Big Blacktails, tips, tricks helpful hints

[7mag.]

Scott Haugen once told me about a big buck with a unique rack that he saw one day, then saw him again several miles away the very next morning.

I've found that once the heat of the rut kicks in, those special few days, all the big buck rules no longer apply.

"heat of the rut", does it exist or do different does come into heat throughout the month? Opinions?

My opinion is; yes and no. I believe that the majority of the does come into heat at about the same time. But, there are some that come in early, and some that come in late. That's why the blacktail rut seems to last from the last week in October, to almost thanksgiving. Also, not all the does get bread, and they will come into heat again about a month after the first time. The "heat of the rut" as I call it, is those magical few days where you really need to be in the woods. When a big buck will walk right by you without even looking at you, in the middle of the day. Just my opinion, I'm in no way an authority.

[7mag.]

This one was all luck. One of those days when it payed off to be in the woods. He never even saw me.

[sagerat]

Sounds good to me, I've seen mid size bucks do that but am still waiting for a big guy. I have seen three big ones killed by buddies, all with a doe(not just roaming along) and all during late rifle.

[JackOfAllTrades]

7mag:

Just be ready to shoot fast, point blank, as they will often not move until you are right on top of them.

Dad watched me walk right past a bedded buck one time as I cut the corner of a clear cut. That wiley buck watched me without moving an ear. Dad glassed him. That buck got up out of the thick once I was nearly a hundred yards away. He did not spook at all and dad said I was less than 20yds from him. I never saw him until I met up with dad at the road edge some 500yds away from his bed and watched him turn into the thick.

-Steve

[7mag.]

7mag:

Just be ready to shoot fast, point blank, as they will often not move until you are right on top of them.

Dad watched me walk right past a bedded buck one time as I cut the corner of a clear cut. That wiley buck watched me without moving an ear. Dad glassed him. That buck got up out of the thick once I was nearly a hundred yards away. He did not spook at all and dad said I was less than 20yds from him. I never saw him until I met up with dad at the road edge some 500yds away from his bed and watched him turn into the thick.

-Steve

Those old blacktail bucks are cagey. I had one get up less than 10 feet in front of me, while still hunting the reprod. After I recovered from a near heart attack, he was gone. Most of the big ones I have seen have been less than 50 yards.

[coachcw]

I always try to zig zag and even back track when in the thick stuff , I've shot two bucks that were behind me trying to sneek out . I was shotgun hunting , there kinda like big pheasent . one thing is when it rains I always see more deer . good luck.

[bow4elk]

I think of the rut like the 'bell curve'.  A few are early...some really late...but the bulk will center around a certain time---length of day, temperature, moon, etc.  Some of the fawns (this year's crop) that live under my porch are already gray with buttons and one spike.  But last week there was a brand new one--bright white spots.  It may keep with the doe until late causing her to go into heat later.  There is definitely a timeframe (Halloween +/- 1 week) when the bucks are being 'overworked'.  I will see them completely change their habits---running around broad daylight, hanging around people, etc.

Good stuff!

Peak breeding based on my notes for the areas I hunt usually falls around November 12 (+/- 3 days).  I'm not a biologist and don't pretend to be but the gestation period for blacktails is about 200 days (+/- ~10 to 15 days).  So, my scouting starts in the spring when I start seeing the first fawns in my hunting areas.  If you estimate the age of the fawns and back up 200 days, bingo - you now know when that particular doe was bred, thus leading you to peak rut timing.  Now, this is the most practical way I've found to figure this out specific to the deer in my areas.  It can and does vary quite a bit.  For example, when I lived down in Springfield, Oregon in the early 90's I found the best action to be much later.  Then again, I've rattled in several mature bucks during the last week of December in Bellingham when I was attending college.  I killed three deer in a row on 12/31.

Here's a spotted fawn captured on September 6th.  Does will typically give birth to a single fawn during their first breeding year, then twins each year thereafter (assuming good health).  This fawn was with a doe and there is no way to know if the fawn had a sibling that died or if this was the doe’s first born.  Sometimes first year does tend to enter estrous a bit later than mature does, or at least they bucks seems to favor mature does earlier.  That is what I’ve witnessed but I’d love to hear other’s views or support or discount this assumption.

Here's my 2009 buck, killed on 10/24 bowhunting during rifle season with a rifle tag to coincide with pre-rut activity.  This buck was tending a doe at daylight but the wind was bad so I left and came back for the afternoon.  I still-hunted through the area and killed him at 18 yards as he stood from his bed.

[7mag.]

THAT is a dandy blacktail. One hell of an archery kill. Was that in Washington?

[Jellymon]

Ive always thought that a big blacktail buck is the true trophy of North America. Much tougher to bag one than anything else to me, especially with a bow.

[bow4elk]

THAT is a dandy blacktail. One hell of an archery kill. Was that in Washington?

Yes, last season.  There are a lot of guys on this site who've tagged some monster bucks.  There are a quite a few guys on this site who have the goods to back up their knowledge and expertise.  Hopefully they'll come forward and add to this thread.

[Glockster]

Question for Bow 4 & others who kill these deer consistently:  When I lived in Sitka we, and everyone it seemed, used calls on blacktails.  It was very effective.  ~Do you think WA b.tails as "vocal" as the Sitka variety?

[bowtech721]

that is a bruiser of a blacktail bow4... i think ive seen it on the wall in a couple shops but didnt know it was from a hunt wa member

[bow4elk]

Question for Bow 4 & others who kill these deer consistently:  When I lived in Sitka we, and everyone it seemed, used calls on blacktails.  It was very effective.  ~Do you think WA b.tails as "vocal" as the Sitka variety?

Very susceptable to rattling but they aren't hard and loud grunters like whitetails can be.  I've heard only a few buck grunts and they were soft and in close to my stand.  I've never grunted in a buck but I've rattled in plenty.  Usually it's the younger bucks that come flying in.  Older bucks tend to hang back, look, listen, and then circle to scent check.  You have to had a cross-wind or even slightly down-wind shooting window to catch them trying to get down wind.

Doe bleats work well for calling in does, and as you likely know, they work very well on Sitka Blacktails!  Man, I've never had does respond like in SW AK.  I subdue my calling for blacktails unless wind or rain noise warrants getting louder.  I also started "jigging" my rattling antlers from my stand about 10 years ago to get the sound down on the ground and the added thrashing in the salal and ferns makes it sound more realistic.  Just don't get caught yanking on the cord when a buck shows up!  I use parachute cord because the color isn't as noticeable.

[steen]

Best to sit in a spot you know they come to and wait patiently.  The rut is obviously the best.

[brianmtsinc]

I have been archery hunting Elk and Deer for many years, but primarily have focused on elk and if I came across a deer, then great!  But I have filled my elk tag and really want to start learning how to be more successful hunting deer.  

Here is a couple of questions for your deer hunters - Regarding deer on the east side of the slope (Naches, Bumping, etc...) technically mule deer, but in my opinion seem to be blacktail or a cross breed:

1 -  Do they respond to calling ??  

2 - Will they still be in the rut during late archery (starting Nov. 25th?)


Thanks in advance for any input!!!  
Best regards,
Brian