Peak rut dates in Mississippi.

Mississippi's rut runs late by southern standards — peak breeding lands anywhere from mid-December to mid-January depending on the zone.

Peak breeding window: Dec 8 – Dec 20 → Jan 14 – Jan 26

Rut phases by zone

Pre-rut, peak, post-rut, late.

Peak Breeding column is highlighted — that's when most does are in estrus.

Zone	Pre-rut	Peak breeding	Post-rut	Late rut
Delta	Nov 25 – Dec 7	Dec 8 – Dec 20	Dec 21 – Jan 2	Jan 7 – Jan 19
Hill Country	Dec 18 – Dec 30	Dec 31 – Jan 12	Jan 13 – Jan 25	Jan 30 – Feb 11
Southeast Mississippi	Jan 1 – Jan 13	Jan 14 – Jan 26	Jan 27 – Feb 8	Feb 13 – Feb 25

Zone
Delta
Peak breeding
Dec 8 – Dec 20
Pre-rut
Nov 25 – Dec 7
Post-rut
Dec 21 – Jan 2
Late rut
Jan 7 – Jan 19
Zone
Hill Country
Peak breeding
Dec 31 – Jan 12
Pre-rut
Dec 18 – Dec 30
Post-rut
Jan 13 – Jan 25
Late rut
Jan 30 – Feb 11
Zone
Southeast Mississippi
Peak breeding
Jan 14 – Jan 26
Pre-rut
Jan 1 – Jan 13
Post-rut
Jan 27 – Feb 8
Late rut
Feb 13 – Feb 25

What drives the rut here

Mississippi's rut is among the latest in the Southeast, with significant zone-to-zone variation. The Delta clusters in December, the Hill Country in late December to mid-January, and the southeast in mid-to-late January. The state's MDWFP has published peak-conception maps that show the clear south-to-north and east-to-west gradients driven by historical restoration genetics.

Source

Data sourced from MDWFP's published peak-breeding maps and the agency's fetal-rate analyses of harvested does.

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks

Always verify with the official agency before basing planning decisions on this page. Peak windows shift year to year.

Get rut intel for your specific land.

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