Spokane area deer movement

[Kpem]

What is everyone noticing as far as activity and time of day the deer are moving. I've been hitting an area where I KNOW deer are present for the past week or so and I'm always in an hour before sunrise in the AM and stay till it's too dark to see in PM. I haven't been seeing nearly any deer in comparison to weeks prior and beginning of September.

How affected are the deer by the real clear days we've been having and the full moon?

[Miles]

Full on rut.  They're chasing.






 

[HunterofWA]

Could be the rut but you'd expect more daylight activity if that was the case, I assume that the deer have just got there winter coats and there trying to avoid moving around during daylight because they get a lot warmer with that big fur coat. During this time, deer will be most likely bedding next to creeks and bedding on north facing slopes in shading areas. The way I harvested my BT doe this year was because I was hunting on the edge of a clear-cut (used by deer as a transitional zone)  that was covered my mature conifer and deciduous trees that helped shade out the area thus making it a cooler and more comfortable place to bed down during the hot hours of the day. 

[Kpem]

Idk if it's rut yet... but the deer I've seen have been hard horned. Shouldn't they respond well to grunts and rattling right now if it's even pre-rut/rut?

I sat on a north facing slope today at a decent vantage point where I'm pretty sure deer bed near. But only heard a little activity here and there (cracks, rusting, ect.) but nothing reared its head.

On the upside I did hear some long off bugles and very close cow calls for those elk hunting

[DaveMonti]

I think we are a good month away from any deer rutting, and probably more like 6 weeks.  It's just hot and they are nocturnal. 

[Kpem]

My thoughts exactly. And full bright moon doesn't help at all. Hoping the weather pouring in this weekend will help get em moving Saturday morning or tomorrow afternoon even.

Till then I'll keep sitting above the north facing slopes till late and I'm early.

[DaveMonti]

I missed the chuckle face at the bottom of Miles post!  I was wondering why someone would think the rut is on, and "full on"
 

[Kpem]

Hahaha damn. Also guilty, at least I decided against coming across like a total *censored* lol

[Miles]

I've had days like you are taking about around Spokane.  Keep putting in the time because it can all change in one day and there are deer moving around everywhere.

I used to like hunting one of my spots when it rained.  On a sunny bluebird day they would just bed and hold tight.  I still hunted an area one morning and didn't see anything.  Around noon it started raining and I saw over 20 deer in about two hours all up moving around.

Good luck and yes I was joking about the rut.  .  Wait till the last three days of late season for that around Spokane.

[jasnt]

I think we are a good month away from any deer rutting, and probably more like 6 weeks.  It's just hot and they are nocturnal. 

[Henrydog]

I live in Spokevegas as well, I have a old apple orchard behind my house.  The deer show up right at dark and flee for the greenbelts at dawn, I have to watch for the little suckers when I leave for work.  I think they bed for the vast majority of the day, and let us stupid people go to work make noise all day, when everyone goes to bed, they come to out eat

[Kpem]

Good to know. This morning on the way in it was at least an hour before sunrise prob almost 2, and there was deer out moving. Right now as I write this all movement has calmed down the past 40 minutes or so. I agree, think they're moving at night with the big moon and hot days. Tonight might get them moving though with the storm coming in Saturday. Fingers crossed.

[HunterofWA]

You'll definitly see a difference in deer activity right as the rain stops this weekend, and possible more just before the rain

[DaveMonti]

Go get them!  Let us know how you do and what level of activity you see!

[dwils233]

I can only speak to the more urban deer in the 9 mile area but I still am seeing most movement well after dark in that area and I only see the bucks at that time. I think its still just a little too warm and early for more daytime movement

[Henrydog]

Last year on muzzleloader I hunted very close to the Spokane Valley....just outside the no shooting zone.  It was hot and clear like it has been this week, I saw only a couple of doe's.  But each morning when I showed back up to the same spot it looked like it was a deer freeway all night.

