Thick Cover Blacktail Tips

[kschab123]

Hey all. Pretty new to hunting. Been out for blacktail last 3 seasons with no luck. Been out scouting a bit and found an area with a bit of sign. It on I mistrial timberland but it relatively flat so no real vantage points. The spot with sign is an cut with report that are about 7 feet tall and super thick. There are lots of tracks, scat and multiple rubs. It's on the edge of the cut near the timber line. The timber is almost impenetrable. Not super old. And the trails that enter it really disappear quickly. It's hard to move through the cut and timber without making a ton of noise. How would you guys approach this situation? Should I try to walk to deer trails in the cut and slowly and quietly as I can or should i find a spot near it and hang tight? Thanks for reading.

[boneaddict]

Get the best shooting lane possible with whichever weapon you chose that has the most traffic(by present sign) and wait.    They are starting to move. Be patient

[boneaddict]

ITs all about right place, right time...

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,243824.msg3267403/topicseen.html#new


The more land you can cover the more traffic that land gets, your odds go up.

[Fl0und3rz]

When pressured, deer species I have hunted will hold until you trip over them.  Might try flushing that cut from one end and getting any height advantage you can from the escape routes.

[kschab123]

Thanks for the replies guys. Nice buck bone addict. Were you walking roads or in timber when you got that guy?

[boneaddict]

Oh that’s not mine. I wish.   Just a demonstration of being in the right place at the right time.   

[kschab123]

Ah duh, different poster. Yeah, I was kinda hoping to bust one while making my way through the cut and dipping into the timber. Would stop periodically and listen but never heard anything. Was a blue bird day so maybe that pushed them a bit deeper. Do you guys think they are bedding or feeding in the reprod or both?

[boneaddict]

Probably both.  I hate stand hunting with a passion, but  Its been my experience that 95% of the hunters out there aren't slow or quit enough to get in on an animal in the thick where they are at.  My advice is based on that.   Exceptions would be if they are used to humans walking by them etc, or some will let you walk by, gambling you will just walk by.   

[brokentrail]

Since the weather forecast doesn't have any rain or high wind, I'd find where I could see as far as that terrain allows on the sign you already found and I'd probably sit all day if I could.  If I was seeing does, I'd for sure sit there all day and wait for a buck to show up during daylight.  These next 4 days they will be moving, so now is the time to sit and wait imo.

[CP]

Does rattling help? 

[yorketransport]

If you have the patience, find somewhere to sit and wait. I'm one of those guys that Bondaddict mentioned who moves too fast and is about as graceful as a 3 legged hippo. When I try to work through thick reprods I end up seeing the south end of a north bound deer more often than not.
 
By finding a small opening and just waiting it out I get closer to more animals, but I've found that I get fewer shot opportunities. This year I've been within rock throwing range of a couple different bucks and bulls by just sitting down and waiting. The only frustrating part is seeing the animals in pieces and never having a good shot because of how thick the cover is. I can hit a 10" target at 1000 yards under field conditions all day long, but I still can't bring myself to take a shot at a critter when all I can see is the head/neck from 20 yards away.

[kschab123]

Thanks again for the replies. I thought about sitting and waiting but there really isn't a vantage point as the terrain is so flat. Might try to walk the game trails as slowly and quietly as I can. Happy to have found some decent sign though at least.

[savagehunter]

Find a good spot where 2 trails intersect sit til you cant stand it then sit a little longer. In the cover ears are super important.

[savagehunter]

Ps dont sit on the trail sit down wind about 50 to 100 ft. Enough to have a view up each trail. 30 yds is a long ways in reprod

[rasbo]

Rattle the thick stuff,be very still and listen.move 50 yrs and repeat super slow,no,slower

[brokentrail]

Thanks again for the replies. I thought about sitting and waiting but there really isn't a vantage point as the terrain is so flat. Might try to walk the game trails as slowly and quietly as I can. Happy to have found some decent sign though at least.

Is a tree stand or a tree saddle an option here?  I know most folks don't use them for blacktails but I have had success using them when the situation dictates.

[kschab123]

Yes, I think a stand would work. I don't have any experience using one, but I have thought about it for sure. Might consider giving it a go.

[captpschar]

Thanks again for the replies. I thought about sitting and waiting but there really isn't a vantage point as the terrain is so flat. Might try to walk the game trails as slowly and quietly as I can. Happy to have found some decent sign though at least.

I’m new to this too, but I seem to have a talent for still hunting (snuck up on a few deer this season), and if you’re going to walk game trails, you will find deer if you move slowly enough and keep the wind, and I mean so slowly, two to four of the sneakiest quietest steps you can muster and then stop and look around slowly and carefully before you go again. 

You’ll find that deer will walk right past you, walk right towards you, you’ll see them bedded, if you’re slow and quiet enough and your camo is good (cover your face and hands too)  and you have the wind they won’t even notice you until they’re maybe 40 yards or closer, and if you statue up they’ll ignore you. It’s really difficult for the first 100 yards but you get into a meditative flow state after a while and you stop caring about moving fast, especially once you’ve seen a deer or two.

People will say deer or bucks don’t move around during the day, maybe not as much, but they do.  They’re in the timber just being magically silent and knocking about away from all the trucks and people.

[wooltie]

Someone on this forum said that the purpose of still hunting is not to sneak up on deer but instead to be in an area and have deer come to you. Not that you couldn't sneak up on deer, but quietly moving through the woods in hopes of being there when a deer comes walking through to you makes a lot of sense to me.

