Blacktails

[Black Ghost]

There seems to be a lack of blacktail success photo's?     I expected a little more from the late season?  How is it is going out there?  The numbers seem to have drastically dropped... everywhere?  Maybe the lack of hound hunting is really taking it's toll.  The folks that usually get their deer every year seem to be struggling to find the #'s of deer?  Hope this is a duplicate post of other's questions, but this has got to be the worst I have ever seen. 

[bobcat]

Well, I killed a 2x3 buck on October 30th. The last blacktail buck I killed was back in about 2001. But it wasn't easy, that was the only buck I actually saw. I hunted every day of the first rifle season, except one. But the thing is, I know the bucks are out there because I have plenty of trail camera pictures of them. The problem is, almost all the pictures are at night. But I definitely think there are less blacktails than there was 15 to 20 years ago.
 
 

[tjthebest]

My brother just got a nice little 3 point today

[BOWHUNTER45]

everyone I have talked to today got sheet !!!

[deerhunter_98520]

its been a pretty bad year...ive hunted 14 days for deer...6 were in my spot cause they changed it to weekend access...3 of the days someone beat me to it first thing in the morning..and 2 of the other days i got there it was fogged in till noon  ive seen deer everyday there and 3 possible bucks...but between the fog/misty rain it was to hard to see headgear and all 3 started chasin does and wouldnt stop for a shot when i realized they were bucks...ill be out bright and early tomorrow and sunday and have a good feeling about the deer activity...the last 3 days at work ive seen 13 deer...2 nice fork horns chasin does 

[BOWHUNTER45]

its been a pretty bad year...ive hunted 14 days for deer...6 were in my spot cause they changed it to weekend access...3 of the days someone beat me to it first thing in the morning..and 2 of the other days i got there it was fogged in till noon  ive seen deer everyday there and 3 possible bucks...but between the fog/misty rain it was to hard to see headgear and all 3 started chasin does and wouldnt stop for a shot when i realized they were bucks...ill be out bright and early tomorrow and sunday and have a good feeling about the deer activity...the last 3 days at work ive seen 13 deer...2 nice fork horns chasin does 

good luck bud !! keep on pounding it !!

[singleshot12]

Just not seeing the deer this year, last year was poor too. I blame it on the economy, people are poaching more.

[bankwalker]

I havent seen anything this late hunt. last year in the same area the rut was going crazy during the late hunt.

This year in general has been the worst I've ever seen the deer numbers in my regular areas. And the second year hunting around shelton has been a bust after last season being very good.
However I have seen some quality bucks. But man oh man I'm hunting 100x harder to see them.

One thing I'm noticing over here by my house in Matlock is that I'm seeing 3x the cougar sign then last year. And a crazy amount of coyotes.

[big wood]

I AGREE THE DEER NUMBERS ARE REALLY DOWN. TEN YEARS AGO YOU COULD SEE 15-20 DEER A DAY IN HANDCOCK. 5 OF THE 12 TIMES I'VE BEEN IN THERE THIS YEAR I HAVE NOT EVEN SEEN A DOE. I HAVE SEEN 4 DIFFERENT 2 PTS THAT I LET GO. THAT IS TERRIBLE. WE NEED TO BRING BACK HOUND HUNTING AND TRAPPING.

[scoyoc5]

the deer hunting in the last few years sucks!

[Black Ghost]

i don't have facts to support it, but I believe that the poaching is consistent.  I don't think that this has much of a impact on #'s, but the predators have continually increased in numbers.  Second, the smart deer left over seem to remain nocturnal more than normal.  My son and I got some small bucks, but the numbers are very disappointing.  And the lack of success pictures seems to support what I have heard from everyone else.  Thanx guys.

[cowboybilly]

Shot this nice 4 X4 almost 4 x 5 point blackie off Baker Lake road today, 11/18. was a special draw quality buck tag. We were checking out places to hunt when this guy basically walked out in front of us 75 yards off. Killed lots of whitey and muleys But this is my first Black tail and i think body wise, he's in the top 2. Such a nice Buck. Thanks to 50CalJim for the help scouting, dragging, skinning and the use of the shop to hang him in! you are a good friend Jim! The blackie now resides at the MuleyHunter residence getting ready to assume the position! Thanks for everything Dave!!!!

[blackveltbowhunter]

Very nice buck Cowboy Hes a stud!

[singleshot12]

That's a VERY nice buck Cowboy, good for you!  What's wierd about this year is that most of the nice bucks that have been shot were harvested by first time blacktail hunters, meanwhile most of the veteran hunters haven't had any success at all.

