Am I really this terrible of a hunter??

[boneill]

Holy smokes, this blacktail hunting is TOUGH. I've hunted Minnesota whitetails for about 15 years, and have had a good amount of success. I was thinking a lot of my whitetail knowledge/skills would transfer to blacktails, but man, I'm not seeing s*!$.

I'm getting away from crowds, really only seen two other hunters, and I'm definitely putting in the time (currently unemployed- only missed two days of hunting so far). I'm in 574 and hunting an area with lots of sign, I just can't catch a glimpse of a single deer- aside from jumping one here or there. I'm sitting for 3-5 hrs each AM or PM, and still hunting mid-day.

I just gotta know...am I really this terrible at hunting blacktails, or is not seeing anything a typical growing pain for first year blacktail hunters?

I'm going to keep givin' er', but I'm running out of steam!!! 

[lostbackpacker]

keep giving it all you can.  waaayyy different style than sitting in tree stand waiting for white tail to come by.

[MLBowhunting]

Find the does.  Plus we need a rain storm or two

[shoot-em-dead]

Keep at it. It isn't always easy, especially with this warm weather. I've been hunting blacktail for 15 years and haven't figured them out. Somedays you can just about walk up and pet them and others your lucky to see the bushes move as they take off. Good luck.

[Boss .300 winmag]

try pming Wazukie he lives in Glennwood i believe, he might get you in the right direction. 

[Mike450r]

Try driving around and spotting deer crossing the roads or feeding on clearcut edges.  Not necessarily hunting but finding where they are.  You will feel much more confident in the area once you start seeing numbers of deer. This will help you learn the entire area much better as well which will also help with confidence or help you decide where to hunt during different times of the day. 

It isn't really road hunting but more road scouting and learning,  if the area you are hunting is large you are doing yourself a disservice by not knowing every inch of it and you just can't do that on foot. 

Blacktail hunting is tough but once you know where they are and when they are likely to be there it gets a lot easier.

[deltaops]

Holy smokes, this blacktail hunting is TOUGH. I've hunted Minnesota whitetails for about 15 years, and have had a good amount of success. I was thinking a lot of my whitetail knowledge/skills would transfer to blacktails, but man, I'm not seeing s*!$.

I'm getting away from crowds, really only seen two other hunters, and I'm definitely putting in the time (currently unemployed- only missed two days of hunting so far). I'm in 574 and hunting an area with lots of sign, I just can't catch a glimpse of a single deer- aside from jumping one here or there. I'm sitting for 3-5 hrs each AM or PM, and still hunting mid-day.

I just gotta know...am I really this terrible at hunting blacktails, or is not seeing anything a typical growing pain for first year blacktail hunters?

I'm going to keep givin' er', but I'm running out of steam!!! 

I know how you feel.. It sucks not seeing any deer. It was the same for me last year, got fed up, went to Eastern WA for a few days. No luck so went to Idaho where my friend lives. Got a Muley but paid the price for it.

I will be hunting late season here on the wet side since we didn't have any luck in Eastern WA all except my son, but does are dumb so it was a sure thing for him.

[jackmaster]

If there is sign the deer aren't to far away, blackies will challenge your sanity,thats what makes it awesome. If your not picky about how big of a buck you shoot then spend 10 to 2 sitting in one of those clearcuts  with all the sign in it. A buck will come along, if a doe is in heat and has a small buck doggin  on her then hold up a few because there is q good chance that brutas is letting little dude get her ready for him.... good luck

[DoubleJ]

As said above, find the does.  Does are still hungry, even if the bucks aren't

[WSU]

You are on the right track if there is sign around.  Simply put, they live in areas with dense cover and don't move much during the day.  That is changing now as the rut comes around.  Your chances of killing a buck go up every day from here to the end of the season. 

Personally, I don't bother hunting them until the last week of the season and late season. 

[scree]

Welcome to Blacktail hunting. Stick with it when when sucess finally comes it will feel awsome.

[Eli346]

Blacktail bucks are starting to move around with the does right now. In some areas they're going crazy! If you see a doe with her tail straight out just watch the last spot you saw her for a half hour to forty five minutes and you should see a buck if there's any in the area. They are definitely one of the hardest trophies to take and highly misunderstood.

[boneill]

Thanks for the insight and encouragement! I know I have some bucks in the area, I've been finding a few rubs. Nothing too crazy, but it's at least a sign. Definitely not going to be picky about a buck- I'll shoot (at) the first legal buck I see. I have been sitting on the edge of a clearcut, jackmaster, which also has a really thick draw that looks like it should be funneling the deer right to where I am.

It was just so much easier in MN. Pretty typical season involved shooting a doe opening morning with your bonus tag, and hunting bucks the next 3 weeks. If you wanted more meat you could just buy another doe tag for about $15. I never realized how spoiled I was.

