Washington hunters can finally hang up their weapons and focus on family just in time for Thanksgiving. The state’s late general season for blacktails and whitetails ended recently. Hunters who had yet to bag a buck likely caught the best rut activity of the year in the final days of the season. On private land with less pressure, hunters spotted whitetail and blacktail bucks seeking and chasing during daylight. On public land and areas with heavier hunting pressure, bucks were harder to find, but when hunters caught up with does, they often found bucks nearby.

Alaska hunters are notorious for being next-level tough. In a state where winter often arrives in August, hunting late into November can mean feet of snow, sub-zero temperatures and wicked winter storms, even along the coast, where the state’s blacktail population resides. Having success in Alaska is almost more about the weather than the timing of the rut. This year, they synced up perfectly.

In Kodiak and southeastern Alaska, hunters enjoyed unseasonably nice weather this past week. From blue skies to dry ground, Mother Nature showed off for Alaska’s blacktail hunters. The mild weather let hunters get out comfortably, whether by boat or bush plane. From the beaches to the mountains, bucks were covering some serious ground in search of does. They were cruising at all hours and coming to calls. That mean lots of big bucks hit the ground this past week. If the nice weather holds, hunters should continue to enjoy good luck.

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Winter weather has finally arrived across most of Montana during the general season’s final week, but for the most part, hunters have enjoyed a relatively dry campaign. Although there’s been a lack of snow, there continues to be no shortage of wind. Gusty conditions have made it tough for hunters. Strong winds make glassing harder and hunting uncomfortable, and they often push deer into thick cover. Additionally, after four weeks of consistent hunting pressure, deer populations on public land and block management areas have wised up to hunters.

Montana’s mule deer bucks continue their quest to cover does. On private land, you can find bucks seeking and chasing all day. Yesterday, I watched a fork-horn mule deer buck almost collide with one of my horses as he obliviously chased a doe through the pasture. The buck was joined by another fork-horn and about a dozen does. On private land, I’m seeing bucks chase does daily during all hours. On public land, it’s hit and miss.

In areas with pressure, Montana’s whitetails are sticking to their cautious nature. Hunters are having the most luck during mornings and evenings. However, during this time of year, you can catch a buck moving at any part of the day, especially if you’re hunting an area with less pressure. Earlier in the week, a friend bagged her first whitetail buck; a mature 4-by-4. She was hunting a family ranch in central Montana. She caught the buck in wide-open country a couple of hours after daylight. The buck wasn’t with does but had his nose to the ground and was moving quickly when she got a shot.