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Northeast

Uniform statewide

Peak rut dates in Maine.

Maine's rut peaks November 10–20, with the big-woods northern zones running a few days behind the populated southern counties.

Peak breeding window: Nov 8 – Nov 18 → Nov 11 – Nov 21

Rut phases by zone

Pre-rut, peak, post-rut, late.

Peak Breeding column is highlighted — that's when most does are in estrus.

  • Zone

    Southern Maine

    Peak breeding

    Nov 8 – Nov 18

    Pre-rut

    Oct 25 – Nov 7

    Post-rut

    Nov 19 – Dec 2

    Late rut

    Dec 7 – Dec 20

  • Zone

    Central & Northern Maine (Big Woods)

    Peak breeding

    Nov 11 – Nov 21

    Pre-rut

    Oct 28 – Nov 10

    Post-rut

    Nov 22 – Dec 5

    Late rut

    Dec 10 – Dec 23

What drives the rut here

Maine's whitetail rut clusters tightly in the second and third weeks of November. Northern Maine bucks may run a few days later than southern bucks, but the latitude effect within the state is small relative to the genetic factors. Maine produces some of the largest-bodied whitetails in the country, and that size class is in active rut behavior throughout this window.

Sources

Data sourced from Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife deer-program biologist reports.

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

Last verified June 10, 2026

Writers and biologists are welcome to cite these windows. Link to this page so readers get the current numbers — agencies revise, and we keep up.

Always verify with the official agency before basing planning decisions on this page. Peak windows shift year to year.

Get rut intel for your specific land.

State-wide windows are a starting point. Bield: Hunt logs every sit, observation, and condition on your property — and turns three seasons of your data into patterns no generic calendar can match.

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Rut timing in nearby states · Northeast

All states with published data