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Deer rifle season kicks off Nov. 22, and reports from across the state indicate the rut is on and that its timing is just right to provide an exciting opening weekend for hunters.

The whitetail deer breeding season, or rut, is a biological process that typically occurs around the second week of November. Deer activity during the rut picks up but can be influenced by a host of factors such as temperatures, moon phase and herd condition.

“The rut seems to be in full swing, and weather permitting, opening weekend of gun season should be a good one,” said Joe Hemphill, southeast region wildlife supervisor for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Hemphill said the first half of archery season, muzzleloader and youth deer season resulted in an increased harvest in the popular hunting destination of southeast Oklahoma.

Hemphill said southeast Oklahoma hunters may find fewer acorns this year and that they should focus their hunting near persimmons or other food sources instead.

In the southwest, check station data showed harvest numbers are up this year so far as well. Rod Smith, southwest region wildlife supervisor for the Wildlife Department, said the rut has been going strong and might be a little past its peak during rifle season, but still ongoing. Smith said the southwest region has been very dry in places and that hunters may benefit from a pre-season visit to their hunting areas to see if their hot spots look the same as usual or if a change in opening morning plans is in order.

Rut activity seems to be just heating up in the northwest, according to Wade Free, northwest region wildlife supervisor for the Department.

“Lots of recent scrapes, fresh rubs and chasing does just got underway this past weekend,” Free said earlier this week.

Free said areas that had family groups of does and fawns feeding on wheat in the evenings are now reduced in number and that more fawn pairs are being spotted alone, indicating that adult does are being chased hard by bucks. On the downside, mild temperatures and a recent full moon have kept deer mostly active during the night. Free said it should only get better.

Free predicts the region is on schedule for a great opening weekend.

Free reported an unusually high number of spikes and small-antlered bucks in the northwest region, which could be a result of severe drought conditions during the spring and summer of 2007.

“Hunters should pay close attention when harvesting does so they don’t mistakenly shoot a small-antlered or spike buck,” Free said.

Hunters in the northeast should hope for weather to put deer on the move, according the Craig Endicott, northeast region wildlife supervisor for the Wildlife Department. He also said reports from the field show that buck activity has increased since muzzleloader season.

Though reports that acorns are not plentiful may frustrate hunters, Endicott said some oak species had fair acorn crops in the region and that persimmons are plentiful. Other WMA biologists in the northeast region of the state have reported significant deer activity at night. They also predict the rut may winding down by the start of deer gun season, but that rutting activity will still be taking place early in the season. Additionally, biologists in the northeast have received reports that deer are heavily using food plots and natural browse.

Deer gun season runs Nov. 22 through Dec. 7. For more information about license requirements, regulations and antlerless deer hunting requirements, consult the current “Oklahoma Hunting Guide” or log on to wildlifedepartment.com.