The Second Rut: When It Happens and How to Hunt It
When does the second rut land in my state?
Does that aren’t bred during their first heat come back into heat roughly a month later, and some doe fawns come in late. That later flurry is the second rut, and it lands inside our post-rut window. On our forecast’s estimates:
- Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin: post-rut runs Nov 23–Dec 31, so the second rut mostly falls in December.
- Pennsylvania: post-rut runs Dec 3–Jan 10, 2027.
- Kentucky: post-rut runs Dec 7–Jan 14, 2027.
It is a smaller, shorter burst than November. Most days in that window are still about food and cold.
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Bucks that looked worn out after Thanksgiving can suddenly show up trailing a single doe across a cut cornfield. That is the second rut, and it rewards hunters who stay out after gun season.
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What it looks like
Don’t expect November again. Look for one buck trailing one doe, a burst of fresh scrapes near a food plot, or a buck grunting behind a group of does at last light. A day of action can be followed by several quiet ones.
Hunt the food
Bucks come out of the rut thin and hungry, and does gather on the best food left. Standing beans, cut corn with waste grain, brassica plots and acorn flats in the timber pull them in. Find the food the does are using and you will find the bucks that are checking them.
Afternoon sits usually make the most sense. Get to the stand early enough that the first deer to the field don’t see you walk in.
Cold makes it better
A hard cold snap or the first real snow pushes deer to food earlier in the afternoon. Watch the forecast for the first cold, calm evening after a warm stretch.
Pick your days
December days are short, and late seasons put more hunters in the woods. Check the 0–100 deer movement score for your ZIP before you go: Excellent is 88 and up, Good is 65–87, Fair is 42–64 and Poor is 41 and under. Good and Excellent afternoons near a hot food source are the ones to hunt.
FAQ
Is the second rut real?
Yes, though it is smaller than the main rut. Unbred does cycle back roughly a month later and some doe fawns come in late, so bucks keep checking does into December.
Should I rattle during the second rut?
Soft grunts and doe bleats fit better. Bucks are worn down, and heavy rattling rarely pulls them far.
Mornings or evenings for the second rut?
Evenings near the best food usually win, especially on cold days. Mornings can work on trails between food and thick bedding.
Check your ZIP
Get the free 0–100 deer movement score by ZIP for where you hunt.
Enter a 5-digit ZIP code.
This guide and the 0–100 deer movement score are weather-and-season guidance, not a promise you will see or take a deer. Always check seasons, hours, bag limits and regulations with your state wildlife agency before you hunt.