Thread: Fallow in the Waikato - Rut timing?

Ideal morning, little wind with drizzle.

Originally Posted by whanahuia

Afew things have conspired to make it a hit and miss rut this year in the area. Heaps of feed makes me suspect the does have cycled early which is backed up by observations of plenty of does without Bucks. An early full moon and its exceedingly warm with a warm rainy week right at the peak of the rut. There has been sporadic Craoking but what im seeing is a general lack of interest in the rut pads and random action that starts up then stops again almost immediately.

Yes this fits with what I've been experiencing, the deer we're so fat they were about to have heart attacks in Feb, one I shot had about 2" on its rump of pure fat. The kidneys were genuinely hard to find amongst the layers and layers of fat. Bloody delicious eating meat though.
Whenever it starts to cool down we get a cold south-easterly blowing in and that keeps everything tucked up in cover it seems.
The rut pads, I know of three within about 60m of each other, only one had been visited since the rain two days prior, despite all of them being used this year.
I've also noticed the does are pretty much still off on their own.

Originally Posted by tetawa

Ideal morning, little wind with drizzle.

Might get this weather in the weekend, I'll shoot out and make the most of it.