Blacktail Rut thread

[Sundance]

Heavy cruising the 20th through the 28th, lots of daylight pictures. Hunted all day the 29-31st, only saw spikes and 2’s, a few solo does also. Banking on the late rifle season next, strange year thus far for me. Ratting and doe/buck calls have not been as effective as years past. Using scents has been my best tactic.

PSA- if you’re hunting from a stand check your safety gear. Had a prusick knot on my lineman’s belt fail on the morning of the 23rd, fell 15 feet while climbing a tree. While laying on the ground a spike came up to check on me, very thoughtful of him

[Rob Allen]

World's  worst hunter here ignorant about just about everything  but I hunted every chance I got mostly  glassing clearcut. Until yesterday, Halloween,  I saw exactly  0 deer in western WA during daylight hours. Yesterday  I saw 15 or so. One buck and it was  a tiny spike. In a 3 point + area. 0 evidence  of any rutting activity.

[dilleytech]

The wife and I had a fun time hunting 4 days this last week we saw more deer then ever for us 50-60 deer.  6 bucks but not one buck had a 3rd point. Hunted the last day in an any buck unit but only saw does of course. Just seemed like around me the bucks weren’t hanging around the does yet. I’m sure some were that we just didn’t see. Learned a lot, and found some more elk spots even saw wolf tracks for the first time which sucked. Always a pleasure in the woods this time of year.

Oh well. Hunting whitetail in a couple weeks with the blues foothill west tag that I’m more excited about.

[IFunk]

I hunted Whidbey from my stand on Tuesday using scent and didn't see any Blacktail.  I switched up my game on Wednesday and decided to play the crappy weather and still hunt through alder thickets, head high salal and nettles while tooting my Grunt-n-Bleat.  I thought for sure all the rain and wind was going to get something moving, but I saw nothing.   

[highside74]

I was up hunting in Lewis and my 16yo shot a buck at our place. I drove home to help look. He jumped out of his bed 80 yards from where he was shot. He bedded 40 yards later. We tried to get a bullet in him but he jumped up again into some thicker stuff. We backed out until morning. He should be dead not far from last spot I hope.

Gridded a mile in a 150 yard area this morning.  Wet chest high ferns made for a tough search. Unfortunately we weren't able to turn him up yet. My son is going to recruit some buddies for an afternoon search and we are going to expand out area.

[highside74]

I was up hunting in Lewis and my 16yo shot a buck at our place. I drove home to help look. He jumped out of his bed 80 yards from where he was shot. He bedded 40 yards later. We tried to get a bullet in him but he jumped up again into some thicker stuff. We backed out until morning. He should be dead not far from last spot I hope.

Gridded a mile in a 150 yard area this morning.  Wet chest high ferns made for a tough search. Unfortunately we weren't able to turn him up yet. My son is going to recruit some buddies for an afternoon search and we are going to expand out area.

We found him after school with the help of friends just barely outside our search grid from the morning. I'll post pics in the 24 success thread.

[redi]

Congratulations

[wadu1]

Great news way to keep after it 

[85yota]

World's  worst hunter here ignorant about just about everything  but I hunted every chance I got mostly  glassing clearcut. Until yesterday, Halloween,  I saw exactly  0 deer in western WA during daylight hours. Yesterday  I saw 15 or so. One buck and it was  a tiny spike. In a 3 point + area. 0 evidence  of any rutting activity.

Call me Ignorant but this is quicker than finding the regs, there's a 3 pt min blacktail unit?

[highside74]

World's  worst hunter here ignorant about just about everything  but I hunted every chance I got mostly  glassing clearcut. Until yesterday, Halloween,  I saw exactly  0 deer in western WA during daylight hours. Yesterday  I saw 15 or so. One buck and it was  a tiny spike. In a 3 point + area. 0 evidence  of any rutting activity.

Call me Ignorant but this is quicker than finding the regs, there's a 3 pt min blacktail unit?

Yes 578

[7mmfan]

I was up hunting in Lewis and my 16yo shot a buck at our place. I drove home to help look. He jumped out of his bed 80 yards from where he was shot. He bedded 40 yards later. We tried to get a bullet in him but he jumped up again into some thicker stuff. We backed out until morning. He should be dead not far from last spot I hope.

Gridded a mile in a 150 yard area this morning.  Wet chest high ferns made for a tough search. Unfortunately we weren't able to turn him up yet. My son is going to recruit some buddies for an afternoon search and we are going to expand out area.

We found him after school with the help of friends just barely outside our search grid from the morning. I'll post pics in the 24 success thread.

  

[Boss .300 winmag]

World's  worst hunter here ignorant about just about everything  but I hunted every chance I got mostly  glassing clearcut. Until yesterday, Halloween,  I saw exactly  0 deer in western WA during daylight hours. Yesterday  I saw 15 or so. One buck and it was  a tiny spike. In a 3 point + area. 0 evidence  of any rutting activity.

Call me Ignorant but this is quicker than finding the regs, there's a 3 pt min blacktail unit?

Yes 578

Bench leggers, not true blacktails.

[85yota]

World's  worst hunter here ignorant about just about everything  but I hunted every chance I got mostly  glassing clearcut. Until yesterday, Halloween,  I saw exactly  0 deer in western WA during daylight hours. Yesterday  I saw 15 or so. One buck and it was  a tiny spike. In a 3 point + area. 0 evidence  of any rutting activity.

Call me Ignorant but this is quicker than finding the regs, there's a 3 pt min blacktail unit?

Yes 578

Bench leggers, not true blacktails.

Ahh, ok makes sense, there's a lot of bench bucks not in 3 point min, never seen that for blacktails but that makes sense.

[dilleytech]

World's  worst hunter here ignorant about just about everything  but I hunted every chance I got mostly  glassing clearcut. Until yesterday, Halloween,  I saw exactly  0 deer in western WA during daylight hours. Yesterday  I saw 15 or so. One buck and it was  a tiny spike. In a 3 point + area. 0 evidence  of any rutting activity.

Call me Ignorant but this is quicker than finding the regs, there's a 3 pt min blacktail unit?

Yes 578

Bench leggers, not true blacktails.

Ahh, ok makes sense, there's a lot of bench bucks not in 3 point min, never seen that for blacktails but that makes sense.

Basically every unit that boarders the divide is bench leg buck territory and 3point minimum. but most people will still call them blacktail. 574 also has bench leg deer but it’s an any buck unit for example. But you start to get closer to blacktail genetics.

[LDennis24]

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP88EEpHv/

Good Ole sparring match