Realtree's Deer Hunting Forecast: Thanksgiving Week

Time flies when you’re having fun, but in much of the country, the fun of hunting the rut is slowing down quickly. Although there are areas where the rut has yet to begin — notably in pockets of the Southeast and Southwest — our regional Rut Reporters have largely reported a sharp decline in rutting activity over the past week. Further, hunting pressure and ongoing challenges from the weather (including a bomb cyclone in the Northwest) have made for a tough deer season for many.

Still, it’s not over yet, and many hunters will have some time off from work this week. You’d be wise to spend a few hours in a deer stand whenever possible. Although the overall deer activity is generally less late in the rut than it is early, it can be a particularly good time to catch a mature buck on his feet. Often it’s the biggest deer that are the last to give up on the chance to breed one last receptive doe.

Late-season food sources can also provide a great opportunity to pattern a mature buck during the final weeks of hunting season. Some savvy hunters even prefer the predictability of the late season over the frenzy of the rut. Top food sources for the late season include remaining green food plots (brassicas and cereal grains especially), red oak acorns, and standing crops.

A big cold front is forecast to sweep across the country’s mid-section this week, just in time for the holiday break. Realtree’s Fish and Game Forecaster, meanwhile, shows some promising peaks of activity during shooting light during the next week, under a waning crescent moon that will give way to a new moon on Dec. 1. Good midday movement is forecast throughout the week. Consider sleeping in a bit, and then hitting the stand just after sunrise and staying put throughout the day. Overall, we give the deer hunting forecast for Thanksgiving week three out of five stars.

For more localized information, check out what each of our regional rut reporters had to say.

Midwest reporter Darron McDougal says many bucks in his region have been locked down with does recently, but breeding activity is subsiding now. Though some of his contacts have had recent success on nice bucks, others have reported painfully slow hunting with few deer sightings, even during all-day sits. Many firearms seasons are opening or about to open in the Midwest. Food sources are key to late-season hunting, but don’t overlook the importance of security cover where deer will flee hunting pressure.

Read this week’s Midwest Rut Report here.

Northeast reporter Tim Kent says the “lockdown” phase of the rut is coming to an end in his region, and although the deer movement has improved a bit, it’s still been tough going for many. Open firearms seasons have created heavy hunting pressure, and that more than anything can keep deer movement to a minimum during daylight. Still, there are weeks of the season left, and Kent reminds hunters that the entire pace can change in an instant. Focus on good food sources in the weeks ahead, and persevere.

Read this week’s Northeast Rut Report here.

Although hunters in some regions are looking ahead to the late season, Southeast reporter Stephanie Mallory says there’s great hunting happening down South right now, especially in the wake of a good cold front and some much-needed rain. Some hunters, particularly in parts of Alabama and Louisiana, are eagerly anticipating the rut, which occurs quite a bit later in pockets of the South, while contacts in Georgia and Tennessee are reporting great action right now.

Read this week’s Southeast Rut Report here.

There’s another bright spot in the Southwest, where Miles Fedinec reported great mule deer action in southern Colorado and whitetails on their feet at all hours of the day in northern Texas. Fawn drop dates show that although peak breeding is subsiding now in some areas of Texas, the best action is still yet to come farther south in the brush country.

Read this week’s Southwest Rut Report here.

Northwest reporter Jackie Holbrook says Montana whitetails are rutting hard, though the mule deer action has slowed quite a bit. Seasons will be ending soon in much of the Northwest, so it’s time to get aggressive if you’re still carrying a tag. Holbrook’s contacts along the West Coast were hit with a curveball from Mother Nature last week because of a winter-weather bomb cyclone that produced hurricane-force winds.

Read this week’s Northwest Rut Report here.