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If there are does around, the bucks will be close by or at least checking on them. The term you're call hooking, I believe is what we call rubs or sometimes horning. Check small to mid-sized alders near trail, creek, or road crossings and/or small to maybe 5 to 8 inch conifer
Fishnfur is spot on If your hunting does, bucks will show. I do prefer to hunt where I see good rubs, (hooking or horning, its all the same to me. Just dont say scrapes, i have heard several folks refer to rubs as scrapes, totally different use of words to me ). however having good fresh rubs does help with the confidence as I feel like rubs are often made closer to a bucks core area. If your hunting just rifle, i would stick with the aea you know deer are, if you are looking for later seasons I personally would put a little more effort to finding rubs. With regards to rubs my experience is that although a big buck will often tackle small trees, the opposite is not often true. This goes double if the tree is a "Unbendable" conifer, big cedar rubs IMO are made by the most dominant bucks in a given area.
you probably picked an area that only has female deer
Its tough passing up a legal buck but let them spikes go, Good Job
As an afterthought on your trouble finding buck sign, my initial thoughts were that there are just fewer deer than you have experienced in other areas, but I did not have the data to discuss it. The entire Blacktail population in Western WA is estimated to be 90-110,000 animals, of which only roughly 20% are bucks - call it 20,000 bucks for the entire west side of WA. http://www.wafwa.org/Documents%20and%20Settings/37/Site%20Documents/Working%20Groups/Mule%20Deer/Range-Wide%20Status/2015_Black-tailed%20and%20Mule%20Deer%20Status%20Update.pdf That small humber of bucks likely spreads out each individual buck's territorial rubs and other sign, and results in small areas of activity in any given larger area, making it occasionally difficult to locate rubs. I'm not sure where you hunted before, but I've got a feeling the deer populations were quite a bit larger, which ultimately increases the amount of buck sign in the woods. Once you get familiar with typical areas that BTs rub, it becomes less of a chore to locate rubs.
I grew up hunting whitetail in Pennsylvania. There are definitely some major differences in hunting blacktail here on the west side vs. whitetails back east.First off, the deer density is much lower here. I live in Snohomish County, and there are plenty of pastures, open fields, and some ag fields around. Back East, I could drive by similar areas and see whitetails in nearly every field. Here, it's pretty rare to see any deer at all. Even in the mountains, and when you do see deer, they are in small groups of one or two does and their fawns. Back East, it was not unusual to see 20 deer or more in one herd at certain times of the year. You will see bucks out in the open more when they are in velvet and they try to avoid bumping their tender horns on branches. The other thing that leads to this lack of deer sighting is that blacktails are more nocturnal than whitetails. They really tend wait until after dark to move, even without pressure. I have a few around the house that are conditioned to people, and move around a lot during the day due to the activity in the area, but the are much more active at night based on my trail cams. As far as bucks go, blacktail bucks are very solitary. They live in a small core area and really only get out of that area when they are pressured or during rut. The core areas will contain lots of rubs in a distinct rub line. The rubs tend to be on smaller trees than a brute whitetail's rubs. BTs don't scrape, the rubs seem to serve that territory marking function. Like WTs, they will roam during the day during rut. The best way to find them is to scout in the summer when they are in velvet. You can find old rub lines and see them in the open clear cuts. They will rub a little when their velvet dies, but they REALLY rub in pre rut and early rut. What state are you from Andrew? Where are you now?
One of Blacktails key to surviving is how sneaky and tricky they are. I have had bucks let me walk within yards of them. Whenever you are around any does, regardless of sign there could be a buck hanging around. Don't let yourself get to negative about not running into any decent bucks, that's how a lot of Blacktail hunting works out. Just stick with it and hunt hard and scout whenever you can, it will happen.
Yeah, New England doesn't seem to have a lot of deer relative to the mid atlantic states. Maine has some bruisers, but it's tough hunting and they are few and far between. Very thick and swampy as well.
Just put in some time in the off season and you will be ready. I considered scouting essential but I also enjoyed being in the Big Bad Buck and Bull Woods immensely. The gate situation is something I'm finding hard to adapt to now. I know some incredible areas that are now gated, like almost everybody else I assume.
Quote from: Lefthook on November 25, 2016, 01:51:14 PMJust put in some time in the off season and you will be ready. I considered scouting essential but I also enjoyed being in the Big Bad Buck and Bull Woods immensely. The gate situation is something I'm finding hard to adapt to now. I know some incredible areas that are now gated, like almost everybody else I assume. Like the gates; don't like the limited access so much. It has definitely put a crimp on some of my long-time areas.
OK And, the best advice I can give you is to forget everything you know about deer and re-learn it the hard way - by spending time in the woods with these hard-to-find critters. Lots and lots of time! I'm serious. Blacktails don't compare to what you know. They are a breed like no other.And outside of the rut, they taste the best!
Quote from: Lefthook on November 25, 2016, 12:30:04 PMOne of Blacktails key to surviving is how sneaky and tricky they are. I have had bucks let me walk within yards of them. Whenever you are around any does, regardless of sign there could be a buck hanging around. Don't let yourself get to negative about not running into any decent bucks, that's how a lot of Blacktail hunting works out. Just stick with it and hunt hard and scout whenever you can, it will happen.I have a theory an big bucks: I think they come out of wise old does. I have watched many times when younger does come in with fawns the fawns lead the way in bounding and frolicking. But a mature old doe so many times has her fawns following and she is sneaky and hyper-alert, just like a wise old buck AND WILL BUST YOU if you are not careful. Ears come forward towards you and you have been found out followed by a snort and/or stomp and the fawns skedaddle out of there and she whirls around after them.
I don't have a link, I basically got it from the author when it was published. This is a great book, the author is an excellent bow hunter, obviously. If you can get in bow range with your rifle you're good to go. It's all seasons, bear, deer and elk. If you can find the book, which I'm sure you can, I would give it a read. Book and Bucks!
Quote from: JDHasty on November 25, 2016, 05:44:28 PMQuote from: Lefthook on November 25, 2016, 12:30:04 PMOne of Blacktails key to surviving is how sneaky and tricky they are. I have had bucks let me walk within yards of them. Whenever you are around any does, regardless of sign there could be a buck hanging around. Don't let yourself get to negative about not running into any decent bucks, that's how a lot of Blacktail hunting works out. Just stick with it and hunt hard and scout whenever you can, it will happen.I have a theory an big bucks: I think they come out of wise old does. I have watched many times when younger does come in with fawns the fawns lead the way in bounding and frolicking. But a mature old doe so many times has her fawns following and she is sneaky and hyper-alert, just like a wise old buck AND WILL BUST YOU if you are not careful. Ears come forward towards you and you have been found out followed by a snort and/or stomp and the fawns skedaddle out of there and she whirls around after them. That kind of goes with the old "ditch the head gear at the tree line" theory. We used to wonder how a herd of elk could absolutely dissapear. I think they are tunnelers.
