3 of the 7 best days for the whitetail rut are in the next week, the report says

As the calendar has turned to November, whitetail deer are approaching the peak of their breeding activity – known as the rut – in the middle of the month.

Field & Stream writer Scott Bestul reports that some days are better than others for hunters hoping to catch some of the hormone-fueled deer chase.

The magazine published Bestul’s in September “Best Days of the Whitetail Rut 2024”, drawing on his own 50 years of deer hunting experience and interviews with biologists, outfitters and other experts.

Three of Bestul’s picks for the best days of the rut fall in the following week, starting Saturday, November 2. This is No. 2 on his list, followed by Election Day on Tuesday, November 5 and Friday, November 8.

Visit fieldandstream.com for a complete picture of why these days are among the best.

“During the breeding season, adults and yearling bucks tend to remain alone unless they are searching for a female approaching estrus,” writes the Pennsylvania Game Commission at pgc.pa.gov.

“The white-tailed deer breeding season begins as early as September and can last until late January,” state officials continue. “Breeding activity peaks in mid-November and most adult females have been bred by the end of December.”

The rut is also peak time for white-tail vehicle collisionsand end of daylight savings time at 2:00 on Sunday, November 3 it can make things worse with more drivers on the road at dusk and dawn when deer can be most active.

Archery season in Pennsylvania for antlered and antlerless deer continues through Friday, Nov. 22 statewide, including Sunday, Nov. 17. Under the Pennsylvania Gaming Commission Wildlife Management Units 2B, 5C and 5D in the more populated areas of southeastern and western Pennsylvania, including Lehigh Valley communities, the season continues through Black Friday, November 29 and includes two Sundays, November 17 and 24. The archery season then resumes on December 26. , along with the flintlock season and continues through most of January.

The regular firearms season for antlered and antlerless whitetails runs Saturday, Nov. 30 and Sunday, Dec. 1 through Saturday, Dec. 14; Sunday, December 8 is closed to hunting. There is also an extended firearms season for antlerless deer Dec. 26-Jan. 25 in UMD 2B, 5C and 5D and January 2-20 in UMD 4A, 4D and 5A.

Some antlerless licenses remained available from Friday, November 1, in UMD 2B, 4A and 4B.