Wouldn’t you like to know the best days of the season to hunt, those select days that occur each season in which you have the greatest odds of harvesting the whitetail buck that you’ve been dreaming about all season? What if I told you that it was easy to predict? It’s simple if you want to guarantee yourself an encounter with a big buck this fall, hang up your weapon of choice and visit a petting zoo with the family. Let’s face it, there are no guarantees in life, especially in the whitetail woods.

However, there are things that we can do to increase our chances of harvesting a mature buck, but we aren’t here to talk about that today. If you’re like me, you have to pick and choose your days in the field wisely.  Each day in November that we can devote to chasing whitetails is a blessing. Some hunters plan their vacation around the whitetail rut, while others are not as lucky and they’re limited to the weekend warrior routine. Regardless of the amount of time that we are able to devote to chasing whitetails in the fall, one thing remains constant, we want to hunt on the best days of the season that will provide us the greatest chance at harvesting the buck we’re chasing.

If you’re looking for more information on the whitetail rut, here’s Everything You Need to Know About the Whitetail Rut.

You are probably well aware that November is the best time to be in the woods for a whitetail hunter. However, what if we could predict the best days of the whitetail rut that would increase our odds of harvesting our target buck? No, this is not another rut predictor click-bait article with the opinions of “Pro Hunters”.  The following information that I’m about to share with you is written in blood!  Yes, blood.  Every data point is derived from mature bucks killed in the four bow only counties of southern West Virginia.

Why Choose West Virginia for a Deer Study?

For starters, that’s where I’m from, so it was easier to gather the data.  Second, West Virginia has four bow-only counties that border one another which allows for an older-aged class of whitetail deer to exist in the wild, including on public ground.  Don’t get excited and think this is the next big buck mecca because it’s not. There are big deer in the area, but it’s not for the faint of heart.

Southern West Virginia is rough and rugged, steep and unforgiving.  Access to public ground is tough to come by and if you’re afraid to walk, then this isn’t the place for you.  West Virginia is blessed with four bow-only counties in the southern part of the state.  These counties have been closed to all other types of weapons, except for the use of archery equipment, since 1979.  This area of West Virginia is steep, rugged and has the ability to grow some giant whitetails on occasion.  The reduced pressure and rugged terrain allow the whitetail herd to reach its full potential, however, the quantity of whitetail in the area remains lower than in other parts of the state, thus one reason why these counties continue to be closed to firearms seasons.  Also, these counties support a one-buck limit, which helps maintain a healthier buck-to-doe ratio.

The most appealing reason to conduct this study on mature buck harvests is the four bow-only counties, meaning they don’t have a gun season.  Trying to conduct this study in a state that offers a gun season in November would distort the data as hunters flock to the woods in larger numbers during gun seasons.  So, West Virginia was the best place to collect this data.

Most of the other studies that you have read before probably have skewed data, usually as a result of a sudden influx of rifle, shotgun, or muzzleloader hunters. Basically, more deer will be harvested during gun seasons because there are more hunters in the woods with a firearm.  In many states, the gun seasons are short and have become ingrained in the hunting community for generations.  The opening day of rifle season in West Virginia has been a staple in our culture for many years and will continue to play a major role in hunter recruitment while helping maintain a balance in the deer population.  Therefore, the bow-only counties of southern West Virginia allow us to take a unique look into the movements of mature whitetail deer during daylight hours.

The Timeframe and Size of the Study

The data utilized for this study is from an intense nine-year study from 2008 to 2016.  It’s been a long time since I worked on this project, but the data is worth sharing.  I originally published this on the blog that I was running many years ago but it never garnered the attention that it deserved.  Now, I’m re-introducing the data to a larger audience in hopes of helping you plan your next Whitetail Rutcation.

This study consisted of 298 recorded harvests of mature whitetail bucks in the month of November within the bow-only counties of southern West Virginia during the nine-year study.  Although the definition of “mature whitetail buck” varies from person to person, each buck recorded for the study was measured or estimated to meet or exceed the Pope and Young minimum standards.

Results:  When is the best day to hunt in the whitetail rut?

Alright, it’s time! (Bruce Buffer voice anyone?) Let’s talk numbers.  Below you will find a bar graph that illustrates the exact dates that mature whitetails were harvested in the four bow-only counties of southern West Virginia during the month of November.  This data consists of nine consecutive years of big bucks hitting the ground.

Don’t skip to the graph just yet, let’s take a minute to learn how to use it first.  At the bottom of the graph, you will see the numbers 1 through 30, these numbers correspond to the day of the month in November.  On the left side, you will see numbers that represent how many mature whitetail bucks were harvested.

Notice the straight black line in the middle of the graph?  This line represents the average number of bucks killed per day in the month of November, over the last nine seasons.

