Post by: nwalpineguide on May 11, 2020, 03:00:15 AM
It's always the whopper bucks that seem to come out last, and after the late season has ended.
Enjoy!
Post by: Onewhohikes on May 11, 2020, 06:12:02 AM
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 11, 2020, 10:34:22 AM
That ol buck appears to be regressing. It truly is a shame what that deer population up there has become. At one time a person would have seen many nice bucks on that Chiwawa migration route.
Agreed, definitely a regressing buck. I'll post other photo's and video's as I process and edit them. I collected over 4,500 this fall. That's gonna take some time to ruthlessly edit and organize.
Interestingly, the river roads and trails I was able to explore this past weekend looked like a cattle yard. Deer migration is in full swing in the Lake Wenatchee area!
Post by: Duckhunter14 on May 11, 2020, 11:17:36 AM
Post by: Ridgerunner on May 11, 2020, 11:24:45 AM
Post by: WAcoueshunter on May 11, 2020, 11:53:58 AM
Can't wait to see the other stuff, it'll get me all fired up for that late tag I'm going to draw this year.
:yeah: Keep them coming!
Post by: jstone on May 11, 2020, 12:27:07 PM
:bash: :bash:
Post by: fishngamereaper on May 11, 2020, 12:32:35 PM
I can post a screen shoot if its ok with the OP.
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 11, 2020, 12:46:19 PM
Cool video...Old buck for sure.
I can post a screen shoot if its ok with the OP.
No worries. A screen shot is fine. Thanks for asking.
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 11, 2020, 12:48:24 PM
Can't wait to see the other stuff, it'll get me all fired up for that late tag I'm going to draw this year.
I'll keep 'em coming as long as my wife doesn't catch me at the computer and wonders why I'm not working on honey-do stuff. :chuckle:
Post by: fishngamereaper on May 11, 2020, 12:51:25 PM
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 11, 2020, 12:51:50 PM
Enjoy!
Post by: fishngamereaper on May 11, 2020, 12:52:14 PM
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 11, 2020, 12:58:22 PM
Besides, these big bucks and racks are probably making everyone fall asleep by now. I hate big buck porn as much as you all do!
3rd different buck at the same camera site. Hm, guess all that scouting does pay off.
Post by: vandeman17 on May 11, 2020, 01:01:20 PM
Just tell me when to stop fella's. I've only got 4,494 to go.
Besides, these big bucks and racks are probably making everyone fall asleep by now. I hate big buck porn as much as you all do!
3rd different buck at the same camera site. Hm, guess all that scouting does pay off.
That is a nice buck and he is sure cruising with the tail up
Post by: OutHouse on May 11, 2020, 01:02:20 PM
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 11, 2020, 01:26:04 PM
Those are really really cool. Thanks for sharing and keep em coming!
Thanks for the kind compliments. I'll keep 'em coming.
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 11, 2020, 02:06:32 PM
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 11, 2020, 02:18:13 PM
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on May 11, 2020, 02:56:28 PM
Post by: jstone on May 11, 2020, 04:08:07 PM
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 11, 2020, 04:37:24 PM
So the snow wasn’t deep and he headed out?
Great question; Yes. In my humble opinion this buck and others, as well many doe groups with fawns of the year are both migrating and rutting at the same time. The two seem to be related in this neck of the woods at this time every year. Elsewhere it might be significantly different. After looking at trail cam data from this spot for the last ten years this is a common observation for this spot. The rut and migration occurring in transition habitat; habitat between high sub alpine summer range in wilderness and low sagebrush-steppe winter range on the Columbia river breaks. Again, just my opinion.
This locality did not see a significant snowfall until December 12th, 2019. That was also the last time the camera captured photo's of migrating deer at this site. Very typical exit date for this part of the mountains in this locality. Other years the snow flies earlier, accumulates, and the bucks are migrating in snow up to their bellies trying to get out. Again usually around December 12th.