I've hunted blacktails religiously for over thirty years and have tagged a nice one all of those years using the best blacktail tactics. Last year was the first year I got skunked, hunted hard and didn't even see a buck. The following summer I scouted without seeing many deer so decided to not purchase a tag and not hunt this season.

The lack of blacktails is due to a combination of things. 20 years ago hardly anyone hunted them now the last few years everybody's trying to get a blacktail, that, poaching, excess of preditors, and the use of herbicides by most logging companys have all led to the demise of the blacktail.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Shot this nice 4 X4 almost 4 x 5 point blackie off Baker Lake road today, 11/18. was a special draw quality buck tag. We were checking out places to hunt when this guy basically walked out in front of us 75 yards off. Killed lots of whitey and muleys But this is my first Black tail and i think body wise, he's in the top 2. Such a nice Buck. Thanks to 50CalJim for the help scouting, dragging, skinning and the use of the shop to hang him in! you are a good friend Jim! The blackie now resides at the MuleyHunter residence getting ready to assume the position! Thanks for everything Dave!!!!

Nice job Billy... I was just asking everyone if they knew who had those late Sauk & Nooksack Tags ...Last year I heard of many being killed but this year you are the only one I know of ...nice one ..

[50CalJim]

Gee Billy thanks for showing a pic of my filthy shop. Oh well I was needin some motivation to clean the Damn thing up any way. 

[cowboybilly]

That's a VERY nice buck Cowboy, good for you!  What's wierd about this year is that most of the nice bucks that have been shot were harvested by first time blacktail hunters, meanwhile most of the veteran hunters haven't had any success at all.

Very good point singleshot12, i think i mislead in my statement, this my be my first BT Buck but certainly not my first time in the field hunting them.  was just finally in the right place right time. The tactics for whitey and muleys, certainly do not apply for these creatures!

[BOWHUNTER45]

Just not seeing the deer this year, last year was poor too. I blame it on the economy, people are poaching more.

yeah thats it ....

[upriver]

I think in Skagit county they are coming back. That hair loss, cougars and other factors had them thinned out but they are around. I think the rut has run later this year. Maybe I'm just hoping since I'll be out with my bow on the 23rd.

[cowboybilly]

Gee Billy thanks for showing a pic of my filthy shop. Oh well I was needin some motivation to clean the Damn thing up any way. 

HAHA Sorry brother! It's not filthy, just eclectically organized! I should have had you stand next to him to show how big the body is.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Alittle advice I can give is for you guys still hunting late buck is to wait until about 10am or SO and head out ...the deer will not move until then do to the freezing last night ...soon as the sun comes out the deer will be up and moving ...I am takin a buddy around 10:30 so we see what happens ...

[jason4429]

I think in Skagit county they are coming back. That hair loss, cougars and other factors had them thinned out but they are around. I think the rut has run later this year. Maybe I'm just hoping since I'll be out with my bow on the 23rd.

I think you are right about the rut running a little late. I shot a buck on thursday and he appeared to be ruttin,but he still had all his fat still on him ,so I assume that he was just getting started.

[PolarBear]

Alittle advice I can give is for you guys still hunting late buck is to wait until about 10am or SO and head out ...the deer will not move until then do to the freezing last night ...soon as the sun comes out the deer will be up and moving ...I am takin a buddy around 10:30 so we see what happens ...

 

[cowboybilly]

I think in Skagit county they are coming back. That hair loss, cougars and other factors had them thinned out but they are around. I think the rut has run later this year. Maybe I'm just hoping since I'll be out with my bow on the 23rd.

I think you are right about the rut running a little late. I shot a buck on thursday and he appeared to be ruttin,but he still had all his fat still on him ,so I assume that he was just getting started.

I have to agree too, the one i shot yesterday had his nose down hard and did not run off when he saw us. i didn't see any doe or tracks but he sure wasn't in his right mind that is for sure

[Black Ghost]

Nice buck Cowboy!

[BOWHUNTER45]

Alittle advice I can give is for you guys still hunting late buck is to wait until about 10am or SO and head out ...the deer will not move until then do to the freezing last night ...soon as the sun comes out the deer will be up and moving ...I am takin a buddy around 10:30 so we see what happens ...

well the ending is trophy spike down  1whole hour it took ...normally I do not like spikes being shot but when a friend calls and says HEY I have no meat in my freezer then it all changes for me .. once he saw that spike he saw meat for his family !!!  :yeah:Man I can not wait till next week to take my other son out ..he is pumped and deadly with that new bow ...hope we can find a nice one !!!!

