Any Blacktail experts?

[horsehairhunter]

I just finished my second season hunting blacktails with my longbow and have yet to fill my tag.  I was wondering if there are any blakctail hunters who would be willing to share some of thier skills and advice.  I'm especially wondering if there are things I should be doing right now to help me get ready for next season.  Last year I said I would be out scouting all summer, but of course that's when all the house projects, etc get in the way.  Anyway, any ideas would be great.  Thanks.

[Wannabe1]

I'm an expert at not filling my tag. This is only your second season so don't get discouraged. You got no idea how long I've been trying! I'm still trying to get my first deer ever. Just my luck, I'm hunting one of the wiliest deer species there is.

I did a search on Columbia Blacktail and found some interesting things about them but, any blacktail expert is gonna tell you you just got to get out there after 'em. This year I will fill that end of the bargain but, as for filling the tag....time will only tell but, it won't be for lack of trying.  

[legends1]

I have taken some very nice blacktail and have a large number to my name.I have done about every method out there.For me the best is treestand hunting like you would for whitetail.You do need to pre-hunt and know the deer habits of the area you are hunting.Dont set up in thier bedding area.You bugger them out of the bedding area and it can change everthing.Set your stand up on trails between feeding and beding.Game cams work fine.But if your hunting public land set your cam up durring the season.After the season starts deer habits can change.Hope this helps..Good luck!

[horsehairhunter]

Legends1-What do you look for in a feeding area?  There are none of the usual food plots, farm land, acorn trees, or anything else around here.  It's fir, cedar, alder, berries, ferns, some grass-and game trails all over!  Even trying to pick out which trails they are using is tough.

[BlacktailBowhunter]

There are a couple of good books to read that will put you on the right track:

Bowhunting Trophy Blacktails by Cameron Hanes

Greg Haugen's Trohy Blacktail Tactics

Boyd Iverson's Blacktail Trophy Tactics II

There is a legend in the sport that has been baiting with apples for the last 5 years or so with spectacular results.

I have spent some time with him in the woods and it really made a difference for me. It is all about finding good deer numbers, spending a lot of time getting to know your area, and stand location.

In a nut shell, this is what I do and have had success with.

Find bucks in an area during the June, July, August months when they are most visible. This lets you know what is in the area.

Scout hard in October and cover as much ground in your area as possible.

Use trail cams to pattern DOE movements. Hunting blacktails in the late season is where it's at and finding the does is key.

Once you have the Doe's patterned, start feeding them apples, cracked corn mixed with wet cobb. It is legal in Oregon to bait everything but bears, but I don't know about Washington.

Look for road closure that go straight up hill or straight downhill and you will minimize the competition in your area. Also don't be afraid to just park the truck off of the road. Most guys stay near the gates and walk the road, but you can find deer in places most people just pass up.

Private land is the best as there is no pressure and you can easily pattern the deer.

I will PM you a website that you will come to love for Blacktails.

Paul

[slivrslingr]

Find the book "Trophy Blacktail Tactics" by Boyd Iverson, it's the bible on Blacktail hunting, it will greatly decrease your learning curve.  

I've lived in Kitsap and on the Oregon coast, so I know what you're up against, here's a few things that I've learned.

Hunting the wet side is definitely a challenge.  The bucks learn early in life that moving at night keeps them alive so it's uncommon to see them out in the day time.  One thing that is common amongst most BT's that are killed, is that they are taken either in the first 15 minutes of day light or the last 15 minutes.  They also tend to have fairly small home areas, this is the area they live in, so if you start finding good buck sign like rubs on the alders or shed antlers, it's likely that buck is fairly close by.  Stalking them in their beds is an exercise in futility as you will either bump them with out seeing them or you will walk right by and not see them.  If you can hunt them in the rut try the treestand and rattling method, much like hunting a whitetail.  They also tend to move around more just after a big storm, particularly if it has been windy.  Look for funnels to set up your stand, such as narrow strips of timber that has reprod or a swamp on one or two sides.  The bucks like the cover of the timber and will move along just inside the edge.  You can try still hunting them, but keep in mind my above advice.     Get out scouting and good luck!  There's a reason BT's are called the "ghost of the rainforest"!