New Georgia Rut Map!

[tonyrittenhouse]

map

Love the map. I totally agree with the map for Burke County. But disagree for extreme west Chattooga County. I hunt close to the Alabama state line in Chattooga and the rut does not happen until January after deer season has closed. I have been hunting the same property for 3 years and run alot of trail cams the fawns are normally born in July each year on this property. Also, scrapes don't start showing up until the last week in Dec. and I get a lot of pic's of bucks chasing doe in late Jan. I did enjoy the map and it is correct for a lot of areas just not western Chattooga.

 

[Grey Man]

Looks like Forsyth County is right.

 

[Bioguy]

This was an excellent collaborative effort among GADNR, the UGA Deer Lab, and GADOT. All in all, the map should be pretty close to peak rut for most counties, and based on the feedback so far, that looks to be fairly true. As more deer-vehicle collision data is added in the upcoming years, the map should get increasingly accurate.

The science behind this map is that deer-vehicle collisions serve as an index for deer movement (i.e. the more deer move, the more they get hit by vehicles...common sense right?). In other words, if you know the rut is quickly approaching and you see a lot of dead deer on the side of the road...it's time to take a "sick day" and get in a stand . Good luck everyone!

 

[Gone Fishin]

Can you do the following with the data: For each county use the historical collision data and graph for the months of Oct, Nov, Dec, showing collisions/day? Start with Cook county, since I asked first. (hystograms)

Should show some sort of bimodal or maybe even trimodal movement. First & 2nd ruts...

 

[Amoo]

Full rut in Berrien County same week as full moon. Think I'm gonna shoot a Sasquatch this year.

 

[C.Killmaster]

This was an excellent collaborative effort among GADNR, the UGA Deer Lab, and GADOT. All in all, the map should be pretty close to peak rut for most counties, and based on the feedback so far, that looks to be fairly true. As more deer-vehicle collision data is added in the upcoming years, the map should get increasingly accurate.

The science behind this map is that deer-vehicle collisions serve as an index for deer movement (i.e. the more deer move, the more they get hit by vehicles...common sense right?). In other words, if you know the rut is quickly approaching and you see a lot of dead deer on the side of the road...it's time to take a "sick day" and get in a stand . Good luck everyone!

Yes, this was an excellent collaborative effort between the 3 entities; but a special thanks goes to Bioguy (AKA Stickles) and the UGA Deer Lab for doing the lion's share of the work.

We'll continue to tweak the map periodically as more data becomes available.

 

[kevincox]

Dates are money in my area from what I've seen

 

[Core Lokt]

Dates are early for SW Decatur. The last 8 yrs it's been last week of Dec or first of Jan. Sounds like most counties are on the money though. Good work by all.

 

[elfiii]

Well done Charlie. Ya'll nailed Troup Co.

 

[Milkman]

Well done Charlie. Ya'll nailed Troup Co.

Lee, you know this one is gonna have to be pinned up top

 

[GWH]

Heard Co. Rut

My belief is that they are at least 2 weeks off. During the 42 years of hunting the same area in Heard, the rut has slowly shifted from the second week in November to more towards the end of the month and even into the first week of December. Of course when the season closes you will still find active scrapes in January while small game hunting.

If I had my choice I would be in the woods the whole season, that way I would not miss a thing! Otherwise get there when you can and enjoy the experience.

 

[florida boy]

I have hunted Clay county for years and the dates it shows on this map are atleast 5 weeks early . You are lucky to see much scraping by mid Oct......

 

[florida boy]

This was an excellent collaborative effort among GADNR, the UGA Deer Lab, and GADOT. All in all, the map should be pretty close to peak rut for most counties, and based on the feedback so far, that looks to be fairly true. As more deer-vehicle collision data is added in the upcoming years, the map should get increasingly accurate.

The science behind this map is that deer-vehicle collisions serve as an index for deer movement (i.e. the more deer move, the more they get hit by vehicles...common sense right?). In other words, if you know the rut is quickly approaching and you see a lot of dead deer on the side of the road...it's time to take a "sick day" and get in a stand . Good luck everyone!

So the doe that I hit just after noon(Oct 1) in Early county is used in this data?

 

[humdandy]

Southern part of Screven is finally right, however the northern part of Screven Co rut is a week later than the southern part. I have been hunting both areas for over 20 years and have pulled fetus to age them.

 

[chrisw1073]

Whoa! What is going on in Telfair? I have hunted there all my life. I'll give mid Oct. the benefit of the doubt this year, and hunt those dates hard, but Nov. 6th - 15th has always been the best chasing on my property. Most of the surrounding counties seem to be spot on with what I've experienced in Telfair.

 

[Big Foot]

you better close the deal before Thanksgiving, just sayin

 

[Adam Chesley]

Miller County is right on the money for our property usually in the middle of December is when we see the most shooter bucks.

 

[chefrific]

Telfair is WAY off! I've NEVER seen the rut in mid October. You can set your watch by it firing up around the 2nd weekend of November.

 

[BornToHuntAndFish]

http://www.georgiawildlife.org/node/3719

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GEORGIA DEER HUNTERS: NEW DEER RUT MAP AVAILABLE

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. (Sept. 18, 2014) – Hunters, ever asked yourself “when does the rut happen in my part of the state?” If so, you are in luck. Staff with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division recently updated the statewide rut map (www.georgiawildlife.com/rut-map) with brand new information and it is ready for you!

“Each fall, a constant question we receive at our office is ‘when is the peak of the rut?’” said Charlie Killmaster, state deer biologist with the Game Management Section. “Until this year, we have referred to a map based on historic deer conception data that, while as accurate as it could be when it was developed, definitely needed updating.”

What is the “rut?” This refers to the breeding season for white-tailed deer, which can vary at the local scale, especially in areas that experience southern climates like Georgia. During the peak of the rut, a large percentage of female deer are ready to be bred and become much more active, increasing their daily movement and home range size. Additionally, male deer will move more frequently and longer distances as they seek out female deer.

Why do hunters like to know when the peak of the rut happens? More deer movement increases the chance to observe more deer, thereby increasing a hunter’s odds of seeing and potentially harvesting a deer.

So, how do you develop a map that correlates to a deer’s reproductive cycle? The greater movement by both male and female deer caused by this natural cycle also results in more deer traveling across roadways, making them more susceptible to being hit by motor vehicles.

Armed with this knowledge, University of Georgia graduate student Jim Stickles developed the idea to compare the chronology of deer-vehicle collisions with breeding activity. Recognizing the benefits of accurately predicting peak deer movement for both hunting and warning drivers, Stickles enlisted additional help from UGA and WRD.

After testing a variety of formulas to decipher the large dataset of deer-vehicle collisions, the collaborators pooled historical deer conception data and deer movement data from other ongoing studies. They found a strong correlation between peak deer-vehicle collisions, deer conception dates, and hourly movement rates of GPS-collared deer. Therefore, deer-vehicle collisions were used as an index of deer movement to map the peak dates of deer movement throughout the state. Deer-vehicle collision data was furnished by the Georgia Department of Transportation. A complete peer-reviewed manuscript detailing this project has been submitted for publication to the Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

“This is yet another great example of collaboration between Georgia Wildlife Resources Division and the University of Georgia.” said Killmaster. “I’m continually impressed with the caliber of scientists at the University of Georgia’s Deer Laboratory. This project was only one of many collaborative research efforts with UGA, all specifically designed to improve wildlife management in Georgia.”

Thank you for buying a hunting license! State-managed public hunting lands are funded through a combination of state license fees and matching federal funds from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services’ Wildlife Restoration Program. Hunters account for $977 million in retail sales in Georgia each year with a $1.6 billion ripple effect and almost 24,000 jobs.

Want a preview of what to expect during deer archery season? A brand new video is available at www.youtube.com/georgiawildlife/videos . Be on the lookout for more deer videos as the season progresses.

To view the new rut map, visit www.georgiawildlife.com/rut-map . For more information on deer hunting seasons, regulations, licenses and WMA maps, visit www.georgiawildlife.com/hunting .

Many thank-you's for the good helpful info.



Georgia Rut Map PDF file at web link below:


http://georgiawildlife.com/sites/default/files/uploads/wildlife/hunting/pdf/maps/Georgia-Rut-Map.pdf



http://www.georgiawildlife.com/rut-map

Peak Deer Movement in Georgia

The timing of the rut, or breeding season, for white-tailed deer varies locally, especially in southern climates like Georgia’s. During the rut, the desire to breed causes deer to become more active compared to the rest of the year. Bucks move more and become less secretive, making them easier to hunt and more susceptible to being hit by motor vehicles.

Researchers at the University of Georgia and biologists with the Wildlife Resources Division found a strong correlation between peak deer-vehicle collision timeframes, deer conception dates and the hourly movement rates of deer tracked by GPS. Based on that information, deer-vehicle collision data provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation was used to map the timing of peak deer movement in Georgia.

Counties marked with an asterisk (*) had fewer than 100 deer-vehicle collisions for the sample period, too few to determine meaningful results. Accuracy of the dates shown for these counties will be low.

The map is based on “Using Deer-vehicle Collisions to Map White-tailed Deer Breeding Activity in Georgia,” a peer-reviewed manuscript submitted for publication to the Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Co-authors are James H. Stickles, David B. Stone, Charles S. Evans, Karl V. Miller, Ph.D., Robert J. Warren, Ph.D., and David A. Osborn of UGA, and Charlie H. Killmaster of the Wildlife Resources Division.

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[dblnranch]

Clay county in October???

I think that green shade stands out for a reason. Because it is not correct.