Late BT Opener

[ruttnbuck]

I was out all day Thursday and Friday passed a 2 point Thursday that was out of my comfort zone ,   Seen a few on Friday and missed another chance later in day due to fog . Both the bucks I seen where by themselves , I seen more rut action during early season then late season so far.  Might try a late afternoon hunt tomorrow and call it a year. 

[dreadi]

I saw hunters way off in the distance but, only bumped the same one twice. We passed each other at the same place in the morning and evening.

In the morning after we talked, a doe crossed my path. I was going to follow her but, she disappeared after I gave her some space. Figuring there had to be a buck near I glasses the 900+ yards ahead of brush and a trail. Didn’t see anything so I gave a low grunt and up pops this buck and starts running the trail uphill toward me. I took cover before he saw me as I was hunting in a firearm restricted area and had a shotgun with me. He didn’t get into a comfortable range before seeing me, quartered, stopped, started and turned to bound away tail up. That was before 9am and I never saw another deer. I worked the area in a big loop and left for another, and came back in the evening. Oh well. There’s still tomorrow.

[fishnfur]

So close Dreadi.....  Dang!  At least you had some excitement.  Good luck tomorrow.

[tritt007]

Super awful couple days here in sw wa where I'm at . Nothing but 20+ mph winds since early this morning and it's supposed to continue ....

[Martinhunter]

I haven't been out in the woods at all for the late hunt due to work and other things but as far as rut activity up here at my house, its been completely dead since Halloween . From October 25th to Halloween it was a absolute rut frenzy but it completely shutdown. I know its still on and now's the time to find a trophy blacktail chasing does but wow this weather has sucked this year.   

[PolarBear]

Went to check on my cows that are due to calve at any moment at about 2:00 this morning and there was a 2 point pushing a doe around my apple tree and across my yard.

[WoolyRunner]

I haven't been out in the woods at all for the late hunt due to work and other things but as far as rut activity up here at my house, its been completely dead since Halloween . From October 25th to Halloween it was a absolute rut frenzy but it completely shutdown. I know its still on and now's the time to find a trophy blacktail chasing does but wow this weather has sucked this year.

Thats what im thinking. 2 buddies of mine tagged out on Halloween and Oct 28th. Nothing since then.

[brokentrail]

Based on the action on my cameras, things got hot and heavy about the 3rd of November as I had bigger bucks on cam that I had never seen.  They disappeared about the 11th and haven't seen them since. One of my boys tagged out last night on a small 2 x 2 and he still smelled a little but didn't reak.  I've left the cans out to try and see if those bigger bucks show up again around the 24th.

[fishnfur]

Good idea brokentrail.  In most years, when we've discussed rutting bucks on cams, we've generally agreed the best dates are somewhere around the 8th - 10th and that they're long gone after about the 12th of Nov., never to be seen again that season.  I've seen the best buck ever in my yard this year on the 14th, and another 3 pt. came in at night on the 16th, so that rule has been stretched or broken already.  In my yard, in the middle of semi-rural suburbia, the does come and go all year but bucks only show in Spring when the apple trees leaf out, and during just a few days in mid- late Oct, and around 8 - 10 November.  They seem to come in as situations dictate, not just willy nilly (The current situation indicates that at least on the 14th, there still seemed to be enough hot does around to justify a big buck walking around in broad daylight at 0830 AM in the hood - very unusual behavior here).
 
The number of bucks that might suddenly show up around the 21st (or so) will likely be far less than that seen earlier in the month, because there should be fewer hot does drifting scent around.  Here, I'd be surprised if I saw a single buck that late in Nov., though dates of prior activity indicate that it should be happening to some extent.

[TimBaleia]

I have a nice 4x4 BT buck in my front yard. saw him a month ago last time )
Hope he came back on 21st ).

P.S. Can I join someone on on late archery?

[Old Man Yager]

Opening day spotted a stud 2 point for my son, bedded in a clear cut. Got him all set up, and waited for the buck to stand. After about 45 min, my son says he had a good shot at the Bucks neck. So, my dumb ass lets him try to shoot it bedded. Missed him, I was so pissed at myself for letting him shoot. Learned a hard lesson for both of us, should have attempted to get the deer to stand, or wait him out.

[dreadi]

I hunted public land and was in place pre dawn, same place I saw the buck yesterday. Boy was it cold for a while. I never saw him in the 3+ hours I sat there. I gave a grunt every 20 minutes. No action. By this point it's after 10am and I'm thinking it's time to move, so I do. A mile later I finally see vehicles piling up at the gate. Glad I moved, I kept hunting my way up a hill and glassed around. All the hunting groups looked up and saw me and kept moving the way I had come from. Then it got hot...never thought I'd say 56 degrees is hot. I'm from Florida.  I hit the hills and timer and followed some tracks for a couple hours.

Then I got a text about an opening to hunt the private land an hour+ away that I've got my two deer on in the past three years. So I bust out around 1pm and get there by 3pm after stopping for a meal. Had a good time, saw a mess load of rubs but, no bucks.  Glad I have a multi-season tag.

[NWghostgetter]

Well, struck out this year. Yesterday was the most productive as a I actually laid eyes on some deer. 2 does. One in the corner of some reprod and one in the road as I was moving to new territory. They didnt seem to be hot but I watched each one as long as possible just in case there was a buck bringing up the rear. Notta. Weather was my biggest enemy this year. I know the bucks are there but where I hunt its thick! Either 30 year old tight timber or 20' tall reprod with with chest-high salal. Combine that with dead-still days and frozen ground, no matter how slow you go it sounds like walking on a bag of Tim's chips. Next seasons planning starts now.

[BigTines]

I went out yesterday. Absolutely dead. I’m starting to think the end of early season (oct 28-31) is a better bet.

[trophyhunt]

really dead yesterday with my dad in hancock, we did see a 2 point buck early in the morning but it was way too thick to get a shot for him.  We both have multi tags so hopefully I can find him one in the near future.