MassWildlife: Closer Look at Deer Breeding Season

03:57PM / Sunday, November 09, 2025Print Story | Email Story

Rut is a term used to describe the behavior of deer during the breeding season when males pursue females that are in estrous and ready to breed. The rut can range from several months in southern states like Florida to a short window of time in the fall in the Northeast.

In Massachusetts, the peak rut is between Nov. 6 – Nov. 20. Timing of the rut is related to the period of daylight and has nothing to do with temperature, rain, snow, or moon phase, contrary to commonly held beliefs. As the season progresses and the amount of daylight decreases, hormones elevate in both bucks and does and create the urge to breed. This timing ensures that all fawns will be born at an optimal time in spring that will increase their chances of survival.

Rut phases

Pre-Rut (late Sept–Oct): During this time, maternal groups of deer consisting of does with offspring concentrate on feeding to increase their fat supplies for the winter and the demands of future pregnancy. Bucks are also focused on building fat supplies to prepare for the physical exertion of the rut. Bucks start marking their territory by rubbing trees, scraping the ground, and depositing scent.

Rut (early–mid Nov): Deer are typically most active close to dusk and dawn. But during the rut, deer often abandon their habit of bedding down during the day and instead move around in search of a mate. Bucks spend a lot of time chasing does—in fact some bucks can lose up to 20 percent of their body weight during this time since they are constantly on the move and spend little time eating. Both bucks and does move a lot during the rut and are more distracted, which leads to a seasonal spike in deer-vehicle collisions.

Post-Rut: As the rut begins to taper off, both males and females start to focus more on food. It's especially important for bucks to regain their weight after their exertion during the rut. Bucks start to decrease their daytime activity once more. During this time, males are still interested in breeding if the opportunity presents itself.

Deer breeding season is short but full of activity. Whether you're in the woods or just driving by, it's a good time to stay alert and enjoy one of nature's busiest times of year.

Hunting during the rut?
Learning about the distinct behaviors of bucks during the rut can give you an advantage.

Tags: MassWildlife,

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Fenton: Governor's Council Must Deliver for the Berkshires

Community submissionGuest Column
10:22AM / Friday, August 28, 2026

I am a Springfield lawyer running for Governor's Council and I am asking for Berkshire County residents to support me over an incumbent from North Adams.

Here's why: Last year I learned about staffing issues in our regional courts that I could not ignore. In 2025, it was reported that four of Western Massachusetts' 11 Superior Court judgeships were vacant, all at the same time. A few weeks later, that grew to five vacancies. This meant there were only six Superior Court judges serving all of Western Mass at a time when Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties had more than 100 pending homicide cases.

Those numbers were alarming to me, so I started to engage with leaders in the community who work most closely with the court system and I came to learn that these vacancies were only the tip of the iceberg here in Berkshire County.

I learned that no Superior Court or District Court judge had been appointed from the Berkshires since the current incumbent took office. As a result, there is not a single Superior Court judge who lives in the Berkshires today, and several of the District Court judges drive in from other counties to support Berkshire courts in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, and North Adams. Court staff also informed me about severe staffing shortages at the Berkshire Clerk of Courts office resulting in other counties needing to loan staff to the Berkshires just so hardworking employees can take a brief and planned summer vacation. This is not normal. These issues are a reflection of genuine problems with the Berkshire County court system and show a lack of proactive attention from our Governor's Councilor.

Instead of focusing on regional equity, I watched as the current incumbent celebrated that she has voted against the governor's nominees more than any other councilor, without much explanation as to why. Most recently, she voted against two extremely qualified former prosecutors for the Parole Board. This was despite an in-person plea from the governor and a letter of support from all the three of the district attorney's from Western Mass. Those votes do not show independence or standing up for principles, they demonstrate naivete, and an unwillingness to work with the key stakeholders.

I had seen and heard enough. I decided to jump in the race and challenge the incumbent to address these problems head-on.

I am a partner of a regional law firm. I understand our courts and the importance of having qualified, fair and hardworking judges. And I know how important it is to have judges from the Berkshires serving the Berkshires. To achieve that, you need strong relationships with the legal community and local stakeholders. You need to know how to use the power of the Governor's Council to fight forcefully for our region. And you need to be laser focused on identifying vacancies before they occur so that they can be filled quickly with local candidates.

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