2020 Whitetail Watch- pre-rut/rut activity

[elkboy]

Moved to a new spot in unit 1 today.  Way more deer sign here.  Hopes up for tomorrow.  Saw my first bit of (whitetail) rut action today.  Watching a dink buck for a bit, a doe comes down the hill.  Hes mildly interested.  She started little runs trying to get him to chase.  Stopping to pee for him, all that.  He was sniffing and lip curling and followed her into the dark timber.  He made a rub and a scrape, and the scrape was directly on top of my backtrail, wiped out one or two of my boot prints.  Also saw a damn moose all rutty today this late still.  Long story short he got in my face all aggressive and hounded me for a few hundred yards as i looked for a tree to climb, thinking i was going to have to shoot him.  He eventually let me go, but man, it was unreal.  Couldnt believe he was acting like that.  Almost crapped myself.  Not fun.  Had him as close as 15yrds at one point.  Ive had them bark at me and flex, but nothing like this.  This dude was serious.

Glad you're all right, Bango.  Moose can be downright scary.

[huntnnw]

Ole 1 eye is lucky I’m picky

[buckfvr]

Crazy chasing tonight.  Hard aggressive post rubbing, does flying around, 6 dinks zooming around getting out of the 2 8pts way, another branch buck up at 650yds running a doe couldnt see details, frantic fast paced show from 315 til dark.

[WAcoyotehunter]

I think the rut really got going today. I saw several bucks cruising in the daylight and got multiple pictures throughout the day

[Rutnbuxnbulls]

My buddy saw a stud 5 point standing in the middle of the highway today.  Probably had a hot doe nearby and couldn't decide which way to go.  Maybe a hot doe on each side of the road! Such a great problem to have, too many options! 

I was hoping to get some advice from some of you more seasoned whitetail hunters.  I'm gonna hunt this saturday or sunday depending on the weather outlook.  I'm hunting near timber but also have a 40 acre field of grass to hunt. 

What would your typical day look like? Do you tend to still hunt through the morning then sit on a field in the evening?  Sit the field morning and evening and still hunt bedding late morning thru early afternoon?  Sit the field all day? The rut should be in full swing and I'm sure some bucks will be locked up but that's why I'm thinking push some cover if the field's empty at first light.  Thanks in advance and good luck tagholders!

[buckfvr]

Must be going to Idaho, Me ? Id go into the timber just far enough to be able to see in there and shoot while at the same time being able to watch and shoot the field.  I would sit in one or two places for the entire day, being still, looking and listening.  Take a grunt and a can, and pay attention to the wind when you set up.  Id use a masking scent also.

[buckfvr]

Ole 1 eye is lucky I’m picky

Yes on both accounts.  Hes lucky, and youre picky.   

[fishnfur]

Must be going to Idaho, Me ? Id go into the timber just far enough to be able to see in there and shoot while at the same time being able to watch and shoot the field.  I would sit in one or two places for the entire day, being still, looking and listening.  Take a grunt and a can, and pay attention to the wind when you set up.  Id use a masking scent also.

Same as Blacktail.  Good luck!

[Rutnbuxnbulls]

Must be going to Idaho, Me ? Id go into the timber just far enough to be able to see in there and shoot while at the same time being able to watch and shoot the field.  I would sit in one or two places for the entire day, being still, looking and listening.  Take a grunt and a can, and pay attention to the wind when you set up.  Id use a masking scent also.

Thanks for the feedback, I think I stomp around the woods too much thinking “there’s a deer around the next corner I’m sure of it”. I’ll try your strategy this time around. And yes heading to Idaho to try to hang my expensive tag on a buck. Maybe a doe....

[bigdub257]

Heading to Idaho tomorrow.  Sounds like the rut is starting to happen.  It should be a fun hunt!

[huntnnw]

My buddy saw a stud 5 point standing in the middle of the highway today.  Probably had a hot doe nearby and couldn't decide which way to go.  Maybe a hot doe on each side of the road! Such a great problem to have, too many options! 

I was hoping to get some advice from some of you more seasoned whitetail hunters.  I'm gonna hunt this saturday or sunday depending on the weather outlook.  I'm hunting near timber but also have a 40 acre field of grass to hunt. 

What would your typical day look like? Do you tend to still hunt through the morning then sit on a field in the evening?  Sit the field morning and evening and still hunt bedding late morning thru early afternoon?  Sit the field all day? The rut should be in full swing and I'm sure some bucks will be locked up but that's why I'm thinking push some cover if the field's empty at first light.  Thanks in advance and good luck tagholders!

I have done super well using a grunt tube. Keep wind in your face or atleast blowing where you dont expect deer to be. Ill do a series of calls and wait 30-45 min. Ill then move 200 yards or more depending on cover if its open country Ill move further and repeat the process. Another is if you can find a area to see alot with cover sit all day and be patient. Look for pinches such as timber cuts and field corners bucks cruising will cut the corners or travel just inside the cover

[elkboy]

Huntnnw gives some excellent advice!

I would add that rattling also works with that call-wait-move routine. For example, on Saturday, I took a friend out for some rattling, starting about 130 pm (earliest I could get out; all day is better). We moved 200-300 yards between setups, spending 30-45 minutes at each, and about an hour 15 at the final set at dusk. It was the final set where we got a buck in at 40 yards. Don't worry too much about bumping deer in your moves, but I would still move at least partly in a still hunt mode, scanning and listening. Finding areas of open understory with intermittent brush or clusters of saplings is great, as you can see and shoot, but the deer feel secure enough to run in and check out your grunts, doe bleats, or rattles. But if you find a really great spot, like an intersection of heavily traveled trails with a great concealment spot, don't be afraid to sit for several hours. 

[Bango skank]

Started seeing some squirrely does and a small rutty buck in idaho lately and found a couple fresh scrapes and rubs.  Heading back tomorrow.  Took my fences down from around my aspens this summer, figured theyre big enough to handle some browsing now.  Put these little trunk protectors on them thinking deer wouldnt want to rub them.  Nope.  Jerk buck shredded them off of 4 of my 6 aspens.  Beginning to reconsider this "not use my wa tag" thing this year. 

[elkboy]

    Dang ungulates, impacting broadleaf tree regeneration.  Whack and stack, Bango.

[Rutnbuxnbulls]

Started seeing some squirrely does and a small rutty buck in idaho lately and found a couple fresh scrapes and rubs.  Heading back tomorrow.  Took my fences down from around my aspens this summer, figured theyre big enough to handle some browsing now.  Put these little trunk protectors on them thinking deer wouldnt want to rub them.  Nope.  Jerk buck shredded them off of 4 of my 6 aspens.  Beginning to reconsider this "not use my wa tag" thing this year.   

Hostile moose and punk little buck! You must be throwing off some sketch pheromones.  .   What is the story on not using the WA tag?
Either way these deer (and some moose apparently) are ready to rock n roll, best of luck this coming weekend and thanks for the advice everyone!