Blacktail questions

[Special T]

There is something really cool about sneeking into bow range and out smarting thier senses. I have mostly taken does and have screwed up a couple of shots on 3points.

[Eric M]

There is something really cool about sneeking into bow range and out smarting thier senses. I have mostly taken does and have screwed up a couple of shots on 3points.

[blackveltbowhunter]

Eric.... If you have the opportunity and have done the homework, the Four days of late modern season can be more than enough time. Plan to spend all day each day, and hope for some weather.

You are the 3rd person to tell me this. I'm beginning to believe it. side note- I love finding a place besides work where we can debate feces. I have spent 6 years looking for sheds and hunting blacktail deer. Although I always hear about the south facing slopes, I don't think blacktail care haha. The 2 things I've noticed more this year about finding sheds is they aren't on the main trails , and I have found several very close to rubbed trees. In Scott Haugen's book, he talks about bucks using the less used alternate trails and using different trails all the time and that got me off the main trails.

   I should probably clarify, Not saying I don't find any on south facing slopes as I have, simply that I don't put real emphasis on it.

   Rut timing is an odd mystery and can vary quite a bit regionally. You should get some action in late buck regardless although the dates this year wont be as optimal as some. Depending on area often the last 3-4 days of general season are very good as well. But in 20ish years of hunting I can say that when I have put in the time prior to the four days in late rifle have always produced an opportunity.

   I have been fortunate enough to take alot of blacktails with my bow, all from the ground mostly young bucks and does with a smattering of pope and young contenders thrown in. A tree stand is truly the way to kill large bucks, patience is a virtue that I dont seem to posess however, although with age hopefully will come some patience.  I typically hunt archery seasons only because I like to hunt a long time, and not for timing of killing big bucks. Some of my favorite hunts have been track jobs in the snow. regardless of size. Thanks for starting a great thread and good luck!

[Eric M]

I want to thank everyone who has commented, both public and privately. I appreciate all the advice and wisdom from guys that have done this a long time. I am pretty new to it, but want you to know you aren't wasting your time. I am dedicated to this. Anyway thanks.

[fish vacuum]

Regarding the clearcut areas, I walked it but for as much snow as there was at the time, there weren't near the tracks I've come to expect..

I bet there was a concentration of tracks somewhere in there. Maybe just one little corner of the unit.

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[Eric M]

Regarding the clearcut areas, I walked it but for as much snow as there was at the time, there weren't near the tracks I've come to expect..

I bet there was a concentration of tracks somewhere in there. Maybe just one little corner of the unit.

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You're probably right. If I had been alone I might've stayed there longer than a couple hours. I had a friend with me and he had never found a shed before. Later that day he found a big old mature 3 point shed from last year. I was happy for him, but I must've walked past that thing half a dozen times!

[fishnfur]

Im not going to argue about tracks or poo .... I agree with you and will never claim to be able to judge tracks or feces with 100 percent accuracy. But I am confident enough in my ability to take in the whole picture that if I cut an above average track in length with spreading toes while walking and a long stride with rear feet falling short of or inside the front I am going to follow them!! until I lose them or confirm what it is!! If this coincides with the rut, and I am finding rubs as well I will be excited. Poo is the same way, not claiming I can find a dookie and tell you if its a buck or doe, simply that certain characteristics will raise my index of suspisicion. Combined with other clues it could be enough to keep me in an area.

Eric.... If you have the opportunity and have done the homework, the Four days of late modern season can be more than enough time. Plan to spend all day each day, and hope for some weather. Fishnfur is going to hate me for disagreaing again ... But I have had little luck searching South facing slopes for sheds  for blacktails. Unless high enough that snow is a significant factor. So disregard if looking in the higher cascade foothills or Bench bucks. Obviously you are doing well on your own. I really have figured no rhyme or reason as to where they are going to be found, but focus on bedding areas primarily regardless of where they are, bedding areas in big timber with lots of blackberry and fern mixed in have produced consistently for me, followed by overgrown clearcuts with beds in them. Not sure if it matters, but it seems like I find better sheds in the the timber.

If the clear cut is recently cut and not sprayed yet, it may get an increase in use as alot of the tops of the trees are highly nutritious and deer will take advantage of the downed trees. Once sprayed,my observation is a decrease in use of primary food sources and overall decrease in use of the cut. But they dont typically go far, usually just move into thicker reprod or timber where food is.

Hey, no worries on my side.  I pretty much agree with everything you wrote.  Given a big old splayed out track with rounded toes and a heavy imprint of dew claws, I'm pretty confident that I'm looking at a mature buck print too.  I'm just enjoying talking about blacktails again.  I have also never had any real luck with sheds on south facing slopes.  One article I read suggested that in the coastal areas, the east slopes may have more wintering animals (and sheds) because they are more sheltered from the W/SW winds coming off the ocean, and the weather is generally mild enough that the animals don't need to seek out the sun-warmed slopes to the extent that they do in other areas.  That makes good sense.

[AKBowman]

One good way to find out approximately how many different bucks you have in your area is to put a camera on the biggest rub you can find. Put it out in early October and leave it through late Buck. As long as the rub is in an area that is not trafficked by hunters you should get a decent idea of what bucks are around.

