Need a little guidance for Black Tail

[NiteHawk]

I'm a firm believer that having a successful hunt is largely a function of time. If you're seeing does, there's bound to be some buck around. Your chances of a successful harvest will only improve as we near the rut. You just have to keep going, keep looking, keep putting in the effort and I believe good things will happen for you.

[WSU]

Quote:
"They believe in their camo more than just about any other animal I have hunted. They will freeze solid and not move a muscle, then hold there spot until you almost step on them. similar to hunting hand raised birds vs wild birds. Good Luck and I hope You bag a monster."

That trait just blows my mind when I jump a buck that I've unknowingly approached while they just watched me till some magic line was crossed.  It's hard to imagine how many BT bucks hunters miss as they work their way through the woods.

I shot the nicest BT buck I've ever shot last year.  He was laying in his bed 70 yards away watching me.  He was surrounded by chest high ferns and all I saw initially was his throat patch.  It took me literally 3 or 4 minutes of walking in circles above him to get an angle that I could see to shoot him.  I shot him in his bed and he watched me the entire time.  I'm just lucky I saw the white patch that looked out of place in the dark timber.

[fishnfur]

Nice!  Way to go.  Shows the importance of looking for those white patches in an otherwise green/brown field of view.   

A few years back, I remember coming upon what I thought was a buck sitting 20 yards above me in ferns on a hillside.  I hid behind some small Hemlock and glassed it for almost 20 minutes  watching for movement before decided to move laterally to get a shot.  I found, to my chagrin, that it was a rusted piece of sheet metal that when viewed from below totally resembled a deer's body bedded in the ferns.  I took the shot anyway and killed it. 

Sorry for that crappy story, I couldn't resist.  I really came back to the thread to recommend that you don't hunt way too hard early on.  Spending all day in the woods over successive days makes the days get long pretty quickly. If you're not seeing deer or more importantly bucks, it's easy to get very frustrated.  It takes a lot of faith to keep believing that there is such an animal as a Blacktail buck during your first few seasons.  It is very easy to get burned out early in the season (and loose that desire to kill a buck) before the hunting gets really good.  Save your intensity for the last few days of October and the four days in November, and you'll not get burned out in advance of the rut.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Not to thread jack but.

Has anyone tried what I call combat hunting for them? Basically you go thru reprod that you can see good distances because of tree spacing not worrying about noise, stop every ten yards or until you hear them moving.

I did it once just to see what happened saw quite a few does that would jump up and stop to look back to see what I was (wind was in my favor), no bucks though.

[Piscatory_5]

If it rains be sure you're out there. It's easier when it rains.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[fishnfur]

Not to thread jack but.

Has anyone tried what I call combat hunting for them? Basically you go thru reprod that you can see good distances because of tree spacing not worrying about noise, stop every ten yards or until you hear them moving.

I did it once just to see what happened saw quite a few does that would jump up and stop to look back to see what I was (wind was in my favor), no bucks though.

I had the same thing happen when I was looking for the buck I shot last year.  I kicked several doe out of their beds.  Might be a worthwhile tactic when you're ready to move on to a different cut, though I'd hate to be the hunter that came in behind you unaware of your assault on the cut.

[SeatoSummit88]

From all of the reading I've done, videos/seminars I've watched and the field time I've had, my opinion is that the most important factor you have is a Doe or Doe's that are ready to breed. Horny dudes at a bar will target a gal and attempt to sweep her away...Only one will prevail...But, there will be many that will try. If the tails out, stick it out! Follow her/them as they move. Eventually a buck that's close by will show himself. As mentioned above, don't worry about snow as much as general deer activity. Good Luck

[slowhand]

Quote:
"They believe in their camo more than just about any other animal I have hunted. They will freeze solid and not move a muscle, then hold there spot until you almost step on them. similar to hunting hand raised birds vs wild birds. Good Luck and I hope You bag a monster."

That trait just blows my mind when I jump a buck that I've unknowingly approached while they just watched me till some magic line was crossed.  It's hard to imagine how many BT bucks hunters miss as they work their way through the woods.

I shot the nicest BT buck I've ever shot last year.  He was laying in his bed 70 yards away watching me.  He was surrounded by chest high ferns and all I saw initially was his throat patch.  It took me literally 3 or 4 minutes of walking in circles above him to get an angle that I could see to shoot him.  I shot him in his bed and he watched me the entire time.  I'm just lucky I saw the white patch that looked out of place in the dark timber.

This is exactly what My Dad has told me over and over. LOL
Well done on Your part.
I'll throw in another Blacktail Pro tip #4650. The last one about the camo is pro tip #1 Haha
As Your still hunting silently threw an area or on a trail stopping often to listen and look. Look behind You just as often. Sometimes You will catch a set of eyes or a head pop up to see if your gone. It works! They want to know if the danger is gone so they will sneak a peak. Don't worry they won't get up and run. They think they are invisable, most times they are.

