Blacktail perspective

[Smith_22]

 I in no way consider myself an expert on blacktails, but I sure have learned a lot in the last two years hunting out of a tree stand.  There are a lot of questions posted on here about what people need to do to get a blacktail...or why am I not seeing any bucks?  The number one answer?  PATIENCE!  The area I look over from my stand is small, and thick, with only an old grass covered skid road being open.  This year alone I spent over 32 hours in my stand.  That's roughly 1900 minutes.  Out of that 1900 minutes, I saw four bucks, and they were in sight for a total of about 4 minutes.  That means that if I would've glassed this area for a continuous length of time, I would've struck out for 1856 minutes!  Don't give up, if you're in an area with deer, there are bucks there.  This little area I hunt over has 5+ bucks that work it, you just have to be there when they are.  I attached pics of my buck from this year and a few from my trail cams.  Happy hunting








Last years buck, same stand

[lokidog]

Good advice, congratulations.

[longstevo]

That's a pretty heavy horned buck.

Patience is the hardest aspect.  I find myself getting antsy and choose instead to stomp around.  When I do decide to sit (for only short periods of time), I always start thinking "Is this the right spot?" "What's over the hill?  I'd better go check it out." 

Obviously you've found a good spot.  Public land?

[BackStrappin]

That's a pretty heavy horned buck.

Patience is the hardest aspect.  I find myself getting antsy and choose instead to stomp around.  When I do decide to sit (for only short periods of time), I always start thinking "Is this the right spot?" "What's over the hill?  I'd better go check it out." 

Obviously you've found a good spot.  Public land?

I find myself doing the very same.  Always second guessing  my plan. 

I might try a stand next season, I have few spots that would work great , that's if I am patient enough.

Nice buck btw.

[Smith_22]

Thanks for the replies, he was a very heavy horned buck, 17 1/4" wide.  The Land I hunt is private land I lease from the land owner.  If i'm not in a stand I have the "what's over the next rise" problem as well.  I wonder how many times I left a good area to move on the my next area, only to have a buck walk out 10 minutes later.

[huntingbg]

Great advice and after striking out this year for the first time since 2010, I'm thinking about taking a stand next year!  I always try to remember what Boyd Iverson says, it's not how much you can see, but the quality of what you see that matters!

[huntingbg]

!

[fishnfur]

Two hours max in a tree stand is all I can handle.  I'm genetically programmed to get up and move, scare the deer and move on to less productive areas.  Same with plunking for salmon/steelhead. No bites and its been 30 minutes already?  This spot sucks!   

I can't figure out why I never see game or catch fish???

[longstevo]

Two hours max in a tree stand is all I can handle.  I'm genetically programmed to get up and move, scare the deer and move on to less productive areas.  Same with plunking for salmon/steelhead. No bites and its been 30 minutes already?  This spot sucks!   

I can't figure out why I never see game or catch fish???

 

While calling coyotes or rattling bucks:
I've been here 15 minutes and no animals?  There's no animals around.  Better move on.

[trophyhunt]

I've also spent a ton of time in a stand hunting these ghosts, you are very correct about how little they show themselves.  A few times I've had hunters walk right on by without even noticing I was in the tree.  I love how you are out of the deer's sight and it does help with the wind but I've been busted still.  Nice job on your success and on being patient!

[klikboom]

How much land are you hunting?

[BOWHUNTER45]

I like how you do things  I am seriously considering hunting out of a tree stand more often ..Need to get in there living area which becomes a little more confined later in the year after the rut ... They find a little hole in the ground and stay there ...I can not wait for tomorrow ...I am seriously pumped for this late season 

[Smith_22]

How much land are you hunting?

The property I hunt is 140 acres, we have three stands on that property.  I have spent the last 4 years placing trail cameras and finding the "pockets" the bucks like.  I'm sure there is some sort of logic, or reason why the bucks seem to concentrate in these areas, I just haven't found it yet.  I generally set my cams up on intersecting trails and then just wait and see.  Some areas are hot for bucks, others are not.  I used to believe that where the bucks are in August isn't where there are in October\November.  However, in this particular area if I catch them in velvet over the summer, I catch them rutting on the same trails from late Oct to early Nov and again for a few days or so in late Nov.