Is the Rut going on the West side?

[edmondshunter]

Ive been hunting the 460 gmu North of I-90.  Ive spent 4 days sunrise to sunset, not one buck chasing does.  Got a look at a little spike buck in timber at the last min. of legal light, but thats all.  Ive done mostly sit downs, but spent a day spot and stalk.  I tried rattling, doe bleats, and doe in heat scents. with no luck  Any one see any bucks ruting on the West?

[Palmer]

I was reading the WDFW report for either 460 or 466 and the buck to deer ratio was around 15:100.  Not very good.  You can check to verify online. 

Yes I've heard that bucks are fighting and their necks are huge.

[FWilliams]

I was in the Henry M. Jackson , unit 448 this weekend.......in the area well before light, and a decent skiff of snow....beautiful day in the Mts. , had high hopes after seeing and hearing some of the bucks on here from the west, but nothing I saw was in the rut.


Fred

[Palmer]

I rattled one in in late September but I didn't get aggressive with the rattle bag.  The buck was a blacktail and may have come in out of curiosity.  This particular deer pop has almost no hunting pressure and is well balanced so there is plenty of competition during the peak rut.  I heard some dear touching their antlers together but not going at it 100%.

[searchnfor]

I just got into the house from helping a friend get out a 2 point blacktail. He shot it at 35-40 yards while it stood there looking at him and pawing the ground, it had 2-3 does. He was definately rutting his neck was big and he had the smell. Unit 407 he was in.

[BrushChimp]

The bucks sure are rutting in SW Washington. My buddy killed one the other night. It had three does with it that he was chasin'. His neck wasn't huge but it was swollen. Saturday while out hunting I saw a doe running across the road with a forked horn buck in hot pursuit. Every buck that the guys around here have been killing have big necks and their hawks are running..

Here is a pic of my buddy's buck..

[boneaddict]

Cool looking buck.  He'd been tearing up the trees for sure.

[Bighorse]

I also shot one in Whatcom county in participating in the rut.  He was scrapin tree and with a female companion.  He had a huge neck too.

[Blacklab]

Nice looking animal brushchimp.

[bowpredator]

Yep, all the bucks we have been seeing have had a little ladie with them.The only reason I didn't get a shot at a nice 3pt sunday morning was because the doe he was chasin would not stop, therefor his didnot stop moving.

Rodger

[Coasthunterjay]

i know what you mean i hunted in SE washington and my deer was full on neck swelled three does chasing, scent marking( really early this year). and right before i shot him he faught another 5x5 WT that was about the same size. He absalutly kick the crap out of the five point pushing him all over then drug the other bucks face in the ground. It was amazing. i thought that there would have been a good fight. NO, it was quick. the other deer just came out started racking horns and then got beat up. Then i went Boom BOom Aint so tuogh know huh!!! Awesome sight to see though.

Nice deer man, really good buck!!!