GEORGIA COUNTY RUT DATA
Sumter County, Georgia rut dates 2026
Sumter County, Georgia has a DNR peak movement window of Nov 10 to Nov 16. The map uses deer-vehicle collision timing, not a conception date. Source: Georgia DNR rut map.
Peak window: Nov 10 to Nov 16. Source method: deer-vehicle collision timing. Georgia DNR source agency
Sumter County rut answer
The Georgia DNR map publishes an Nov 10 to Nov 16 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.
Sumter 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.
| Phase | Window | Model note |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-rut | Before to Oct 21, 2026 | Not defined in the reports; default label for days before seeking. |
| Seeking | Oct 22, 2026 to Nov 1, 2026 | Bucks begin searching for does; rising daily movement. |
| Chasing | Nov 2, 2026 to Nov 9, 2026 | Overlaps seeking and the start of breeding in the reported calendar. |
| Peak breeding / tending | Nov 10, 2026 to Nov 23, 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 24, 2026 to Dec 7, 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 8, 2026 to Dec 21, 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 22, 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.