Best of luck to you this weekend!

[Hunting7mm]

Glass Glass Glass and more glassing.  Yes bucks are starting to swell up.  Missed the biggest blacktail I've had the opportunity to shoot at the second day of season. But took lots of glassing.  Settled for a two point the following weekend.  Again lots of glassing. 

[wapiti hunter2]

The worse the weather the more they move the better your chances.

In my experience, blacktails rarely repeat the same trails the next day.  They have territory but it is big and they move randomly through it all the time.  No easy deer trails to sit. 

[JimmyHoffa]

It seems like the blacktails are just now starting to get into the rut behavior where I'm at.  The older does are starting to attract some bucks from out of the woodwork.  The bucks aren't showing much interest in the young does yet.  They are sticking pretty close to the older does and get nervous but aren't running off.  This is just for the yard herd, though.  It could be a little longer for the wild herd.

[ICEMAN]

Agree with wapiti. Calm weather sucks. You need a bit of wind and definitely drippy rain. Kills/scatters your scent, hides your noise, you will walk up on one.

Save your gas till it rains!

[Taco280AI]

Just finding out they're pretty tough to hunt and find. Are a lot around I'm sure, but actually being able to see them is another thing.

[DoubleJ]

Agree with wapiti. Calm weather sucks. You need a bit of wind and definitely drippy rain. Kills/scatters your scent, hides your noise, you will walk up on one.

Save your gas till it rains!

I posted in another thread that NOAA is not forecasting ANY rain at all until at least the 2nd week of Nov.

[madmack76]

welcome to blacktail hunting.

[SFD2015]

Blacktail hunting sucks!!!! But man is it fun! GLASS clearcuts, get into timber, use scent elimination and confusion, use the wind, stalk, LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN, get used to taking shots under 100 yards and in the brush, get some rain gear or at least water resistant pants so you can get through the salal without getting soaked!

Most of all, recognize that you are going to get frustrated and that when you finally get one... it will be extremely rewarding!

[ICEMAN]

Agree with wapiti. Calm weather sucks. You need a bit of wind and definitely drippy rain. Kills/scatters your scent, hides your noise, you will walk up on one.

Save your gas till it rains!

I posted in another thread that NOAA is not forecasting ANY rain at all until at least the 2nd week of Nov.

Yikes. Never seen such dry western WA season.

[billythekidrock]

Agree with wapiti. Calm weather sucks. You need a bit of wind and definitely drippy rain. Kills/scatters your scent, hides your noise, you will walk up on one.

Save your gas till it rains!

I posted in another thread that NOAA is not forecasting ANY rain at all until at least the 2nd week of Nov.

Yikes. Never seen such dry western WA season.

I remember one in the late 80s where they shut down the season and then extended it one week into November. It was much warmer and bone dry. There was also a misprint in the regs and that left Deschutes open through late buck.

[Hangfire]

The best Blacktail hunter I know hunts as mature of timber as he can find and watches  the rub line.( A line of rubs on trees) He will set as long as possible and then walk a little to the next tree and set again. He knows his area and has very good rain gear. The best success seems to be in rainy windy weather. The second best Black tail hunter I knew would sneak along old logging roads or set on a hill side watching the opposite hillside during wet weather. He said about every 20=30 minutes the deer will stand and shake off.  Good Luck.

[Hangfire]

By old logging roads I mean grown over logging roads from many years ago. You can not drive even a cycle or 4 wheeler on them.  Move very slow and stop and watch. When I lived on the west side I would drive the back roads prior to season watching the shoulders for deer trails. You can establish very shortly where the deer cross and from where they are coming and where they are going.

[DoubleJ]

Agree with wapiti. Calm weather sucks. You need a bit of wind and definitely drippy rain. Kills/scatters your scent, hides your noise, you will walk up on one.

Save your gas till it rains!

I posted in another thread that NOAA is not forecasting ANY rain at all until at least the 2nd week of Nov.

Yikes. Never seen such dry western WA season.

Wet September, dry october.  What the heck is going on???

[jackmaster]

Agree with wapiti. Calm weather sucks. You need a bit of wind and definitely drippy rain. Kills/scatters your scent, hides your noise, you will walk up on one.

Save your gas till it rains!

I posted in another thread that NOAA is not forecasting ANY rain at all until at least the 2nd week of Nov.

Yikes. Never seen such dry western WA season.

I remember one in the late 80s where they shut down the season and then extended it one week into November. It was much warmer and bone dry. There was also a misprint in the regs and that left Deschutes open through late buck.

oh i remember that rifle elk season and extended buck over lapped each other, of course i didnt get an elk but hey it was cool knowing that i could shoot a buck or a bull