Blacktail Rut?

[fishngamereaper]

Lack of activity is making it hard to keep my 12 year old excited. He's got dad's A.D.D.... we might hit tonight for an evening sit but the quite am hunts are not producing. We may just wait till late season to...ugh... stupid warm Oct weather.

[JDHasty]

I may rethink the above strategy.  Talked to quite a few guys who were out today and it is pretty much the same with all of them  Not a thing moving during the day so far. 

[fishngamereaper]

Sitting at one of my productive spots. Sweating in a t shirt... ....kid is carving with his knife, I'm glassing...and posting on hw...

[deerhunter_98520]

Got a 2pt today and was with a doe, he wasn't swelled up, or stinky, and his glands were pretty clean

[fishnfur]

There you go!  One down!

[deerhunter_98520]

4 more tags in the group to go...time to be guide, hope they pay well 

[Whitenuckles]

Haven't seen a deer in 2 days. I'm between Duvall and Monroe. Last weekend deer were everywhere. Now nothing....

[Duckslayer89]

I didn't see a deer tonight. Rode probably 8-10 miles on mountain bike glassing and walking through cuts. The other day I did have a small button buck cruising nose to the ground running down the road I was walking up

[JDHasty]

I didn't see a deer tonight. Rode probably 8-10 miles on mountain bike glassing and walking through cuts. The other day I did have a small button buck cruising nose to the ground running down the road I was walking up

You are not alone.  No one I talked to saw much  of anything, some did, but not what they wanted to shoot.  I took a drive this evening (just to take a break) and checked out an apple tree near Steilacoom that should have had deer (they were there every evening until Wednesday) and a cemetery and come up with a big fat goose egg. 

They now are sportin' their winter coat and 70 degree daytime temps can't be conducive to a lot of activity.  I shot birds today and it was not that comfortable in a T-shirt.  Me thinks they are out all night feeding and bedded where it is cool all day. 

[Duckslayer89]

I didn't see a deer tonight. Rode probably 8-10 miles on mountain bike glassing and walking through cuts. The other day I did have a small button buck cruising nose to the ground running down the road I was walking up

You are not alone.  No one I talked to saw much  of anything, some did, but not what they wanted to shoot.  I took a drive this evening (just to take a break) and checked out an apple tree near Steilacoom that should have had deer (they were there every evening until Wednesday) and a cemetery and come up with a big fat goose egg. 

They now are sportin' their winter coat and 70 degree daytime temps can't be conducive to a lot of activity.  I shot birds today and it was not that comfortable in a T-shirt.  Me thinks they are out all night feeding and bedded where it is cool all day.

Ya I was hunting in a t shirt almost all night it felt like a late August bear hunt! I did see one deer in the pitch black driving out. I heard a shot near where I ran into a couple forum members earlier I'm hoping they connected and it wasn't someone shooting grouse. Which I saw a bunch of tonight

[WSU]

Lots of small rubs today but I saw zero deer. I concur that there is very little daylight movement.

[fishnfur]

I figure this slow season is just payback for last year.  Early rutting and lots of dead mature bucks took it's toll in 2016.  You guys killed all the good deer last year and now there's just button bucks and spikes running around. 

Who knows, maybe they'll be up and doin' it tomorrow.  It could happen.....

[AKBowman]

I had a big mature buck going nuts on a vine maple tree about 80 yards in front of my stand. Right in the middle of the swamp. He raked the tree harder than a bull elk. The tree was probably swaying 3' from side to side about 20' up the tree. He crashed his way out to my trail grunting like mad. First time I have heard a BT grunt. Very faint but frequent.

He hit my trail about 70 yards down and I could just see his chest, head and a white face with very large antlers. He worked a cedar branch like a licking branch which I have never seen a BT do. He looked downhill then looked uphill (my way) then started down away from me. I tipped the can and gave him a soft grunt on the tube which stopped him for a minute. He looked my general direction then walked away grunting.

Got my heart pumping for sure! This was at 9am down in a pretty deep hole where he felt comfortable making the rounds. DEFINETLY rutting.

[deerhunter_98520]

It's starting.....almost every set of doe tracks I ran across had a buck track following ...get ready fellas

[kodiak 907]

From what I witnessed yesterday. Bucks are hot in the does heels.  The ladies are playing hard to get.