Hunting Washington Forum

I was still-hunting this evening and snuck up on two does about 75 yards away. There was a buck some ways off to their right, I am estimating about 50 yards away from them, roughly 100 yards away from me (guessing based on sound and smell, though I never laid eyes on him). The buck never made any effort at all to go near those does. Either he'd already "known" then in the Biblical sense, or he just didn't care. Either way, not a lot of rutty behavior going on. I was really hoping that buck was going to make a move towards those does, and I was ready for it. The last shreds of light evaporated from the forest after two hours of hyper focused attention and extremely uncomfortable body conditioning. The buck never made his move.
Does that mean I am too late for the rut? Or too early? I keep seeing comments about how warm it was this season; does that mean estrus was pushed back further, or that it happened early and is all wrapped up? Sadly I didn't get many opportunities to hunt this season so I was really counting on late rifle to provide, and the woods were very quiet.

We are in post rut territory now.

Shotgunned many coyotes here and Colorado. Heavy lead turkey load of 4s out of an X-full choke will anchor em to 60yds. #4Buck if you can find it. I imagine the spendy goose and turkey loads in TSS would do it also.

Hope hes successful!

I also wish ya some luck .🤙👍🤞

Just got back from Colfax area for three days trying to fill this tag. Things are really bleak. saw two whitetails the entire time. both bucks on private land I didnt have access to. No does. Nothing before or after shooting light. Farmers are saying they got hit really hard this year by BT and I believe it. I was glassing up piles of bones in the creek bottoms. Based on the sign I was seeing the deer that are left are very nocturnal right now. Not saying there weren't WTs around, but they were not showing themselves. The pheasants had a bumper crop this year tho.

I would like recommendations on the type of terrain you are seeking out to place your callers and where you sit. I on the west slope hunting timber land mostly.

1 - do you prefer placing the caller in cuts? how old of cuts? or old growth? If hunting cuts with a caller, are you in the cut or timber edge?

2 - elevation. Are you placing the caller "Above" or "below" you...or at the same elevation?

3-- is it possible to coax a cougar out of trees and into a cut? I find myself lots of times placing the caller near the edge of timber, and I myself am in a cut. reasoning is that i'll have the most shot lines, but not sure if the cougar will ever leave the woods.

I've never seen a cougar or called in a predator, but have only given it 5-8x honest times. I will be using a cougar whistle now that bear is over