Blacktail rut kicking in in western WA

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Yesterday in Ocean Shores there were a couple big Fork horns tending does. This guy's neck was swelled, and he was breathing hard and drooling from chasing other bucks off. We saw about 1 bucks and three does in a 2 block area. Two of the does were getting all the attention and one was being ignored.

In the first picture he had just run another buck off and was giving us the stink eye.  In the second, you can see the doe bedded next to a house behind a rhododendron. The buck is moving back in on her and eventually he just stood over her guarding her.

[Piscatory_5]

Nice buck. I shot one yesterday, 2x3, that was with 2 does. Looked to be smooching with one of them and he was hidden behind a tree. Weird that he had an eye that was bad and some red gelatin stuff in ear. Coagulated blood maybe, but it was brought red. Hanging in my garage now. I was hoping to get in a few more days of hunting, darn it anyway.

[JakeLand]

Ya! That’s a forky I would put my tag on

[Wolfdog2314]

Nice buck. My dad shot a 2x2 with 4 does yesterday morning. Swollen neck. SW wa. It’s happening!