Forage quality drops significantly in the sub alpine high country after mid to late October. Especially if fall rains don't produce a 'green up.' This, I believe, in relation to rut timing gets many wilderness deer moving towards winter ranges roughly at the same time every year.
Post by: jstone on May 11, 2020, 05:26:22 PM
Finally figured it out
What elevation
Post by: jstone on May 11, 2020, 05:34:56 PM
How high did you put the camera? Snow depths. That’s why I asked the elevation
My camera area will be 5500-6000’
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 11, 2020, 05:46:06 PM
Can't wait to see the other stuff, it'll get me all fired up for that late tag I'm going to draw this year.
:yeah: Keep them coming!
Here's another good non-typical
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 11, 2020, 08:53:50 PM
I have thought about leaving a camera in the high country over the winter.
How high did you put the camera? Snow depths. That’s why I asked the elevation
My camera area will be 5500-6000’
jstone, it certainly would not hurt to put a camera in the high country (5500-6000 feet elev.) to capture deer movement in late fall and winter. And leave it up until the following late spring or summer.
I do place cameras high every year to capture data in anticipation of the high hunt. I just don't leave them up that high because I move them all lower down the mountain to capture the migration and rut.
Your high country data would be interesting in and of itself. Period. Comparison with any data captured on transition (3500-4500 feet elev.) and winter range habitats (1200-3000 feet elev.) as well arrival times by the deer in your chosen area would be interesting too. Just realize that in the mountains -migration and rut activity may coincide in the area you choose to setup cameras. It's challenging to differentiate strict migration with rut activity. I don't think these are mutually exclusive activities. Not where I run my cameras anyway.
In fact, I notice bucks wandering, searching out doe groups and becoming visible during daylight hours beginning about the 22nd or 23rd of October. I also begin to observe doe groups MIGRATING down migration routes at the same time. I don't think it is coincidence or a random thing like mere chance that the bucks show up during daylight hours when the does are on the move in the area I have the cameras placed. There has to be a correlation!
I place my camera units between 3700-4500 feet elevation to capture fall migrations. Sometimes (most of the time) there is very little snow if any at this elevation. Especially on south faces. Yet, snow depths in late February early March average about 3 1/2 to 4 feet max depth. This, for an average winter where 120-130 inches accumulates in the Lake Wenatchee area. Most years by mid December the rut and migration are well over and all I capture on the cameras is an occasional snowshoe hare, squirrel, pine marten, bobcat, and an occasional bird.
By mid April the deer are back at this same elevation (3700-4500 ft. elev.), in transition habitat, on their spring migration upwards towards the wilderness. They can't seem to wait to get back into that wilderness. I've seen tracks on top of 5 feet of snow at 5500 feet elevation in the month of May. This observation from 2015 when the total snow accumulation for my area (Fish Lake & Plain) was 35 inches!
Post by: jstone on May 11, 2020, 09:06:59 PM
Post by: Dan-o on May 11, 2020, 09:07:18 PM
Can't wait to see the other stuff, it'll get me all fired up for that late tag I'm going to draw this year.
:yeah: Keep them coming!
Here's another good non-typical
NICE BUCK!!
Post by: WAcoueshunter on May 11, 2020, 09:22:49 PM
Can't wait to see the other stuff, it'll get me all fired up for that late tag I'm going to draw this year.
:yeah: Keep them coming!
Here's another good non-typical
Nice, that’s the shooter on those tags! 👍
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 12, 2020, 12:19:48 AM
Those are really really cool. Thanks for sharing and keep em coming!
Here are a couple more: note the cougar following an hour later the two deer. These were the last deer the camera captured in 2019 from this site. Very typical exit date.
Enjoy!
Post by: 7mmfan on May 12, 2020, 04:44:24 AM
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 12, 2020, 01:13:59 PM
Note that the large non-typical is wandering around in daylight, during the late permit season no less! The other (perhaps better educated?) typical I only caught during daylight hours with foggy or misty conditions. Subdued light if you will.
