Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: WapitiTalk1 on October 22, 2018, 02:15:46 PM

Title: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on October 22, 2018, 02:15:46 PM: OK, its time you Hunt WA cats. With some weather coming (finally) THU morning for many of our locations, things are getting ready to pick up. If you can swing it, get out WED afternoon and hunt till legal shooting hours expire. The deer will become more active on WED than they have in the past few weeks with a change in the weather (rain) looming on THU. They just do it...always move more before and after a weather front (whether mild or severe). This weather change, coupled with the pre-rut activity starting to kick in pretty good, should make for a great last 10 days of the early BT season for one and all. If you're back at your truck in the coming evenings before legal shooting hours have expired, you're coming out too early folks..... make sure you have a headlamp in your pack and use that to come out (don't waste that last precious bit of hunting time in the evenings by leaving the deer woods too early). Same with the morning hunts.... get where you want to be (not on the way, not almost there) in advance of legal shooting light/time so you're ready when the time comes. Good luck to all and am looking forward to hearing/seeing how everybody does over the next week.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: swordtine on October 22, 2018, 02:46:34 PM: Good advice RJ--many of us are done on the eastside after tomorrow, but you folks on the westside have some of the best days of the year to hunt deer in the next week and a half.....good luck to all
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: npaull on October 22, 2018, 03:12:29 PM: What do guys figure peak rut time will be this year?

I drew a special permit for GMU 651, Nov 1-14...

Had to stop myself from shooting a spike this morning!
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WSU on October 22, 2018, 03:16:20 PM: It's about 3 years running that I have hunted through Halloween and not seen a decent buck in my hunting spot and then run into good bucks the first week or so of November. I'd say your tag is prime time.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: fishnfur on October 22, 2018, 03:55:40 PM: 7 - 14 Nov, but that doesn't mean those big ones will be sitting on their heels before then. Good luck!
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: bobcat on October 22, 2018, 04:03:43 PM: Quote from: npaull on October 22, 2018, 03:12:29 PM
What do guys figure peak rut time will be this year?

I drew a special permit for GMU 651, Nov 1-14...

Had to stop myself from shooting a spike this morning!

I'd focus most of my time from November 3rd through the 9th. That's just from my experience with trail cams. The bucks will be moving in the middle of the day, and ranging further into areas outside their normal home range. Up to about the 11th should be pretty good but daytime buck activity drastically drops off after that.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: fishnfur on October 22, 2018, 04:38:33 PM: My trail cams say 8 - 12. Bobcat and I have jawed on this a bit in the past. I believe it varies a bit by area and elevation (total conjecture).
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: bobcat on October 22, 2018, 04:46:52 PM: It definitely varies by area, and probably varies year to year as well. All I know is if I had that late permit I'd be hunting it hard from November 1st on as much as I could, but I'd for sure want to be tagged out by the 11th. After that it could get pretty tough. The bucks are tired out and aren't moving, just trying to recover from chasing does non stop for a week or more.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: BackStrappin on October 23, 2018, 08:04:52 AM: had a forky in the yard yesterday that was well on his way to stinking up the place.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on October 23, 2018, 07:14:22 PM: Suddenly..cough...hack...cough, feeling feverish. Gonna have to take tomorrow afternoon off from work and get out into the deer woods and get some fresh air. I fear, it’s the only way to feel better. We’ll see if the BT bucks are feeling the “twitch” in my area :rolleyes:
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: elkrack on October 23, 2018, 07:38:48 PM: Quote from: WapitiTalk1 on October 23, 2018, 07:14:22 PM
Suddenly..cough...hack...cough, feeling feverish. Gonna have to take tomorrow afternoon off from work and get out into the deer woods and get some fresh air. I fear, it’s the only way to feel better. We’ll see if the BT bucks are feeling the “twitch” in my area :rolleyes:

Sounds like a fool proof plan to me :chuckle: :tup:
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: aman on October 23, 2018, 07:39:08 PM: I'll give it a shot tomorrow afternoon. Should I sit down at a clearcut and wait or walk the trails?
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: Twispriver on October 23, 2018, 08:07:30 PM: Today, for the first time since early September I saw a buck in my field in the daylight. Last night's trail cam pics showed three bucks that I'd not seen before, a spike and two 2-points dogging a doe. The two biggest bucks that I had been getting pictures of nightly have been MIA since October 7th but I'll definitely be on the lookout from now until the end of the season.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: PeninsulaPariah on October 23, 2018, 09:23:21 PM: Quote from: aman on October 23, 2018, 07:39:08 PM
I'll give it a shot tomorrow afternoon. Should I sit down at a clearcut and wait or walk the trails?

