Hunting Washington Forum
Washington State Hunting Forum and Northwest Resource Site
Please
login
or
register
.
1 Hour
1 Day
1 Week
1 Month
Forever
Login with username, password and session length
News:
Free:
Contests & Raffles
.
Home
Help
Calendar
Advertise
Login
Register
Hunting Washington Forum
»
Big Game Hunting
»
Deer Hunting
»
Blacktail for a new Washington hunter
Advertisement
Advertise Here
« previous
next »
Print
Pages: [
1
]
Go Down
Author
Topic: Blacktail for a new Washington hunter (Read 1482 times)
JerryKern
Trade Count:
(
0
)
Pilgrim
Join Date: May 2024
Posts: 18
Location: Tacoma
Blacktail for a new Washington hunter
«
on:
September 13, 2024, 07:11:14 PM »
I’m looking to hunt some public land before paying to get into a timber company. I’ve been looking at Olympic national FOREST not park. Also been looking at Gifford as well. Does anyone know if these areas are even worth hunting? I also have a bear and elk tag and they are all modern gun. I’m struggling to find some places to be able to glass since it’s all thick timber. If anyone has any suggestions please pm me. I’m worried I’m going to waste my short time period to fill a tag. Thanks guys
Logged
Advertise Here
bkaech
Trade Count:
(
0
)
Scout
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 329
Location: Puyallup
Groups: BHA, RMEF, NRA
Re: Blacktail for a new Washington hunter
«
Reply #1 on:
September 13, 2024, 07:53:10 PM »
What you mentioned is Forest service land, in general, Forest Service land has not been logged for decades and only has openings in the high country above tree line. Large tracks of big timber is not good deer or elk habitat, they like edges, so either high country or logged areas. If you look for land owned by the State of Washington it is managed (not well) for timber and has a mix of timber and logging and most is open to public use you just need a discover pass.
Logged
Bearhunter308
Trade Count:
(
0
)
Hunter
Join Date: Sep 2023
Posts: 149
Location: Chehalis
Re: Blacktail for a new Washington hunter
«
Reply #2 on:
September 13, 2024, 08:26:58 PM »
The app OnX is about $35 a year but is well worth it. Lets you see land ownership everywhere you go in WA. State land can be good, as well as companies like Port Blakely and Sierra Pacific. Mostly walk in access, but can have a good mix of timber and clear cuts.
Logged
When I inevitably choke to death on gummy bears, I’d simply like it said that I was “killed by bears”, and leave it at that
addicted1
Non-Hunting Topics
Trade Count:
(
0
)
Scout
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 485
Location: NW
Re: Blacktail for a new Washington hunter
«
Reply #3 on:
September 13, 2024, 09:04:28 PM »
As was mentioned above, you’re not going to do much glassing blacktail hunting unless youre on cuts or alpine. You are probably gonna need to read some material on blacktail hunting tactics. Boyd Iverson books are good but kind of pricey, but seem like they’ll at least get you started. If it’s your first time hunting BT, you may not see any all season honestly. It takes some time to figure out areas and deer habits.
Logged
high_hunter
Business Sponsor
Trade Count:
(
+11
)
Scout
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 393
Location: Skagit Co.
Re: Blacktail for a new Washington hunter
«
Reply #4 on:
September 14, 2024, 07:59:42 AM »
Pick a spot and go wherever you can spend the most time in the woods as both have the critters you're after. The books & tactics mentioned or a mentor may help also.
Enjoy the time and experience of being out in the woods hunting. You'll learn something and know to avoid, or go back and hopefully what to do next time to increase chances.
This is all part of the hunting experience. Don't equate a kill to success otherwise, most trips will be a "waste" and you may burn out quickly. Scouting and time over target help lead to downed quarry, there generally is no easy button. Don't be surprised if there are others out where you are. Be curious, safe, and have a good hunt!
-HH
Logged
Take one new person out hunting every year.
Contact me for blood tracking needs in the Wa PNW--Skagit, Snohomish, Island, and Whatcom Counties
chukardogs
Trade Count:
(
+3
)
Scout
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 467
Location: Shoreline
Re: Blacktail for a new Washington hunter
«
Reply #5 on:
September 14, 2024, 11:32:03 AM »
Big timber Blacktails take scouting and more scouting and most scouting. Scout until you find tracks that look promising. Drive roads looking for crossings. Once you find the crossings, verify whether it's one, two or several animals and whether it looks like they've traveled that trail numerous times. Look for a set of tracks that are deeper than the rest. Mature Cascade Blacktail bucks can out weigh their does by 50 lbs.