Enjoy!
Post by: vandeman17 on May 12, 2020, 01:16:56 PM
Post by: fishngamereaper on May 12, 2020, 01:17:01 PM
Post by: deerlick on May 12, 2020, 01:17:16 PM
Post by: hunter_sean08 on May 12, 2020, 01:52:41 PM
Post by: jstone on May 12, 2020, 02:02:52 PM
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 12, 2020, 02:41:30 PM
Have many of the bucks you get come back year after year? Watching the same buck grow up
Another outstanding question that is difficult to answer. Very difficult.
Without some type of identifying characteristic; scars, split ears, unique antler configuration, wound or limp etc., it's very difficult to answer that question. I'm embarrassed that I can't.
There are a few bucks that I THINK were the same captured on camera a previous year or years, but I'll be brutally honest, I don't truly know.
Post by: Harbor_hunter on May 12, 2020, 03:55:10 PM
Post by: jstone on May 12, 2020, 04:37:13 PM
Great job
Post by: OutHouse on May 12, 2020, 04:48:06 PM
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 12, 2020, 07:49:04 PM
Not a big deal just curious
Great job
Thanks to all for the compliments and encouragement. I am grateful for it. What's more I too enjoy seeing the awesome photo's and video's, as well as reading the well informed anecdotes and opinions on this forum. I LEARN allot!
I've had a few hours now to think about jstone's excellent question about capturing photo's of the same buck or bucks from year to year. So I apologize for the glib first response. It took a while for the correct answer to percolate up.
Regardless, I only remember one buck in particular that fits that description.
I now recall this particular buck had a very unique (and large) antler configuration that showed up two or three years in a row. NEVER during daylight hours. This, even after the general season rifle hunt had ended, and during the late season permit hunt. He just never moved during daylight in front of one of my cameras. I believe this buck was either very educated to the ways of hunters, or more preposterously, simply opted out of the rutting melee altogether! The reason I say this is that I never caught him with the does or another buck. He was a solo bachelor buck. Well, that's my GUESS. I don't really know.
I'll spend a few minutes looking for that bucks photo. I may have posted it on this forum in another thread. It was a large buck with ghost white slick horns. I'll look it up.
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 12, 2020, 08:24:01 PM
Two images of this buck in 2013 & three images of him from 2014.
This buck had a very unique antler configuration which, with some certainty, makes me think it the same buck with just slight differences in antler shape between those years noted. What struck me in 2014 was that the antlers appear larger, wider and longer. That surprised me because in 2013 I had thought him old and regressing. I was wrong! That keeps me humble. These deer make fools of me more often than I care to admit.
Enjoy!
Post by: Buckhunter24 on May 12, 2020, 08:30:09 PM
Post by: Birdguy on May 12, 2020, 08:49:19 PM
Post by: PacificNWhunter on May 12, 2020, 09:00:04 PM
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on May 12, 2020, 09:13:10 PM
My I phone let’s me move the videos back and forth with my finger, really helps looking at the racks.😉
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 12, 2020, 10:36:44 PM
WOW! What a great bunch of critters! Some amazing bucks there for sure, very cool you have such history of these animals. Some great observations shared, things that have not been out like that on a public forum of late. Thank you for sharing your efforts with us and I cannot wait to see what else shows up on this thread!!
Thank you Birdguy, much appreciated.
Another TANK from a few years ago. Not a huge rack but look at the sagging belly.'
Post by: Skyvalhunter on May 13, 2020, 06:04:20 AM
Post by: nwalpineguide on May 13, 2020, 08:16:40 AM
That's not his belly your looking at Mike!!
Dang if you ain't right Keith. If these deer would only be so polite as to pose properly and not show all that JUNK!
My sincere apologies. If only I was a tad more observant. :chuckle: