Blacktail rut, when and how long?

[Rbob]

Leave the candy at home and hunt Halloween, its worked well in the past!

[Kc_Kracker]

When the rut is on, it is an all day long (seeing BT's moving in the woods) thing.  Generally right after/at dark you see them crossing highways etc, but the hunting is good all day if you are in the right area.   

then i guess i cannot find a good area because i have not seen a single deer in over a week   

[bobcat]

Well,the rut actually starts right after hunting season is over. Try going out during elk season, that's when you'll see the big bucks.     

You know it's not by accident that they have the deer season set when they do. Regular season ends just before the rut, and late season begins just after the rut is over.

[Rbob]

Take a drive down any out of town road and when you see a sign that says "deer crossing next 2 miles", park and work that section of woods. They put those signs up for a reason.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Well,the rut actually starts right after hunting season is over. Try going out during elk season, that's when you'll see the big bucks.     

You know it's not by accident that they have the deer season set when they do. Regular season ends just before the rut, and late season begins just after the rut is over.

That is so true! Seen more big blacktails rifle elk huntin than in october!

[jackmaster]

Well,the rut actually starts right after hunting season is over. Try going out during elk season, that's when you'll see the big bucks.     

You know it's not by accident that they have the deer season set when they do. Regular season ends just before the rut, and late season begins just after the rut is over.

as to the poster saying he must not be in a good spot, well her are some questions, have you seen deer in your spot before the last couple weeks? did you see any bucks in there when it was summer and they were more viseable due to tender antlers? what hours are you hunting? are you seeing fresh sign at all, doesnt matter if its sign made at night as long as there is fresh sign? like some of us have said, huntn blacktails is differant by a long shot from whiteys and muleys, they can be very frustrating and damn near impossible to figure out, and thats why it is such an awesome deer to hunt...

[lokidog]

Had a buck 20' from my truck this morning, never even looked at me when I stopped.  80 yards out in front of him was a doe that he was following.

[buckster]

^^^yeah thats great. saw three does yesterday not a one buck in sight..

[hillbillyhunting]

^^^yeah thats great. saw three does yesterday not a one buck in sight..

No sign of the rut for me today.  I had to work hard to see the does.  Saw about 11 deer in the daylight.  Saw a decent 2pt 3 minutes after legal shooting light in my headlights.  I had to quit glassing about 15 min before legal shooting light was up... couldnt see a thing.  There were no bucks with the does and no other deer with the buck.  I saw an old classmate of mine taday, and he showed me a picture of a masher 2x3... revert for sure... and he had a big neck and he said he was rutted up for sure.   That buck was shot on opening weekend   

[Cascade_fisher]

We are getting some rub lines started but not seeing the bucks.  The does seem to have bumped their yearlings away and separated so it is soon.  It does seem a little later than last year which was a few days earlier than "standard".

I basically border Marckworth forest just for reference and have been going out everyday but will be going to our Skykomish area honey hole this weekend.  The wife has a MS tag so can hunt the "yard" in late season archery for us if I can't connect.

Good luck to everyone!

[AKBowman]

Made it out for an hr tonight saw a lone doe on the way in, saw two more on the walk out in the real bad light then saw another on te drive out. No bucks but the deer were moving, I'm loading the piss out of the woods with piss tomorrow, rattling, grunting and doe bleats. Throwing the kitchen sink at em'!

[D-Rock425]

Its official today is the first day of the blacktail rut.

[lokidog]

Its official today is the first day of the blacktail rut.

 

Lots of tree rubs showed up last week, saw a couple bucks walking around in trances, one regular buck behind the house showed up yesterday with a broken antler point.