Where oh where is the rut?

[crowinghen]

 I don't want to sound like a whiner, this is a legitimate question. But keep in mind this is my fourteenth day in a row hunting.
I am trying to get a good buck with my blacktail raffle tag. We started out hunting Kapowsin timberland . we saw a ton of does and were just seeing some rubs when we had to quit hunting there due to it being closed through elk season. Saw just one two point there,  observed no rut type activity.
 Then we hit Mason county. Just more grtouips of does, no bucks with them. Just a few rubs, nothing major.
 So now we have been here in the West klickitat unit since Monday. This is what we have seen here. Tons of does. We watched 10 of them this morning. No bucks.
We have seen one two point chasing a doe. He just ignored the other doe that was with her. We returned to that spot and there were no does to be found, but 2 small two points crossing the road in the middle of the day. Saw one more small bhuck chasing a doe in town. That is the entire rut activity we have seen in these last two weeks. We have been hunting hard too. Probably seen more than 150 does in that time.
 We have seen bucks in the middle of the day on roads or private property. We have seen does every night no bucks.

Sorry to be so long winded but my question is:

where is the rut?


 I know you guys don't owe me any love but serious non critical replies would sincerely be appreciated!
Thanks,  crowinghen

[bobcat]

I think it's winding down. I bet 99% of the does have already been bred. But that doesn't mean the big bucks aren't out looking for more receptive does. I don't really know what to tell you other than keep trying and if you're seeing does you should eventually see a buck. Also, have you tried rattling? Seems that should be pretty effective right now.

[Curly]

Just don't get too discouraged.  Blacktail hunting can be very frustrating.

[bankwalker]

If you aren't seeing bucks right now I would definitely try rsttling. Yea you may spook bucks away...but if you already aren't seeing them what's to lose?

Right now would be a good time to rattle though. With most does being bread already and bucks still interested in the few remaining does ready to breed....those bucks should be fairly aggressive

[3nails]

Right now I believe the mature bucks are holding down does in the thick stuff. Like bobcat said also, the breeding portion should be winding down soon. Look for them to become more visible this next week as they search high and low for a hot doe.

[270Shooter]

Don't give up on the west klick. Have you hunted closer to the klickitat?

[billythekidrock]

Right now I believe the mature bucks are holding down does in the thick stuff. Like bobcat said also, the breeding portion should be winding down soon. Look for them to become more visible this next week as they search high and low for a hot doe.

 

[crowinghen]

Thanks for the posts!
Why do you suppose we are seeing so many does? We watched 10 does this morning in one clearcut.
We don't have any rattlers with us, but do have the doe bleat can. We have our place here until Saturday then have to head home.
I guess I thought we would hit the rut somewhere and that is a bit disappointing. Still hoping to get a good first deer though!

Thanks again!

[Wingin it]

Persistence usually pays off. Keep at it and get that big buck you seek! Good luck!

[shanevg]

Just because the rut is going doesn't mean the big boys will be just standing in the open. Big blacktails are always hard to find, even during the rut. Keep hunting hard and look for does. When you find one in heat, there will be a buck nearby.

Good luck!  Hope you can find Mr. Big!

[dfresh96]

good luck & stay at it

[Skyvalhunter]

Just because the rut is going doesn't mean the big boys will be just standing in the open. Big blacktails are always hard to find, even during the rut. Keep hunting hard and look for does. When you find one in heat, there will be a buck nearby.

Good luck!  Hope you can find Mr. Big!

How do you find the doe in heat by sniffing her?

[MountainTracker]

Just because the rut is going doesn't mean the big boys will be just standing in the open. Big blacktails are always hard to find, even during the rut. Keep hunting hard and look for does. When you find one in heat, there will be a buck nearby.

Good luck!  Hope you can find Mr. Big!

How do you find the doe in heat by sniffing her?

   Look for the doe with her tail sticking straight out, parallel with her back, that's a good sign.

[bolsen]

Just saw a dandy 4x3 blacktail with 2 does, rutting hard!

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

The old doe that likes to hang around my house still has her fawns with her, one is a little spike.
Have not noticed any other bucks with them (2 does, 3 fawns)
Usually get a visit from several bucks between Halloween and Christmas, but none yet...

[bigbeamhunter]

Just saw two nice big bucks chasing does in the west klickitat.
I got a monster in in the sioxon last year rattling you have to be persistent if you aren't you will fail. Or get lucky. It took me 73 hours to get last years buck. I sat I. The same place every morning and evening that I could. And got him last day of the season. Game cameras are great until u see a monster and tell yourself him or nothing.

