NE whitetail strategy

[Bretjdds]

What are the best tactics for the NE side for white tails at this stage? Rattling? Scents? Calling? Would to hear!

[nwwanderer]

They are certainly still pestering the does, especially fawns that cycle late.  They check them at every opportunity.  Find a bunch of does and they will show up, thinner and not so hormonally charged.  Patience is a virtue.

[Doublelunger]

They're very hungry right now and will take an easy meal.

[tracksoup]

Find their feeding areas. They have a lot of weight to put back on from the rut

[vandeman17]

They're very hungry right now and will take an easy meal.

 

[Bretjdds]

Is rattling still effective?

[vandeman17]

Is rattling still effective?

You might get a little interest but I would focus my attention more on food sources

[archer88]

hoping to get out for one last push this week, im torn about going to my spot that has a little food  left if any havent been there since last saturday or staying closer to home(spokane valley. also heard a cougar last friday in my stand what are the chances my baited spot has been compromised by a cat???

[CAMPMEAT]

Luck and more luck........

[huntnnw]

bucks at my house were all about food around Dec 5th running does off the feed to eat. Mature bucks will be dropping anyday now

[Jonathan_S]

 NE is a pretty broadly used term. From high mountain among wolves and cats, to lowland ag with minimal pressure, darn near Canada to darn near Spokane. Peak rut is not timed the same throughout the range

I've killed three bucks the past three years between December 6th and the 15th and in my opinion, after December 6-8th there will be almost zero rutting activity.

[huntnnw]

way up north I have watched many years the rut almost non existent to barely any rut activity as early as Nov 25th. Most years even near spokane where the peak rut tends to peak a full week later than bucks way up north I have watched mature bucks by Nov 27th become all about food and give 0 cares to does. Cams have greatly shown how the rut is in a given area where as before we went on sign and what we hoped was rutting bucks around.  Of the thousands of hours I have spent in stands over 25 years chasing whitetails its a rarity to see bucks actively pursuing does into Dec and I am not talking about the dumb little 1.5 to 3.5 yr old bucks I am talking mature bucks. I can count on my hand in those years how many bucks I have watched chasing, harrassing or trailing a doe in Dec. Its all about food then.

[Skyvalhunter]

Are you really chasing whitetails if you are in a stand?

[CAMPMEAT]

My friend who lives in Malo baits whitetails and bow hunts out of a stand. They kill some very nice bucks year after year. I mean the whole family and friends. So I'm guessing close to 8.

[BULLBLASTER]

Are you really chasing whitetails if you are in a stand?

[huntnnw]

  me too!