Washington Whitetail Rut Report 2013

[Expedition Scout]

I've heard Bio's say that deer will go through 2 or more ruts (nothing like the first one) but every 30 days or so, any deer that wasn't bred will go into heat again.

DB, if you saw Mulies rutting hard on the 27th of Oct, then PolarBears observations yesterday might be proof of a doe that didn't get bred. 

Over the last few days of sitting all day around Spokane, it's been strange. Last week on Thursday/Friday I saw on camera the first round of all day buck movement. Saturday/Sunday back to normal. Monday through yesterday i've been in my stand all day and its tapered off. Hard to explain, but it seems the Bucks are on the feet, just not rutting hard... almost lax about chasing. Been seeing groups of does together and no Bucks. Two days ago had a group of buck come through without a doe in sight. Wondering if the weather warming up during the day has pulled the plug. I guess I'll know by this weekend since the weather is due to change back to cold. My area is historically a rut zone, each year at Thanksgiving I see Bucks I've never seen before rutting. This year its the same local crowd with no sense of urgency.

DB, KR reported the same activity over by work yesterday. A little better than what I've seen, but said they didn't seem to energized.

Time to hunt!

[huntnnw]

 Checking cams in 127 yesterday I saw some heavy rutting activity.

[boneaddict]

Mule deer are still rutting up high but tapering off quickly.

I am surprised they are still rutting.. I had a lot of Mule Deer rut activity 27 October - 3 November

Last years fawns (doe) go into estrous late, and then any doe that were missed the first time around go in around Thanksgiving.  2nd rut is happening, though it isn't anything like the first push

[DBHAWTHORNE]

Mule deer are still rutting up high but tapering off quickly.

I am surprised they are still rutting.. I had a lot of Mule Deer rut activity 27 October - 3 November

Last years fawns (doe) go into estrous late, and then any doe that were missed the first time around go in around Thanksgiving.  2nd rut is happening, though it isn't anything like the first push

That definitely makes sense. I know the whitetail have a second rut but its usually fairly slow.

[jnevs23]

I'm hunting Mt. Spokane and the rut seems to be on.  I had a spike, 2pt and small 3 pt come in Monday.  None if them cared about my bait they were all sniffing at the doe in heat wicks.  The 3 pt took off after a doe that came in as well. Driving in this morning there was a 4 pt right next to the road with a doe. I stopped and about could have hit him with my door. He didn't give a crap about me as long as his doe was there.  That said its been Slow in the stand today.

[nwwanderer]

Very busy for the whitetail.  Does bred now fawn mid June.  Some of this years fawns will cycle and keep the bucks looking.  Great time to be out watching and learning.

[PolarBear]

I have seen black tails go into 3 different rut cycles.  Many years ago I was out hunting coyotes in shelton on the last couple of days of December.  ! ran across an old guy hunting alone with a late muzleloader deer tag.  About an hour later while calling coyotes a doe comes into my fawn in destress call.  Behind her was a huge 4 point blacktail buck that chased her around with his nose in her business. I backed out and drove like hell to find the old man.  He was only about a mile away and by the time we got back the buck was up on the hillside and mounting the doe.  We let him finish his job and the old man shot what was his biggest buck ever.  I have seen bucks in full rut from the middle of september on through the end of december.