blacktail--timber or clear cut

[Westside88]

Stay on the rubline and make sure you pay attention to the wind. He will still be in the area, but if he smells you you'll never see him

[PolarBear]

Found a clear cut with a bunch of rubs through it and on Wednesday I had a nice buck sneak in behind me. I was unable to get a shot off and now I'm sitting on the same cut rub line.  Have you guys seen the same bucks come back a few days later or should I move on from this general area


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I have seen a buck in rut that I spooked come back to the same spot within an hour.  Once they are horned up they can be really stupid.

[mossyoak arrow slinger]

Well I hunted him all day and didn't see anything.  Heard some movement in the timber line next to where he has been entering and exiting the cut but nothing showed.  The swirling wind probably didn't help much.  Hope I can find him or his competition tomorrow.  Season is almost over for me


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[fishnfur]

Found a clear cut with a bunch of rubs through it and on Wednesday I had a nice buck sneak in behind me. I was unable to get a shot off and now I'm sitting on the same cut rub line.  Have you guys seen the same bucks come back a few days later or should I move on from this general area


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I have seen a buck in rut that I spooked come back to the same spot within an hour.  Once they are horned up they can be really stupid.

Good thought PolarBear.  Even before the rut kicks in, bucks may return to the spot they got bumped out of by a hunter, often within an hour or so. 

Bump a good buck.  Back off a ways downwind and take a seat.  He might be back in short order. 

[BGLEMIN]

Four seasons of coursing the elusive blacktail, I've hunted timber more than any other cover type.
Absolutely love it!!
 From what I've noticed, the larger of Washington bucks will be taken in timber. The majority of great bucks harvested will come from openings like clear cuts and burn areas, and the alpine. 

The next world record is most likely hiding in a swamp.



 

[fishnfur]

Interesting.
I stay away from swamps.  Probably most others do too.   Hmmmm.  Cogitate...

[BGLEMIN]

Interesting.
I stay away from swamps.  Probably most others do too.   Hmmmm.  Cogitate...

If I were a buck I'd stay where you'd stay away??

[JDHasty]

Found a clear cut with a bunch of rubs through it and on Wednesday I had a nice buck sneak in behind me. I was unable to get a shot off and now I'm sitting on the same cut rub line.  Have you guys seen the same bucks come back a few days later or should I move on from this general area


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I have seen a buck in rut that I spooked come back to the same spot within an hour.  Once they are horned up they can be really stupid.

Good thought PolarBear.  Even before the rut kicks in, bucks may return to the spot they got bumped out of by a hunter, often within an hour or so. 

Bump a good buck.  Back off a ways downwind and take a seat.  He might be back in short order.

A buddy and I were taking care of a deer and noticed that a two point buck had come up to within two hundred yards of us and wanted to come down the fenced easement we were on... it was pacing back and forth nervously.  So we left the deer lie and hid in brush off to the side and when he got within 30 yards I busted him with a load of buckshot. 

He was following his nose and was not going to be detoured period.

[elksnout]

Last five of my bucks in seven years have been taken in big timber.

Make that six timber blackies in eight years.

[wooltie]

Okay so if you hunt the timber, then how do you define or describe 'the timber'?

I hunted the timber the last few days. The timber varied.  Tall old growth, with open, fern laden bottoms where you could see 100 yards.  Or low canopy fir trees mixed with alder, ferns, moss, and covered with a matchbox full of small twigs and sticks. To attempt walking quietly and not breaking a stick was like a game out of A Saw movie. Most you could see was 20 yards.

Been following a rubline running north and south with rubs every 10-20 yards and fresh poop. This patch of timber rests against some pretty open cuts. The cuts have a lot of sign. Thinking they use this area during the night. Haven't seen any does yet. No gunshots either.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

I started hunting blacktails when I was a kid 1963. All my dad and grandfather did was hunt the brush and timber behind grandparents place so that is how I learned to hunt.. It was mixed alder, maple and nice second growth timber with a lot of vine maple. We had well over a section to hunt. I was taught to hunt slow and look. My dad and grandpa always got big bucks and after I learned patience, I got a lot of nice bucks. Then the timber was divided and some logged every few years. So I learned about hunting clear cuts. Got a lot of deer out of the clear cuts especially after 6-8 years of replant. But my favorite way is to hunt timber. But not much mixed timber to hunt anymore as state and timber companies spray so much. Plus I am getting to old to hunt like I used to.

We had similar upbringings. I started in 1964 and all we did in those days was hunt timber.  But we were always looking for fern patches in old burns and a good alder patch always seemed to be the best. And as you say a good mixed patch of conifers with alder and maple was always good too.  I never dreamed you could be successful in a clear cut until the early 70s when I started hunting with a girlfriend's dad and he taught me a lot about that kind of hunting. Now it's probably 50-50 for me or maybe 60-40 in favor of clearcuts of various ages. But I'd take a good alder patch over anything if I can find one.

Here's a tip when hunting clearcuts that have vine maples growing in them. Deer love bedding in the vine maple clusters. When they are leaved out, they offer very good cover, hard to see in, but the deer can see out. But when the leaves fall, it's a lot easier to see into the clumps and spot deer bedded there. Deer are creatures of habit and sometimes seem to think they are still invisible bedded in the vine maples. Give them a good look after the leaves drop.

[redi]

I like to glass mixed ae clear cuts with patches of jack firs or timber in between. Last year my son shot his 3x4 blacktail bedded in a 2 year old cut with a doe at 11am. Yesterday we found a big 4x4 blacktail with eyegaurds bedded in a 2 year old cut with a doe at 9:30am. The rut is on.

[Eric M]

good thread tagging

[klikboom]

I narrowed in on a bucks bedding area after kicking him up yesterday. He has rubs there. The area is close to two clearcuts. The bedding area is super thick but has a dirt bike trail through it. Would you camp clearcuts, camp on trail, camp on creek crossings? Don't know how to let him come to me.

[PolarBear]

Camp as far away from the trail as you can but still be able to see and take a clear shot and do it from 20-30 feet up a tree.