Darn blacktails!

[Redstar]

Darn blacktails…
Thought I’d share my funny/frustrating hunt on Sunday.

Alarm goes off, it’s too early. Make coffee. Leave house. Dark outside. Back out of driveway, wait, what’s that behind me?!

Almost hit a small deer backing out of the driveway. It’s a spike, he’s eating something near the mailbox… Isn’t that cute… Wonder if I could… no, neighbors would freak out….

Drive about 45 min to the spot I’m planning to hunt today. It’s even darker here since there’s lots of tree cover. Oh yeah, and its pouring down rain. And the wind is blowing pretty good. Perfect weather for blacktail hunting. Looks like I’m the first one here too. Get out of the car, grab my gear and put the red filter on my flashlight. Start heading down the trail

Stop to checkout an area where some guys in a “tree stand” (pallet secured to tree with tie down straps, pretty ingenious actually...) have been putting food out. Doesn’t look like the deer have touched much if any of the food… hmm. Avoid their game camera and continue out to a spot about halfway between where I’ve dropped a trophy rock and the big pile of food left by the other hunters in the tree stand.
 
Sit. Wait. Get wet. No deer.

Slowly move toward the trophy rock to see if it’s had any attention. Camo is awesome, the birds and squirrels don’t seem to care I’m there. Get to trophy rock, no dice. Not even any tracks in the area… Damn.

Find game trail, follow it and hope for the best. Slowly wander for about an hour. Ah HA! Trail opens up into an old growth area where there are lots of tracks, droppings and a few fresh-ish looking scrapes. Score, finally seem to be narrowing in on where the deer are around here in the winter.

Find a spot to watch the area for awhile. Get wetter. Get really cold. No deer.

Slowly walked back out to my car. Found a good way to access the spot next time. No deer seen.

Arrive back home. Start unloading car.

Unload muzzleloader from car. See three deer crossing the street 40-50 yards away. Curse urban deer and liberal neighbors.

[singleshot12]

lol, welcome to the 20th century blacktail, gotta luv em and respect for what they are "true survivalists" adapters of their environment, sneaky bastages. Long live the Blacktail!  Never give up and go with the flow of the forest

[jackmaster]

if your seeing deer then ya aint blacktail huntn  blacktail will turn and warp the mind it will leave you feeling foolish at the end of the day like you have no clue in what the hell your doing, and then easy as pie your buck of a life time will be standing there in the oddest place, and again it will leave you thinking WTF, and then its time to wake up and start the nightmare over again.......BLACKTAIL, you gotta love those critters....

[hunterrcc]

you can use a bow in muzzlerloader season now!  just saying!

[marlin]

happens to me all the time.. I see bucks all day at the college campus, and along the freeway.. Sometimes right in front of my apt, and I couldve smoked a buck with my bow from my balcony.. but Im pretty sure the bloodtrail wouldve led straight to 7-11..  I'd probably have some cops hauling me off 
Then I get in the woods, and see no damn deer. Thats why I chose archery this year, so I could smoke the first doe I got to full draw on.

[whack em]

 

I wasn't too far off of your experience either this weekend.  Being new to blacktail hunting, I am finding very quickly they are nothing like their whitetail cousins back east in New England.  I swear they are half goat - half duck, and 100% ghosts.  But the bug has bitten me, and the darn things have me dying to go back out.  Wife thinks I'm crazy, and I'm starting to think she's right.

[Forrestrover.02]

if your seeing deer then ya aint blacktail huntn  blacktail will turn and warp the mind it will leave you feeling foolish at the end of the day like you have no clue in what the hell your doing, and then easy as pie your buck of a life time will be standing there in the oddest place, and again it will leave you thinking WTF, and then its time to wake up and start the nightmare over again.......BLACKTAIL, you gotta love those critters....

So true.

[janttihunter]

I agree with whack em! Where in New England are you from whack em?

[fish vacuum]

I swear they are half goat - half duck, and 100% ghosts.

I think that's one of the better descriptions I've seen.

[Old Man Yager]

Yep, hunt your ass off for weeks, and then a nice buck runs across the road @ 1100am, and you get out and shoot him!!!!! that's how my season went

[whack em]

I agree with whack em! Where in New England are you from whack em?

I was stationed in Connecticut & Maine.  I hunted in CT, ME, NH, & NY while I was there.  Miss it dearly, but love it here. (eventhough I'm still getting used to this darn rain).

[Redstar]

I swear they are half goat - half duck, and 100% ghosts.

I think that's one of the better descriptions I've seen.

Lol. I like it! Lets hope all of us have better luck this next weekend.

[furiouzgeorge]

Whack Em, Don't worry the rain will go away in about nine months, for about a week, and then it'll be back.  Best week of your life though I swear! I'm a native SoCal boy and hated it when I got here. Seems to have grown on me though.

[S&W38spc]

Man! This couldn't be more true in our case! This hunting season anyway. 

if your seeing deer then ya aint blacktail huntn  blacktail will turn and warp the mind it will leave you feeling foolish at the end of the day like you have no clue in what the hell your doing, and then easy as pie your buck of a life time will be standing there in the oddest place, and again it will leave you thinking WTF, and then its time to wake up and start the nightmare over again.......BLACKTAIL, you gotta love those critters....