough of our anecdotal evidence to back up either author’s assertions conclusively.

If Charlie said the sun came up just after the cock crowed, and Leonard said the sun was coming up due to the dogs howling, we would probably be able to come to an agreement fairly soon. Enough of us have seen the sun come up to know the real reason why they sun comes up. Instead, the group seems fairly split.

I, personally, am in the camp that says: yes, one of them will do nicely. My authority on this is neither Charlie or Leonard. It’s Jake. Jake runs the processing operation at Myer’s General Store in Lennoxburg, KY. Jake will tell you: the largest number of bucks start coming in shortly after sun-up on Opening Day of the KY Rifle Season, with a peak in the afternoon. Scientifically backtracking and allowing for gutting, and transport that means, if you want to bag a buck in our county, the best time to do it is before 0900 of Opening Day. My experience directly coincides with this. How that figures in to Rue’s or Alsheimer’s models is up to you. I suspect that if you check with your local processor or your local check station, you can get a similar response.

Both Rue and Alsheimer will tell you that local conditions: weather, hunting pressure, etc. will influence their model significantly. Neither theory can be conclusively shown to be the sole controlling influence, at least not yet. In either case, I doubt it will matter all that much. Kentucky will still schedule its season to cover the Rut. Ohio will still schedule it’s Shotgun Season between the November and December ruts. If you want to bow hunt the November rut, you are better off on one side of the Ohio River. If you want to hunt with a rifle, you’re better off on the other– local conditions prevail.

Just so you have it: the shaman predicts that the rut will peak in SW Bracken County, KY at 0650 EST on November 8, 2008. For positions east of Brooksville, you may see this peak a minute or so earlier. The peak will last until 0900EST, when most guys get tired of reloading and start heading in. At 1000 EST there will be a second peak of activity, as the deer run for their lives from all the ATV traffic. From 1000 EST until 1130 EST, smart hunters who stay on their stands will be able to take advantage of this second peak. The shaman advises all hunters to gut their deer as soon as possible and transport them out of the woods. The line at Jakes can get long in the afternoon. If you doubt my calculations, remember this: dead deer don’t rut. At least it is hard to determine which phase of the rut a buck is experiencing when it is hanging from a meat pole.

Excuse me, I have to go get my rattle and start shaking– my duty as the resident shaman here. It’s getting on towards dawn, and unless I get out there soon, I won’t be able to get the sun to come up. This is one deer hunter who KNOWS why the sun comes up.

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