Both can be effective. Depending on how early you get out, if you have just a couple hours till dark I would just head to one of my favorite units and watch it like a hawk. If you get out earlier in the afternoon, cover some ground first. Walk slow, glass a lot. Old roads flanked with timber on one side an reprod on the other should be poppin’
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: aman on October 24, 2018, 08:43:39 PM: Sat down at a clearcut until last light and nada.. After the sun went down there were some thermals that were changing the wind directions all over for about 15 minutes but qind was good majority of the time.

I did see a doe walking in middle of the road at night on my way out. :dunno:
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on October 24, 2018, 08:50:09 PM: Not much going on at my location this evening either. I did locate some new and old rubs in same location (recurrent yearly use), a good thing, and bumped a few after dark coming out. Gonna hit it early morning next go around. Oh, found a battle spot on old skid road where two bucks had had a scrap.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: aman on October 24, 2018, 09:26:13 PM: I found this rub. Most likely done under the cover of the night though.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: fishnfur on October 24, 2018, 10:36:19 PM: You'll see quite a few of those quick hit rubs as you hunt. At least there was a buck there in the past. Looks like he dug in with an eyeguard or two and worked it long enough to leave some scent there. That buck may have laid down a rubline along many trees in the area to mark his turf. Somewhere relatively close by, he may have a couple of trees that he's hit hard and really done some real damage to, quite possibly close to drainage/creek/wet area that has some Alder, or in the smaller reprod where trails enter and exit the timber. Those bigger rubs might be a decent spot to spend some time. Also, you might want to try to scout around the perimeter of that cut, in the woods. There should be a trail maybe 10 - 20 yards inside the timber that follows much of the edge of that cut, perhaps stopping and starting again in spots. Go super slow and slowly scan your surroundings as you move. Stop and look/listen more than walk. There's no rush to get to some unseen spot ahead of you. He might be right there bedded in the ferns just off to your left, or standing partially hidden behind brush as his doe girlfriend is feeding 10 yards away.

Take a look at RadSav's post on page 11 of the blacktail pre-rut thread. He describes in detail how he and his wife hunt old skid roads where Alder meets reprod or timber. The real work is finding a spot that matches his description without having a truckload of hunters already working it. Gated roads will cut down hunter numbers very quickly. Google Earth is your friend.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: fishnfur on October 24, 2018, 11:12:50 PM: I took a second look at your photo and the cut in the background. Many people hunt young cuts like that. Occasionally, a buck might cross there in the middle of the day and give you a shot. The reality is that there is so little food there that it has little attraction yet for animals to come in and feed. If it looks mostly like brown dirt, then look elsewhere. You will find some fresh sign in there. Deer will come in at night and feed on the few sparse plants there, but typically not in great numbers.

A better aged cut has had trees planted in the ground somewhere around 3 - 8 years ago, possibly up to 10 or 11 years ago, depending on how fast the trees grow in that spot. You will not see much brown dirt, and there will be a lot of brush (food) growing everywhere. Here's a pic of a cut I hunted last year. The trees have been in the ground six years. They have space in between them that allow deer to feel safe enough to spend the whole day in there. The extra advantage of a spot like this is that you have the ability to look directly down in between the trees and see deer as they stand or travel. If you're hunting a spot with less elevation change, I'd recommend a bit younger/smaller trees that allow vision into and in between the trees. Spend 90% of your time in your binoculars looking for parts of deer obscured by foliage where they are hiding. Good luck!
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on October 25, 2018, 08:20:22 AM: Great tip fishnfur :tup:.

Its' always a good thing when you find a spot where a buck(s) have rubbed for multiple years. Took a few snaps last night while out to one of my spots that have been frequented by rubbing bucks for multiple years (I'm terrible about taking pics when I'm out and about but figured you cats would enjoy these). PIC 1 shows previous year rubs; PIC 2 shows a "re-rub" this year on a previous year's rub; and PIC 3 shows a brand spanking new rub from this year. There are a bunch of rubs (new this year and from previous years) in this small area which keeps me interested in this BT spot. I have not put out trail cams in this area but will do so at some point :).
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: bobcat on October 25, 2018, 09:05:29 AM: One thing I've learned about those old rubs, the ones that get used every year, is that the bucks may begin using them in late October/early November and by looking at them you wouldn't even know they had been recently used. But put a trail camera on it and you might find out several bucks are coming by daily but all they really do is rub their foreheads on it. I've got many videos of just that, and until I saw the videos from my trail cam I had no idea there was all the recent activity. No bark was scraped off, no fresh marks whatsoever, because they weren't rubbing the tree with their antlers, as all they're doing is marking the tree with their scent.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: Archsnipe on October 25, 2018, 11:58:55 AM: The property we hunted last weekend on the Kitsap Peninsula has two bucks taken off sunday morning in the fog at 8:30am. All with does, rutting hard. The group of 10 has already taken 8 deer.

