Bow hunting Blacktail???

[WAduckhunter99]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on hunting these tricky blacktails with a bow. Has anyone ever done it? I was wondering if I should just be driving up the clearcuts and jump out when I see one, or treestand/groundblind??? Not really sure how to approach this so any advice would help. Thanks!

[kentrek]

With a bow your probably going to get alot of responses about treestands and ground blinds...trail cameras...bait...pretty text book stuff

While those are probably the most effective way I definitely wouldn't over look spot and stalk during early September....they are extremely patternable all summer and it makes for an extremely exciting hunt ambushing bucks moving from one side of a cut to another

Good luck 

[fishnfur]

I know a guy that road hunts with a bow.  Drives till he sees a buck, then watch him run away while he gets out of the truck!

Plenty of people are successful bow hunting Blackies.   Many times does end up as the targeted animal, but many nice bucks are taken each year too.  Still hunting, spot and stalk, and taking a stand in a high traffic area are all methods that can produce.  A tree stand might be the best option.  If you're highly skilled in locating deer and getting close enough for a shot, which is required for the previous two methods, then you're off and running in whatever course you choose.

I would recommend buying a multi-season tag on 01 Aug if you don't have one already or, if you don't want to spend that much money, buy the modern firearm tag and bow hunt during rifle season when the bucks are out and moving.

[JimmyHoffa]

Yeah fishfur, I've seen guys road hunting-bow hunting blacktail too.  One had a bow rack on the hood of an old jeep Cherokee.  He drives the sections of the road in the steep areas.  When the deer see the car they go up about 30 yds above the road and stop.  Just stand there, staring and flicking their tails.  The guy said he jumps when they are up there and waits until they stop staring--shoots from the ditch at a crazy up angle.

[SeaRun1]

I decided to hunt Blacktail two years ago after hunting in Eastern Washington.  Bought a bow, practiced a lot and learned a couple of areas really well.

Blacktails are very wary but not impossible.  I am two for two seasons with a couple of really nice bucks.  Both came by finding rub lines and sitting on them waiting for bucks to travel by.  It is a challenge to learn an area but if you do it will pay off.

SR1

[JakeLand]

My favorite time to hunt blacktail is late October in the crappiest weather the wetter the better at that time of year I e had plenty of bucks that I pass on walk right by me within 20 yrds because they're busy working their line if you find their travel patterns which change in October it's just a Matter of patience and time because they will come by

[pd]

Yeah fishfur, I've seen guys road hunting-bow hunting blacktail too.  One had a bow rack on the hood of an old jeep Cherokee.  He drives the sections of the road in the steep areas.  When the deer see the car they go up about 30 yds above the road and stop.  Just stand there, staring and flicking their tails.  The guy said he jumps when they are up there and waits until they stop staring--shoots from the ditch at a crazy up angle.

Interesting.  Does this technique work??  If he misses, doesn't the arrow go skyward (new definition of Sky Buster).

[MountainWalk]

Hunt benches.

[Jpmiller]

I've always had the best luck with spot and stalk or still hunting. I don't have the patience for tree stands or ground blinds but I know a few others who do that well if you scout pretty hard.

As for road hunting, unless you're in an area that sees little to no pressure the deer will be gone before you ever get a chance. Good luck this year!

[kodiak 907]

Find an active rub line during the late season and sit on it.

[JimmyHoffa]

Yeah fishfur, I've seen guys road hunting-bow hunting blacktail too.  One had a bow rack on the hood of an old jeep Cherokee.  He drives the sections of the road in the steep areas.  When the deer see the car they go up about 30 yds above the road and stop.  Just stand there, staring and flicking their tails.  The guy said he jumps when they are up there and waits until they stop staring--shoots from the ditch at a crazy up angle.

Interesting.  Does this technique work??  If he misses, doesn't the arrow go skyward (new definition of Sky Buster).

Said it works for him.  But seemed the key was the area had to be steep--like the roads up the hood canal rivers.  When the animals first see the car they would trot down the road a little and then they start going up hill.  Usually the loose broken rock. See other guys cruising around too with their bows hanging on their side mirrors.

[Special T]

Boyd Iversons blactail trophy tactics 2. Buy it now and start scouting. Best book on blacktail and tells you the best ways to still hunt stand hunt and scout.

[fishnfur]

Chapter 13 has the goods on road hunting with a bow.   

[WAnoob]

Find an active rub line during the late season and sit on it.

  This guy knows his stuff 

[fishnfur]

I've tried sitting on rub lines in the pre-rut with no success, but I'm an inpatient person by nature, so my sit times have likely not been even close to long enough. 

Most (written) conventional wisdom that I've seen on blacktail rub lines states that the bucks abandon working those lines once the rut is in full swing.  I'm surprised that several hunters suggest this tactic.  Obviously, it is quite effective.  Good tactic to add to the arsenal!

One very successful hunter on an Oregon hunting forum lives by his motto:  Rubs, Reprod, Rattle.  As it implies, the hunter should scout reprod (4-10 year old) in order to locate fresh rubs, then perform several sets of rattling sessions while staying hidden.  It is not uncommon to have a buck respond and provide a relatively close-in shot.  Working from an elevated position, while not required, is helpful in giving the hunter a better view into the spaces around the trees and providing shooting lanes.  Sometimes the buck will come straight into the rattle, but the hunter should also be prepared for the buck to circle down-wind in an attempt to get a scent of the animals creating the commotion.  Once an active rub is located, it is worthwhile to spend some time in finding just the right spot where the rattling session will provide both cover for the hunter and shot angles to a buck that is attempting to get downwind.    More often than not, the bucks have beat me on this game (and twice I beat myself with bad shots), but it is exciting as hell to hear or see them respond to your rattles.  This is, by far, my favorite way to hunt.

