Blacktail Rut Thread

[swanderek]

Not much going on in 407

[fishnfur]

Mixed bag in Mason,   Had a small spike following a doe around all morning yesterday and afternoon. He was out alone in the cut this morning looking lonely.  The doe was pretty calm about the buck on day one.  Didn't seem hot.   Saw single doe out standing in the cut both yesterday and today.  Not moving, just standing still, waiting.  I saw fawns out alone at odd hours without mama suggesting their mom was breeding and not mothering. 

Had two fawns absolutely berserk and running amok while I was in the woods.  One goes crazy, off on a tear, zigging left then right within feet of me then sprinting stage left till it disappeared.   10 seconds later, two fawns are now running Ba**s to the wall, right at me.  One goes right. the second is coming right at me.  I put my hand up in a "stop" gesture and it skids to a halt ten feet from me, eyes the size of saucers, then it zigs and zags out of sight.  I've seen that behavior before - I attribute it to mom kicking the kids out while she's breeding, and the fawns are left on their own for the very first time.  The're nerves are at total freak out level.

Today saw something like 6 doe, four with fawns, two out looking like their ready for action.  Sat on those two till I lost track of them and moved on.
Saw only the small spike in the AM, a hard boned button buck at 5:00 PM and a small 1.5 y/o forkie at dusk.. 

Heard maybe eight rifle shots iin the AM   and about four between 5 - 6 PM, I"d say either the good bucks are already locked down with their first doe of the season, or nothing serious is happening at all.  Should be a good "special hunts" time coming up soon.
 

[Dark2Dark]

I don’t get the impression much is going on yet where I hunt.

22 does between last night and this morning and never saw a buck. Several deer yesterday that I didn’t see in the brush. With my luck probably all bucks. One tiny spike in the morning yesterday all by himself.

[HntnFsh]

These 4 were all with does today. Wouldnt let them out of their sight. The one standing alone broadside was literally 15 feet from my truck. He stood there and looked at me as I shut my truck off. Got out and took his picture. No zoom on my phone for that one. Then he went and joined the other 3x4 with 6 does.

[HntnFsh]

More pics

[HntnFsh]

1 more.

[Mfowl]

King county urban dayrunner from this AM.

[fishngamereaper]

Two sets of twin yearlings are running amok on my property. Have been for two days ..
Like teenagers.... little tirds are messing with my dogs.
Moms must be locked down. Right on que.

[Born2late]

Saw three bucks today. One big four-point was in my dad’s yard and wanted to go around him at 15 yards and refused to move. He was on a mission.

[Sundance]

Was into deer everyday, all does and small bucks. Never saw a mature buck or any tending/trailing. Went back through my notes for the past 5 years and every buck was taken in the last 4 days of the general season. All those bucks were either tending a doe or trailing a scent. I had reports of daylight sighting of mature bucks, and several friends tagged on 2x2’s and 2x3’s. It’s been awhile since I carried a tag past the general season, but this has been an unusual season. Just to make it comical I was pulling out of my driveway at 5pm last night to take the kids trick-or-treating. Doe pops out across my driveway and heads towards my woods, then a respectable 2x2 pops out trailing her hard and grunting. Then went into my woods and just had to laugh, rarely do I see bucks at my place and the first rut action is in my driveway an hour before last shooting light.

[Skyvalhunter]

It's a good day to be out in the wood chasing bucks

[PolarBear]

The bucks are pushing at night around here.

[fishnfur]

   I think that's what was going on im Mason as well.  Fifty one degrees in the AM doesn't do anything to get deer up and moving.  The daily doe tally was dwindiling quickly into Halowwen.  Absolutely dead on Yesteday.

[Turner89]

This was the slowest season I've seen. I never saw anything bigger than the spoke I rattled in. 
 I'm curious on how the late seasons pan out.

[highside74]

This was the slowest season I've seen. I never saw anything bigger than the spoke I rattled in. 
 I'm curious on how the late seasons pan out.

My brother and I were discussing this same thing earlier today. Very slow and I didn't rattle in one buck this year. Not even a spike.