2020 Blacktail rut/pre-rut and post rut thread

[mbj]

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

have that permit as well and its been a rough season if your looking for anything but a spike. doesn't help that they sold a few hundred extra keys this year after it sold out so fast.... needless to say its been a circus this rifle season.

[HunterofWA]

Been out 9 times this season and hardly seen any deer. Didn't hear any shots tonight either. Worst season yet for me but hopefully we get a good late buck hunt!

[actionshooter]

Hunted hard Friday and Saturday.... only one spike to be seen and my daughter decided she was a trophy hunter all of the sudden and passed the little guy up. 

 Decided to pack for a Colorado elj trip today instead of more frustration and there was a big 3 in our orchard this morning, he gave me the slip while I was getting a rifle ready to shoot out the bathroom window    

I passed on a lot of season just to hunt the last 3 days... this is the worst I had ever seen hunting on the 31st for sure.

[bornhunter]

I popped a nice 4x4 last saturday. He had been rubbing on some alder and glands were getting stinky but no neck swelling yet.

Is he in the 2020 thread?

If you mean photo no. I have pics on my phone and have tried several times to post em but I cant make it happen. I need to find a ten year old to help me out.

[highside74]

Screen shot it and post the screen shot or open the picture in your gallery and crop it. Post the cropped picture.

[fishnfur]

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.

It's a little late to be telling us how to hint the slowest season anyone can remember.     In a lot of ways, I think you're right on, though the deer scientists say there is no such thing as a lockdown.  Having watched three single doe out standing in a cut, off and on all day, with no buck takers, there seems to be a lot of truth in your ideas.  Seems like they find the doe they think will hit estrus first and stick with her till they can dump her and move on.  Sounds like college! 

Thought I had a winning lottery ticket when a doe got up  45 minutes to last light and took a stance on the side of a hill in front of me at 120 yards.  She waited patiently, then after a decient wait, moved up and skylined herself till it was to dark to see.  Bucks didn't care at all. 

All in all, the number of shots I've heard seems to be doubling every day since Firiday, which is'nt saying a lot.  Perhaps 12 - 15 shots heard today. 

[Skyvalhunter]

Target shooters

[Molon5labe]

The only bucks I saw all season were on the side of the highway in daylight in farmers fields

[Skyvalhunter]

Were they decent sized?

[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.

It's a little late to be telling us how to hint the slowest season anyone can remember.     In a lot of ways, I think you're right on, though the deer scientists say there is no such thing as a lockdown.  Having watched three single doe out standing in a cut, off and on all day, with no buck takers, there seems to be a lot of truth in your ideas.  Seems like they find the doe they think will hit estrus first and stick with her till they can dump her and move on.  Sounds like college! 

Thought I had a winning lottery ticket when a doe got up  45 minutes to last light and took a stance on the side of a hill in front of me at 120 yards.  She waited patiently, then after a decient wait, moved up and skylined herself till it was to dark to see.  Bucks didn't care at all. 

All in all, the number of shots I've heard seems to be doubling every day since Firiday, which is'nt saying a lot.  Perhaps 12 - 15 shots heard today.

Can’t give out all the trade secrets on opening day!

It was a weird early season, I hit the brush hard for 5 days and didn’t see any deer until the last day. I bumped them in a thicket and ended up watching these deer for 20 minutes before I had a shot. Hands down the most vocalizations I’ve ever heard in one instance. They were grunting, bleating and snort wheezing. Amazing experience that wrapped up pretty well.

[jowings22]

 

 Awesome buck!

[WapitiTalk1]

Man oh man oh man Sundance, what a horse!!  A huge congrats on a true trophy Blacktail buck mister 

[bornhunter]

Screen shot it and post the screen shot or open the picture in your gallery and crop it. Post the cropped picture.

[highside74]

Man great buck

[bornhunter]

Screen shot it and post the screen shot or open the picture in your gallery and crop it. Post the cropped picture.

Hey that worked! I owe you big time! Hell to be old and no kids around to help