[kodiak 907]

Pre second rut. Sit on active rub line(might not be the same location as the first rut rub line location).

Rattling can be productive but I like to use the can call and ambush scent.

The big mature bucks will most likely only show when there is a doe that is really hot.

[fishnfur]

Now you've got me curious.  What forest or terrain types should the OP scout and hunt for rub lines in?  My experience and recommendations would be mixed conifer/alder forests on the edges of benches, in the conifers along the edges of alder, or along the edges where brush and reprod abut mature forests.   Would you suggest something different for scouting out a  productive rub line?

[kodiak 907]

I think the edges of alder patches/timber are good for consistently finding rub lines.  Finding a natural funnel with alder in it is like finding a gold mine IMO.

In my experience, the second rut(dec 10-16) is better at higher elevation areas.  There is often snow at that time as well.

[fishnfur]

Good stuff!  Great information to keep in the back pocket when hunting late season.

I would think there's some migration movement that comes into play at higher elevation that late in the year.  The deer moving down from above might very possibly use the same corridors as those used by the buck that made the rub line, thus bringing non-resident bucks through those rub lines you're hunting.  That's a great set up for increasing your odds of seeing a really nice buck.

[Shooting Stix]

Here is some of my bucks that I have shot road hunting the key is you have to pattern them if you see a buck or deer just keep going in that area until one shows up I would say to get a big buck sit in a ground blind or tree stand with bait but even that is hard

[DaleDoback]

Just go hunt over east blacktails are overrated lol

[MatthewHunter98]

I'm a successful black tail hunter. Don't road hunt. Bow season  find good clear cuts with good repraud and take time walk. Don't stop until  you see deer. Don't sit for long youl  be waisting good time. Good luck. Pm me if you  want

[predatorG]

I've been archery hunting blacktails for the past 3 years unsuccessfully. I credit most of this to the fact that I am now 16 so I started when I was 23 and didn't have the patience or experience necessary. The spot I hunt is very flat and about sea level with freakishly thick brush. There's deer there but they are freakishly hard to find.

I would recommend the same stuff that everyone else has so far. Clearcuts and benches have massive bucks droped off of them every year. My best advise right now would be to go up into the search bar and find any articles that have both the words "blacktail" and "radsav" in them. You will find a freakish amount of information.

My only other advice is to start scouting now. Also, following this hunting season (which has a decent chance of being unsuccessful due to these stupid, annoying, and freakish animals we are for some reason chosen to hunt), be prepared to go absolutely crazy. You might enter a phase where literally all you can think about are blacktails.

Good luck!

[Lapua338]

Wet cob apples tree stand. Start in August.

[Bowcrazy]

Hunt private if possible in an apple orchard and sit your stand religiously . I have got deer early , late , middle of day . Sit your stand . My treestamd collapsed last year with me and buddy in it . Got on ground uninjired and sat 5 minutes after the ruckus and a doe and two bucks came in snorting on dec 20. I got busted in the ground . Had my stand not fell . I would have had an opportunity at a 2x2 and a jumbo 4x5 . Walking around is a waste of time .

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I credit most of this to the fact that I am now 16 so I started when I was 23

 
Hunting makes me feel younger, but... ?
 

[krout81]

I have only seen a handful of black tail deer while walking through the woods, and that was only because I was elk hunting early season.   I have only killed 1 buck in the early season and he was a dandy who just happened to be hanging out on the same hill as the elk I was chasing around.  The timber was right next to massive clear cut's BTW.   All the other 22 deer small bucks and does were during late season either by seeing them run off the road, standing next to the road, or following their tracks in the snow(not far from the road). 

90% of the time I was in my vehicle driving the road to where I was planning on walking down a road when I saw them.  A simple drive by acting like I didn't see them left them standing right where they were after I sneak back for a shot.  They are very curious in my experience and I have shot many deer near the road 20-30 yards away when I gave em a little whistle and they stop behind a tree.   The famous peak around after they stop to see why I would whistle at them leaves a very nice instant kill, no meat loss, and easy pack out.   

[shootnrun]

I've been archery hunting blacktails for the past 3 years unsuccessfully. I credit most of this to the fact that I am now 16 so I started when I was 23 and didn't have the patience or experience necessary. The spot I hunt is very flat and about sea level with freakishly thick brush. There's deer there but they are freakishly hard to find.

I would recommend the same stuff that everyone else has so far. Clearcuts and benches have massive bucks droped off of them every year. My best advise right now would be to go up into the search bar and find any articles that have both the words "blacktail" and "radsav" in them. You will find a freakish amount of information.

My only other advice is to start scouting now. Also, following this hunting season (which has a decent chance of being unsuccessful due to these stupid, annoying, and freakish animals we are for some reason chosen to hunt), be prepared to go absolutely crazy. You might enter a phase where literally all you can think about are blacktails.

Good luck!

Can you tell me how to get back to 16?? I'd like to take a few years off my knees 

[HunterofWA]

Hunt southern slopes (summer bedding areas) in the evening over a well use trail preferably on the edge of a clear-cut.