Black tail deer

[YOSEPPY]

For you guys out there hunting black tails. What's your secret? A buddy and I went out yesterday and saw a plethora of sign but not a single buck. We glassed clear cuts we hiked in the trees nothing. Am I missing something or just bad luck?

 

[SansSouci]

Hi YOSEPPY,

You might want to ask Tyson Leal. He's killed a beautiful black tail: http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/2016-so-far-176836/

 

[Black Tail Hunter]

I just stumbled across this post. Interesting topic since most people don't ever talk about blacktail hunting. I have lived in the NW most my life and have been hunting blacktails for 29 years and am still no expert. I feel they are one of the most underrated game animals for their elusiveness and intelligence, and one of the most prized trophy's the NW has to offer.

I think there are many key's to success to put together a successful hunt. First developing areas with high deer population by scouting pre season. I use spring/fall bear season to find areas that have a lot of deer as they are usually out in the open more when less people are in the woods.

Taylor your day of hunting based on the weather, if it is a mild day with no or light rain probably focus on clear cuts, as there probably isn't enough sound cover to hunt the timber. On heavy rain or stormy days focus on the timber and still hunt. I like to find timber patches that have at least 1 clear cut if not timber that is sandwiched between cuts.

If you are going to hunt clear cuts don't be afraid to walk down into them. Often times deer are at the bottom where you cant see them from the landing or ridge top. I have taken some nice bucks by starting just in the timber line and hunting out into the cut, since the deer are almost always going to try and make for the timber, they will often run by you on the opposing side of the canyon offering a nice opportunity at a shot.

Always play the wind. If the wind is at your back your going to lose. Period.

If you haven't read Scott Haugen's book " Trophy Blacktail, the science of the hunt" get it, read it, then read it again. Its the best single source I have found for strategies of hunting and behavior patterns of blacktail deer. You can probably buy it at Bi-Mart.

Don't rule out stand hunting blacktail either. I have a piece of property that the landowner lets me keep a ladder stand on, and I use it sometimes as a close in after work hunting area. I have taken 2 good bucks from it and my daughter harvested her first buck from it. I will use deer blocks and whole corn with a trail cam.

I have never hunted southern Oregon, I hunt the coast range. From what I have seen southern Oregon bucks get a lot bigger racks than the brush country bucks I hunt. You should have some great opportunity to bag a monster if you play your cards right. Hope this helps.

 

[Barrelnut]

Stormy, windy, rainy days during the last week of the season are the ticket. They move much more then. I've hunted them for 30 years.

 

[Rich Coyle]

You might get a map that has BLM or other public land mostly surrounded by private land. It certainly takes some attention to detail, but I found a 60 acre place like that. The unit is 99% private, but one corner of "my place" is accessible from a road. Since 2007 I saw one other hunter and on two occasions I saw evidence of another hunter.

 

[MPNCC]

You have to play the wind with blacktail that's for sure. I've done better at dusk than at daylight. They like the slopes more than the flats in the country I come from. Brushy draws with water and meadows on both sides make great sets. But the biggest thing I've found that helps to get blacktail is stretching your legs and leaving the truck and 4 wheeler at camp.

 

[Rich Coyle]

You have to play the wind with blacktail that's for sure. I've done better at dusk than at daylight. They like the slopes more than the flats in the country I come from. Brushy draws with water and meadows on both sides make great sets. But the biggest thing I've found that helps to get blacktail is stretching your legs and leaving the truck and 4 wheeler at camp.

A week or so ago I saw the biggest blacktail I think I have ever seen. It was bedded 193 yards away in some brush. I couldn't tell much with the binos so switched to the scope and turned it up to 16X. The antlers were fairly large three points but the body was as large as a muledeer. Alas I was doe hunting.

 

[TheFishBox]

Blacktail the true ghost of the woods I don't care what the Indians say. IT'S amazing how easy they can hide from you behind the smallest piece of brush. The best piece of advice I can give you is walk back to the truck in the dark. I suck at hunting blacktail but you see way more deer in that last couple minutes than any other time.

 

[Rich Coyle]

Blacktail the true ghost of the woods I don't care what the Indians say. IT'S amazing how easy they can hide from you behind the smallest piece of brush. The best piece of advice I can give you is walk back to the truck in the dark. I suck at hunting blacktail but you see way more deer in that last couple minutes than any other time.

When I was still working I knew if I didn't take the first legal buck I saw there was slim chance to get a buck. Even when doe hunting I would look for a spike because they are usually larger. But only the first couple days. Then it was kill the first one from then on.

I don't kill the deer on my property. They are decorations to me. And even here I have not seen a buck more than one time. I have seen several nice bucks, but never the same one twice.

 

[HNDLDR]

I hunted them outside of Portland and Vancouver for six years. Finally killed a little fork horn. He's one of my favorite trophies and his skull still resides on my cabinets.

If you're hunting public land I suggest trying to find a section that's closed to motorized vehicles. It seemed to me they figured out that people typically hunted dusk and dawn and not all day and most people hunt on the weekends. I started hiking or mountain biking in and hunting all day and I was surprised how many deer were moving around at noon on Wednesday. I'm far from an expert though. Hopefully the advise you get from some of the more knowledgeable folks here will lead you to success.