11-03-2026 9:31pm

The Rut is On

Beth Callahan Editor

Nature Close to Home and Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist Dave Woehr shares monthly naturalist stories.

WARREN COUNTY, OH -- The annual White-tailed Deer rut has begun. This magnificent buck was trailing two does yesterdayafternoon in Landen-Deerfield Park. The rut peaks in mid-November.

Ohio hunters are reportedly having excellent results this year early in the archery season. The last report I read indicated that about twice as many deer had been harvested this year compared to the same time last year.

With so many deer on the move now we need to remind ourselves to be extra alert while driving. Deer just don’t comprehend the fact that they don’t have the right of way on our roads. About a year ago one ran into the back of my car and hit me broadside in northern Warren County.

Deer are typically most active in the hours around dawn and dusk, but during the rut they are active 24 hours a day for several weeks. Aside from hunters, automobiles are the deer’s greatest threat since we no longer have the predators that controlled their population in prehistoric times.

So, be careful out there on the roads for the next months for you don’t want to get a dent in your car like I did. Or worse!