I am not getting it.

[Rob Allen]

You sit on a spot and you see nothing cause they only come out at night.. you walk through the woods you don't  see anything because they either spook before you get there or they hide and run away after you go by... seems like an impossible task.

[Kvw4x4]

Haha. Its called hunting, not seeing and killing.  Keep at it. Not sure where you are located. Might need to be colder.  Deer will spend more time eating when the weather is colder.  So they will be moving more around sunrise and sunset.

[Blacktail Sniper]

 

Haha. Its called hunting, not seeing and killing.  Keep at it. Not sure where you are located. Might need to be colder.  Deer will spend more time eating when the weather is colder.  So they will be moving more around sunrise and sunset.

 

I will add...That is why it is called Blacktail Deer hunting!  They have not gotten the nickname "Gray Ghost" for nothing.

Rest assured, you are not in the minority of blacktail hunter's, you are part of the majority, and that majority contains some great company!!!

Don't get discouraged, closer to Halloween it gets, the better the hunting will get.

[hawks33]

Every single BT buck I have taken has been on the very last day of modern firearm season. I've gone entire seasons without seeing one. They're a tough animal to hunt. Get to know you're area. Where they feed, bed etc. It takes a few years to get to know an area. Best of luck, we've all been discouraged and then all your time pays off, hunting.

[Molon5labe]

I killed my bt buck at 4pm yesterday...

[baker5150]

The morning after a wind/rain storm can be a good time.  They usually hang out later into the morning/shooting hours.

[pianoman9701]

You sit on a spot and you see nothing cause they only come out at night.. you walk through the woods you don't  see anything because they either spook before you get there or they hide and run away after you go by... seems like an impossible task.

I see a nice picture of a bass for your avatar. Did that one just jump in the boat on the first cast or did it take you a while to learn to feel the tiny tug on a rubber worm? You can fish for bass for years before you start pulling in 8 lbers consistently and to do that, you have to know different weather conditions, water temperature, structure, time of day, whether to tick them off or make them hungry, and your honey holes. Same thing with blacktails. It's going to take lots of homework and trial and error to consistently take these deer. Search the blacktail threads on the forum. Spend lots of time in your boots. Put up some trail cams. And get some good raingear if you don't have it. I think they know people don't like the rain. It's like a trigger. Good luck.

[Special T]

Boyd Iversons Blacktail Trophy Tactics 2.

Buy a copy and read several times.  I think with blackmail it's more important to learn an area really well.

One of his main strategies is still hunt the morning. Sloooow walking small side deer trails and glassing every 2 steps. Find a good spot to sit till dark.

Wind and pressure determine BT movements unless it's really dry... normally only applies to early archery in some places...

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[MrSmallington]

Called hunting not catching right? hell ive yet to fill a tag in three years but hell do i love sitting in the woods and trying. gets me out of the city and every time i go i have plans to tweak for next outing.  best advice ive gotten from this site is when you have the urge to give in... keep going!

[blindluck]

Try sneaking not walking, I can't believe the people that walk by my ground blind that seem to be on a nature hike. 8 out of 10 times they don't see my blind because their looking at the ground.

[JDHasty]

If you have been hunting where you have seen sign it is more likely than not that they have been watching you.  Fact is you probably have been looking right at a few and didn't know it. 

[Special T]

When I went from rifle hunting to bow hunting was the real change for me... I realized I really needed to slow down...

Step look around. Step step look around, glass... repeat, and move like a sniper I. The movies... 

Hardest part for me is determining when I'm traveling vs hunting. When I'm walking the road or main trail I'm trucking...  when I'm off road, I'm stealth mode.

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[JDHasty]

Haha. Its called hunting, not seeing and killing.  Keep at it. Not sure where you are located. Might need to be colder.  Deer will spend more time eating when the weather is colder.  So they will be moving more around sunrise and sunset.

 

I will add...That is why it is called Blacktail Deer hunting!  They have not gotten the nickname "Gray Ghost" for nothing.

Rest assured, you are not in the minority of blacktail hunter's, you are part of the majority, and that majority contains some great company!!!

Don't get discouraged, closer to Halloween it gets, the better the hunting will get.

Just wish the moon phases looked better.  But I am going back out Sunday afternoon and taking the 30th & 31st off anyway. 

[Rob Allen]

Yesterday i spent all day in the Klickitat breaks hiking as slowly  and quietly as i can with a pack  and a rifle. Saw  2 deer one bedded down 100 yards from where i stopped  to watch for a couple hours.  The other one was sprinting through a small clearing. He apparently saw me let me pass by  then apparently  bolted after  i passed.

I  went a bit further East  into Klickitat county and even out towards  Bickelton hitting  small pieces  of state land not seeing anything at all out there a few bed down spots in the sage is all..

This morning i was in West Klickitat 3 miles in from a locked SDS  gate. Lots of evidence of deer in there but no sightings  think i will try there  again tomorrow.
Tonight i am back near the breaks gonna go sneak around till dark. There is another  truck here , hopefully he walked  the other direction.

Next week i guess i head west for the last  3 days.

[PlateauNDN]

I know someone hunting in the same areas as you and he's had several near misses on legal bucks. They're there, just keep at it.