Big Blacktails, tips, tricks helpful hints

[wt]

Here is my 09 BT.  I am a beginner and got lucky with this one.  Its no record but I'll probably bag smaller bucks in the future.  I didn't know it was  good hunting conditions at the time, but since reading and listening a lot since, I have learned it was almost text book conditions.  The short of it is: Oct 28th about 10:30am, I had just spent all morning shivering and waiting at the spot I had seen a 3x4 the previous day.  I didn't see anything and it was pouring and the wind was blowing. It was blowing so hard I had begun to question the wisdom of being in the woods at all, I was ready to pack it out but being that I was 2-3 miles in I thought I would scope out the next clear cut for the next time in. I got over to the cut, it was about 1/2 mile away and the weather was letting up a little.  I spooked  a doe and yearling on the road and resisted the urge to follow them, but instead headed up a steep bank to the left.  About 20yds after the bank flattened out antlers started popping up (there where about 4-5 bucks and 6-8 does) the does split and the two largest bucks lingered...bang 4x4.  They where bedded in the middle of a 3-5 year old clear cut not heavy cover at all. I went back to the same area today, does and bears, no buck for me. I kid you not after that experience, I LOVE THE RAIN. no kidding.

[7mag.]

Very nice mature blacktail. How wide is he? That is why when the weather turns nasty, I make sure to be in the woods.

[bow4elk]

Text book is right - Awesome buck!  That last photo looks like a prison mug shot 

I'd rather be lucky than good any day.  I beat my braincells silly trying to unravel these deer and it amazes me how many "first" bucks I score that look like this.  Very nice buck!

[blackveltbowhunter]

Great Buck WT. Thats a dang nice BT!

[AKBowman]

...  Its no record but I'll probably bag smaller bucks in the future. 

Probably will but that is a great BT. This will be my fourth year hunting elk/BT's and I have never seen one close to that. Hope you get one bigger but it will be tough to beat that big dude!

Nice cape too. Did you mount him?

 

[billythekidrock]

One tip we were discussing in detail this past spring was about blocking trails with brush & limbs to keep bucks from traveling around your stand/blind location.  Blacktails are deliberate in their movements but they are also quite lazy and will often walk around a limb they can easily step over.  I've been blocking trails and altering travel routes for some time as well.  You can literally change a buck's route by simply making it easier to travel past your well-chosen stand location.  All scent/wind/approach rules apply.  Just because bucks can be lazy doesn't me you can too 

A small pair of clipper/cutters can work wonders for opening up new travel routes. It doesn't have to be much work either. Just trim a couple branches each time out. They love the path of least resistance...until you get to their bedding area.

[GlennGTR]

First learn what a truly big blacktail is. I have seen hunters get head mounts of deer that I wouldnt bother to shoot. Road closure areas are good areas to start, I usually walk for about two hours before sunup to get back where the deer are and hunters arent. Be patient, if you cant pass up a decent 3x3 or smallish 4x4 at the begining of the season you will never find the true heavy weights. They are out there. Hunt the rut...the rut is mostly over during the late buck season. The last week or so of October has gotten me most of my big deer, the last two on the 31 of October. Look up record book blacktails and get familiar with the height, mass and spread of a truly large deer, then stick to your standard. If you cant handle going one season without filling your tag, then hunting big deer may not be for you. Last but not least, know your rifle and practice your field marksmanship skills...sighting in at the bench will never cut it when your shooting 200 + yards kneeling or prone. Most hunters make this mistake the most. I got it sighted in so now I must know how to make tough pressure shots out in the field.

[BLR 243]

Hunt late, when hunting timber don't walk verticle, bend @ the waist and look under and look for the horizontal line. Don't shoot the first buck u see and when u see a deer there is always another one within 400 yds. Hunt the rain, hunt after a storm, hunt late, use your binoculars, then use your binoculars again even in the timber. when everyone one else heads out b4 dark stay put, hunt late.

[BLR 243]

Use your binnoculars.

[BLR 243]

Use your binnoculars when eating your lunch.

[billythekidrock]

I know the topic is “Big Blacktail Tips” and while these may not be truly big BT’s (only one was a mounter) some are big for the local area and I think these tips may help. Here area few basic rules that I try to follow, and the results.

Hunt alone.
Both of these were killed on the same day on opposite ends of the county. We were hunting by ourselves and met up later. I think these were second weekend bucks and both had does.



Watch the does.
This was another Capitol Forest buck I think killed on the second weekend. It was hanging with 3 does. They stopped, he stopped, he dropped.



As stated before, look behind you.
I shot this buck while helping a friend look for his 3pt. While we were trying to enter a swampy vine maple jungle, I decided that we were making too much noise and I backed out. While back tracking I saw this guy sneaking out the way we came in.



Hunt slow!
I think this was an afternoon in the middle of the first week. My brother and I were hunting together on this one. He was a speed demon and would blast through an area. I slowed down. Got that feeling and just sat. I could hear my brother calling for me from our ronde-point at the bottom of the draw but I did not respond. Something told me to sit, and sit and sit. I only moved about 20 yards in 30 minutes. Pretty soon I could hear my brother calling for me from our initial entry point. I moved a couple feet and finally saw this buck staring at me. He had at least 4 does with him.



Hunt the nastiest weather.
Mine is the same buck as above (pulled him out of the freezer for the pic) and one my father shot during late buck. The buck was by himself in the waist high salal during a monsoon. The wind was whipping the trees and rain was coming down sideways. The buck took off like a rocket and the old man hit him in the base of the neck with a 12 gauge slug.



The fog can be your friend.
I don’t remember when this one was killed but it wasn’t the opener or late buck so probably the second weekend or last weekend. The fog was thick and there was at least one other guy hunting the area. Hunt slowly and wait out the fog. Often the deer will hand around long enough for a shot.



Don’t be afraid to try odd tactics.
I worked all night and got off just before daylight. I hunted my way back to an old cut and found nothing. I was tired and the wind and rain was driving me nuts. I decided to go home to bed around 10. On my way out I heard some moaning in the thick stuff and thought it was a bear. I decided to take a peek and after some slow stalking I saw a doe. She started moaning/bleating and walking away. I saw a glint of antler on another deer. I blew a couple kisses and squeaked on the back of my hand. He came back and died.

[7mag.]

Wow, nice bucks Willie. Good examples of some great tips.

[grundy53]

 I've seen bucks chasing does everyday since Sunday. And all the bucks I've seen killed since Friday have had swollen necks and stunk. I shot a 3x3 with eyegaurds on Monday.

[ICEMAN]

Wow, what a gorgeous rack on that blackie.... Good job!

[halflife65]

Ah, I just went to http://www.blacktailtrophytactics.com/html/about.htm


My anti-virus software if freaking out because it looks like it's infected with a bunch of viruses (the fake AV stuff).  I definitely don't think that it is intentional on the part of the site owner but he probably needs to get that thing cleaned up.  Just be careful when surfing it (I'm going to avoid it until it's cleaned up.)

Anyway, on topic: good advice so far - rain or right after rain is the best and it's tough to get a trophy blacktail.  Boyd I. and others have started using tree stands in some places.  I've never tried it, though.