Quality Deer 460 -- What am I seeing?

[logola512c]

I got a last-minute notification a couple weeks ago that I was the alternate for the 460 quality deer tag, and it was now available, so I jumped on it.  I've been out the last couple days in the Snoqualmie tree farm and I've seen six different sets of does, and none of them had bucks trailing or with them.  At least 3 of the sets were does with last year's fawns that hadn't been kicked out yet.  Does that mean the rut is not yet started?  Is it done?  Neither?  Seems weird that there's these does without bucks.  I always thought that when the does came into heat, they booted their previous fawns away.  True?  Not true?  More complicated than that?  Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks 

[buckcanyonlodge]

At least with the mule deer I have observed the rut is more complicated...They do leave their fawns when a buck is after them....or the buck chases the fawn ( I have seen that happen) but they never "kick them out". They are bonded for life and stay with the home herd as much as possible...except when breeding.. Maybe blacktail are different???/

[Tbar]

I got a last-minute notification a couple weeks ago that I was the alternate for the 460 quality deer tag, and it was now available, so I jumped on it.  I've been out the last couple days in the Snoqualmie tree farm and I've seen six different sets of does, and none of them had bucks trailing or with them.  At least 3 of the sets were does with last year's fawns that hadn't been kicked out yet.  Does that mean the rut is not yet started?  Is it done?  Neither?  Seems weird that there's these does without bucks.  I always thought that when the does came into heat, they booted their previous fawns away.  True?  Not true?  More complicated than that?  Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks

Stick with it, it'll pay off.  When you see does stay on them and look, look, look.  I have killed a lot of bucks by watching does long after I think they are alone.  Just start picking apart these surroundings, it won't always work but bt bucks are amazing at waiting out danger.  Good luck!

[Ironhead]

The peak rut in the tree farm used to be a few days either side of the 12th. Just cruise the roads and glass the cuts, even the small ones. There are plenty of Blacktail bucks in the tree farm.

[b0bbyg]

Local blacktails around house will have a buck chasing a doe with last year's fawns in the area trying to figure out what is going on.

2 days it was buck, doe and fawns all together with the buck chasing momma.  Then today buck was gone.

[Lucky1]

I don’t think the rut is over. I think the rut “peaks” around the late buck season. I have seen rut activity in late December. Stay optimistic!

[JakeLand]

Don’t hunt the tree farm it sucks , better areas then there in the 460

[jackelope]

Don’t hunt the tree farm it sucks , better areas then there in the 460

This is what I’m thinking too.

[logola512c]

Hey folks, thanks for all the responses.  I'm not a big fan of the tree farm but it's been good to me for bears over the last 5 or 6 years.  That's what I usually spend my time on.   The quality deer tag is a weird kind of pressure.  For deer (especially in the tree farm), my mantra is always shoot the first legal animal I see (which is usually not many), but I've passed on a couple spikes already this year because that just seems wrong for a quality tag. None of the spikes were with does. Had a 60-second stare down with a cougar about 10 yards out my passenger window today.  No good way to get out, load the rifle, and whack him, though... Interesting comments about better spots outside the tree farm in 460.  I always thought they'd be over-run with hikers, bikers, shroomers, and tweekers. Figured the tree farm was just the closest huntable area...

[IFunk]

Nothing for me unfortunately.  I have this permit too.  The difference is I would have shot the spike.     I just missed a monster last year in the unit on October 26th or so 10 minutes before shooting hours ended.  Would have been my first deer.  I hunted all day thursday and all day yesterday putting in a bunch of miles with the wind in my face and didn't see anything.  My cams show less activity than ever.  It's been odd.  I don't have a permit for the farm, but don't know that I want to purchase it this late in the game.  Are there a lot of road hunters there?  That's not really my jam.   I've been hunting the rec areas down south, but will be at it again in the morning and want to go elsewhere.  460 is so big that it's hard to know where to begin this late in the game. 

[jason stevens]

Look around Duvall cherry valley area.

[Blacktail Sniper]

Hey folks, thanks for all the responses.  I'm not a big fan of the tree farm but it's been good to me for bears over the last 5 or 6 years.  That's what I usually spend my time on.   The quality deer tag is a weird kind of pressure.  For deer (especially in the tree farm), my mantra is always shoot the first legal animal I see (which is usually not many), but I've passed on a couple spikes already this year because that just seems wrong for a quality tag. None of the spikes were with does. Had a 60-second stare down with a cougar about 10 yards out my passenger window today.  No good way to get out, load the rifle, and whack him, though... Interesting comments about better spots outside the tree farm in 460.  I always thought they'd be over-run with hikers, bikers, shroomers, and tweekers. Figured the tree farm was just the closest huntable area...

Bullets break glass and I am pretty sure, with a story like that you could have gotten some contributions from members for a new one...   

[pd]

Hey folks, thanks for all the responses.  I'm not a big fan of the tree farm but it's been good to me for bears over the last 5 or 6 years.  That's what I usually spend my time on.   The quality deer tag is a weird kind of pressure.  For deer (especially in the tree farm), my mantra is always shoot the first legal animal I see (which is usually not many), but I've passed on a couple spikes already this year because that just seems wrong for a quality tag. None of the spikes were with does. Had a 60-second stare down with a cougar about 10 yards out my passenger window today.  No good way to get out, load the rifle, and whack him, though... Interesting comments about better spots outside the tree farm in 460.  I always thought they'd be over-run with hikers, bikers, shroomers, and tweekers. Figured the tree farm was just the closest huntable area...

Continuing to riff on this comment.  If the OP had shot the puma through the window glass, and reported it here, I would absolutely have contributed to the repair fund.  After the required hazing, of course.

Bullets break glass and I am pretty sure, with a story like that you could have gotten some contributions from members for a new one...   

[jackelope]

Look around Duvall cherry valley area.

There’s almost no public deer huntable land in the immediate Cherry Valley area.

[dilleytech]

I think there are bucks around but they are likely in the thick stuff with their hot does. The does you are seeing aren’t attracting bucks yet.