Blacktail Rut Thread

[kball4]

Rut timing is pretty much like clock work every year.  Last weekend around Halloween through late season rifle.

[boneaddict]

About 2 more weeks.

[Sundance]

We took a small 2pt on Friday, semi swollen neck, solitary, tarsal glands were not very ripe. Saw a good 2x3 this morning while driving in, 1/2 hour before daylight. Saw a solitary doe at 915 feeding, then a doe and fawn crossed a road at 920 with a small 2x3 trailing them. Definitely more daylight activity after the rain and cooler temps, however no daylight pictures of mature bucks or signs of serious cruising yet. Another 5 days and things should be getting good.

[pd]

Hey Honey - Look what the cat dragged in.   Welcome back PD.

Meow.

Now you are the hunter teacher.  Best of luck to you, Sir!

[BigredRusch]

Congrats on the buck! Iv still only got trail came pictures of bucks cruising at night. My friend took a nice 2x3 (below) Friday evening after the weather switched.


I was up in a stand yesterday and heard two buck fight, then one run off. I rattled and the winner started thrashing brush in the gulley by my spot. He wouldn’t commit to the open ground in the day light. I’m planning to stay out of the woods until Saturday.


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[Sundance]

It’s getting good! Hunted this morning and pulled a blank, meanwhile a good 4x3 was under my treestand at 10am at a different location. First daylight picture of a mature buck during the season for me. Hunted midday in a different location where I saw a solitary doe, then bumped two bucks out of a bedding area on a timber bench. Picked up the kids from school and dropped my oldest off at his grandparents, 30 minutes late a slob 3pt comes into their back pasture at 5pm and beds down. My father-in-law sends me teaser pics and tells me to come by tomorrow afternoon. Back at it in the morning, things are heating up.

[Wolfdog2314]

My dad got a nice one this morning. Heavy 3x3 orange antlered buck with eyeguards. Antlers full of tree shavings from rubbing. Neck was swollen and just stared at my dad while he put one in the neck from 50 yards with the 30-30. I was hunting near by, saw the same tiny spike twice, and three does without a buck in with them as far as I could tell. SW WA.

[jstone]

Love those dark horned bucks

[Mulie87]

This cam pic was taken a week ago. The size of him!!! His single antler is cool too. I have several bucks on cam and they’re all nocturnal.

[SeaRun1]

Look at that swollen neck!  My local bucks here in central 627 haven’t begun to swell up yet.  So interesting how different they all are.

SR1

[Buck Rub Jr]

This cam pic was taken a week ago. The size of him!!! His single antler is cool too. I have several bucks on cam and they’re all nocturnal.

I saw a one antlered 2 pt chasing a doe in Puyallup today. Wonder if that’s him!!

[highside74]

Buddy sent me a pic tonight of fresh rubs next to his blind that weren't there yesterday. Eatonville area

Another friend saw 3 bucks last night at dark. One stood less than 10 feet from his truck with a doe as he drove by. Buckley area

[Griiz]

The 3point I shot last Friday evening was cruising and tending grunting. I heard him grunting before I saw him.

[Mulie87]

This cam pic was taken a week ago. The size of him!!! His single antler is cool too. I have several bucks on cam and they’re all nocturnal.

I saw a one antlered 2 pt chasing a doe in Puyallup today. Wonder if that’s him!!

This buck is on the south end of Whidbey Island. Heading back friday for one last chance at him, but he didn’t get that big by being dumb. That fawn is terrified of him. Ive seen the doe and fawn during day light, so maybe he’ll be dumb enough to follow them out again.

[fishnfur]

My son and I were just checking things out in a cut on Friday last.  45 minutes before last light and we spy a good size doe standing all alone in a cut.  After watching fro a few minutes, I realized that she hadn't moved at all - she was remaining completely motionless - right out in the wide open, not trying to hide but rather, like she was trying to be seen.  I got this creeping feeling like she might be trying to atract a buck.  I've seen that show enough to trust my instincts.  Her tail was down - obviouly not hot, but perhaps right on the edge of estrus.  We crawled in to a hiding spot and waited for a buck to come in from her downwind side.  30 minutes she stood there absolutely still, like she ws frozen in place.  Nothing happened.  A second doe eventually came in from her left, browsing around.  That other doe broke whatever spell she was under and she was suddenly released from her stance and she eventually just fed off with the other deer. I would have bet money that a buck would be arriving shortly as I watched her.  (I would have lost).