I've hunted the timber for black tails for years with no success. I just think I've been doing it all wrong. You really have to sit there and not move; it ain't elk hunting. And if you do move then you just take a step, then wait for 5-10 minutes. Take a step, wait.

Eventually you'd think some deers well move through over, so I think the idea is you spent eight hours slowly going through a small chunk of area and hopes of being there already when they move through.

Being quiet is next to impossible if you're moving.

Kind of makes me want to just switch to archery if I'm going to hunt timber. Longer season fewer people. You're already taking a close shot in the timber anyway.

[kschab123]

That makes sense. The timber is impossible to.move through there. The undergrowth is too thick. But would be possible in the reprod if I take my time. I like the idea of that approach. I know they are there. Fresh scat and rubs. Wondering about making a shot though with a scope at such close range, thinking iron sights might be better. I dunno.

[fishnfur]

Here's my take, and I'm not saying it's right, I just think it is:

If you're hunting reprod that you cannot see into at all, it is too thick and you need to move on to a younger cut.  Sure there's fresh sign there, but there's fresh sign in many places in the woods.  If you can't see anything, how are you going to find a deer there?

Find a cut that has Christmas tree size trees, maybe a bit bigger, up to 12 - 15 ft tall,  but that still have some space between the trees.  If you find a spot like this that has a hill/ridge above it where you can sit and see down into the reprod , or something like a draw in the middle of reprod, where you can sit on one side and look into the reprod on the other side, and see in between the trees, you're in business.  Note: if the trees are not big enough to hide deer during the daylight hours, they will often only use it at night, or perhaps just cross it to go where their brain is directing them to go.  Hide as best you can and stay still while you hunt.

Sit on your butt where you can view at least 5 or so acres pretty clearly, and keep your binoculars in your hands and to your eyes 90% of the time.  Slowly pick the area apart looking for little pieces of deer parts.  You will likely not see a whole deer until they stand, but if you spend the time in a target rich environment, you may find bedded deer sitting just under or just above stumps, trees, ledges, rocks, etc.    When a deer suddenly stands up, you will wonder where the hell it came from, because you had just looked there a minute ago and not seen anything.  After 20 - 30 minutes, take a five minute break.  After 10 hours, if you didn't see any deer, then find a new spot.    

If you see fresh rubs, then it is alwyas worthwhile trying to hide close by and down wind 30 - 50 yards or so and rattling/grunting etc.  You know a buck is working the territory, so the finding the deer part is solved,  All you have to do is get him to show himself. 

Good luck,  Get out there and kill something!

[slowhand]

Good stuff
I love the blacktail challenge
Eating up all the tips.

[captpschar]

That makes sense. The timber is impossible to.move through there. The undergrowth is too thick. But would be possible in the reprod if I take my time. I like the idea of that approach. I know they are there. Fresh scat and rubs. Wondering about making a shot though with a scope at such close range, thinking iron sights might be better. I dunno.

Bucks, from what I understand, will tend to pick spots like that to bed down for the day, especially during hunting season.  As the others have suggested, a sit and wait strategy might be the only option if you intend to hunt that spot.  I've heard it said that with study and thorough scouting around the outskirts of areas like that that you can find the pathways that the buck or bucks are using to get in and out.  From what I've seen these pathways aren't obvious, they tend to be low and the openings very concealed and thin, but they're there, the deer are really good at moving in brush but they don't plow through it, there are paths in there somewhere.  You might be able to locate one and use it to get in if the wind is right, or do a pre-sunrise or near sunset stand across one of those pathways, that might get you a shot.

I would just leave that little brush fort alone and accept that any bucks who decided to bed in there just have their act together and get to fight another day, and move on to greener pastures to try to locate a spot that you might be able to make your way into more easily.

On the scope, for still-hunting blacktails in the timber, you're not going to see them past 100 yards, usually it'll be within 50, so maybe set your scope to its lowest magnification and leave it there.

[Skyvalhunter]

This weather makes for tough hunting even if its not thick timber

[kschab123]

Thanks again for the tips guys. Some good info for sure. Yeah maybe looking elsewhwere might be a good idea. If I can make time before late buck to scout for something with a little more elevation variations I will give that a go.

[Alchase]

I had good luck looking for their bedding areas. Blacktail are home bodies with a core area. Look for areas where the sun can come through the thick surrounding area, and glass looking for ear flicks. Hard if there is wind, but effective.
Like others have said, do not sit on a trail, but about 25-50 yards back in the cover. Same with clearcutts. Hunt the tree line about 25 yards in from the cuts. Look for natural finger ridges that you can hike up. They are more common that most people realize.

[fishnfur]

   Good advice there.  Every place has it's own unique situational elements that affect how the deer use the area.  Getting to know a spot well is invaluable, though it may take years to learn the secrets.

Thanks again for the tips guys. Some good info for sure. Yeah maybe looking elsewhwere might be a good idea. If I can make time before late buck to scout for something with a little more elevation variations I will give that a go.

I think you're on the right track.  Flat land BT hunting is very hard, because you can't guess how or where the bucks will go.  It is likely determined more by wind direction than anything else.  A spot with just a little bit of slope, even 30 - 40 feet in an otherwise flat area gives you a distinct advantage in being able to predict where the deer are bedded or where they will come from to feed.  Almost all BT bed above the area where they feed.  It is instinct.  If there is a hill close by, they will bed on the side of it and come down to feed in the evening.  They often go back up at dawn but they may also stay down in lower beds till mid-day.  The old mature bucks do what they do, but if you find a doe in heat, those bucks will come in to play too.
Good luck!