Well crap!

[AKBowman]

I bought the modern tag this year so I could hunt the rut with my bow...well the BT's in my area this yr are late and the bucks are COMPLETELY NOCTURNAL still. Almost no rutting activity. I hung three stands and hunted 7 days my last day I was able to hunt was this morning, over 30 hrs in the stands and didn't spot hide nor hair. I checked some cams yesterday and have pics of bucks cruising between 9pm and 5am, nothing during the day.

I really put it to them these last three days and rattled, hung doe piss, grunted and bleated and nothing. I almost freaked out this morning from starring at the same patch of reprod for wayyyy too long.

The unit I'm hunting doesn't have a late modern season so now I'm kinda up S creek. I'm thinking of dumping my plans with only two days to hunt the late season. I was going to put up cams in a secondary area that has a late season and then go hike in and pull one of my stands and put it up in the most productive area. Or...bag that and grab the rifle and hunt clear cuts and surrounding timber.

I hunted for over 15 days in the field last late archery season and blew a chip shot on a good buck. If you count early archey elk, late archery deer, late archery elk, early archery elk again and now 7 days of modern with archery I have alsmost two months in the field without a kill and I am starting to not enjoy it anymore. I had cams out all yr in my deer spot and had a number of nice BT bucks spotted and they just flat ass disappeared and have not come out during shooting hrs at all.

What would you do? Put in the extra work, place cams, pull stand from old spot and hang stand in new spot or...say forget it and pick up the rifle?

[Austrian Hunter]

Stay at it!   

[scottfrick]

Keep with it man. All it takes is for that one doe to go into heat and bring that buck right past ur stand!!its amazing how it can be crappy and bam, deer every where. Good luck

[Kc_Kracker]

according to the regs modern can be hunted with a bow, or muzzy, or firearm. unless modern is closed there, then that sucks 

[AKBowman]

according to the regs modern can be hunted with a bow, or muzzy, or firearm. unless modern is closed there, then that sucks 

The unit doesn't have a late modern season...another unit that I have hunted and scouted does. I don't have much time to scout at all before late modern, maybe two days at most. If I place cams I'll have to place them next weekend then choose a spot and hang a stand and stick with that spot or...say screw it and hunt an area I've only bear hunted but know theres deer in the area and run and gun with a rifle.

I really really want a deer this year. I've had to think about the miss I had last yr all winter summer and this modern season. I'm just not sure what to do

[Kc_Kracker]

the same thing alot of us are doing, either find area open for modern still and put 50 miles on them boots looking for a deer or find an area thats closed to firearms where you can use your bow and look look look. Im in the same boat, staring down tag soup myself and we are very close to each other. I dont think you have time for any cams, time to get in the thick and run them outta bed, same thing I been working on for a week   

[Armadillo]

stay at it.. If you dont mind driving might pay to switch up tactics and try spot and stalk for a change, head up high to find the snow line and you can see the deer really easily. I find if I stand hunt too long without results it kind of discourages me too. Changing the game can get your hopes high again! Good luck friend

[Skyvalhunter]

I know that some of the areas the blacktails are in the rut. If you are not seeing animals I would switch areas. Hopefully you know other areas to hunt. It is my observation in the places I hunt the deer have transitioned back to higher elevations. Of coarse there are always going to be exceptions. Good luck and stay with it there has been many a deer taken the last hour of the last day.

[kentrek]

grab a rifle..doing the same thing over an over again will get you a buck/bull but if your not having any fun then whats the point ?? mix it up,hunt someplace new,hunt with some one who is a better hunter than you..it kinda sounds like ya had all your chips in on this one spot an the deer ended up with the better hand..it happens

also i bet if ya started a poll bout how many days in the feild it takes to hang a tag on a black tail deer with a bow you might be feel alil better..

goodluck

[AKBowman]

grab a rifle..doing the same thing over an over again will get you a buck/bull but if your not having any fun then whats the point ?? mix it up,hunt someplace new,hunt with some one who is a better hunter than you..it kinda sounds like ya had all your chips in on this one spot an the deer ended up with the better hand..it happens

also i bet if ya started a poll bout how many days in the feild it takes to hang a tag on a black tail deer with a bow you might be feel alil better..

goodluck

Blacktails freaking drive me nuts. I killed one two years in a row with my bow and thought...this isn't that hard I think I'll get some trail cams and start scouting I want to kill a big buck. Scouted hard in 2011 and Missed one after sitting forever on stand and I think that's why I have so much frustration this yr I've been stewing on that miss for 11 months and the thought of eating my tag this yr makes me sick as hell!!!!

I do want to hunt up high but the only place I've scouted at all up high is in the Snoqualmie unit and that is closed late season. The only other place I know to get up high is over in the Olympic unit. I might give it a go, with the rifle but I'm seriously thinking of doing a one day insane scouting hike than pack my stand in the next day and hunt the following weekend. Their has to be rub lines by the second weekend of November

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Just got back from the hut over at Cumberland and all is quiet there!  We rattled and called no luck! Saw two doe tracks.  We need to have a group hunt-wa hug and pray like hell we get deer movement during daylight hours and the does go into heat!

[Turner89]

Grab the rifle, and hunt the clearings like you said. Maybe you will get your deer, and not have to go another 11 months frustrated. Then try archery again next year during modern.
 You will probably shoot a nice Blackie with your rifle at 20yds
I wouldn't waste the next 3 days scouting another area though. Like others have already said, the switch could be flipped at any moment, and they will be chasing does in the day time.  

[bobcat]

What would you do? Put in the extra work, place cams, pull stand from old spot and hang stand in new spot or...say forget it and pick up the rifle?

Maybe get in your truck and go on a road trip to NE. Go kill a whitetail.

After putting in all the time you have hunting these darn blacktails, a whitetail ought to come easy!   

[AKBowman]

What would you do? Put in the extra work, place cams, pull stand from old spot and hang stand in new spot or...say forget it and pick up the rifle?

Maybe get in your truck and go on a road trip to NE. Go kill a whitetail.

After putting in all the time you have hunting these darn blacktails, a whitetail ought to come easy!   

Bobcat that is really funny! I was thinking the same damn thing. Can't though I'm completely obsessed with these Blacktails.

I thought about it last night and I am going to just grab my rifle and go at it, I can use a change and it's my best shot at tagging a deer this yr. Will keep you guys posted!

[blackveltbowhunter]

Good Luck!!!!