Years ago on the Beckler Peak road while Grouse hunting, I noticed a deer trail that came out of a wall of brush and crossed the road and vanished into a rock wall loaded with brush and ferns. I checked it numerous times throughout that fall on my trips through and it always had sign on it. One of the late Novemberish Grouse hunts when I was parked just down the road from the deer crossing, I had just loaded the dogs, shut the hatch and turned around. There standing in the road beside that trail was a brute of a Blacktail buck with a smaller buck beside him.
They're out there and those bucks that live up high in the cascades can get huge bodies.
Couple years ago outside of Forks, hunting the late season. Didn't know the area so the kid and I drove hundreds of miles on numerous roads up high until we found one lone set of deer tracks on the end of a logging road. Numerous trees on the end of that road were trashed. One lone buck lived somewhere close but we couldn't find him. We saw a hundred elk or more that weekend and one set of deer tracks.
Many years ago on the Foss river road during late bow season, driving roads looking for tracks, I crossed a set of tracks. Went up the road, parked, walked back down the hill to check the tracks. They were big, deep and looked fresh so I followed the tracks down the hill about a quarter mile and ended up in a wall of vine maple and walked right up to a Blacktail buck laying in his bed that looked like he belonged in the Chiwawa drainage. He knew I was there long before I knew he was there so he won.
If you want to see large numbers of deer, hunt timber land with 5 to 7 year old clearings. If you want the chance at a Blacktail of a lifetime, hunt high country or private.
It wouldn't be unreasonable to think you could hunt public land all season long and see one deer but that one deer may be a stud.
Good luck Out there!
Logged
Advertise Here
Print
Pages: [
1
]
Go Up
« previous
next »
Hunting Washington Forum
»
Big Game Hunting
»
Deer Hunting
»
Blacktail for a new Washington hunter
Advertisement
Advertise Here
Quick Links
Front Page
Donate To Forum
Advertise on H-W
Recent Posts
Articles
Forum Rules
Recent Topics
GMU 247 Entiat bear hunting
by
GeoSwan
[
Yesterday
at 10:23:36 PM]
AKC Australian Shepherd Puppies
by
TeacherMan
[
Yesterday
at 09:54:58 PM]
Observatory quality bull rifle
by
mtndew
[
Yesterday
at 09:17:55 PM]
New Zealand Hunt
by
Rufous
[
Yesterday
at 08:31:39 PM]
Sportsman Alliance files petition to Gov Ferguson for removal of corrupt WA Wildlife Commissioners
by
pickardjw
[
Yesterday
at 07:58:31 PM]
Colockum Archery Bull Tag
by
crabcreekhunter
[
Yesterday
at 07:51:37 PM]
Upland Side by Side
by
pickardjw
[
Yesterday
at 06:48:15 PM]
American Legion Summer Raffle - $1000 Prize!!!
by
pianoman9701
[
Yesterday
at 05:02:37 PM]
Selkirk bull moose.
by
10thmountainarcher
[
Yesterday
at 03:36:22 PM]
North Peninsula Salmon Fishing
by
Stein
[
Yesterday
at 02:23:22 PM]
Looking for people to hunt with.
by
Boss .300 winmag
[
Yesterday
at 01:21:22 PM]
Primer 157 vs 209
by
EnglishSetter
[
Yesterday
at 11:30:27 AM]
Evergreen youth livestock show and sale
by
nwwanderer
[
Yesterday
at 11:06:58 AM]
2025 Quality Chewuch Tag
by
elkaholic123
[
Yesterday
at 08:39:45 AM]
Rotator Cuff repair X 2 advice needed
by
Wood2Sawdust
[
Yesterday
at 07:49:52 AM]
Tooth age on Quinault bull
by
nwwanderer
[
Yesterday
at 06:54:44 AM]
Public Land Sale Senate Budget Reconciliation
by
JDArms1240
[June 28, 2025, 08:45:13 PM]
3 days for Kings
by
Stein
[June 28, 2025, 06:45:11 PM]
Kinda fun LH rimfire rifle project
by
JDHasty
[June 28, 2025, 06:44:33 PM]
Can’t fish for pinks area 8-2?
by
WAcoueshunter
[June 28, 2025, 05:22:46 PM]
SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2025, SimplePortal