So what's the whitetail deer scene like here in Washington?

[grundy53]

You might find that bow hunting blacktails is fairly similar to bow hunting whitetails.

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[grundy53]

Huh, interesting. A guy I met mentioned that they were crossbreeding, but I did not know to what extent and that there was a slang term for it. Good to know.

So how are blacktail as far as table fare goes as compared to whitetail?

Blacktails are really good. I prefer to eat whitetail but blacktails are close.

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[elkboy]

Hi Parasite!  Whitetailed deer are largely found in Washington's easternmost counties, although they are increasing in some areas of north-central Washington.  In my mind, Washington's whitetail country is divided into three major sections- the foothills of the Blue Mountains (southeast Washington), the Palouse region (central-eastern), and the Colville/Okanogan region of the northeast.  Of the three, the Palouse has the least public land, as it is in intensive agriculture.  However, knocking on farm doors in the summer may get you some access.  Look for farms with more area in hillsides or canyons with high cover of timber and hawthorn. It may help to do archery or muzzleloader, since modern season tends to be crowded.  I will let others address the northeast and Blue Mountains situations.

Our whitetail deer herds took a hit in the winter of 2016-2017, and also was reduced by outbreaks of bluetongue/EHD disease (an insect-transmitted virus) in 2015 and 2016.  Being whitetails, they are on the rebound now, but it may take another year to see more mature bucks. 

Welcome to the Northwest!

PS- blacktail deer live in poorer habitat, nutritionally, than our whitetails, and thus tend to have less fat and often less iron in the flesh.  However, a well-fed blacktail deer (say, living in a forest/farm landscape) is great table fare!  My first deer was a blacktail spike that had been gorging on apples from old homesteads, and he had amazing venison. 

[fishnfur]

Blacktail hunting rocks (but check your ego at the door)! 

Welcome to the WA and the forum!

[Parasite]

Just curious, what's so special about hunting blacktails? I honestly don't see much hype about it.

[Not selected]

Just curious, what's so special about hunting blacktails? I honestly don't see much hype about it.

blasphemy!

[Parasite]

It's a serious question. I honestly don't know. You just don't see it hyped up much on TV, YouTube, etc. I'm curious.

[Caseyd]

It's a serious question. I honestly don't know. You just don't see it hyped up much on TV, YouTube, etc. I'm curious.

Cause they haven’t figured them out 

[cooltimber]

 

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

It's a serious question. I honestly don't know. You just don't see it hyped up much on TV, YouTube, etc. I'm curious.

Cause they haven’t figured them out 

It would take 3 seasons just to film a show.
If you like hunting, hunt Blacktail and Roosevelt elk.
When you get frustrated, head east for the "easy" hunting.

[ThurstonCokid]

Welcome! I’m from Olympia area and lots of awesome hunting in the area and not too far. Feel free to message me if you need some questions answered!


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[Magnum_Willys]

I grew up eating blacktail but eastside table fare is better - a big blacktail in the rut is down there just above coots on the table fare list.   Tho either in a crockpot with can of fruit cocktail can be made edible.   

[cem3434]

It's a serious question. I honestly don't know. You just don't see it hyped up much on TV, YouTube, etc. I'm curious.

Hardest of the 3 sub species to hunt that we have available to us to hunt in my opinion.  They are nicknamed the grey ghost and there is a reason for it.

[fishnfur]

I grew up eating blacktail but eastside table fare is better - a big blacktail in the rut is down there just above coots on the table fare list.   Tho either in a crockpot with can of fruit cocktail can be made edible.   

Any rutty animal can taste pretty off.  Proper and timely handling during game processing goes a long way in ensuring a quality and taste of the final product. 

RE: Blackies?  We love the challenge of just finding the critters.  Doe and young bucks are not too tough, but there are times that even finding any BT can be a challenge.  Once a buck makes three years old, they tend to be nocturnal once the velvet comes off until the rut gets going.  They can't be patterned easily (or at all, by most accounts) because food and water is everywhere, so the winds tend to be the driving force in which direction they travel.  A buck may use a trail two days in a row, then stay off it for the next two months.  The big boys have preferred bedding sites, but if the winds change, they may use a different area to bed, seemingly at random. 

Outside the rut, a mature buck rarely sees the light of day, so opportunities for a shot tend to be the first and last thirty minutes of the day until late-October.  If you attempt to hunt them in their beds, the sheer mass and noisiness of foliage that bucks call home makes finding them and getting close enough for a shot incredibly difficult. They may move out ahead of you as you hunt, or hide in place and let you pass, then sneak out behind you.  There are many reports of bucks crawling on their bellies as they attempt to stay hidden during a slow escape, and I have personally seen them run at incredible speeds, and in complete silence, with their bellies almost dragging on the ground.  If you like a challenge and want to test your hunting skills, Blacktail hunting might just ensnare you, though if you want a 160 inch rack, you better head east.

http://www.blacktailcountry.com/html/article3d32.htm

[Tradhunter]

It has been explained well about blacktail hunting. If you are an exceptional hunter, like rain and don't care about filling your tag, hunt for a mature blacktail buck. There is a reason there are no hunting shows on them and its not due to shortage of big bucks either. The big blacktail die of old age in this state simply because they are extremely hard to hunt. I missed a 143" blacktail last year with my bow and have tried to find him and his 130" buddy this year with no success. I know that in this particular area there is no way they are both dead. It is a really hard place to hunt. These are the biggest bucks I have ever had a chance at in my blacktail career though I have seen big ones in the past but only a handful unlike mule deer and whitetail.