2020 Blacktail rut/pre-rut and post rut thread

[fishnfur]

The last day of regular deer season this year will be interesting, I've never seen it run until Nov 1.  Wish the 1st was during the middle of the week though.

I was thinking the exact same thing.  The first of November might be incredible hunting, especially if there's a storm brewing.  I can imagine the bucks just committing suicide in front of hunters everywhere.

[fishnfur]

This thread drives me nuts every year.  People post pics and stories of rutting blacktails while I spend days in the woods with no sign of any activity (only to drive home and damn near run over the town bucks rutting all over).

Hmm, sounds like you've found a better place to hunt. 
I've lived that nightmare over and over myself.  I came to the conclusion that the larger the deer population is in an area, the more likely they are to be noticed in rutting behavior.  Gotta find a better spot!

[WSU]

Ain’t that the truth.

[Whitenuckles]

This thread drives me nuts every year.  People post pics and stories of rutting blacktails while I spend days in the woods with no sign of any activity (only to drive home and damn near run over the town bucks rutting all over).

Hmm, sounds like you've found a better place to hunt. 
I've lived that nightmare over and over myself.  I came to the conclusion that the larger the deer population is in an area, the more likely they are to be noticed in rutting behavior.  Gotta find a better spot!

You can have a great spot with tons of deer. But then a lion or 2 comes into the area and the deer are gone! Happens to me all the time here in 460. There are way way way to many lions in my neck of the woods.

[85yota]

Completely agree.. Had a good spot in that general area with a big group of does.. This spring found 4 (what I assume are cat kills.. Deer buried in brush etc) on 1 hillside all within 100 yards of eachother including 1 big doe that was drug downhill 50yards with blood and fur along the trail..theres at least 3 does still around but the spot isnt the same..such a bummer

[85yota]

Pic of buried deer first.. On a side note found a fresh rub 7 days ago.. 2nd pic

[JimmyHoffa]

Not too early to be talking about the rut.  For the north end of the OP:
Today I have three bucks that just mysteriously showed up from out of nowhere.  A 3x3 with a medium sized body, a 2x2 with a big body and forks, and a 2x2 with one small fork and big body.  All three swollen up.  The two forkies are sitting on does separate from other deer.  The 3x3 is following a doe close, but she's still trying to eat and with a couple other does in an orchard.  Does were chasing off this years fawns a couple days ago.  Yesterday, no bucks and all the does were grouped together.  I was cutting brush and the does were there for scraps in their normal herd.  Today is lots of wind and some scattered/light rain.

[fishnfur]

That's a crazy report, but it follows along with what I postulated previously about early estrus in BTs.  I believe the climate change may be having some impact on timing of the first estrus, which typically isn't a successful breeding event.  The second egg drop and fertile cycle average eight days later, and breeding during this time is often successful, which would produce conception in the third week of the month. 

Eight or nine years ago when there were a lot of members posting pics, we often saw photos of nice mature bucks suddenly out in broad daylight, crossing some human zone such as a ball field or construction site, right in the middle of October.  That really bizarre behavior for an animal that is known to rarely show itself in the light of day suggests that there must be a damn good reason for them taking a chance and exposing themselves so early in the season.  I can think of only one reason....   

Love to know if you see a buck mounting a doe prior to the last week of October.  Presumably, climate change and the resulting warmer weather in the Spring might alter the doe's change biological clocks over time so that conception is earlier, resulting in fawns being dropped earlier than the first week of June.  The extra few weeks of growing time allowed by a warm Spring (vs. a cold wet one) would greatly increase fawn survival during the next winter.  (Darwin's Natural Selection Theory at work)  I'm not saying that is what is happening, but that is the second report this fall (Mallard Masher earlier) talking about early rutting behavior. 

Back to real life - my cams have gone quiet again.  Just a few doe and fawns, nothing else moving.

[CP]

I'm hoping that moon phase triggers some daytime buck movement tomorrow.  They can be rutty or not, just so they show.



 

[Whitenuckles]

Pulled my cards yesterday and looked at them this morning. All the small bucks (spikes,2s,and small 3s) are still hanging out with the does. Big boys are on their feet at midnight and 9-11am. Wish I had more to help. But it is what it is. No rut activities in Duvall area yet.

[fishnfur]

Time of day when they get up to feed is important in my book.  They seem to all do it at the same time, at least all the deer in an area, though the time of day seems to morph as the days get shorter.

RE: Moon phase - It makes sense to me that during a new moon, the deer would be out in feeding zones earlier in the PM and stay longer in the AM.  I'm not sure if the stats prove this to be true or not.  I do know that QDMA articles on tracking deer movement showed that the first and last quarter moon were the times when the bucks moved the most.  I have no idea why.  That's WTs, but I assume they are all doing the same thing.

I'm just hoping to see something move tomorrow.  All my best spots are closed out and unhuntable.  The only new reprod units have trees just 2 - 3 years old.  I'm going to sit and glass a decent spot that would be great except it is too close to a main road.  Road hunter traffic may drive me out of there.  No worries - I'm just playing around till late Oct.  The opener is just a personal tradition.  I like to hear how many shots are being taken early on and wonder why I suck so bad.   

Good luck all!

[Bigshooter]

Saw 2 small 2pts sparring this evening.

[85yota]

The moon phase is interesting and from what I have seen does seem to effect things, although when its cloudy and raining and there is no moon visible the affect seems minimal..? The full moon towards the end of the season and if forecasters are right with clear sky's seems problematic unless of course the females are hot in that area... On a side note I did just see a 2 point slowly cross the road obviously looking.. It has begun.. Kinda

[Spuddieselwwu]

 I was unloading some groceries and caught a doe run across the street and up onto my field, sure enough our neighborhood forky was full trot with his nose to the ground chasing her.  She fed and kept running him off.  He didn’t look swollen.

[Trigger05-11]

We have this guy about 400 yards behind our house near Ridgefield. He is still only nocturnal. Tonight about 9:30 we had a huge 3pt standing by our mailbox. Not rutting, but it’s starting to go that direction.