Blacktail Problems

[rvail00v]

So, I'm new to Washington and blacktails. I've spent almost 2 weeks hunting GMU 624 on Pope land with no luck. I've only seen 1 doe and no bucks at all. There are fresh tracks and sign everywhere, but nothing will show it's face. I've tried rattling, does calls, buck calls, doe urine... What am I doing wrong? I'm starting to think that these deer are a figment of my imagination. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[scout/sniper]

Welcome aboard!
And welcome to hunting ghosts...I mean Blacktails.
Here is a great thread to follow.
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,137582.0.html

[tonymiller7]

Keep at it, blacktails are tough!

[rvail00v]

Thanks for the info. Looks like this afternoon will be my last attempt until the late season. Gotta make something happen!

[WSU]

One common mistake is moving around too much.  Get in areas where there is sign and just watch or move very, very slow.  Glass a lot.

[deerhunter_98520]

  great advice

[washelkhunter]

I'll be out tomorrow, last day. Just going to climb the hillside where i know a decent buck is hanging. Going to put out a bunch of stinky lure, doe in heat pee, tout my grunt tube and work the rattle bag, and keep my fingers crossed.                                                 

[h2ofowlr]

Blacktail 101.  They are in the thick stuff.  Send a buddy in to bust them out or you have to wait them out.  Why a lot of guys go and hunt east.   

[deerhunter_98520]

Welcome to the westside....gotta have lots of patience....these are not whitetail that use one trail....they will have 40 trails to one clearcut or patch of doghair...there about as predictable as a women are...I think we all know how that goes

[blackymaster20]

I wouldn't waist ur time rattleing if u do any calls do the estrus bleat and don't overdue it.Also the bucks are in the rut so when u see does just wait a buck will most likely be near I shot a 2 point last Sunday he was following behind five does just keep at it

[deltaops]

What the other guy said. Do not move around and if you do, go super slow. Move like a doe. Take a step or two silently, wait, take another few steps. While doing that, keep your head up and look for the odd shape and slightest movement. I have been so close to deer I could reach out and touch them and not even know it. Only reason I seen her is because I turned around to my son, he looks over points and says that he sees deer. I turn and look, made eye contact...  They bolted..

[cdriver]

Think of it as the pleasure of hunting blacktails! They are tricky.

[mlovely83]

So, I'm new to Washington and blacktails. I've spent almost 2 weeks hunting GMU 624 on Pope land with no luck. I've only seen 1 doe and no bucks at all. There are fresh tracks and sign everywhere, but nothing will show it's face. I've tried rattling, does calls, buck calls, doe urine... What am I doing wrong? I'm starting to think that these deer are a figment of my imagination. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

What you are doing wrong is blacktail  are super spooky and hardly ever territorial. Lay off the calls and scents and just hit the brush. Bucks hold up in the denser wetter reprod.  Bucks only move the last light of the day and first light of the morning. You have to jump them out of their beds during the day. LATE BUCK all will change, Rut will be in full go mode and the bucks will be moving like crazy.

[FLIZZ]

One common mistake is moving around too much.  Get in areas where there is sign and just watch or move very, very slow.  Glass a lot.

This guy hit the nail on the head. It's EXTREMELY challenging, but creep. Match the travel pace of an undisturbed deer.

[rvail00v]

Thanks everyone for all the advice. I gave it hell last night and didn't see anything. Heard a few shots close by, so someone got lucky. Hopefully late season will be better. I might try to scout some new areas during the 2 week off period. Any suggestions?

[DeArBuCK4me]

Invest in a Blind or a tree stand.....this suckers are here today and gone the next two weeks. ghost is the right word.....I can feel them all around me but never can see them.

[brew]

stay in an area where you know there are deer and keep hunting....normally bucks do move during low light periods but during the rut (now) that's not always the case.....hormones raging they don't always follow the script....this past Tuesday me and my hunting partner were moving down a road in an area we've normally seen does in.  right at 11:00 we come around the corner of the road and see this guy at 50 yards.  I throw up the binos and tell him to shoot.  the deer looks right at us, turns and keeps feeding on the grass growing alongside the road....now he's pointed straight away and he has no shot...once again the deer lifts his head to stare back at us then drops it to keep feeding on the grass.  I keep the binos on the deer watching him and hear my buddy fumbling around doing his best to scare the deer off.  finally the buck has enough and turns broadside wondering what these two fat pumpkins are doing staring at him- all the while my buddy cant find it in the scope (he says the sun was directly behind him and the glare kept him from seeing it). i'm just about to shoot it myself when boom goes he dynamite and the deer drops his front legs and plows up the hill 20 yards to his final resting spot.  the rut makes them do crazy things.  sorry about the crappy pic but it was taken on my "old school" phone

[rvail00v]

That's a great buck! Hopefully I will get my chance during the late season. I'm just going to keep hitting the same spot from sun up to sun down.

[bigbeamhunter]

Find your spot and find does and wait I got mine this year by finding does
And I layed in a clearing down wind from from the does I got there at 330 does came in 4 two smaller 3 pts at 430 my buck at 15 to 20 mins before dark so I laid there about 3 hours before shooting so patience is key good luck