2015 Rut thread....

[Bango skank]

So do you need some help thinning some out?? I believe ffhoofer is going to be in your area this weekend. But I think he is kinda shaddy

I am starting to feel like im under seige or something, but im pretty sure i can survive on my own 

[Griz231]

So do you need some help thinning some out?? I believe ffhoofer is going to be in your area this weekend. But I think he is kinda shaddy

I am starting to feel like im under seige or something, but im pretty sure i can survive on my own 

I think it's frickin awesome!  I'd love to live over there where the deer were in the yard everyday.  We have a couple resident blacktail does that cruise through the yard couple times a week but never any bucks.  Jealous!

[Big6bull]

They definetly seem drugged up 

[PA BEN]

I just pulled my game cards this morning. On the 9th and 10th I started seeing bucks when all I have been seeing is does.

[Deerdad44]

That is a great picture with the buck in the background.....ya think he was pre-occupied with something or what?

[fishnfur]

That's a crazy good photo of the bull and buck.  One in a million.

I went out to pull cards on three cams that I moved last time I hunted the area west of Cathlamet.  Someone pulled a card from one of them that was in an easily seen spot - lucky I didn't loose it.  The other two, I'd forgotten to turn on after I finished hunting.

I walked around a bit looking for new rubs on the first of two logging landings.  Raining a bit, forgotten my binocs and glasses at home.  Stumbled down to the second alder filled landing area, not really trying to be quiet, and find a fawn, a doe, and a pig of a deer - big, big body, white muzzle, black forehead, (but I can't see well enough at 40 yards to make out antlers) all staring at me.  Since they were directly below my treestand, I decided to back out and attempt to sneak in from a different direction.  15 minutes later, I found that big deer still standing motionless - now at about 60 yards.  All the blinking in the world does nothing to improve my vision, but that big ol' deer wasn't showing any signs of leaving.  They knew I was there and the big one had moved a bit closer to the edge where (I'm guessing) it could bail down the hill if necessary.  I check the date on my watch again - it's still the 11th - eight more days.

[Bango skank]

Just found what looks like a new scrape in my backyard, but there is no licking branch.  Kind of odd.  Anyway, just for fun since ive been getting so many rutty bucks running around the house, i set up a bushnell aggressor in video mode mounted to my porch.  Hopefully there will be good action tonight.  And i may have sweetened the pot with some apples and a little estrous scent 

Hope ill be posting some good videos of rutty bucks tomorrow

[fishnfur]

Pics tomorrow please!

[Brute]

From last week.

[DaveMonti]

I've seen 2 dead blacktail bucks on Rt. 522 near Monroe this past week.  They are definitely on the move.  Cars are harvesting them!

[Timberstalker]

Wow Brute, that buck facing the camera is so white. 
Thanks for sharing.

[.257mag]

Awsome picture brute! If I were that "smaller" buck I wouldnt pick a fight with that guy.  He even has a sidekick!

[Bango skank]

Well this evening a 4x4 was eating apples just inside the timberline behind the house, and he got REAL alert all of the sudden.  A doe came in running by him, ran a little circle, peed in front of him and ran off a little ways.  He went and buried his face in her pee for a minute, snapped his head up, then started chasing her with his head down and lip curled.  He chased her all ovr the damn place, open mouth panting full bore pursuit for prob a half hour before dark.  Oddly enough a smaller 4x4 was there but showed no interest in the doe.  He was all about the apples.  On an unrelated note, i found a small dead moose this morning while out on public land with a friend.  I believe it was probably a cougar kill, but it wasnt very fresh so hard to say.

[Ridgeratt]

From last week.

That's a great photo with the Magpie sitting on the back of the one buck.

[fishnfur]

Two more days of searching in the rain - the blacktails seem to be hunkered down in the bad weather.  No sightings, but I did notice that there is still a ton of leaves out there.  The complete lack of cold weather has left small alders completely full of green leaves and most of the BL Maples are still carrying a half load down here as well.  Salmonberry and elderberry are still pretty intact too. 

It could be a tough four days next week.