What am I doing wrong?

[Griiz]

I know people say the rut is ending before the late buck hunt starts but I totally disagree. The biggest bucks I have  killed were in full blown rut when I took them. My biggest buck  was running off another smaller 3 point who had his nose on a does backside when I shot him. In fact I have seen a buck cruising through my hunting area for the last I can’t remember how many late hunts looking for does. Find a good spot along a clear cut edge or just inside the timber or still hunt a old logging road and you should have some success as long as your seeing some good sign.

I've noticed different areas and years the rut is a little different. I know where I've been hunting blacktails that last 10 years (lowland puget sound), the last few days of October are usually the most productive, with some aberrations. The late season is usually better than the first two weekends though. My cameras typically show mature bucks cruising at all times of the day from the last few days in October-around Nov. 4th and then activity slows. Not sure why, but I've wondered if more does have come into heat and the bucks are hooked up and not cruising.

[Buzzsaw461]

I would say use all that enthusiasm and hard work at better times maybe, like later in October and like others said during the late hunt. I feel your pain with these blacktails.

This will be my first year hunting the late blacktail season, what makes it better?

You will have a much better (in my opinion) chance of seeing Bucks not only because they will probably be searching for Does but visibility is usually much better with a lot of the foliage off the trees. Find an area with sign and find a good place to sit and watch all day and I mean all day. Hope you have the time to hunt all 4 days. Good luck. Let us know how you do.

[Buzzsaw461]

I know people say the rut is ending before the late buck hunt starts but I totally disagree. The biggest bucks I have  killed were in full blown rut when I took them. My biggest buck  was running off another smaller 3 point who had his nose on a does backside when I shot him. In fact I have seen a buck cruising through my hunting area for the last I can’t remember how many late hunts looking for does. Find a good spot along a clear cut edge or just inside the timber or still hunt a old logging road and you should have some success as long as your seeing some good sign.

I've noticed different areas and years the rut is a little different. I know where I've been hunting blacktails that last 10 years (lowland puget sound), the last few days of October are usually the most productive, with some aberrations. The late season is usually better than the first two weekends though. My cameras typically show mature bucks cruising at all times of the day from the last few days in October-around Nov. 4th and then activity slows. Not sure why, but I've wondered if more does have come into heat and the bucks are hooked up and not cruising.

Good info on Buck Movements. I hunt 513 and 516 and have had much better success during the late hunt. Wonder if ruts can vary depending on area and elevation?

[fishnfur]

I know people say the rut is ending before the late buck hunt starts but I totally disagree. The biggest bucks I have  killed were in full blown rut when I took them. My biggest buck  was running off another smaller 3 point who had his nose on a does backside when I shot him. In fact I have seen a buck cruising through my hunting area for the last I can’t remember how many late hunts looking for does. Find a good spot along a clear cut edge or just inside the timber or still hunt a old logging road and you should have some success as long as your seeing some good sign.

I've noticed different areas and years the rut is a little different. I know where I've been hunting blacktails that last 10 years (lowland puget sound), the last few days of October are usually the most productive, with some aberrations. The late season is usually better than the first two weekends though. My cameras typically show mature bucks cruising at all times of the day from the last few days in October-around Nov. 4th and then activity slows. Not sure why, but I've wondered if more does have come into heat and the bucks are hooked up and not cruising.

Good info on Buck Movements. I hunt 513 and 516 and have had much better success during the late hunt. Wonder if ruts can vary depending on area and elevation?

My first BT buck was shot on the 18th of Nov.  He came in from the brush to meet the doe after she had gone out in the last half hour of light and just stood still in the middle of the cut.  She didn't eat, she didn't move.  Just stood there waiting.  She was definitely hot - It took 28 minutes for the buck to show, just moments before last light.  I think this was likely her second estrus, suggesting that her first was somewhere around 27 Oct. (which doesn't seem out of range).  It's not the peak of the rut, but is ilikely nside the bell curve of the normal range.  Some (small?) percent of doe come into second estrus during the Late Hunt.  This, plus the lack of foliage make these four days some of the most productive of the season. 

Ruts do seem to vary based on location and elevation (and latitude) - at least from what I've read here and on other forums. I think higher elevations experience the peak of the rut a little later than lower elevations. Most of the locals in my area told me the first rut is basically over by Haloween, which is an exageration, but has some truth to it as well.  Much of the chasing is done for sure.  The pattens seem repeatable enough to time your hunt activities around if you know when they are for your hunt area. The differences seem to be just a matter of a few days difference from one to another area. Once late October comes around though, some percent of doe start dropping eggs, which starts the trickle of early activity until the torrent occurs in sometime around the 12th of Nov. +/- 3 - 4 days.