2020 Blacktail rut/pre-rut and post rut thread

[The Gobble-stopper]

I was up near Goldendale for the opener, got a nice 4x4. In two days I saw over 40 legal bucks.And probably another 50 spikes and 2points. Lots of rubs, and every buck from spikes to the big boys were doing some serious fighting. The one I got had a severe swollen neck, but the glands on his legs were not even smelly?? Waiting for pictures, my cam failed and my phone does not take pics. So a resident there is suppose to send me pics.

[ridgefire]

I saw a buck locked on a doe this morning and then shot a buck tonight that was chasing does around. It's neck was all swollen and it reeked. I also found a few rubs that were from today or yesterday. This was in the Sultan/Startup area.

[grousetracker]

ridgefire, you know the rules no pics or it didn't happen!

[Fatherof5]

My son shot this island black tail yesterday. He responded to some light rattling, and he was STINKY! 

[brokentrail]

My son shot this island black tail yesterday. He responded to some light rattling, and he was STINKY!

Tell your son fantastic shot and congrats!

[WapitiTalk1]

Got a bear tag?  That bear looks huge!

Ya, he's a chunky monkey all right.  I do have a bear tag (I get the package deal every year).  Thing is, I haven't shot a bear in oh.... 35+ years (not since I lived back in the Big Sky State).  Dunno, I'm just not a fan of bear meat I guess but it's been years since I've tried it so heck, maybe  .  Spose I could pack a bigger stick in to that BT spot than my little .243 deer slayer in case I really had the urge to shoot the bar'. 

[WSU]

Or shoot it with  243.  I don't think the bear would know the difference.

[cavemann]

so the weather looks like it is not going to cooperate next week..  Sun and overcast all week..  Only tried rattling a couple times, any tips on time of day to rattle.  Any basic do's and don'ts as for times of day?  The rest will be trial, error and learning.  Just wondering if there is general rule of thumb.

[npaull]

Saw a forky chasing a doe aggressively in broad daylight in south Puget sound region today.

[TheStovePipeKid]

Saw a forky chasing a doe aggressively in broad daylight in south Puget sound region today.

GPS coordinates or it didn't happen😈

[BLDtraLR]

Little guy chasing an unwilling doe  Didn't even have a care in the world except her walked up to top pin yardage on him    Look at his neck looks like he's ready to pop    Near Maple Valley

[kukusya]

Thats how my deer looks like, doesn’t matter how far I go.

[fishnfur]

   That's what I'm seeing too. I'm done with public land hunting for the near future.  Too much pressure in too little area... like on the opener.  A couple of guys come in behind me on a cut, a half hour before first light, see my rig, so turn around and go 300 yards down the road to hunt across a draw from me.  One of them pops off a shot after the first hour of light, and the two of them wade around in the cut looking for the buck for 45 minutes or so.  They give up on the buck and finally disappear leaving me with no place close to hunt that didn't already have hunters on them...   

Lots of good reports for this early in the season and a lot of good blackies hitting the dirt.  Tomorrow is a hunt day in the rain.  Looks like sun for the next week after that. 

[browney5er]

Tomorrow is a hunt day in the snow.

[Molon5labe]

I was up near Goldendale for the opener, got a nice 4x4. In two days I saw over 40 legal bucks.And probably another 50 spikes and 2points. Lots of rubs, and every buck from spikes to the big boys were doing some serious fighting. The one I got had a severe swollen neck, but the glands on his legs were not even smelly?? Waiting for pictures, my cam failed and my phone does not take pics. So a resident there is suppose to send me pics.

They got blacktail in Goldendale?