West Virginia · Whitetail rut

Whitetail rut dates in West Virginia.

West Virginia's rut peaks remarkably uniformly across the state — Nov 13–17 in most counties.

Nov 11 – Nov 19 → Nov 8 – Nov 16 · West Virginia Division of Natural Resources

West Virginia's whitetail rut is one of the most uniform in the Mid-Atlantic, driven by the state's narrow latitude band and consistent Appalachian habitat. Mountain bucks may run a few days behind eastern panhandle deer, but the spread is rarely more than a week. Photoperiod dominates here.

Zone

Northern WV (Allegheny Plateau)

Pre-rut
Oct 28 – Nov 10
Peak breeding
Nov 11 – Nov 19
Post-rut
Nov 20 – Dec 3
Late rut
Dec 8 – Dec 20

Zone

Southern WV & Eastern Panhandle

Pre-rut
Oct 25 – Nov 7
Peak breeding
Nov 8 – Nov 16
Post-rut
Nov 17 – Nov 30
Late rut
Dec 5 – Dec 18

Source

Data sourced from WVDNR's deer-program biologist reports and agency-published rut summaries.

West Virginia Division of Natural Resources

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