The prediction predicts that the 2026 whitetail rut will not be like last season, with predictions that it will resemble 1999, 2007, 2012, and 2018 events. This prediction comes at a time when the moon will be full five days after the Autumnal Equinox, marking our earliest rut over the last 50 years. Bow hunters in New York, Pennsylvania, and the northern tier of states are expected to see good action early (Halloween-ish) and then after mid-November drop-off. However, southern states where northern deer have been stocked to increase size may not accurately predict the rut. The prediction suggests a bifurcated rut, two-pronged rut in the north, which will feature a two-folded season. The main spike in rut activity will occur before and through Halloween, with a second peak expected around Thanksgiving, running into early December.