This past Wednesday was Veterans Day. This writer would like to add my thanks to all the men and women who have served this country in the military.
My father, John E. Roche Jr., served proudly in the Air Force. He took particular pride in the job his unit, the 357th Fighter Squadron, did and the role that the P51 Mustang, the fighter plane on which he serviced as an armorer, played in the war.
The P51 was the first fighter with the range to fly all the way to Germany and protect the bombers as they successfully bombed German factories that were producing war materials. My father was close to those in his unit and traveled to reunions for years. That fellowship was strong. Each and every veteran has contributed and continues to contribute to the ideals of freedom that the United States has always represented.
Nov. 11 has another distinction. Throughout the northeast, biologists who study whitetail deer behavior almost universally believe that Nov. 11 is the peak of rutting activity. Whitetail breeding activities begin with both bucks and does undergoing hormonal changes. Whitetail deer are what are referred to as short-day breeders, meaning their reproductive activity is triggered by decreasing daylight in the fall.
The estrous cycle for does typically lasts 24 to 36 hours, and if a doe is not bred during one cycle, she will enter another estrus approximately 28 days later. This cyclical pattern continues throughout the breeding season until the doe conceives or the season ends.
As does begin to react to the length of day, so do the bucks. The first activity is called pre-rut and includes increased scraping, rubbing and early cruising. Next comes seeking and chasing, usually in early to mid-November, when normally nocturnal bucks move heavily in daylight searching for receptive does. This is the classic “rut.” Most breeding takes place during this time as most does enter estrus during this time period.
Anyone who has hunted deer for any time has seen the behavior of bucks chasing does. Normally, self-preservation-minded bucks lose all caution when in pursuit of a “hot” doe. Smart hunters spend as much time out as possible during this time, which occurs during the archery season in Massachusetts. Our northern neighbors, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, open firearms seasons during this period and a lot of bucks are taken by hunters who do their homework and look for the signs of buck activity.
Before the peak rut, bucks rub saplings with their antlers and it is believed that some territorial scent marking may be included. The real territory marking is called a “scrape,” where the buck paws up the ground and then urinates as a marker to receptive does. Could we call that “pee mail”?
Right now, there are a lot of hunters spending time sitting in a tree stand watching over a buck scrape. Hunters often use scents, and everyone is reminded that a new regulation in Massachusetts this year prohibits the use or possession of scents made from natural deer fluids. The regulation is a response to the threat of Chronic Wasting Disease, which is as close as New York.
Bucks may compete during the rut and sometimes will battle with their antlers over breeding territory. Having witnessed the craziness of deer running all over the place during the rut, believe me when I say it is exciting to watch.
A good number of locals have headed “up north” this week to hunt in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, and the life in a deer camp or cabin is special. Always a plethora of stories, some true, and a special camaraderie that makes deer hunting special.
My time, starting at age 12 and hunting at various places in New Hampshire with my father and his hunting buddies, created memories that still warm my heart today. My love of bird hunting has prevailed during recent years and my New Hampshire and Vermont hunting licenses do not get used for deer season. Most years that has resulted in bird hunting most non-rainy days, but a couple of weeks were lost due the two unfortunate surgeries for my dogs.
Tessie recovered first and was in action for the end of my New York week, and this week it was Laney’s turn to get back in action. My plan was to take her to some open covers where she could get in some running, and the Birch Hill Wildlife Management Area has a lot of that.
Birch Hill is heavily stocked with pheasants, but my plan was to avoid the stocked areas and focus on small covers within the sprawling WMA, where we have traditionally moved woodcock. The WMA, like all MassWildlife areas, gets regular habitat work, with cuttings done to create the optimum habitat for a variety of game and non-game species.
Eleven-year-old Laney, three weeks out of surgery for an intestinal obstruction, ran well Monday in the first cover during our mid-day hunt, but really surprised me at our second stop. The Garmin Alpha 200 controller buzzed and indicated she was on point. Tessie arrived and she beautifully “honored” Laney’s point by locking up behind her. Perhaps a picture should have been taken, but my mind does not work that way.
The woodcock flushed and got by me without a shot being fired, but what a great memory! Less than 100 yards away, the same scene was repeated with the same result, but it is points that make my hunt, and theses two were trophies. We did manage to bag a woodcock at our next stop and repeated that success Tuesday, with Tessie winning “Best in Show” for her hunting.
Woodcock season is open until Nov. 21, but we will see what this winter storm and subsequent weather does to the woodcock migration. Pheasants may be the target next week as we try to get as much bird hunting in as possible before switching gears to chase whitetails.
Mike Roche is a retired teacher who has been involved in conservation and wildlife issues his entire life. He has written the Sportsman’s Corner since 1984 and has served as advisor to the Mahar Fish’N Game Club, Counselor and Director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, has been a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor for over 40 years and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.