January Coues Rut Predictions Central AZ

[AZ_SAWBUCK]

Alright! I'll be that guy!!!! With almost no rain for three months and high temps what's everyone's thoughts for the start of the Coues rut in Central AZ units? Elevations from 3,000-5,000'. In past years its cooler and we have had a few fall and winter storms by the end of the year, usually a pretty good storm right a round Christmas and the New Year, then Bucks following the ladies shortly after! I personally think its going to kick off later in January this year! Just not sure how much weather has to do with when the doe's come in? What are your thoughts?...................Hey Look a Deer!

[ThomC]

All the rutting will be done at night when it is cooler. It will be a tougher hunt for road hunters.

[wish2hunt]

So trphyhntr is in trouble then.

[trphyhntr]

worst deer season i ever had this year and did 0 road hunting, never again.

[oz31p]

The rut will peak the exact same days this year it did last Year.

[mattys281]

My prediction is I will kill one second week of January. Likely won’t be large, but I predict it’ll taste dang good anyway

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

I'm betting on an early rut. We saw some bucks sparring recently and tearing up trees.

[trphyhntr]

i wonder why desert mule deer and rocky mountain mule deer rut are 2 months apart if its just the photo period. guess becuase theyre 2 different species. i dont disagree since no matter what the weather i always saw bass on beds at saguaro the last weekend in february

[Speedy]

The rut is timed to result in fawn drop during the best time of the year for their survival. That's why whitetails in WI rut in November and in AZ January. Same species, different areas.

[StickFlicker]

As Speedy said, the rut is timed based on when the fawns should drop in that area for best chance at survival. While technically they are the same genus, I'm not sure I agree with lumping Coues deer with eastern whitetails as the basis for this comparison. It is true that animals further north do breed earlier (and also normally have larger body weights) as a survival mechanism. Nature times the fawn drop to maximize survival of the deer in the area they live. And it's not just in Arizona, Canadian deer breed well before Arizona deer, and northern Arizona deer breed well before southern Arizona deer and deer in Mexico are the latest.

 

It's also correct that the rut will always be on the same dates in a particular area, every year. Only the activity levels will vary based in part on that year's climatic activity.

[grey curse]

not much rutting activity going on in southern units. IMO this heat is affecting the rut. But maybe Im not looking in all the right spots. Anyone seeing rutting activity

[Huntnfish]

Been watching bucks chasing does the past few days in 6A. Don't think it's full tilt yet, but it is at least starting. Last year was going pretty strong by now.