[Kpem]

Yeah that's exactly what I'm seeing thus far. I'm headed out now, willing to bet come last light they'll be moving and early in the AM into late morning before the storm tomorrow

[Kpem]

Well no deer moving in any day light. Jumped a few on the way back to the truck. It was about 7:30-7:45. They were just heading into the open then. Moon is BRIGHT, only hope is that tomorrow morning they'll stay out a little longer thanks to the storm rolling in.

Fingers crossed

[jasnt]

Good luck

[Kpem]

Not a lot of movement this morning... Seen deer bedded in the middle of clear cuts walking around but no way to put a stalk on them.

Got a good feeling tomorrow morning after the storm they'll be moving more. And I think I know where they're bedding so... Here we go again lol

[NORTH_DUB]

Kpem in Spokane valley?? This must be Kevin

[PA BEN]

Full Moon

[nwwanderer]

Normal here, up 3+ times a day.  Easy time, a little fresh fall regrowth, the few fawns we have more independent, apples ripe, and bucks still running together.  Watched three bucks this morning watch a coyote pass at about ten feet.  Just watched him go, no reaction from either.

[Kpem]

Kpem in Spokane valley?? This must be Kevin

Hahah who's Kevin?

[Kpem]

With the season closing in on me I'm at a loss. Gave up on my previous spot due to the fact that I hadn't seen many deer over that way at all as of late, but seen lots of human sign and even some dude walking his dog with what I can only assume was a cowbell attached to him.

Yesterday after sitting a new spot with no activity, i decided to go for a stroll and find another spot managed to find a very beaten down game trail on a north-south running ridge, that leads from high flat ground down to a deep gulley where I think is a creek running or at least used to be, very green and dark. As I was walking down the trail around 9-930am or so, wind caught me and immediately 3 does and a fawn went bounding out from below me onto another ridge line about 100yds away, not ten seconds later a nice tall 2pt followed suit (one I think I've seen before) then again another small basket 3pt took off following the other buck.

I watched them go over the ridge and kinda mill around until I couldn't see them anymore and they disappeared over the back side of the ridge, I then made the decision to try to loop them and get a shot from higher up that ridge. Long story short, it took me too long to get over there, I only caught a glimpse of a doe and the fawn making there way down the steep embankment away from me at about 25yds. No sign of the bucks.

Anyways, it appears that those deer are definitely bedding there so this morning I was sitting midway up on the ridge, thinking they'd come either from or for higher ground along that highway going to bed or coming from bedding. But I sat till about 8:30 and didn't hear a peep.

My thought is that getting in there in the dark is just too loud and it's spooking them out of wanting to hit that open area, or maybe they're still nocturnal and only crossing at night. It's still hot during the day and there is no moon hardly left but clear skies.  Like I said at this point I'm at a loss, tomorrow morning I plan to sit that same area strictly due to the fact that the trail is absolutely haggard and fresh so they have to be using it still.

Any thoughts?

[bosshogg112]

Sounds like you need a friend or two to drive the deer to you.

[jasnt]

Or spend the night in the stand

[Kpem]

I've honestly strongly debated both options haha. Friday night I may have a buddy with me and if so we will deff be thinkin about that. Spending the night out there isn't exactly ideal but i suppose it's plausible lol. I'm going to try to get in there extra early tomorrow in hopes that they will have forgotten all about me by the time the suns up

[jasnt]

Good luck

[coachcw]

my guess is you will find those bucks pounding south slopes at first light even possibly bedded up already , if they have a cool hill side to move to at first light look to ambush , the problem being the thermals typically drift down hill  in the mornings . hope for a bit of wind and try to still hunt late morning , pick every bit of bush apart and use the binos even up close . if nothing else you will hone your stalking skills . Or just bait the heck out of them .

[Henrydog]

My highschooler was working on filling his fall turkey last night in the same area.  He did not see a deer all afternoon.  When driving back to the valley with the headlights they were moving.  I think it's the late summer weather.  This storm tonight and tomorrow might get them moving