Daughter's buck (and mine)

[jimmy]

Great hunt! Last 2 minutes of legal light and this guy walked in the field..
120 yards, Rem. 243, double lung. Its her 3rd buck.

[jeffw4381]

we call that the Daylight dash! Great buck congrats to her!

[MisterB1]

Nice! I've been out 3 separate times, in 3 totally different areas. Not a single buck in sight. I keep dreaming of seeing something like what you found, but all I see are does and fawns.

[bladebum]

Good one...

[Waterdog]

Great buck
She looks like a very happy young lady.
There may be a proud papa there to.

[scrappy]

Very nice deer!!

[BigDeeeeeeee]

Good Job!

[MisterB1]

Ok guys. Need a little of your expertise. I'm new to the area, and new to deer hunting. I've been out multiple times now, mostly very early in the morning, and then late in the afternoon until the legal limit. I'm just not seeing any bucks. Saw a giant moose less than 100 yards away, and have seen some does here and there, but no bucks.

I'm shooting modern rifle, with a scope. I don't have a tree stand. I'm hunting on semi-private land (IEP property that requires a pass, which I purchased). Should I try using a call? Is it too early in the season for rattling antlers?

I typically set up on an elevated area that overlooks an open area, with a tree line on multiple sides. One side even had a water source (stream), which is where that moose was likely headed.

So, can you guys help a newbie out?

Here is one of the spots I hunted. I was there early afternoon, until 6:40 PM. I was at the top of the hill you see in the middle, looking down



This is one of the open areas I thought for sure to see a buck



I could see this area from the back side of the hill I was on. The far end of the meadow is probably about 300 yards away

[Rigger28]

That looks like one helluva spot. You must not be from out west because it's rare for someone to hunt out of a tree stand. There is just too much ground to cover. Where I currently live in the south (extremely regrettably) every damn tree has a dude with a climbing stand in it haha. I hadn't even seen a tree stand in person until I moved here, or a "shooting house" for that matter, I mean WTF. I think most of the people where I hunt have forgotten what legs are for. They are content to just sit ALL day in the same spot waiting for deer to walk by. That's probably why Alabama is number 2 on the "most obese states in the country" list. That spot you found looks ideal, I would continue to hunt it. From my experience calling doesn't work too terribly well but if it makes you comfortable by all means do it. I would douse your boots in scent killer and walk the perimeter of that clearing looking for any sign of a game trail, then watch that spot early in the morning and right before sunset. Obviously just my two cents, there are lots of ways to hunt and as long as you are out there you are uping your chances.

[MisterB1]

That looks like one helluva spot. You must not be from out west because it's rare for someone to hunt out of a tree stand. There is just too much ground to cover. Where I currently live in the south (extremely regrettably) every damn tree has a dude with a climbing stand in it haha. I hadn't even seen a tree stand in person until I moved here, or a "shooting house" for that matter, I mean WTF. I think most of the people where I hunt have forgotten what legs are for. They are content to just sit ALL day in the same spot waiting for deer to walk by. That's probably why Alabama is number 2 on the "most obese states in the country" list. That spot you found looks ideal, I would continue to hunt it. From my experience calling doesn't work too terribly well but if it makes you comfortable by all means do it. I would douse your boots in scent killer and walk the perimeter of that clearing looking for any sign of a game trail, then watch that spot early in the morning and right before sunset. Obviously just my two cents, there are lots of ways to hunt and as long as you are out there you are uping your chances.

Thanks for the info! I'm actually from the West, but new to hunting... and I guess I'm watching too many hunting shows and youtube clips of guys hunting in stands. It doesn't appeal to me, just threw it out there that I don't hunt hunt that way

I went out again tonight, and tried a different spot. I found some game trails and some interesting stuff...


I assume this is a rub from a buck?


Looks like fresh deer scat to me. What say you?


Appears to be a bedding area. There were quite a bit more in this same area


Another angle


Last angle


I'm getting excited to head back out.

[scrappy]

From the pictures it looks like a great location. Try some scent eliminator to help out. Whitetails love to use that nose to sniff you out. Looks like the Ragged Ridge area above Newman lake to me. Last couple of years I have seen a huge decline in shootable bucks, but I hunt almost exclusively south west of town.
I think you are on the right path. Have you ever tried rattling for them with an old pair of antlers? It can be effective. Crash, bang and otherwise work them together loudly, including moving your feet around to simulate the deer moving around as they fight. Rake them against brush as well. Do this for a couple of minutes and then go quiet for 15 min and see what happens. Some territorial dominant buck might just want to see who is fighting over his spot.

