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Mid-South

Zone-variable

Peak rut dates in Tennessee.

Tennessee runs a noticeably later rut than its northern neighbors — peak conception clusters around November 18–25.

Peak breeding window: Nov 18 – Nov 25 → Nov 23 – Dec 1

Rut phases by zone

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

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

  • Zone

    West Tennessee

    Peak breeding

    Nov 18 – Nov 25

    Pre-rut

    Nov 5 – Nov 17

    Post-rut

    Nov 26 – Dec 8

    Late rut

    Dec 13 – Dec 25

  • Zone

    Middle Tennessee

    Peak breeding

    Nov 20 – Nov 28

    Pre-rut

    Nov 7 – Nov 19

    Post-rut

    Nov 29 – Dec 11

    Late rut

    Dec 16 – Dec 28

  • Zone

    East Tennessee

    Peak breeding

    Nov 23 – Dec 1

    Pre-rut

    Nov 10 – Nov 22

    Post-rut

    Dec 2 – Dec 14

    Late rut

    Dec 19 – Dec 31

What drives the rut here

Tennessee's rut is later than most southern states because of how the state's deer herd was historically restored — much of the foundation stock came from North Carolina and Wisconsin imports, and that genetic mix shifted peak conception by 7–10 days. Eastern Tennessee bucks often peak last, with Middle and Western regions running slightly earlier.

Sources

Data sourced from TWRA deer-program reports and TWRA fetal-rate studies of harvested does across all three grand divisions.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

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 · Mid-South

All states with published data