I have done this the last few years and in '14 I counted 19 different bucks from mid October to mid November...ended up killing a spike in late archery in another spot. It will also give you a good idea of pre-rut activity and timing. '14 I placed the camera first week of October and got my first buck pic October 23rd. After that there was a buck by the rub pretty much every 12 hours until the first week of November. This year I got my first buck pic October 7th or so and there was a bunch of activity through the 20th then it slowed down. Definitely was earlier this year.

Anyhow it was interesting. I've never found a BT shed but admittedly I don't really have the patience to turn over ferns looking for them either.

Good thread!

[Eric M]

One good way to find out approximately how many different bucks you have in your area is to put a camera on the biggest rub you can find. Put it out in early October and leave it through late Buck. As long as the rub is in an area that is not trafficked by hunters you should get a decent idea of what bucks are around.

I have done this the last few years and in '14 I counted 19 different bucks from mid October to mid November...ended up killing a spike in late archery in another spot. It will also give you a good idea of pre-rut activity and timing. '14 I placed the camera first week of October and got my first buck pic October 23rd. After that there was a buck by the rub pretty much every 12 hours until the first week of November. This year I got my first buck pic October 7th or so and there was a bunch of activity through the 20th then it slowed down. Definitely was earlier this year.

Anyhow it was interesting. I've never found a BT shed but admittedly I don't really have the patience to turn over ferns looking for them either.

Good thread!

Cool idea-Thanks

[JDHasty]

One good way to find out approximately how many different bucks you have in your area is to put a camera on the biggest rub you can find. Put it out in early October and leave it through late Buck. As long as the rub is in an area that is not trafficked by hunters you should get a decent idea of what bucks are around.

I have done this the last few years and in '14 I counted 19 different bucks from mid October to mid November...ended up killing a spike in late archery in another spot. It will also give you a good idea of pre-rut activity and timing. '14 I placed the camera first week of October and got my first buck pic October 23rd. After that there was a buck by the rub pretty much every 12 hours until the first week of November. This year I got my first buck pic October 7th or so and there was a bunch of activity through the 20th then it slowed down. Definitely was earlier this year.

Anyhow it was interesting. I've never found a BT shed but admittedly I don't really have the patience to turn over ferns looking for them either.

Good thread!

Cool idea-Thanks

And one thing to remember is that there are a lot more big bucks where blacktails are than you will ever know about.  They are not known as the "grey ghosts" for nothing.   

Search my posts and you will see where I have posted... but I know that the "buck of the woods" is still the monster that was being indiscriminate on that day and I did not see him.   The monsters are all about you and hunt as your vacation leave will permit and the one you get is still....

Let's just say, I have seen monsters, I have killed less (but still real trophies), and I just know that the blacktail "buck of the woods" always found me first. 

They are "just that good" and there is a reason that they are north America's number one hunting trophy.   

 

[wooltie]

I put my cams out last weekend.  I plan to check them in 30 days or so to gauge traffic.

In this area, a long swampy creek runs at the bottom of this long western slope.  I have noticed trails coming from the creek up, through various clear cuts and timber, and trending up higher to more recent cuts (2-4 yrs old) that are showing plenty of green shoots.  There's so much poop in some areas of these cuts, where they are feeding is obvious.  Next is to trace their path from this area and see where it goes.

I will put cams on less established trails next, probably around the cam location showing the highest traffic.  Maybe the big boys will move on the sides.

I've read Iverson, Haugen, listened to Haugen's podcasts, and being where deer frequent is key.  Sometimes you should just sit for hours and wait for something to stand up or move around.  Other times you should push the timber.

I'm still way into learning, but I plan to do more sitting and watching than pushing the timber this year.

[Eric M]

I put my cams out last weekend.  I plan to check them in 30 days or so to gauge traffic.

In this area, a long swampy creek runs at the bottom of this long western slope.  I have noticed trails coming from the creek up, through various clear cuts and timber, and trending up higher to more recent cuts (2-4 yrs old) that are showing plenty of green shoots.  There's so much poop in some areas of these cuts, where they are feeding is obvious.  Next is to trace their path from this area and see where it goes.

I will put cams on less established trails next, probably around the cam location showing the highest traffic.  Maybe the big boys will move on the sides.

I've read Iverson, Haugen, listened to Haugen's podcasts, and being where deer frequent is key.  Sometimes you should just sit for hours and wait for something to stand up or move around.  Other times you should push the timber.

I'm still way into learning, but I plan to do more sitting and watching than pushing the timber this year.

I like your idea. I pushed pretty hard last year. It almost worked but... Honestly I'd be happy to get a spike this year with my bow. But really what I'm after is something mature. I don't care if it's a 2 point (see this years shed thread I found a big 2 point). But I haven't killed a mature blacktail yet.

[fishnfur]

Revisiting deer poo.....

I've looked and looked for a reliable source regarding gender identification of a deer based on feces.   Generally, the only certainty is that big deer make big pellets or bigger clumps than small deer.  The internet though is full of references of posts by hunters and an occasional online magazine that claim to be able to identify a big buck based on the size and characteristics of scat.  Obviously, many more studies are warranted!   

Here's the best (of the worst) discussions:
http://bowsite.com/bowsite/features/armchair_biologist/poop/

For a ridiculous view on the subject, check out the first 30 or so seconds of this charming video:

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