Shotgun Slug Hunting

[JakeLand]

Maybe the blacktail guys can chime in on this advice but if I'm going to be married to a spot for whitetail or mulies I can typically get them coming in fairly regular with a salt block. I'd imagine that would help out for blacktails as well and give them a little bit more incentive to be where you are. Helps get them in front of your game camera too. Good luck out there!

a summer blacktail buck is a completely different animal then one in September and that buck will again completely change By the last week of October through mid November
Personally I never bother with blocks or minerals in the summer because of that . Come October keep track of does and that’s where you will have a  upper hand on bucks !
Game cameras are a plus the more you get the more you’ll figure out the puzzle

[lokidog]

Maybe the blacktail guys can chime in on this advice but if I'm going to be married to a spot for whitetail or mulies I can typically get them coming in fairly regular with a salt block. I'd imagine that would help out for blacktails as well and give them a little bit more incentive to be where you are. Helps get them in front of your game camera too. Good luck out there!

a summer blacktail buck is a completely different animal then one in September and that buck will again completely change By the last week of October through mid November
Personally I never bother with blocks or minerals in the summer because of that . Come October keep track of does and that’s where you will have a  upper hand on bucks !
Game cameras are a plus the more you get the more you’ll figure out the puzzle

That's why I like archery. Even here on the island where there is no increase in people in the woods, the deer behavior changes dramatically near the end of September. Muzzleloader season usually still has some of the predictability of September, but not always.

[Jpmiller]

And there you have it  id listen to those guys over me, don't bother with salt

[lokidog]

And there you have it  id listen to those guys over me, don't bother with salt

I put a salt lick out behind my place when we first moved here, never saw a single deer near it. Now, apples on the other hand.... 

[bench beast]

This Buck was taken at 170 yards. Shotgun slugs will do the job.

[lokidog]

Sabot or rifled?

[yakimanoob]

@sawyer I know nothing of Blacktail, but as others have said, there's only one way to get any good at this hunting thing  .

I hunted hogs and deer in AL with a 12g slug 870 before I moved to WA.  Don't be surprised if you find yourself wanting a lighter platform sooner rather than later 

Have fun!

[fishnfur]

Your plan sounds reasonable to me, though you want to make sure the place you set up is looking out over an area that in October, will have at least some deer activity each day.  That is basically my main hunting strategy (for BTs) anymore.  I see way more deer sitting still than by any other method, and it is way easier on my back. 

RE - salt lick.  I have tried that a couple of times years ago.  Doe will hit them until June or so, then stop.  Many times, bucks will only hit them once or twice in April/May and that is it.  If you want to attract any BTs living closeby:  apples, apples, apples.

Lastly, if you're a big dude, a 12 ga. is a fine choice.  30-06s and 12 ga. shotguns bruise my shoulder and make me flinch.  Not a good choice for me.  Unless you can't afford one, a rifled barrel is the best choice for any slug gun (in my opinion).  I like and use this setup:

https://www.range365.com/fine-tuned-savage-220-slug-gun/

If you are patient, you can pick up a used one in good shape for under $400. 
https://www.gunbroker.com/Other-Shotguns/search?PageSize=24&Sort=13&View=1&Ch-model=220

[Tree Farmer]

Last year I bought a Remington 870 pump with wood furniture. It is a 20 gauge. I think I paid $225 for it new and on sale. I sold the barrel on eBay for like $125. For about the same price as I sold the barrel I purchased an 18 inch rifled barrel on eBay. I topped it with a 2-7 Leupold. I have approximately $425 into the entire package. Last year I killed a 2pt blacktail in SW Washington with it. Shot was approximately 130 yards. This thing shoots paper plates consistently out to 200 yards. I think with more practice I can get it dialed in even better. Recoil is not bad at all and no meat damage. Sweet package, especially for a fire restrictions area.

[The Big Game Hunter]

Hello folks, first deer season I'll be hunting here in western WA

I intend on using my 12 gauge with a slug barrel this coming season to try and shoot my first deer. I am choosing my slug gun for a few reasons. 1) I intend on hunting a rifle restricted GMU (I have already clarified that shotguns are in fact legal to use in this GMU). 2) I cannot afford a new rifle this year. There are 3 forests I have spent time scouting in and found some areas that deer and other animals use to commute from timber to brush and to a water source. My plan is to build up a sort of blind, or perhaps get in a tree stand at these locations and sit and wait, within 80 yards of where I anticipate the deer to walk through.

I've never hunted deer and I have no one in my life to teach me how. Does this plan sound reasonable? I know a rifle and getting into the high clear cuts is likely the most effective method to hunt western WA, but I am working with what I have.

Is this crazy talk? do you folks have any experience or advice to share with me in regards to my plan?

I think that's a reasonable plan. My 12 gauge does really well with slugs out to 50 yards or so with a regular smooth barrel and a really basic bead sight. With a dedicated slug barrel that has better sights, I can accurately shoot out to 75-100 years with no trouble at all. A 12 gauge slug is .73 caliber and weighs around 1 ounce (437.5 grains), so it is devastating on thin skinned game like deer.
Just FYI, you can learn more about hunting with buckshot and shotgun slugs below.
https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/buckshot-vs-slug/

[sawyer]

I think that's a reasonable plan. My 12 gauge does really well with slugs out to 50 yards or so with a regular smooth barrel and a really basic bead sight. With a dedicated slug barrel that has better sights, I can accurately shoot out to 75-100 years with no trouble at all. A 12 gauge slug is .73 caliber and weighs around 1 ounce (437.5 grains), so it is devastating on thin skinned game like deer.
Just FYI, you can learn more about hunting with buckshot and shotgun slugs below.
https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/buckshot-vs-slug/

Pretty good for smoothbore! This article is awesome thank you for sharing

[fishnfur]

Last year I bought a Remington 870 pump with wood furniture. It is a 20 gauge. I think I paid $225 for it new and on sale. I sold the barrel on eBay for like $125. For about the same price as I sold the barrel I purchased an 18 inch rifled barrel on eBay. I topped it with a 2-7 Leupold. I have approximately $425 into the entire package. Last year I killed a 2pt blacktail in SW Washington with it. Shot was approximately 130 yards. This thing shoots paper plates consistently out to 200 yards. I think with more practice I can get it dialed in even better. Recoil is not bad at all and no meat damage. Sweet package, especially for a fire restrictions area.

Nice setup!  That's a great way to go.   
Shoot me a PM sometime about your tree farms - Tree Farmer.  I'd love to compare notes. 

[pd]

To the OP:

The first few deer I ever killed were with open sighted shotgun slugs. They work just fine.

Do it!

[Chad McMullen]

Scope with premium copper sabot slugs - good for up to 200 yards.  Son took a nice whitetail in Iowa at 185 yards.

I dunno -- your results may vary.  I've tried Hornday, Winchester, and Remington sabot slugs out of my rifled 12ga barrel and achieve anywhere from "bleh" to "meh" groups, considering I'm spending $2.00 to $2.50 per shot.  My best groups out of that same barrel, oddly enough, are a bit over $1 each and are conventional Winchester foster slugs -- go figure...