Blacktail Rut?

[fishngamereaper]

stay hidden and be downwind of where you expect them to come from.  Also, expect that they will circle you and try to get downwind to see who/what you are - not always, but more so than not.

Hunted up in Kitsap today.  No rubs or rutting activity apparent at all out past Purdy.  Dead in the woods - no action on a scent wick.  Missed  a long shot with my slug gun on a buck that stood up in a cut at 10:30.  Heard maybe four other shots all day.

Leave my deer alone...

There are rubs showing up everyday. Hopefully I can get the kid on a buck tomorrow.

[PolarBear]

What's a piss drip bag? I've tried rattling with no luck.  Are u adding grunts as well? How long do you stay per session?

Wildlife Research Center Ultimate Scrape Dripper filled with Moccasin Joes blacktail doe scent. It slowly drips scent but only diring the day. I start out with light rattling and grunting to try not to spook and close by bucks. 10 minutes or less of noise 20-30 minutes of quiet. 30-45 minutes after last noise before leaving.

[philepe]

Bucks are moving around in the daylight.  2 days ago at my house saw a 4x3 in the backyard at an apple tree, he was all by himself and just content eating. 
This morning saw another buck very briefly because he took off when I walked out the front door around 10:30.
It may have been the same buck but Im not sure.  Funny thing is that the doe was trailing behind and followed after him.

[Turner89]

9:30am in the middle of a cut with the blazing sun shining on it. I saw a really nice buck chasing a doe. I couldn't get on him for a shot.
 They are defiantly moving around, just need to find a doe and keep your eye on her. The bucks won't be to far away.

[7mmfan]

9:30am in the middle of a cut with the blazing sun shining on it. I saw a really nice buck chasing a doe. I couldn't get on him for a shot.
 They are defiantly moving around, just need to find a doe and keep your eye on her. The bucks won't be to far away.

Getting me all jazzed up man! I can't get out until Sunday.   

[180-GRAIN]

I had 7 yes that's not a typo lol. 7 bucks in my back yard at 8:30pm last night. None were acting rutty at all. They were just content walking circles around each other and cracking antlers together once in awhile. These are all forks and spikes. There were also 3 does eating apples while this was going on. I have a big 4 point on camera a couple times in the last week so I'm sure he's sitting back waiting near by. Kind of weird though everything is still pretty much nocturnal except spikes and a couple does. Doesn't seem to be kicked in yet from what I'm seeing. Close though.

[h20hunter]

You need to thin the herd.  Tie a forky to a tree and ill blast it

[Buckmark]

I have some does and spikes that have been showing up during daylight hours, nothing really on my cams in back yet and have seen no rut activity yet...But there was also a bear around that had the deer scattered for a few days.

[fishngamereaper]

There was some pretty good rut activity last week around that storm. Now with the temps in the 60's and clear night skies its slowed dramatically. I think its going to kick in right after the season ends....

[180-GRAIN]

There was some pretty good rut activity last week around that storm. Now with the temps in the 60's and clear night skies its slowed dramatically. I think its going to kick in right after the season ends....

I agree!

[bobcat]

Well, you know the rut really doesn't start until about November 1st, right?  The day after the season's over. There's a reason why the season ends on the 31st.  Actually when I used to really start getting lots of pictures of bigger bucks, was about a week into November. Then about the 14th or 15th all of a sudden, no more bucks. Yep, just before late season starts.   

[pope]

Well, you know the rut really doesn't start until about November 1st, right?  The day after the season's over. There's a reason why the season ends on the 31st.  Actually when I used to really start getting lots of pictures of bigger bucks, was about a week into November. Then about the 14th or 15th all of a sudden, no more bucks. Yep, just before late season starts.   

I get excited when posts show up documenting rut behavior in late October...it's usually out near Shelton or up in Whatcom, but in my local spots action is slow. Where I hunt, it's right in line with the regs. I've taken a day off on Halloween a couple of times and been disappointed. Most bucks show up cruising trails they otherwise don't use after the first week of November, according to my camera research, although I did happen across a buck while moving a tree stand on November 1st in 2015 (pretty sure I caught up to him in late buck that year). My best opportunity is always late buck, a magical time in the woods.

[fishnfur]

Well, you know the rut really doesn't start until about November 1st, right?  The day after the season's over. There's a reason why the season ends on the 31st.  Actually when I used to really start getting lots of pictures of bigger bucks, was about a week into November. Then about the 14th or 15th all of a sudden, no more bucks. Yep, just before late season starts.   

That's right on Bobcat.

[JDHasty]

I am a little skewed toward full on rut starting a little earlier, like last weekend.  But I hunted Sept Archery pretty hard and then a couple weekends of the ML season w/my bow and then I host a few guys for Mod Season so... I had only shot pheasants one day until last week. 

I suggested that the guys coming out for Mod Season wait until last weekend and they didn't wait, and were pretty well shut out the opening weekend (I got a fat doe w/my bow, but I had been out and had them pretty well figured out). They made up for it last weekend, but had to travel every day because I was bird shooting and not hosting deer hunters. 

I am taking Monday and Tuesday off and will hunt deer again from about noon Sunday after bird shooting, through Tuesday evening. 

I kinda' think the best BT hunting is from about the 20th of Oct for about a week, but more of the guys whose opinion I really respect think it's Halloween that is best.

I'm confident, we'll see what happens. 

I feel an obligation to my dogs to get them out on birds as much as I can and am satisfied with my choices.  If I don't close the deal on a nice buck this next week I will lay off until December.   

[fishnfur]

Backyard cam in Stella unit shows fawns out feeding without mom, first time of the season, between 24 - 26th.  I think mom's are out on a date.   First buck since early summer showed up last night - the little spike with eyeguards.  Good luck out there!