Any experienced Black Tail rut hunters? First time rut hunt

[Coreym8565]

Was browsing a few calls and scents. Figured I'd ask any long time hunters and what they use during the rut. Rattle, scent, calls, etc. Thanx

[jackmaster]

Don't take this wrong but that stuff don't work for blacktails!! They aren't your patternable whiteys or your open country muleys!! Toughest critter in North America to hunt, keep the wind in your favor and hunt where blacktails are is you best tactic !! Don't be afraid of getting wet!!

[buggy]

I've had some success with blacktail "doe in heat" urine. Very limited success with calling and rattling. Find a vantage point looking over a clear cut or reprod (at least four years old) and let them come to you. This seems to be the best method in the areas I hunt.

[JakeLand]

Rattling works on blacktails but not a hard rattle just lite rattling or the tickling of the horns ! More important is a good set of glass for the benches and cuts

[JDHasty]

Urine will work. I get the Mocasin Joe Blacktail Estrous urine and it will get a buck to come in during the day to check out an area that does feed or otherwise congregate in.  The idea isn't to get them to smell it and come trotting in right away, the plan is to make bucks think that a doe is in heat in that area and feeds there and he will want to keep checking for her

[fishnfur]

There you go.  None of them, or all of them work, depending on who you talk to. 

I think the point is that any or all of these tactics might work on some deer, and will definitely work on the occasional individual deer, and are very worthwhile trying if you're not getting any action with your normal hunting methods.  Sometimes you'll find that none of them work at all.  Just like in fishing, if what you're doing isn't working, try something different.

Considering the wealth of articles on successfully using these tactics on Blacktail deer, to say that they don't work at all seems a bit overstated.  To keep it simple, I'd recommend using these tactics just as the WT hunters do.

[pd]

F&F, that is a great video, but somebody needs to get in there and take out that maple tree. 

 

[fishnfur]

What?  That little thing?    It looked to me like he passed on the buck.

BTW - I've done numerous rattling sets this year and had at best, a couple of questionable responses.  The last two years, I had a lot better luck with this tactic. 

Whatever the case, if you don't overdo it, it makes the deer in the area think a couple of bucks are working it out near your location and should be much more tolerant of some accidental hunter noise as you move through the woods.

[pope]

In the last two years, I have used deer urine during late buck with good results. I had to wait 3 or 4 hours, so be patient. There are many ways to apply/distribute the scent but you have to be careful about your human scent in the process. If you drag a scent rag behind you as you walk the trail leading to your ambush point, you may alert deer by leaving your own scent on the trail. If your position is on the ground near your expected ambush point, any deer down wind which might be attracted to the scent of deer urine will likely be alerted to your presence since the wind carries your scent in the same direction. For human scent control, I simply wash my clothes, make sure I'm in great shape and dressed with not much more than a base layer so I don't sweat hiking in. Finally, I bundle up with more layers than I think I'll need, then climb 20 feet up a tree so that my scent is carried away over a deer's nose. I don't hunt my tree stand on calm days, a breeze is important.

I discovered my favorite strategy quite by accident. On the last day of late buck in 2014, I remembered I had a bottle of pee in my pack. I was already up in my tree stand, so I thought, "What the heck, I've never tried deer pee before but I paid $5 for this, let's see what happens." I uncapped the bottle, pointed it at a bush 8 yards from the base of my tree, and squeezed as hard as I could. I emptied the bottle, and when the sun would occasionally shine on this little bush with a good wind out of the east, the air was HEAVY with the sweet aroma of deer waz. Take note that I did not walk on the trail I was watching.

