2020 Blacktail rut/pre-rut and post rut thread

[BigGoonTuna]

What ever happened to the last four days of Oct. being the best of the season? I haven't seen a deer for 2 days.  No doe in mornings or last light the entire week,  No chasing,  Dead calm everywhere.  This is the weirdest season I've seen in awhile.  I heard five shots today between 4:00 and 5:30 PM.  Absolutely dead silent during the golden hour on Halloween night?  Never ever seen that before!  No one is big in to deer in Mason/Kitsap as far as I can hear.  59 degrees in afternoon and a full moon rising an hour after sunset -  seems to be a bad mix for BT hunting.

I’ll echo that sentiment, hunting some new areas this year and finding tons of sign. I haven’t seen a single deer though. Got to be the moon I think. Finally heard one moving in the brush this morning, but never came out to play. Frustrating to say the very least.

Oh well, there’s always late buck, and muzzleloader after that.

[zwickeyman]

Had a real nice mature Buck trailing two Does in my yard this morning. He stopped and smelled her pea and lip curled. Wish I would have seen him up hunting yesterday

[highside74]

Woohoo

 Kinda stinky not rutted up to bad and a bit swollen

[h20hunter]

Nice!

[blackveltbowhunter]

Just rattle in a good buck and smashed him at 250 down in a little cut. I haven't moved yet I'm shaking so bad.

 

[blackveltbowhunter]

Awesome buck!!

[opdinkslayer]

Saw three separate 2 points tending at least one doe so it’s in full swing. Pretty disappointed there weren’t any bigger bucks around.🤷‍♂️

[WapitiTalk1]

Way to get er done highside!

[BA Mongor]

I don't know about it being in Full Swing, at least it's most definitely not on the WA Coast. For Friday, Saturday and today up till 12:30pm today, (23) does, (1) small forky and (1) small spike.

I ran into no mature bucks running does at all. Usually you can count on running into a few the last 3-4 days of the season, but not this year. At least not in the areas around Skamokowa, Deep River, Chinook...ect. I've had a couple of shooter bucks under my apple trees and around the other farms, but it's been only at night.

Oh well, there goes my streak of getting a mature buck the last few days of the season. Late season here I come !!!!

[opdinkslayer]

I think this weather & moon have a bit to do with the activities of the big boys.🤷‍♂️

[TheStovePipeKid]

I was out every evening of this week and only saw 1 doe with 2 fawns at the beginning of the week. Dead quiet the rest of the week. Had a lone doe on camera the 29th an hour after shooting light. No bucks on cam for over a week. We'll be prepping hard for late modern.

[Sundance]

The bucks have moved into lockdown phase. They are cornering does in the thickets and waiting for their estrus to start before breeding them. They’ll continue to do this until they breed the doe then they will cruise and look for another receptive doe. Not seeing as much cruising during the daytime because they are cruising at night with a full moon. Covering ground in the thick brush is a good way to go, usually you’ll hear them bump when you find them. Typically you’ll find a buck that’s locked down a doe with some satellite bucks hanging out in the area.

[JimmyHoffa]

This was the slowest I've seen.  I was even doing happy dances knowing that the season was going in to November this year.  Lost track of all the does and elk I saw, but couldn't find a single buck (not even a button nub fawn spike).  Heard little shooting over the past couple weeks.  I was on cuts before first light and would sit them again until dark, cruising timber or edges or whatever during the time in between.  The does either had their fawns, were with other does or just doing normal doe-not-in-heat stuff.  This was in 602.  Got my hopes all up after seeing some bucks running around in 624.  Moon was so bright the last few days you could walk roads and look in cuts with out a light.  Late season it is is guess.

[brokentrail]

My youngest son killed a small 2x2 this morning in 654.  He's stinky but not rutted up.  He was cruising at about 8:20.

[SeatoSummit88]

Buddy has Snoqualmie tree farm permit.  Has only seen 2 spikes and a tiny fork since September. Went out Friday and saw 3 does, 2 together and 1 with fawn. Sat on them for 2 hours and no bucks. I think he's done with that CG Permit. I hope late buck brings out the mature deer. Ill be down in the SW part of the state