Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: Dwrecknfish on October 28, 2016, 02:53:58 PM

Title: Late Season Whitetail Tips????
Post by: Dwrecknfish on October 28, 2016, 02:53:58 PM: Never hunted whitetails before and am looking for tips. How have you guys found your deer during the late season? Do you just get up high and glass because the rut is nearby or do you ridge hop? Also how high of elevation should i be looking? Thanks everyone for your input
Title: Re: Late Season Whitetail Tips????
Post by: vandeman17 on October 28, 2016, 03:19:56 PM: Find well used trails, preferably between feed and cover and wait. If that doesn't work, wait some more and just when you think you can't wait any longer, wait more. :chuckle: In all honesty, I think the best way to consistently kill late season whitetails is to stand hunt, be it a tree stand, ground blind or whatever. Bucks will be out searching for does so if you can find areas they travel it's just a matter of time and patience.
Title: Re: Late Season Whitetail Tips????
Post by: bosshogg112 on October 28, 2016, 03:52:12 PM: Quote from: vandeman17 on October 28, 2016, 03:19:56 PM
Find well used trails, preferably between feed and cover and wait. If that doesn't work, wait some more and just when you think you can't wait any longer, wait more. :chuckle: In all honesty, I think the best way to consistently kill late season whitetails is to stand hunt, be it a tree stand, ground blind or whatever. Bucks will be out searching for does so if you can find areas they travel it's just a matter of time and patience.

:yeah:
They will be moving around almost non stop looking for a doe. Like stated above, find a spot and wait for them to come to you.
Title: Re: Late Season Whitetail Tips????
Post by: Moe the Sleaze on October 28, 2016, 04:00:25 PM: Pray for snow and, if in Nat'l Forest, hunt between 3,000 and 4,000 ft. Sit more than move. Most seasons in Washington are set up to end before the rut really starts to kick in, but if you see a bunch of scrapes, hunt nearby.
Title: Re: Late Season Whitetail Tips????
Post by: nwwanderer on October 28, 2016, 04:07:24 PM: With this record rainfall new growth feed is everywhere. Standup, eat, lay back down, not much movement until does cycle.
Title: Re: Late Season Whitetail Tips????
Post by: irish52084 on October 28, 2016, 04:21:00 PM: Look for rut activity and does. Generally speaking if there's any rut activity bucks won't be too far from does. If you can find fresh scrapes and rubs you're probably in a decent spot. Find a good spot to hide out and hit the grunt tube and a few doe calls. Seems to work well for me.
Title: Re: Late Season Whitetail Tips????
Post by: buckcanyonlodge on October 28, 2016, 04:50:05 PM: Tip # 1 ...Take the sling off your gun or get a sling you can remove and put back on when the gun is unloaded.
Title: Re: Late Season Whitetail Tips????
Post by: WoolyRunner on October 28, 2016, 07:19:46 PM: I hunted late season Whitetail last year for muzzy. Ill never go back to rifle.
Title: Re: Late Season Whitetail Tips????
Post by: Jonathan_S on October 28, 2016, 07:28:50 PM: Quote from: buckcanyonlodge on October 28, 2016, 04:50:05 PM
Tip # 1 ...Take the sling off your gun or get a sling you can remove and put back on when the gun is unloaded.

Haha yep it can happen quick. Also, sometimes a 120" buck will sit there and stare at you and let you wake up, flick the safety, wipe the fog from the scope, aim and fire. All while he is 50' away downwind.

Most of the time though it is quick.

Just so the OP knows, don't expect madhouse rutting bucks running everywhere. It's still the NE where deer herds are down and heavily hunted by every kind of predator. If you can find decent doe numbers in the later half of the season, you should find bucks.
Title: Re: Late Season Whitetail Tips????
Post by: skeeter 20i on October 29, 2016, 09:44:40 AM: Quote from: nwwanderer on October 28, 2016, 04:07:24 PM
With this record rainfall new growth feed is everywhere. Standup, eat, lay back down, not much movement until does cycle.
:yeah: watched it happen last week several times. Standup, eat, lay back down, rinse and repeat all day.
Title: Re: Late Season Whitetail Tips????
Post by: elkboy on October 29, 2016, 09:51:13 AM: Don't forget those rattling antlers!