When is the Best Day of the Year to Hunt During the Rut?

Take a look at the chart to see the best five days of the whitetail hunt during November.  The data doesn’t lie, there are no opinions in this study, only FACTS.  Each data point is a dead Pope and Young buck!  On average, the best day to hunt the whitetail rut in the month of November is November 11.  A close second is November 14.  The third best day of the month of November to hunt during the rut is November 12.  Next, a five-way tie between November 7, 8, 10, 16, & 17.

When is the Worst Day of the Year to Hunt During the Rut?

Take a look at the chart to see the worst five days of the whitetail hunt during November.  The data doesn’t lie, there are no opinions in this study, only FACTS.  Each data point is a dead Pope and Young buck and the following dates put the least amount of mature bucks on the ground.  On average, the worst day to hunt the whitetail rut in the month of November is November 30.  A close second is November 2.  The third worst day of the month of November to hunt during the rut is November 5, followed by November 23 and 26.

Interpreting the Deer Data

Now that you’ve seen the fancy bar graph, let’s interpret the data. We all know that the month of November is a magical time in the whitetail woods, but if you only have a couple of vacation days to spare, you may want to pay close attention to the days with the highest amounts of harvests. The black line should help you see which days were better than others.

If you look at the chart as a whole, it resembles a Bell Curve, just like the whitetail rut!  It starts slow, climbs to a peak, then trickles back down.  The dead buck data shown here closely resembles data collected by wildlife biologists that show the timing of the estrous does.

When Should You Plan Your Whitetail Rutcation?

The data shows that it’s best to hunt on and around the days that have the highest number of kills, such as November 11^th or November 14^th.  Both of those dates have produced the highest number of mature deer kills in the past nine years.  If we use this data presented correctly, we can determine that our chances of harvesting a mature whitetail buck greatly increase between November 7th-14th.

If you are unable to take an entire week of vacation but have saved a couple of days for the rut, you might consider looking at the data in a smaller group,  For instance, November 9-12 was the best four-day period to kill a mature buck.  If your window is short, you can’t go wrong on these four days.  November 13-16 and November 17-20 aren’t bad choices either.

Should you still hunt on the days that fewer bucks were killed?

You better!  You can’t kill them from the couch.  If you have the time off, you owe it to yourself to pursue your passion, make smart decisions, and watch the sunrise or set from a treestand every chance you get during November.  We tend to get excited when the clock strikes midnight on Halloween because sweet November is upon us.  However, if you can only devote a few days of vacation this season to pursuing your passions in the whitetail woods, we can derive that our best chance of harvesting a mature whitetail is in the middle of the month.  This data doesn’t guarantee you success this fall, but I hope you can add it to your arsenal and plan a successful Rut-cation of your own.

Where did the harvest data for the Deer Study come from?

This information was gathered through the coordination efforts of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and by hunters like you. I utilized social media to track as many deer harvests as possible during this time, keeping records of the date, county, and estimated size/age of the buck to ensure it met the minimum standard for the study.

Does this data represent the area that I hunt?

The whitetail rut tends to occur around the same time each and every year from one region to another.  From my experience hunting from Missouri to West Virginia, the whitetail rut occurs at the same time of year.  However, once you move further south, you can throw these dates out the window.  For instance, the whitetail rut begins as early as July in certain areas of Florida.

If you know how to read a map, I’d consider everything east of the Rocky Mountains at the same latitude as southern West Virginia should have similar timing of the whitetail rut.

How many deer harvests were utilized in the study?

There were 298 qualifying bucks utilized to derive the results of this study.

Where are the bow-only counties of southern West Virginia?

The four counties of southern West Virginia are Logan, Mingo, McDowell, and Wyoming counties.

Why focus on a BOW-ONLY area for a deer study?

The four bow-only counties of southern West Virginia allow us to look at the entire month of November without any changes to the season.  Performing this study in an area that has a sudden influx of hunting pressure from a new hunting season, such as a gun season would skew the data tremendously.  The hunting season doesn’t change from November 1 to November 30, giving us an even playing field each and every day.  The results are allowed to speak for themselves.

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AUTHOR BIO

Hi, I’m Camron the owner of Hunting Gear Deals. I’m an avid bowhunter with a knack for finding good deals on hunting gear and love to help you save money on hunting gear.  I’m also the owner of the popular Bucks, Bulls, & Bears email newsletter that’s built to educate and entertain hunters.  If you haven’t subscribed, you’re missing out!  Last but not least, I’m proud to say that I work for Whitetail Properties as a Land Specialist in Ohio.  If you’re in the market for hunting property, shoot me an email and I’d love to help you find your dream property.  

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