Free: Contests & Raffles.
Just as soon as Modern deer season is over and Modern elk season begins.... Hunt the same area for elk you do for Blacktails?? You will see monster bucks that you never even knew existed and you have been hunting that area for 5 years.. do not ask me how I know...
1st week of November.
Sea-level, Puget Sound region last year: rut seemed to be over by early November. Peak activity was observed in the middle to end of October. Granted, I observed a very small area - one block - and three bucks.
Quote from: Bantams on September 16, 2012, 12:39:48 PMSea-level, Puget Sound region last year: rut seemed to be over by early November. Peak activity was observed in the middle to end of October. Granted, I observed a very small area - one block - and three bucks. Rut kind of "seems to be over" about the first week of November every year b/c the peak breeding phase has hit and the bucks are locked down with hot does. Since a does home range is small the bucks no longer are covering large chunks of ground searching for hot does. The best time to hunt historically is the last week of October when the bucks are on the move constantly looking for hot does. It slows down the first week of November when the bucks are locked on hot does and then is hit or miss through late archery. I've found it is REALLY spotty once Thanksgiving hits but can be great if you are in the right area at the right time. Generally last 10 days of October getting better and better until the 31st.