Last year only 4 guys got bucks.

Every year, moon cycle, weather, etc. changes the rut a little in different areas, IMHO. But yes, the weather is coming, and that pushes them around ALOT more. Go get em!
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on October 25, 2018, 12:06:43 PM: Taking tomorrow/Friday off from work and will spend the day in the deer woods, before the crack of dawn till after nightfall; may even take some sheds with and do a bit of rattling. Looks like the "weather" has finally landed and I have a feeling the bucks will be tweaking in my area.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WSU on October 25, 2018, 12:49:17 PM: My wife took one of our 5 year old sons out last night and shot a nice little 2x3. Not bad for a grand total of 2 hours deer hunting this year! Pretty happy for both of them to get to go out on their own and be successful.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on October 25, 2018, 01:10:38 PM: That’s awesome WSU! Congrats to your hunters :tup:
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WSU on October 25, 2018, 01:19:52 PM: The best part was the play by play after from the 5 year old, complete with an on-all-fours demonstration of the buck jumping and taking off at the shot. Demonstrated like only a wildly over-excited 5 year old could do!
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on October 25, 2018, 01:34:18 PM: Quote from: WSU on October 25, 2018, 01:19:52 PM
The best part was the play by play after from the 5 year old, complete with an on-all-fours demonstration of the buck jumping and taking off at the shot. Demonstrated like only a wildly over-excited 5 year old could do!

Perfect! I can picture it.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: fishnfur on October 25, 2018, 02:53:35 PM: Nice! Congrats to the lucky hunters. You must have a quiet 5 year old. My son is 10 and he never ever stops talking. We just keep watching TV while he rattles on and on. :chuckle:
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WSU on October 25, 2018, 03:23:49 PM: I was kinda shocked. He's NOT quiet. But he takes his hunting pretty serious, so he was probably doing as well as a 5 year old could.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: fishnfur on October 25, 2018, 03:41:32 PM: OK+, check this out. I went out to scout a bit on my property in Willipa Hills today. There are new elk rubs everywhere and a smattering of buck rubs - pretty typical for late October. Then I saw this. I thought from afar that it was an elk rub, but I got up close and saw the damage to the hemlock trees. Totally debarked about 40% of the circumference at the base of the big one. The bark completely missing in action - gone! Big honkin' claw marks above head level dug right through the bark as well. I figured a bear was the responsible party, but they typically debark Doug Fir in the Spring when the sap first starts running, so I'm not a hundred percent sure. Anybody have ideas? Squatch?
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: h20hunter on October 25, 2018, 03:51:22 PM: Porky? :dunno:
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WSU on October 25, 2018, 04:04:14 PM: I'm not an expert but looks like a bear peal to me.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: Turner89 on October 25, 2018, 11:04:39 PM: Quote from: h20hunter on October 25, 2018, 03:51:22 PM
Porky? :dunno:
X2
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: Skyvalhunter on October 26, 2018, 05:27:10 AM: Bear
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: Molon5labe on October 26, 2018, 07:29:58 AM: Quote from: h20hunter on October 25, 2018, 03:51:22 PM
Porky? :dunno:

