How were the DeKalb County dates measured?

The Georgia DNR map uses deer-vehicle collision timing to estimate peak movement. It is not a direct conception-date measurement.

Is the DeKalb County phase calendar measured?

No. The phase calendar is an inference derived from the published movement anchor.

GEORGIA COUNTY RUT DATA

DeKalb County, Georgia rut dates 2026

DeKalb County, Georgia has a DNR peak movement window of Nov 3 to Nov 9. The map uses deer-vehicle collision timing, not a conception date. Source: Georgia DNR rut map.

Peak window: Nov 3 to Nov 9. Source method: deer-vehicle collision timing. Georgia DNR source agency

DeKalb County rut answer

The Georgia DNR map publishes an Nov 3 to Nov 9 peak movement window for this county. The map measures deer movement from collision timing, not a conception date.

Verify the current guide and local conditions with the Georgia agency before a hunt.

DeKalb County phase calendar

This is a derived 2026 calendar from the county movement window. It is labelled inference and is not a direct county observation.

Derived phase calendar
Phase	Window	Model note
Pre-rut	Before to Oct 14, 2026	Not defined in the reports; default label for days before seeking.
Seeking	Oct 15, 2026 to Oct 25, 2026	Bucks begin searching for does; rising daily movement.
Chasing	Oct 26, 2026 to Nov 2, 2026	Overlaps seeking and the start of breeding in the reported calendar.
Peak breeding / tending	Nov 3, 2026 to Nov 16, 2026	Highest buck daily distance and daylight share; routes set by doe groups; tending bouts ~24-48 h. GPS work finds no population-wide 'lockdown' phase (agency: https://deerassociation.com/lockdown-phase-myth/). Map movement week likely spans late seeking, chasing and early breeding.
Post-rut	Nov 17, 2026 to Nov 30, 2026	Movement eases back toward dawn/dusk; bucks return to food; mature bucks cruise for the last estrous does (Hellickson rattling: mature bucks responded most in post-rut).
Second rut	Dec 1, 2026 to Dec 14, 2026	Unbred does recycle ~28 days after first estrus (agency: https://deerassociation.com/triggers-whitetail-rut/); doe fawns may cycle later. Days 35-41 are the 'second-rut tail'. A hypothesis for cameras to confirm, not local data.
Late season	Dec 15, 2026 to season close	Food-driven; mature bucks reach open food at or after sunset unless it is cold; sit food on cold-front afternoons.

Neighbouring county pages

These nearby county pages are linked from the county index. They help compare the published windows.

Georgia season and legal rules

Read the Georgia season table, legal light, bag limits, and electronic-call rule.