At 11:15 an animal started thrashing the bushes on the trail east of my stand (my approach trail). Making a crying noise, followed by something that sounded like a horse, the animal carried on thrashing the bushes but wouldn't come in. Then there was silence which lasted more than ten minutes, and I assumed whatever animal it was had departed. I hung my rifle from a carabiner, grabbed my phone to check the Seahawks score, then peed. While I put my gloves back on, I suddenly heard a big animal crunching through the leaves, walking with a purpose. I fumbled to get my rifle unclipped from the carabiner, as a heavy buck (3 or more points, it happened so fast) marched through the opening, headed from north to south on the trail where the pee bush is located. Before I could shoulder the rifle and get the safety off, he was gone! That's when I realized two things. The animal was indeed a buck, a big buck, and he had come in to my area looking for a fight. Also, he wouldn't approach my tree because he was on my approach trail and probably detected human odor. Instead, after making all that racket, he tip-toed and circled north to watch my opening. He marched down the trail to the south, still looking for his rival. I hit the primos doe can and he didn't seem to notice.

I repeated the experiment in 2015 and got my first buck (after 7 friggin' years). This time the wind blew out of the north, and the young 2-point came in almost running up the trail from south to north (from down wind). An hour before that a young doe fed down the trail with the wind at her back and never noticed me, even when she was well down wind from my tree.  I can't wait for late buck, but knowing my luck, my strategy won't work this year for whatever reason. I'll let you know.

Here's the buck. I invested the price of a tag, $5.99 for pee, and four hours in the tree stand. One of the most satisfying days of my life.

[blackveltbowhunter]

Was browsing a few calls and scents. Figured I'd ask any long time hunters and what they use during the rut. Rattle, scent, calls, etc. Thanx

Are you hunting currently on a rut tag? Or reffering to Late Blacktail Season? If hunting now spend EVERY possible minute in the woods!!! no matter how foolish the time may seem. Lay down scent, and hunt does and sign would be my course of action.  I have had enough experienced hunters report positive results to rattling that I dont think it could hurt. Make sure your smart about it of course.

Late buck. Punching the time clock is important in all hunting But grey light will become much more important IMO. I have personally had mixed results with scents but I dont think it has ever been a detriment so I continue to use them. Continue to hunt does and sign, but the frenzy is generally dying down. If you have a specific target buck or know of buck bedding areas hunt closer to them if possible.

[JDHasty]

There you go.  None of them, or all of them work, depending on who you talk to. 

I think the point is that any or all of these tactics might work on some deer, and will definitely work on the occasional individual deer, and are very worthwhile trying if you're not getting any action with your normal hunting methods.  Sometimes you'll find that none of them work at all.  Just like in fishing, if what you're doing isn't working, try something different.

Considering the wealth of articles on successfully using these tactics on Blacktail deer, to say that they don't work at all seems a bit overstated.  To keep it simple, I'd recommend using these tactics just as the WT hunters do.

They have some nice blacktail bucks in the Willamette Valley.  I chatted with to a cat form Oregon name Scott Haugen, who wrote a book on blacktail hunting, and he is an advocate of aggressive rattling, like super aggressive. 

[fishnfur]

What the hell, just one more.  Notice the technique and volume. 

Though it does happen on occasion, BTs are not known for knock-down drag-out fights, .  Typically, the sparring is considered to be more of a pushing match with just grinding of the antlers.

[JDHasty]

Blacktail bucks are extremely agressive and will work over bigger mule deer and white tails pretty well where they coexist.  I have some video saved of blacktail fights, but this is the only one I can find right now.  A friend shot some footage down off Galvin Rd and in it after a buck tore up another buck he was walking around trashing topiary and even went after a couple mail boxes and tore them out of the ground. 

[JDHasty]

Here is another

[wooltie]

Here is another

If this is your first time at Street Club....you have to fight..

[JDHasty]

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[7mmfan]

Here is something I've picked up from watching most deer fight videos. There really isn't THAT much antler noise. They spend most of their time leaning on each other, pushing each other around, not banging horns together continuously... food for thought.

[JDHasty]

Here is something I've picked up from watching most deer fight videos. There really isn't THAT much antler noise. They spend most of their time leaning on each other, pushing each other around, not banging horns together continuously... food for thought.

I was almost run over by a blacktail deer fight one time while elk hunting.  I didn't have a deer tag, and couldn't have gotten a shot off if I had.  I couldn't make out the antler noise over the sound of breaking brush and after they were done it looked like someone had been in there with a Brush Hog.  Either one of those bucks involved could have easily killed a large strong man if they got an inkling to.   