[crowinghen]

Hunted from Dawn to dark yesterday . We saw 9 does without bucks, a little spike, and a two point crossing a road. Rainy and windy all day.
Also saw a flock of wild turkeys. We have seen some great wildlife here,  some huge grey squirrels and large owls.
 We have hunted hard. today we heasd home and then keep up the quest...

[crowinghen]

Also we have seen nearly 200 deer since Oct 30. All does ,fawns or big bucks on private land or little guys. Have  hunted every day.

[Turner89]

It can change for you any minute. I agree with 3 nails. They are probably holed up with a doe in some brush. They will start moving again. 
  Hang in there.....there's a little bit of pressure, that comes with your tag.

[JakeLand]

Just went through Goldbar and a 2 point was with 3 Does and he was pushing 1 smaller Doe around

[JDHasty]

Just because the rut is going doesn't mean the big boys will be just standing in the open. Big blacktails are always hard to find, even during the rut. Keep hunting hard and look for does. When you find one in heat, there will be a buck nearby.

Good luck!  Hope you can find Mr. Big!

 

They are five feet back inside of cover watching and sniffing.  They can get careless and that is how I usually see them if I am not looking back inside cover with my binocular, but they are pretty cagey even in the height of the rut.  They just are a secretive animal though - that is how they got to be mature bucks. 

Your binocular is your friend and that means your full size binocular.  Look just inside, over, through into every thing.

I learned a lot about blacktail bucks in college.  I went to St Martin's College and that is how I spent a lot of free time - looking for deer on the St Martin's Monastery campus.  Back then you never saw me w/o a Leica 9x25 binocular with the strap around my neck and the binocular in my shirtjacket pocket. 

Wait a minute you say!  I thought you said my full size binocular.  Well I was living with the things and hauling around a full size binocular was not an option.  Plus, I was looking for them just for kicks - you are serious about locating a nice buck to shoot.

That Leica is also IF and I would strongly encourage a CF binocular that has a much more shallow, and selective, DOF.  This helps to separate an antler from foreground and background branches. 

So long as a mature buck thinks he is hidden he will almost let you walk up and put a saddle on his back before he bolts or even just ambles off.

I say this after watching rutting bucks that were part of a deer herd that is particularly tame.  Mature bucks are secretive.  You don't see them, but they are watching you.

All of that being said, the rut started early on the islands I hunt and when I was taking my RV out and setting stands a week before the season this year I saw a two point that was really, really nice and a monster four point w/brow tines at mid day right out in the open working a doe herd and then saw two more mature bucks moving in to check out an apple tree for scent of does in heat just as I was leaving for the day.  They were not checking out that apple for food, they sniffed around and left a half-dozen apples laying right in front of them.   

The rut was definitely on and given that it had to have just started those mature bucks were all kinds of careless.  But this experience is novel to me.   

         

[JDHasty]

We drive down from Tacoma and go to Mass on Sunday evening at 19:00 at Saint Martin's Monastery and usually the kids and I like to spotlight deer before and after the Mass. 

Last night we watched two different mature blacktail bucks (nice bucks, but not particularly so) with their nose planted right in the hind-end of a doe.  So the rut is still in full swing in the south sound.  These were good shootable bucks, but not something you would pay to have a shoulder mount done on, but that being said they were decent.

I have a few spots that I can usually light them up in.  They are not that hard to locate after dark.  They don't bed that far away from where we found them last night, but finding them during daylight hours is not all that easy.  They stay in the thick/nasty pretty much when it is not dark out.   

[MuleySniper]

I haven't seen the number of bucks I normally see this time of the year but they are around. This guy was still rutting good on saturday.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

We saw rutting activity last week while elk hunting in Minot Peak. Saw a couple nice bucks and one that was very similar to the one MuleySniper posted above.

I have always found that the bigger bucks show up more after the main rut, because they are still looking for hot does and there are way fewer available. So they are moving around more trying to have one last fling.  Don't give up, your odds should be improving.

[Chesapeake]

This dude was in the Wind love struck by a doe so much that I took these pics with my Iphone Saturday. He wouldn't leave the doe, but he was still trying to hide in the bushes.......
 


Seen 3 bucks stuck to does that day in the Wind and West Klickitat.

[Igottanewknee]

Saw at least a dozen 2 point or larger deer this elk season so far..... All rutting hard, dumber than a box o rocks....