blacktail and higher elevations

[jtf]

walked around a lake this past saturday. about an inch or more snow was on the ground. not one deer print anywhere. probably covered 1 mile. maybe a little more. gonna try the other side saturday.

my question is do you all find that once the snow starts to accumulate at the mid to high elevations that the deer come down? i was just surprised i didn't see one track. it wasn't cold and there is plenty of browsing still left i think.

i was spoiled growing up hunting whitetails i realize now. blacktail hunting is a totally different ball game and i am getting skunked and irritated. place i hunt is mostly the southeastern side of the Olympics. i have seen them here and there. never in the same place though twice.

got any ideas. i am up for anything.

[Skyvalhunter]

Well alot of times deer don't move for a while after a heavy snow. In higher elevation what elevation are you talking? If those big boys have already done there breeding they will head up high and stay for some time. They get in that timber where its thick and the snow is not so deep and hang out. The rut is when they become stupid and search out does. They might not even go to the lower elevation if they are able to gather up enough does to keep them satisfied. Seen some blacktails finally move down when the snow was 3 or 4 feet deep. Depends on snow conditions too if they can walk on top and browse on whatever they find. So they don't necessarily HAVE to go to lower elev's.

[jtf]

they are probably up there somewhere then. i guess i jut have to go into the thicket more and see what's going on.
elevation i was at was around 1200 i think.

[steen]

Even in the lowlands when the weather turns cold it is hard to find any deer.  They stay mostly holed up.  Her it was 11 degrees this morning with the wind blowing around 50 mph last night.  No one saw any deer during the late hunt.