Free: Contests & Raffles.
RadSav - I have trouble leaving the alder areas completely when I hunt because there is so much sign in it. Rubs, dung, browsed vegetation, etc. My take is that they are nocturnal use only for the bucks though. Someday, I'd love to hear about your hunting methods around alder. In the mean time - is there a chance that those scrapes in OR were made by Columbian Whitetails that have re-established themselves pretty well in that area - (Douglas County anyway)? Perhaps a BT-WT hybrid subspecies that has established itself well enough to display that trait (making scrapes) in West Central OR? I'm going to research the issue 'cause your tale has me really curious.
I'm curious if you noticed them using a licking branch in conjunction with the scrape making. That would amaze me to no end! (well, maybe not to "no end", but you get my drift).
We saw a buck Saturday run out of the timber into a clear cut, jump at a doe, jab her in the chest and run her back into the timber. She tried to come out into the cut again and he did the same thing. What a rude SOB. I would have shot him for being such an A hole, but the wind was blowing too hard and the rain was too heavy to get a good range. Of course the hurricane stopped about the time he finished pushing her up and over the hill. Was sort of fun to watch!
Really interesting reports you've posted about the bucks herding or pushing the does. I've never seen or heard of that before in 7 or 8 books on blacktails. Usually, it is reported that the buck will follow a hot doe around and basically stand by waiting until she lets him mount her.
Quote from: RadSav on November 03, 2015, 06:59:10 PMWe saw a buck Saturday run out of the timber into a clear cut, jump at a doe, jab her in the chest and run her back into the timber. She tried to come out into the cut again and he did the same thing. What a rude SOB. I would have shot him for being such an A hole, but the wind was blowing too hard and the rain was too heavy to get a good range. Of course the hurricane stopped about the time he finished pushing her up and over the hill. Was sort of fun to watch!I watched a rude SOB do the same thing. He jabbed her in the butt. I was lucky enough to punish him for it though
I have no first-hand knowledge of Whitetails, and I've only read a bit and watched a few thousand hunting shows on TV, but if I remember correctly, and as I'm sure you're aware, scrape making by Whitetails isn't just a pre-rut or rut time behavior. Apparently they do it all year long. Where's the whitetail guys to confirm or call BS on this???I'm curious if you noticed them using a licking branch in conjunction with the scrape making. That would amaze me to no end! (well, maybe not to "no end", but you get my drift).