Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: CedarPants on July 21, 2011, 06:44:15 AM
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Just curious to get everyone's opinion on when you think the rut peaks in eastern Washington. My experience in 117, 121, & 124 has been that it generally falls the week before Thanksgiving week. I know guys who hunt muzzleloader up in 113 though that will tell you it falls during Thanksgiving week, as well as bowhunters in 127 that will tell you the same thing. Further south in 139 there always seems to be a mix of opinions varying from the week before to the week of Thanksgiving, depending on where exactly you are at
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I have been bow hunting 124 for about the last 10 years. Due to the archery season, which falls now the week of Thanks giving, I think the first rut is over. With that said, there has always been a good second rut which seems to start that opening week of the late archery season. From what i can see, there is a poor buck to doe ratio and the first rut the bucks are so busy tending does you don't see much of them. When the second rut kicks in the bucks have to spend a little more time finding receptive does and thus your best opportunity to find a nice one. My best buck have come after Thanks giving.
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Camp - I would agree with you. I do think the late rifle season coincides with the peak rut (especially in 124), but from my experience if you aren't there that very day .... and sometimes that very hour ... that the bucks are chasing the does, you aren't going to see them because they will be tending (don't get me wrong, if you are there at that right time it can be really exciting). Guy I know all say the same about 124 - 2nd rut sees more big boys on the move
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I got drawn for the rifle rut tag a few years ago in the Aladdin unit. We hunted the last week of the late season which ended Nov 19th, then one day off and the permit hunt began the 21st. Of course the weather has a lot to do with the rut, but we noticed rutting activity starting on the 19th and then got really heavy shortly after. I would say the peak is the Thanksgiving holiday give or take a couple days depending on weather.
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From what I've noticed is the peak rut seems to be around the last week of late rifle. That's when I saw the most bucks with does. :twocents:
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You guys are talking about whitetails, yes?
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I was thinking whitetails :dunno:
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Yes. Muley and blacktail would be different. I haven't been able to pinpoint their rut. The last time I saw a Blacktail chasing a doe was arount the 14th of Nov.
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What I see here in 121.....very active pre-rut first week of november , usually by the 20th.... , breaders are locked down with does. They will stay with receptive does for about a week, or until they have bred all does readily available. Last year, a friend came over day after Thanksgiving. I had 5 stands up, we hunted hard, lots of does and pecker heads, no daylight visits from any of the big guys I had on camera. Every night for 6 nights, when we returned from hunting, as we pulled into my place, there would be a stud buck and a lesser buck, the lesser one keeping just out of harms way, and a doe. They were in my pasture, close as 60 yards. I usually have 8 to 12 does around all the time, like now......so we were sure it was a different doe each night. It appears the deer were bedding during the day up in the natural cover in the back corner, and a couple of 4in round fence posts were ripped to shreds. Again, after he ( my firend) left, I continued to hunt, but only youngsters and slick heads during the day, big guys after dark. I honestly think with the late rifle hunt, the big guys are mostly, again "mostly" nocturnal. There isnt enough time for them to relax and drop their guards a bit between late rifle and bow.
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In 127/130 it seems to reach fever pitch sometime between 22-26.... In 117/121/101 it seems to to really peak sometime between 11-17 in the areas I have hunted.
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Last year in 127 on opening day of late archery it was insane!! I saw 17 bucks chasing does that day and like 15 the next and then everyday after that it was getting less and less to 0 activity by Dec 1st.
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Last 2 to 3 days of late rifle is a good time to be in the woods.
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the higher elevations seem to peak earlier also with my observations... seeing muley bucks in the high country chasing in late Oct to open flat landers peaking in mid Nov
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Assuming you are talking whitetails, November 19th give or take a few hours.
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My apologies everyone, I did mean whitetail.
buckfvr - I've noticed a lot of the same in 121 (well, trailcams have noticed) ...... nocturnal activity by the bigger bucks during the rut. That's not to be said that they aren't any up and moving during the day - there are. But with so many people pokin around the woods I do think a large number of them go dark during late rifle. Lots of activity between 10pm -1am, and again between 3am - 5am.
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For what it's worth, I've only hunted the late buck season on the eastside a couple of times. In the gnl Davenport/Bachelor Prarie area one bio stated the peak for whitetail was on or about 21 Nov. Did seem to appear that way in 2009 & 10. In 09 a big forked horn (area was 3 pts or btr) chased two doe within 10' of my parked Jeep. Wife was sitting inside as they dashed past-acted like the Jeep wasn't even there. One tracked mind I guess.
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Ill take the pre-rut.........
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Best activity I have ever witnessed was after a good snow storm the weekend after Thanks giving. I sat in a stand during the storm (that morning - evening and the next morning till 10:00 when it finally stopped) not seeing a deer. Right after it stopped there was deer every and the bucks were stupid....a 2X2 almost ran me over while i was standing next to a tree. I'm guessing it was a combo of all of them sitting tight during the storm (hungry) and the rut that brought on the activity.
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Funny how it can vary so much in such short distances. When I'm hunting NW MT. I keep close communication with my brother in Spokane and the rut there is generally a week earlier.
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Agreed 3nails. I work in Liberty Lake and there have been several recent seasons where I'd be in 124 for the late rifle and it would seem to peak early in that week prior to Thanksgiving then die out by week's end. Then starting Monday of Thanksgiving week at work here in Liberty Lake just south of 124 you'll see bucks chasing does through the Albertson's parking lot at noon
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The last 2 or 3 days of late rifle. ;)
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Back in the day when late buck opened thanksgiving day the rut was in full swing in 121. I started bowhunting in 86. Dec. 2nd one year I saw the biggest w/t buck of my life. He was rutting hard. I was shooting a bear re-curve 55lb at the time and he was to far for a shot. If I had the compond I shoot today he would have been dead.
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I also saw the biggest WT ever two years ago on Dec. 2nd..............at first glance I thought elk, but stopped right on hwy 25 and put the glasses on it and was shocked. He was with a doe.....I then went up north and saw another stud buck with a doe, and a youngster runnin with his nose to the ground. Im pretty sure it was start of second cycle. I had already used my tag, so I just soaked it all up.
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In my experience living on the palouse it seems as though rut "usually" hit around nov12th-16th from year to year. Usually in good shape if you have the late palouse buck tag drawn.
