Southern ID rut timing

[johnsd16]

One son drew a late Nov (15-30) tag for a southern Idaho unit that borders Utah. We hunted it before on a tag that ended 10/31 and of course saw only minimal rut activity from spikes, forkies.

I’m trying to coordinate with the other son’s CO 3rd season deer tag (Nov 9-15).

Is hunting southern ID Nov 21/22-27 “too late”? I’m a believer the rut timing can vary but does tent to have some pretty predictable peaks for a smallish area that may vary 3-7 days year by year. In the panhandle where we live that would be a great time to be out for whitetail.

 

[WeiserBucks]

21-27 is sorta late and many of the better bucks will be dead before you get there.

 

[Timberline001]

I would definitely want to hunt the first 7 days from what I’ve seen. The biggest 5 bucks I’ve seen actively chasing does in northern Utah and southern Idaho were November 13-15th (saw him 3 days in a row), November 17th, and November 20th X3.

 

[Pistolpete28]

In my experience the mule deer rut is earlier in Idaho/washington/northern Nevada, than Colorado or southern Utah. I’ve seen deer rutting in late October in Washington and Idaho(mature bucks not just forkies). Colorado seems to always be at least a week later than other states. I definitely agree with hunting that tag at the beginning, but if the end of the hunt is what you have for time, then it is what it is. There’s always a chance that time of the year regardless of the rut.

 

[johnsd16]

Thanks for the input. Sounds like at least trying to make a 3 day trip that first weekend may be in our best interest.

 

[EricBender208]

I feel it depends on weather. I also hunt S. Idaho and have seen the rut start before 10/31 then some years not until 11/20.