2019 Blacktail Early Season activity reports - anybody seeing bucks?

[fishnfur]

It's not time for the annual rut thread that seems to pop up every year, but it's always seems helpful in the early season to hear other hunter's BT sightings, close calls, and/or encounters.  Somehow it helps to stay focused in the field when you know other hunters are having positive results, and a single thread documenting activity makes staying up to date a bit easier. 

SeaRun1 and WSU both reported today that they recently saw bucks out cruising during daylight hours, which seems at least 4 days earlier than I can remember being posted over the last many years.  Perhaps great news for the opener.

My first real efforts this season was sitting in my elevated blind at the start of the month up in Kitsap.  Two mornings, six hours each day:  Three doe total came play but bucks were a no show over the three days I hunted.  Total of four doe, no bucks, no first light activity whatsoever.  Doe were feeding 10:45 - 11:30 AM.  Had one more doe outside my ground blind at a different spot at last light.  I didn't know she was there and I scared the crap out of her as I exited the blind to go home. 

Anybody else seeing any activity worthy of mention?

[Twispriver]

The bucks were out hitting the apples in the daylight the last couple of days of archery season and the first couple of days of black powder but have since gone back to their nocturnal patterns. Does are still trailing their fawns and the bucks are still together. In my area they usually don't start cruising until about the 20th of this month with activity really picking up about the 25th.

[elksnout]

Wife had a 4pt walk across the road last week about 8:30am and I saw a spike out feeding around 10am last week as well. Both were on bluebird mornings.

Elksnout

[Born2late]

My hunting partner picked up a nice 4pt roadkill that the police had to put down monday morning at 2 am. Neck was all swollen from rut and stinky glands when i skinned it. While we were boning it out we had a big 2 pt and a spike in the yard in arlington walking around by the garden eating, seemed like they only wanted food.

[lokidog]

I've seen bucks following does already. Not nose to butt, but definitely hanging with them.

[fishnfur]

I wonder if the cold weather gets the bucks just a bit more crazy than normal for this time of the season.  Seems early for swollen necks and stinky bucks.  Fingers crossed for a good season.

[Wazntme]

These little guys were goin at it pretty good before I was able to get my phone up, I’ve seen 4 other bucks during the daytime in the past week, I’m in Arlington

[Wazntme]

Apparently my video won’t load but it’s 2 small 2x2’s sparring which happen to be brothers

[Skyvalhunter]

What area

[Turner89]

Apparently my video won’t load but it’s 2 small 2x2’s sparring which happen to be brothers

I was able to view the video.

[Spuddieselwwu]

Went out both Sat/Sunday to my spots...  Day 1: Nothing  Day 2: 2 does, 2 fawns...  Will be waiting for the weather + later in Oct for the big boys to start moving more. 

[WSU]

My friend texted me a picture of a nice buck strolling his neighborhood yesterday.

[kramman]

Dont usually see many bucks ,if at all till last week of October.  But today at 1130 am at nice 3pt was on the move. This is the north tacoma pt. Defiance  area

[JakeLand]

Nephew missed a nice 3 point and he had fresh rubs tore up all over on Saturday

[brew]

I talked to a guy this afternoon going into the unit showing my buddy some areas to cut some firewood.  Guy told me last Friday he saw 18 different bucks.  I asked him then why he was still hunting on Monday and he stuttered something about moon phase/polar vortex/global warming/anti's launching drones in the area/etc, etc, etc.  Myself has yet to see any deer  rutting activity although the bulls at work are still bugling