this was my first thought
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: cavemann on October 28, 2018, 01:14:51 PM: I think it was fishnfur but apologies if it was someone else. Either way, the advice to focus on alder patches was magic!! Ended up seeing 11 deer in about an hour and half all in alder patches near reprod. The old man knocked one down about 15mins before dark right in the middle of one.. Great day Friday and happy to put one down.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: Eric M on October 28, 2018, 01:43:05 PM: Quote from: cavemann on October 28, 2018, 01:14:51 PM
I think it was fishnfur but apologies if it was someone else. Either way, the advice to focus on alder patches was magic!! Ended up seeing 11 deer in about an hour and half all in alder patches near reprod. The old man knocked one down about 15mins before dark right in the middle of one.. Great day Friday and happy to put one down.
Congratulations
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: buddy01 on October 28, 2018, 02:31:51 PM: I had these two in my back yard, the buck was Friday the big bear was this morning!
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on October 28, 2018, 03:08:33 PM: Did a good hike this morning in my area. 1 1/2 miles in on the MT bike and another mile in on hoof before I get into the deer zone as I call it. Well heck, a trio of fine looking tan animals met me! They sure stick out a bit more than them little black tail, lol. I had to shoo the three spike elk off of my trajectory so I could continue on with my target critter of the day. Not 10 minutes after the elk departed, I spotted a small buck up at the corner of the CC. Too far to sail a round on such a blustery day (400ish yards) so worked my way up closer as he continued to move across and sniff. Finally got to where I could take a poke at him and decided not today.... the forky will live to see another season. Saw a handful of does out and about throughout the morning and just the one little buck. Will try to get out one more time in this early season to see if I can find one. Good day/morning on the hill though... its nice to see a few wapiti moving in.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: fishnfur on October 28, 2018, 04:40:51 PM: Nice. I like that. A man with standards. Hopefully you'll be rewarded for letting the young one go awhile longer.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on October 30, 2018, 03:03:03 PM: Gonna take tomorrow off from work and hit my deer spot one more time (last day of early season), and, see if I can find a shooter buck to invite home for dinner ;)
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: fishnfur on October 30, 2018, 08:15:27 PM: Quote from: Eric M on October 28, 2018, 01:43:05 PM
Quote from: cavemann on October 28, 2018, 01:14:51 PM
I think it was fishnfur but apologies if it was someone else. Either way, the advice to focus on alder patches was magic!! Ended up seeing 11 deer in about an hour and half all in alder patches near reprod. The old man knocked one down about 15mins before dark right in the middle of one.. Great day Friday and happy to put one down.
Congratulations

:yeah: Thank RadSav and Jakeland among others. Good information needs to be passed on.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on October 31, 2018, 03:11:05 PM: Buck down 8)
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: Eric M on October 31, 2018, 04:17:12 PM: Quote from: WapitiTalk1 on October 31, 2018, 03:11:05 PM
Buck down 8)
Congratulations
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: kramman on October 31, 2018, 04:41:49 PM: Hey npaull I was in 651 this a.m.... get out and hunt asap. Walked for 40 minutes before the rain drove me out and I saw a nice forky with no care in the world running around a new CC. Also saw 2 does by themselves. This weather should kick the rut into high gear. Good luck with that permit
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: teanawayslayer on October 31, 2018, 05:32:40 PM: Peak rut now!
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: fishnfur on October 31, 2018, 05:56:38 PM: Great capture. Compromising situation.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on October 31, 2018, 06:47:39 PM: That's a tough image to follow teanawayslayer :chuckle:.

Took today off from the old salt mine to see if I could bring a buck home for dinner this last day (Halloween Buck) of the early season. Well, I did just that. Saw three bucks and took the last one I saw, the first two being button bucks, not too far past 9ish AM. 2 1/2 miles back in my area on a gated road is where I really start hunting... that's where I see most of the sign, and, most of the deer. Shot this guy right around 3 miles back in; he was sniffing around just inside the timber on the edge of a clear cut. Took the little Browning AB3 .243 for a walk today as it has never seen any hunting action. It did well and put a well placed 95 grain Nosler BT well, right in the boiler room of the BT buck... see what I did there ;) (distance was right around 150 yards). He hunched, ran back into the timber, and made it about 50 yards before expiring. I took two trips to pack the meat out as I am not quite the beast mode packer I used to be ;). All in all, a good day in the deer woods..... RJ
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: SeaRun1 on October 31, 2018, 06:53:56 PM: That’s a great Blacktail WT1. Congratulations!

SR1
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: Turner89 on October 31, 2018, 06:55:23 PM: Great job wapiti :tup:
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: teanawayslayer on October 31, 2018, 07:10:47 PM: Great buck!
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: Ridge Hunter on October 31, 2018, 07:19:43 PM: Great buck and a great day to be in the deer woods!
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on October 31, 2018, 07:33:09 PM: Thanks guys. Really wanted to hold out for something bigger (maybe in late season) but he gave me no choice.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: 7mmfan on October 31, 2018, 07:58:49 PM: Great buck R. Nothing like a big blacktail!
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on October 31, 2018, 08:12:35 PM: Quote from: 7mmfan on October 31, 2018, 07:58:49 PM
Great buck R. Nothing like a big blacktail!

Thanks R. Still learning the area; next year it’s on ;)
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: pd on October 31, 2018, 09:32:10 PM: Quote from: WapitiTalk1 on October 31, 2018, 03:11:05 PM
Buck down 8)

And, what? You need help packing or something?
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: fishnfur on October 31, 2018, 10:01:47 PM: Great score Wapiti. Great job humping that meat out of there too. I wouldn't walk for a week after packing it 12 miles, half of it loaded. Great end to the season! Congratulations.
Title: Re: Blacktail - Here we go!
Post by: blackveltbowhunter on October 31, 2018, 10:20:54 PM: Congratz :tup: Stud buck!