Blacktail / Rut .. OMG What a morning !!! R.I.P Big Fella !!!

[Kc_Kracker]

O.k I have to start my own little Blacktail Blog ..

\
link ? 

[BOWHUNTER45]

Went out to my spot this morning.  Some b*stard stole my frick'n trail camera!   

I'm hunting timber land so I know there can be other hunters there, I've even gotten a couple on my cam.  I just don't understand why someone would feel the need to steal a trail cam.  I had it up on a dead snag bolted on with a bike lock.  They pushed over the snag and pulled the whole camera off.   

Hopefully I'll be hunting in there later this season and those guys will come in so I can give them a piece of my mind. 

No deer this morning by the way...

I finally saw one the other day ...we waved and moved on ...but one thing I know I would do different is put them off the beaten path ...If there is a beaten trail or grade most likely someone is going to walk up it sooner or later ...I would put mine in the brush where the game is coming from ... I think trailcams are cool and I think next year I will have to get me a couple 

[BOWHUNTER45]

After hunting hard the last few days Ted finally connects on this fat 3x2 Blacktail ..We wake up this morning to rain and wind and I knew I had to let him miss school today  So we have breakfast and took our time waiting for it to get daylight ..I learned years ago that there is no sense in leaving the house in the dark until I can see good and so happy we did ...We have hunted the same units for days now and seeing a few doe but no bucks So I decided we would hike up in a unit we knew would have deer in it this morning .We get out of the truck and start walking up the grade that goes threw the unit and as we come to the first corner Ted looks up to his right and says ...right there - right there...I look up to see this buck looking at us ...Ted lays his 25-06 across a cedar stump and BOOOM .. He drops right in his tracks ...Dead center in the white patch of his neck  All the sudden up jumps another deer  You guessed it  another buck and yes it was another 3 pt ..But I think his buck was bigger bodied So we are happy how it all went down ...His buck has a 2in layer of fat on it and Blacktail rarely have this much fat on them So we may be in for a heck of a winter     Now My other son & I are ready for late archery to begin and I think it is going to be a good one this year and Yes we will be hounding that old start sucker that keeps slipping threw my fingers but this time he will need to out smart 2 of us not just one  Ted is alittle disapointed he can not hunt for the big boy now but he provided a freezer full of meat that we need because our freezer is empty 

[scout/sniper]

Wednesday I accidentally left one of my scent hangers on a branch while picking up in the dark. Yesterday I went back for an evening stand and the branch it was on was shredded and the hanger was on the ground below it. They are getting interested.

[shanevg]

Congrats to your son!  Looking forward to my morning hunt!  Hopefully I don't get too wet.

[hntrspud]

Great buck! I almost called in sick....    Guess I should have. Good for your boy

[D-Rock425]

Nice looking deer.

[elkoholic1]

 

[Jonathan_S]

Ted lays his 25-06 across a cedar stump and BOOOM .. He drops right in his tracks

Well duh!  That's what the .25-06 does   

A seriously under-utilized caliber in my opinion, I think it's one of the best all purpose calibers.  Deer, elk, black bear.  A good Washington gun.

Congrats to your boy and good luck with late archery.

[scottfrick]

Really enjoy reading your posts!! Congrats to ted on getting a nice buck hopefully we all get to see a picture of the big one youve been talking of!

[BOWHUNTER45]

Things are for sure picking up as far as Blacktail hunting goes and next week should be just perfect ...Seems the deer are moving good around mid day and if you do not see many early in the morning I would change your tactics a little .. You definately want to be hunting between 11am and 2pm ..Not saying stay home in the morning or late evening because you never know when you will see deer but from experience and being a hardcore blacktail hunter I would spend more time searching mid day ...Cover alot of ground and try getting above the clearcut that have fire weed in them and glass till your eyes bug out ..I always concentrate on finding old cedar stumps and cedar saw dust piles where the deer will be laying . glassing every one I can see looking for that grey face stirring at me ..Thats why I love Blacktail hunting it takes a good eye and lots of patients 

Here is my buddies buck - shot at 1:30 pm ----Mid day and it will only get better  NICE LITTLE 4X4

[klikboom]

My report as of 10.20 is the does haven't kicked their fawns so they aren't in heat yet. Maybe the bucks are rutting but they aren't chasing the does. I saw 4 doe/fawn combos the last 2 days no solo does. The bucks I saw were still bach'd up.

[Turner89]

Bowhunter45,
 You have got me pumped up man Those are some nasty looking rubs, definately a mental bad ass buck
 Last week of october is awesome. Thats why I take it off every year. Good luck, and hope to see pics of him halloween nite.

[lokidog]

An across island neighbor had four bucks round robin sparring in her yard yesterday.

[AKBowman]

Went out again this evening, two mornings in one stand and one afternoon in another and no sign of anything yet. Trails still aren't that tracked up and haven't seen any fresh rubs yet. Wish I could hunt more than just on the weekends.  Know their around, heading out again tomorrow morning plan on hunting til around 4.