Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bow Hunting => Topic started by: Kingpuck on April 01, 2012, 05:25:47 PM

Title: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: Kingpuck on April 01, 2012, 05:25:47 PM: As I'm thinking ahead for the upcoming season, have started to think if it makes sense to just take the first week of the season off and hunt hard for my deer or if I should instead look more to the mid/late season.

What do most of you do? Get out right on opening day or wait until a little later? With this being my first year I'm just trying to get a bearing on all of it.

Leaning towards the first full week off of work. Dang I can't wait already!!!
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on April 01, 2012, 05:27:23 PM: Of which season ?? does not matter anyway ...any day is a good day hunting :yeah:
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: bobcat on April 01, 2012, 05:50:44 PM: I would go as early as possible. Sometime in September, it seems deer completely change their routine and go to being mostly nocturnal. I would scout as much as possible in late August and try to kill your buck the first week of the season.

Are you hunting blacktails or mule deer?
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: BullMagnet76 on April 01, 2012, 05:59:55 PM: If you are hunting Modern RIfle on the westside, I would take the week closest to Halloween, or better yet the 3-4 days you get for late buck.
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: Turner89 on April 01, 2012, 06:31:09 PM: I hunt blacktails, and my unit doesn't have a late buck season for any weapon. I take the last week of the season off witch always ends on halloween.
I hunt every chance I get up to that week, but am very selective. I use the time up to that week to scout. Only it's alot more fun because I'm carring a gun.
The rut really starts kicking in near the end of Oct. Last year it seemed to me that the bucks didn't start moving around till the 28th. I shot mine on halloween.
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: bobcat on April 01, 2012, 07:25:00 PM: This topic is in the BOW HUNTING forum.

So he's asking which part of the archery season should he hunt, not rifle season.
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: DoubleJ on April 01, 2012, 08:16:28 PM: I'll be out there the first week of the season looking for a nice fat mulie doe
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: Fullabull on April 02, 2012, 11:01:40 AM: If you are talking deer, I have no idea. If you are you talking Elk...For early archery, your better off hitting the first week so you have the surprise element going for you. The next three years will not hit any rut activity unless we get some cool weather during those two weeks which is very unlikely. By the time the second week comes around, the woods are going to get real quiet unless you are hunting a LONG way away from other hunters...
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: coachcw on April 03, 2012, 06:49:24 AM: first week for elk . but the last couple of days can be good because most guys give up by then and the woods get quiet.
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: wrongway on April 03, 2012, 07:20:55 AM: hunt it all, there is only three days in the first week anyway
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: bobcat on April 03, 2012, 07:48:03 AM: Below is a quote from the original post, see the word I put in bold:

Quote from: Kingpuck on April 01, 2012, 05:25:47 PM
As I'm thinking ahead for the upcoming season, have started to think if it makes sense to just take the first week of the season off and hunt hard for my deer or if I should instead look more to the mid/late season.
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: wrongway on April 03, 2012, 08:51:52 AM: WOW sorry Bobcat
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: pianoman9701 on April 03, 2012, 08:52:43 AM: All of the above until there is meat hanging on the pole.
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: bobcat on April 03, 2012, 08:56:11 AM: Quote from: wrongway on April 03, 2012, 08:51:52 AM
WOW sorry Bobcat

No need to be sorry, I just wanted to point that out as there seems to be confusion as to whether the original poster was asking about deer season, or elk season.
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: Swatson on April 04, 2012, 09:14:17 AM: If you only want to take a week for archery deer I'd absolutely take the first week of late season!
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: AKBowman on April 05, 2012, 01:44:01 PM: Yep first week of late season archery west side. Generally your chances will get fewer and further between after Thanksgiving weekend. Or...the very first week of early archery before they shed their velvet and become nocturnal you can catch BT bucks in routines kind of like WT's.

Late season center you hunt around does, early season center it around food sources.
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: Kingpuck on April 05, 2012, 10:44:26 PM: Big props to Bobcat for reading. Well done sir. Sorry to have ignored this post for so long. The aforementioned work has been a grind lately.

Talked to the boss yesterday and I get September 1-9th off. So excited. Now to shoot like crazy and scout my boots off. Really want to find some places away from the beaten path that provide some good opportunities.

With this being my first year I don't have big expectations, just hoping not to get skunked.

Thanks everyone for the good advice. Seriously flying blind here.
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: bobcat on April 05, 2012, 10:49:52 PM: The first week of September is a great time to be out hunting, even if you're not successful!

Are you looking for any deer, or does it have to be a buck? Blacktails, correct?
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: Kingpuck on April 10, 2012, 10:13:47 PM: I have not really decided yet. Been reading some books and looking at terrain. Not really sure of the area I will be hunting either. Got a coworker that claims there are deer running "rampant" on his property in E WA. That might be a likely spot for 2nd deer if I'm lucky.
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: deerslyr on April 10, 2012, 10:31:13 PM: If you have the first 9 days of the season in the field ull do great! Bucks will for the most part still be in velvet and in there summer habits. Good luck.
Title: Re: Early, Mid, or Late season?
Post by: MLBowhunting on April 11, 2012, 06:59:56 AM: I would say the first week for mulie or blacktails