Blacktail Rut Thread - Post updates here

[Viking360]

Kitsap area

[WapitiTalk1]

Geezus Viking. Quite the beast.

[Sundance]

That’s one of the most impressive 3pt WA blacktail I’ve ever seen. Love to know what he’s score. I don’t think he’d hit B&C, but I have to think he could be close.

[Viking360]

Toad for sure. Here's another.

[ljsommer]

Took a buddy out this morning, got his first BT. Big old old old 2 pt. Teeth worn almost to gums. Beastly body. Full blast rut, rubbing trees and peeing all over himself. 448.

Nice! All quiet in my neck of the woods

[WoolyRunner]

More rubs showing up. But no bucks chasing yet that ive seen. South Grays Harbor Co.

[redi]

 Friday I spotted a loan doe and watched her pee several times in less than 10 minutes pretty soon a nice nice buck was with her. They were  580 yards away so we moved to their side  of the canyon. As we peaked over the edge the fog moved in. When it lifted up after about 10 minutes they were both about 60 yards below us my wife made a perfect neck shot dropping it in his Tracksz  The doe did not want to leave and squatted to P one more time before she slowly wandered off.

[WapitiTalk1]

Ya, they’re starting to tweak pretty well during this pre rut phase.

[CJ1962]

I have a Mason unit tag that run from the 1st - 17th.  I have some chores that will probably keep me home tomorrow, but hope to get out everyday the rest of the week.

[highside74]

I have a Mason unit tag that run from the 1st - 17th.  I have some chores that will probably keep me home tomorrow, but hope to get out everyday the rest of the week.

Spent a few days in the north end of that unit this last week. Rubs just starting to get going over the last week. Didn't see any big bucks moving yet. Only 2 points.  Your tag should be a good one.

[dilleytech]

Wife and I killed two decent 3x3 blacktails, on the 28th here’s was nose down cruising at 10 am. Mine was on the 30th with a doe and chasing smaller bucks away at 9 am. Some fantastic blacktail weather we had this year. Only hunted two days but made the most of it.

[HunterofWA]

Okay, so no buck for me during the general season. I will post later this morning my thoughts and updates on rut action though!

[Spuddieselwwu]

Was in the toutle yesterday way up high glassing down.  Saw a doe with 2 fawns cross a road 1100yds below us.  Grey GMC goes around the corner at the exact time they cross.  Stops.  2x2 comes up from the ravine where the doe came up from and crests the road quartering towards the truck.  Guys get out of truck panicking (forgot to put their orange on) and blasts the buck.  Buck takes off back down the ravine, looked hit - couldn't tell where.   Buck stops 70-80 yds down the ravine and hides (still standing) behind a stump.  Guys get to the edge of the road (still no orange on), one stands at where it was hit on the road...  One guy gets maybe 10yds off the road and stands on stump to look.  They wait for maybe 5 min, get back in their rig and drive away.  Had they walked 20 feet further down or spent any amount of time to glass - would have easily seen him.  Buck was clearly hit/acting strange (mouth hanging open, head low) but didn't go down.  We jet down and spent an hour + in that ravine hiking through the nasty stuff looking for any sign of him, didn't end up finding him, so hopefully he was just grazed and will make it through.   

[HunterofWA]

Here's where the rut seems to be at where I'm hunting - bucks are seeming to be very interested in the does, but the does aren't ready yet. Lots of scent checking, and cruising but not a lot of daylight activity. Occasionally, a nice buck will show up randomly in daylight cruising, but the does don't always have a buck in tow.

For instance, last Friday a buck I call "Royal" followed a doe in on camera in the midnight hours. He walked circles around her and then bedded 10 yards from her for 2 hours watching. After that, he chased a little and then left. Doe looked uninterested and she and the fawn stuck around for a while longer. A few hours later, a young fork buck came in and did the same thing, nose in the air sniffing circles around the doe. He chased harder and separated the doe and fawn for the rest of the day. The fawn came back by herself during midday and the doe rejoined her late Saturday night. Not sure what to make of it all, but it seems the bucks are just scent checking and waiting it out for a while before checking other does. I'm betting daylight activity will pick up more soon.

Here are two hitlist bucks: the first is "Royal" and the other "Rogue." (Yes, named after a dog brand...) Would be super happy with either. I've got a multi-season tag so there's a chance at least!

[HunterofWA]

Was in the toutle yesterday way up high glassing down.  Saw a doe with 2 fawns cross a road 1100yds below us.  Grey GMC goes around the corner at the exact time they cross.  Stops.  2x2 comes up from the ravine where the doe came up from and crests the road quartering towards the truck.  Guys get out of truck panicking (forgot to put their orange on) and blasts the buck.  Buck takes off back down the ravine, looked hit - couldn't tell where.   Buck stops 70-80 yds down the ravine and hides (still standing) behind a stump.  Guys get to the edge of the road (still no orange on), one stands at where it was hit on the road...  One guy gets maybe 10yds off the road and stands on stump to look.  They wait for maybe 5 min, get back in their rig and drive away.  Had they walked 20 feet further down or spent any amount of time to glass - would have easily seen him.  Buck was clearly hit/acting strange (mouth hanging open, head low) but didn't go down.  We jet down and spent an hour + in that ravine hiking through the nasty stuff looking for any sign of him, didn't end up finding him, so hopefully he was just grazed and will make it through.

5 minutes!? Wow. Hope that buck makes it. Had a similar ish experience helping a guy find his buck. We looked for an hour and a half and almost gave up but it was under a little christmas tree.