[WapitiTalk1]

Money tip right there slowhand. Whitetail story, but..... many, many moons ago on an elk hunt (had a deer tag also) outside of the tiny town of D______, Montana, I had an interesting phenomenon occur that I'll never forget.  Packs on our back (heading in to a quasi wilderness area, about 1/2 way in to our destination roughly 2 miles up the trail), rifled shouldered, walking along a rare flat and fairly open area, late/mid morning..... "it" occurred.  Cruising along the established trail, again... in a fairly open area (pretty wide flat, maybe 70-80 yards across) with just some scrub brush and scattered 3-4' saplings in it, something made me stop and turn around.  There, not 30 yards behind me, was an absolute pig of a buck standing broadside in the trail (think non-typical, stupid wide, pig of a buck), giving me the stink eye.  He was obviously bedded close to the trail, behind/in what I don't know, watched and let us pass and head up the trail before he stood up and headed out.  Over the years, I've taken that well learned tip and used it over and over, for all forms of big game hunting.  You know what, those sneaky suckers, blacktails in particular, will certainly stay put as you walk almost right by/over them.  Look back often         

[screedler]

Money tip right there slowhand. Whitetail story, but..... many, many moons ago on an elk hunt (had a deer tag also) outside of the tiny town of D______, Montana, I had an interesting phenomenon occur that I'll never forget.  Packs on our back (heading in to a quasi wilderness area, about 1/2 way in to our destination roughly 2 miles up the trail), rifled shouldered, walking along a rare flat and fairly open area, late/mid morning..... "it" occurred.  Cruising along the established trail, again... in a fairly open area (pretty wide flat, maybe 70-80 yards across) with just some scrub brush and scattered 3-4' saplings in it, something made me stop and turn around.  There, not 30 yards behind me, was an absolute pig of a buck standing broadside in the trail (think non-typical, stupid wide, pig of a buck), giving me the stink eye.  He was obviously bedded close to the trail, behind/in what I don't know, watched and let us pass and head up the trail before he stood up and headed out.  Over the years, I've taken that well learned tip and used it over and over, for all forms of big game hunting.  You know what, those sneaky suckers, blacktails in particular, will certainly stay put as you walk almost right by/over them.  Look back often       

This is so true!!! First day ever hunting for me a few years ago I walked halfway down a few mile straightaway to a clearcut I was targeting and halfway down I decided to look back, and there was the first deer I ever saw while hunting. Still twilight so I couldn't see antlers or not...  That haunts me to this day! If that was a buck... I had him in my dang crosshairs but couldn't see for sure if it was a legal buck so I just kept going.

[Special T]

Not to thread jack but.

Has anyone tried what I call combat hunting for them? Basically you go thru reprod that you can see good distances because of tree spacing not worrying about noise, stop every ten yards or until you hear them moving.

I did it once just to see what happened saw quite a few does that would jump up and stop to look back to see what I was (wind was in my favor), no bucks though.

Byod Iverson has a slightly different take on that called still hunting. you hike to the "hunting area" then move very slowly. take a step or 2 then look and glass around. Slow movements lots of looking, but only in prime area that has been previously scouted.

[WSU]

Quote:
"They believe in their camo more than just about any other animal I have hunted. They will freeze solid and not move a muscle, then hold there spot until you almost step on them. similar to hunting hand raised birds vs wild birds. Good Luck and I hope You bag a monster."

That trait just blows my mind when I jump a buck that I've unknowingly approached while they just watched me till some magic line was crossed.  It's hard to imagine how many BT bucks hunters miss as they work their way through the woods.

I shot the nicest BT buck I've ever shot last year.  He was laying in his bed 70 yards away watching me.  He was surrounded by chest high ferns and all I saw initially was his throat patch.  It took me literally 3 or 4 minutes of walking in circles above him to get an angle that I could see to shoot him.  I shot him in his bed and he watched me the entire time.  I'm just lucky I saw the white patch that looked out of place in the dark timber.

This is exactly what My Dad has told me over and over. LOL
Well done on Your part.
I'll throw in another Blacktail Pro tip #4650. The last one about the camo is pro tip #1 Haha
As Your still hunting silently threw an area or on a trail stopping often to listen and look. Look behind You just as often. Sometimes You will catch a set of eyes or a head pop up to see if your gone. It works! They want to know if the danger is gone so they will sneak a peak. Don't worry they won't get up and run. They think they are invisable, most times they are.

It was part luck.  I was actually hunting through some timber a herd of elk had gone into during muzzy season. I had tags for both but was looking for the elk.  I just happened upon the buck.

[fishnfur]

Here's a new vid - six hours old.  It's got some good information on BT hunting high up hidden in his story about the massive buck he is chasing again this year.  A little motivation in advance of the opener.

[logola512c]

How did it go in 460 today?  I left at 11 and heard from the security guy that a grand total of 2 bucks were shot in the hancock tree farm this morning.  I spent the entire morning sitting in a cloud with maybe 75 yards of visibility when it wasn't less than that and no deer or even sign of deer.  Need to try something different tomorrow.

[fishnfur]

I sat on reprod down in 530 this morning and only heard one shot all morning until 11:00, Then there were another six or so in the next hour and a half.  Very slow for an area that typically sounds like a firing range on opening morning.