[MisterB1]

From the pictures it looks like a great location. Try some scent eliminator to help out. Whitetails love to use that nose to sniff you out. Looks like the Ragged Ridge area above Newman lake to me. Last couple of years I have seen a huge decline in shootable bucks, but I hunt almost exclusively south west of town.
I think you are on the right path. Have you ever tried rattling for them with an old pair of antlers? It can be effective. Crash, bang and otherwise work them together loudly, including moving your feet around to simulate the deer moving around as they fight. Rake them against brush as well. Do this for a couple of minutes and then go quiet for 15 min and see what happens. Some territorial dominant buck might just want to see who is fighting over his spot.

Good eye. I actually picked up some antlers at an antique store today, so I'll try them out this week if I don't see any action.

[scrappy]

Thanks. I spent several years cutting a lot of firewood up there. Got pretty well familiarized with the place. I have seen a lot of moose up there! Only red fox I have ever seen was up Thompson Creek rd as well. All 3 seconds of the sighting.....

[Scarecrow]

I live and hunt around there. I have been hunting here for 5 years, and I have only seen one buck in the early season. My game cameras show them moving at night. I have had much better luck in the November season.

I grew up in MN hunting from tree stands, then spent some time in the Black Hills where I was always on foot (hunting mulies). I much prefer the hunting on foot, but here on my property the cover is too thick, and it is virtually impossible to move quietly, so I hunt mostly from a stand. My stand area doesn't look as good as yours, although I do have apple trees from an old homestead, which helps.

[lively stone]

Beautiful Buck.....even prettier daughter!
(Good for her......good for you)


The best to you and your precious family,

lively stone

[LeviD]

Mister81. If the bucks arent showing themselves in the clearcuts try finding a spot that's thicker with more cover that has an intersecting trail or multiple trails or if you can find a spot where a buck has made a scrape line. He will be back to check his scrapes. I personally am skeptical on calling or rattling during early season. I have never heard bucks fighting and grunting in early season, but I have many times in late season. I even called a buck in when I got to my spot kicking the snow off the log I was going to sit on. I grunted a few times while I did it and not even a minute later I had a buck pop out of the woods 25 yards away running straight at me. I shot it at 5 ft. It's fun when you can call them in. I save it for late season though and I always hunt in thick areas.

[BigGameHunterSupply]

Beautiful buck. Gotta love it when they cooperate and give you that daylight opportunity. Glad she was able to capitalize.

Congratulations to her and you.

[MisterB1]

Mister81. If the bucks arent showing themselves in the clearcuts try finding a spot that's thicker with more cover that has an intersecting trail or multiple trails or if you can find a spot where a buck has made a scrape line. He will be back to check his scrapes. I personally am skeptical on calling or rattling during early season. I have never heard bucks fighting and grunting in early season, but I have many times in late season. I even called a buck in when I got to my spot kicking the snow off the log I was going to sit on. I grunted a few times while I did it and not even a minute later I had a buck pop out of the woods 25 yards away running straight at me. I shot it at 5 ft. It's fun when you can call them in. I save it for late season though and I always hunt in thick areas.

Great advice. Thank you. How do you hunt late in the season, though? Muzzleloader?

[boarderwayne]

Great advice. Thank you. How do you hunt late in the season, though? Muzzleloader?

Late season for modern firearm whitetail is Nov. 8-19. http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/ ... dates.html

[BigGameHunterSupply]

Great advice. Thank you. How do you hunt late in the season, though? Muzzleloader?

Late season for modern firearm whitetail is Nov. 8-19. http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/ ... dates.html

The bucks should definitely be following the does by then. It is legal to bait deer in Washington, so go buy a bag of Swamp Donkey and put it 50yds off the timber edge in the clearing you hunt and viola; does come to eat, bucks follow does, you shoot buck. If you can get up into the elevations where it has already snowed then the bait will be that much more effective. If you use one with an attractant built in then you should be able to pour it out the morning of your hunt and just sit on it all day. Hint for baiting, pour bait out on burlap or something else that you can pick up and take with you so the deer can only get to it during the daylight hours while you're there. It works well to train the does, and if you find a group of does in Nov you will find a buck sniffing around them.