too early for cut blocks .

[new hunter]

Is it too early in the season to be hunting cutblocks in the 2-11.
I haven't seen any sign of any sort in the lower country {cut blocks near forest service roads , below 1000 } , I'm thinking that I need to be in the alpine , but I'm wandering if its not too early to be trying cuts .
For that matter , does anyone know when the rut starts around here . Mid october or mid november ?

[city hunter]

I went 2-11 last Tue saw nothing but 5 bears.

[Mr. Dean]

I'd be trying for elevation.

Rutt is Nov.

[new hunter]

Yeah , I'm trying to get as high as possible but it hasn't been easy , my trucks 2wd and my tires are shit . I'm lookin to buy a used atv next year .

[Mr. Dean]

I have no clue to the lay of the land but, if you can access slopes off a farm valley, good chance of intercepting deer. Just look for LOTS of sign and that'll tell what draw they're using. Go up there the next morning and wait em' out. :wink:

[new hunter]

Its all steep hills around here . Access is through old logging roads , most of which are degrading . Once you get off the logging roads its thick underbrush and hillsides that they felt were to steep to log .
As for sign , Ive been looking all summer and haven't found much . The areas I've found that were tracked up seem to be very small pockets which i'm debating on just sitting out on {trail maybe a couple hundred yards long , seems like narrowing my odds to hunt such a small area } , or have pretty well been abandoned .
I'm going to keep trying , I'm just not sure which is a better investment of my time , should I camp out on a cutblock , then still hunt the logging roads if thats unproductive, or does it make more sense to spend most of time and energy fighting my way up to the alpine ?
When the rut starts up around here , I'm thinking I'll sit up on a cut , set out some deer scent , and try to call them in . I just hope that calling doesn't back fire on me , I'm a little cocerned that calling may just announce my presence .
When putting out doe scent , is it best to do it the day before the hunt , or try and do it in the dark the morning of ?

[Mr. Dean]

Gates nailed a buck, using a Primos 'Can' (doe in heat call). It was last year iirc..... Try searching up his threads.


I'm a BIG BELIEVER in high altitude. If you're not finding sign, you need to apply a new focus. The deer are where you're not.

I've never used calls or scents and don't hunt the rut; I prefer to hike, spot, then stalk, being selective of what I shoot. If I were in your shoes, I'd hike up a well used game trail to just see where it leads. It HAS to go somewhere that the deer like using, be it an adjoining slash, power line, sm meadow, what have you.

Stamp out old sign as you go about. This'll help ID new stuff, the next time. :wink:

[Gateholio]

Get behind the cut blocks, look for game trails