[kodiak 907]

Here is something I've picked up from watching most deer fight videos. There really isn't THAT much antler noise. They spend most of their time leaning on each other, pushing each other around, not banging horns together continuously... food for thought.

I was almost run over by a blacktail deer fight one time while elk hunting.  I didn't have a deer tag, and couldn't have gotten a shot off if I had.  I couldn't make out the antler noise over the sound of breaking brush and after they were done it looked like someone had been in there with a Brush Hog.  Either one of those bucks involved could have easily killed a large strong man if they got an inkling to.   

I rattled this guy in last year. Hung some estrus on a tree, rattled for about 5 minutes, off and on every 30 seconds. He came out of a creek bottom all puffed up looking for a fight.

[7mmfan]

Here is something I've picked up from watching most deer fight videos. There really isn't THAT much antler noise. They spend most of their time leaning on each other, pushing each other around, not banging horns together continuously... food for thought.

I was almost run over by a blacktail deer fight one time while elk hunting.  I didn't have a deer tag, and couldn't have gotten a shot off if I had.  I couldn't make out the antler noise over the sound of breaking brush and after they were done it looked like someone had been in there with a Brush Hog.  Either one of those bucks involved could have easily killed a large strong man if they got an inkling to.   

Not sure if we're on the same page or not. I wasn't implying that they don't or can't knock down drag out fight, but more that even in a serious battle, and maybe even more so in that kind of fight, there isn't a continuous clanging/knocking of antlers together. They spend so much time pushing against each other, not trying to make their horns make noise. Of the deer fights I've witnessed, like you said, you can hardly hear the fight for the noise. Stomping feet, breaking branches, crushing brush, etc... If someone is really trying to duplicate a big buck fight, they need to run around in the bushes breaking everything in sight while they rattle. Otherwise, I think more of a sparring sound, less aggressive and intermittent is probably more effective.

[JDHasty]

Here is something I've picked up from watching most deer fight videos. There really isn't THAT much antler noise. They spend most of their time leaning on each other, pushing each other around, not banging horns together continuously... food for thought.

I was almost run over by a blacktail deer fight one time while elk hunting.  I didn't have a deer tag, and couldn't have gotten a shot off if I had.  I couldn't make out the antler noise over the sound of breaking brush and after they were done it looked like someone had been in there with a Brush Hog.  Either one of those bucks involved could have easily killed a large strong man if they got an inkling to.   

Not sure if we're on the same page or not. I wasn't implying that they don't or can't knock down drag out fight, but more that even in a serious battle, and maybe even more so in that kind of fight, there isn't a continuous clanging/knocking of antlers together. They spend so much time pushing against each other, not trying to make their horns make noise. Of the deer fights I've witnessed, like you said, you can hardly hear the fight for the noise. Stomping feet, breaking branches, crushing brush, etc... If someone is really trying to duplicate a big buck fight, they need to run around in the bushes breaking everything in sight while they rattle. Otherwise, I think more of a sparring sound, less aggressive and intermittent is probably more effective.

I didn't know what was going on with that fight, all I knew is all hell broke loose and thought it might be lion trying to haul down an elk.  I was in the Clearwater/Hoe drainage and it was really crazy. 

I have seen knock down, drag out fights around home in Tacoma and there is a lot of pushing and shoving and not a heck of a lot of antler noise. 

That is the conversation I had w/that Haugen guy.  IIRC, he was saying that he tears up the country side and raises a general ruckus by breaking branches and stomping around.  I can't remember if he was also rattling antlers together while doing this or not. 

[fishnfur]

I've tried that technique many times.  Stomping, crashing bushes, raking antlers, etc.  It's a great way to get all hot and sweaty, which 'aint the best thing to do when trying to stay scent free.  Haugen talks about it in his book, but in my mind, it will keep all but the very biggest buck in the woods away from the area.  It might be a trophy tactic, but it's never produced for me.

[scoutdog346]

I've seen BT do some very odd stuff during the rut.