Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: predatorG on September 05, 2016, 10:51:10 AM
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So far this year has been my most eventful hunting season to date, but I am yet to arrow anything. Here was my dilemma today. I get to the spot I am hunting at about 6:15 this morning and promptly here deer moving. I decide to wait until 7 to rattle. Now that I think about it, I may have fallen asleep because that 45 minutes went by super fast... but that's irrelevant. Anyways, at 7 I begin rattling. I assume that I rattled for about about 5 minutes. Promptly, I hear a grunt behind me to the left. I am sitting facing down a hill with the valley bottom about 30 yards directly below me. The other side of the valley is gently sloping with no brush, and leads to a large alder opening about 100-150 yards away. Below me in the valley just a little to the left is a smaller ferned opening with alders that Is about 20 yards deep. About 50 yards to my left is an old rub line I showed pictures of in my last post. Anyways, I hear a buck grunt up the hill and to my left. About 3 minutes later, I hear him grunt almost directly left of me, and then I don't here him anymore. About another 5 minutes, I hear a thrashing across the valley at the top of the hill and to the right. I can only assume this was a buck raking a tree. This continues off and on for a little bit and I wait patiently, not making any noise or doing any rattling. I hear him making his way down the hill toward me, and I peer through the sticks and trees as best I can. I slowly see movement about 30 to 40 yards in front of me, across the valley and through thick cover. There are two bucks! I assume they are bucks because not only are they very large and maybe looking in body size, they also sounded like they did a solid job of trashing a tree; however, due to the darkness and sticks, I can't get a clear view of their antlers. They cross the brushy valley a little to the right of me and walk straight up my side of the valley about 50 to 60 yards from me. They walked single file, and never stopped or looked at me. I believe they went up the hill a little more and proceeded to bed down. They never presented me with a clear shot dude to all the sticks. I rattled again briefly trying to bring them down but they seemed uninterested. This ended at about 7:25. My question is, how could I have turned them and brought them more towards me? The wind was in my face so that wasn't a problem. I didnt have a grunt on me (I don't own one) and my only bleat is for estrous so I left it at home. Would it have worked if I had a grunt? Could I have managed to pull one in that extra distance? I think I'm in a deer heavy spot because at about 8 four more bedded down across the valley. Also were the first two grunts the same deer or not? I know this is long but thanks for the help guys.
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Sounds like you have a great location! I have little experience in calling in BT, but I assume you did the right thing by waiting and hoping. BT deer in general are just weird creatures, they never keep a patern for long, they don't respond well like WT etc... I think you've got it all right but those bucks just weren''t interested in coming in. Be thankfull you have bucks working your area during daylight! That should never be taken for granted. Good luck and keep rattli'n!
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No telling exactly what they were thinking. Considerations include:
- it is not yet pre-rut, at least by the meaning usually intended where bucks are doing excursions to see what does are out there. They may be sorting out who is going to get the best territory, but they are still relatively low testosterone, and likely show limited interest in any calls at all. Any interest in rattling sounds is likely limited. They might want to see which bucks are messing around but they might just stay away, or even shy away too. I don't think there is anything that is going to get them to turn and come back except a hot doe, which will not likely occur for another 5 weeks at least.
I wouldn't overdo any calling this early in the season. Tickle them a couple of times and put them away, or skip it altogether. It is still not a normal activity in the woods in early Sept. I certainly wouldn't do it every time you're out there. If they come in and wind you, they will associate the rattling with humans, and it will make your rattling way less effective in the future.
Right now, I'd recommend you move your hiding position closer to where you saw the bucks come up that hill and attempt to intercept.
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Sounds like you need a multi season deer tag and rattle one of those bucks in the last 3 days of October. Thats when rattling kills blacktail.
