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.