Mississippi · Whitetail rut

Whitetail rut dates in Mississippi.

Mississippi's rut runs late by southern standards — peak breeding lands anywhere from mid-December to mid-January depending on the zone.

Dec 8 – Dec 20 → Jan 14 – Jan 26 · Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks

Mississippi's rut is among the latest in the Southeast, with significant zone-to-zone variation. The Delta clusters in December, the Hill Country in late December to mid-January, and the southeast in mid-to-late January. The state's MDWFP has published peak-conception maps that show the clear south-to-north and east-to-west gradients driven by historical restoration genetics.

Zone

Delta

Pre-rut
Nov 25 – Dec 7
Peak breeding
Dec 8 – Dec 20
Post-rut
Dec 21 – Jan 2
Late rut
Jan 7 – Jan 19

Zone

Hill Country

Pre-rut
Dec 18 – Dec 30
Peak breeding
Dec 31 – Jan 12
Post-rut
Jan 13 – Jan 25
Late rut
Jan 30 – Feb 11

Zone

Southeast Mississippi

Pre-rut
Jan 1 – Jan 13
Peak breeding
Jan 14 – Jan 26
Post-rut
Jan 27 – Feb 8
Late rut
Feb 13 – Feb 25

Source

Data sourced from MDWFP's published peak-breeding maps and the agency's fetal-rate analyses of harvested does.

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks

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