NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 21 NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 21
increased effort to attract does.
During this time, bucks can also
increase their home range in search
of does, and often exhibit behaviors
uncharacteristic of the traditionally
wary species by spending hours on
foot. In a study conducted by Texas
A&M-Kingsville, a healthy buck can
spend 6.75 hours per day trying to
find does in estrus.
Because of this movement,
researchers at the same university
found that bucks can lose – from the
pre-rut to the post-rut – 24 percent of
their body mass.
However, despite all of this time
afoot by bucks, a doe only remains in
estrus for 24 to 48 hours, giving bucks
a very small window of opportunity.
At this time, bucks will often "tend"
to does, remaining as close as they
can while she's receptive. If she isn't
bred during this period, approximately
28 days later the doe will go through
estrus again, contributing to what
many call the "second rut."
The main constant during the rut is
that nothing is constant. Because does
come into estrus at different times,
buck behavior changes from
day to day and year to
year. When she's
ready, he has to
be ready too.
A buck trails a doe at
Neale Woods in northern
Douglas County.