[Houndhunter]

will be hunting your neck of the woods tomarrow black ghost, heard from my old man that you wernt having much luck. he took a small forked horn in packwood this morn, last day for him to hunt. hopefully i can connect tomarrow with a good buck or atleast get my sis a buck.

good luck to ya

[bobcat]

I don't know about waiting until after 10:00 to hunt. I went with my 13 year old cousin today to try to help him get his first deer, and we got up in my ladder stand about 6:55, and at 7:00 a doe and two fawns walked out in front of us and hung out for about 15 minutes, then headed right back into the reprod where they came from.

[NWWABOWHNTR]

Deer were moving pretty good here from 7:30 till 8:30 when I had to get out of the woods.... lots of big does, but not a buck amongst them. 

[blktailhntr]

This year has been pretty good to me and my buddies. I lead 4 of my buddies to a BT and got them. I also got my BT, and one other buddy got a nice BT as well. Can't really say that any of them were really big bucks but for 2 of them it was there first deer. So 6 out of 7 so far isnt bad! Have been seeing alot of spikes this year though. Every deer that was killed this year in our group was shot between 9am to 11am except 1.

[Black Ghost]

 , I can't stay out of the woods that long.  They may not show up till later, but i would rather be in the woods. 

I don't know about waiting until after 10:00 to hunt. I went with my 13 year old cousin today to try to help him get his first deer, and we got up in my ladder stand about 6:55, and at 7:00 a doe and two fawns walked out in front of us and hung out for about 15 minutes, then headed right back into the reprod where they came from.

[BOWHUNTER45]

My theory is not worth much but here is one my buddy just got at around 1:00 pm  plus he saw another but was not quick enough because it was standing by a DICOVER PASS SIGN HAHAHAHA and he waited to long to decide if he should shoot it or not because he did not buy one ... WTF Thats a no brainer for me  These Discover signs need to go 

[BOWHUNTER45]

i just love hearing sheet like this hahahaha 

[blackveltbowhunter]

Nice Buck! Congrats to your Bud

[BOWHUNTER45]

Deer were moving pretty good here from 7:30 till 8:30 when I had to get out of the woods.... lots of big does, but not a buck amongst them.

Hmmmm Think they came out after 10 

[Swannytheswan]

There is a buck in my yard...but I already filled my tag in early archery.

[D360]

I've the opposite, Most of my family members and friends that hunt blacktails have filled their, just waiting for my chance later this week.

[BOWHUNTER45]

well my son has a late archery tag and he never went once in the early season because he knows what pop usually sees in the late season  I cant wait to get him out there 

[upriver]

I hope 45 is right since the first couple days of late archery I can't start until 1 pm. I hate work some times.

[Houndhunter]

had deer moving right at first light today going into timber from there feeding areas, was at 1500 feet and it was cold but they were definetly moving at night into the early morning. saw nothing past 9:30AM either , they looked like they were active mostly at night

[BOWHUNTER45]

had deer moving right at first light today going into timber from there feeding areas, was at 1500 feet and it was cold but they were definetly moving at night into the early morning. saw nothing past 9:30AM either , they looked like they were active mostly at night

is it freezing in your area .... ?

[BOWHUNTER45]

This really blows me away ... it sounds like not many of us have killed many deer in mid morning and early afternoon ...HUH !! Is this because some of you are the percentage of hunters who head back to camp by 10 to eat breakfast or have lunch ...? well I know alot of deer bite the dirt at this time when some think they are taking a nap ... I shot my buck on the last day of october at 12:15 NOON...Been up that grade 100 times in the morning and evening and a couple times around noon.. and persistance payed off at NOON ON THE LAST DAY ....not counting all the other deer I have taking later on in the day ...ITS ALL GOOD ...JUST GIVING MY ADVICE on how I fill my blacktail tags every year .

[D360]

This really blows me away ... it sounds like not many of us have killed many deer in mid morning and early afternoon ...HUH !! Is this because some of you are the percentage of hunters who head back to camp by 10 to eat breakfast or have lunch ...? well I know alot of deer bite the dirt at this time when some think they are taking a nap ... I shot my buck on the last day of october at 12:15 NOON...Been up that grade 100 times in the morning and evening and a couple times around noon.. and persistance payed off at NOON ON THE LAST DAY ....not counting all the other deer I have taking later on in the day ...ITS ALL GOOD ...JUST GIVING MY ADVICE on how I kill my blacktail tags every year .

  The deer are are where you find them, when you find them. unpredictable animals...

[Savage Hunter]

It has been eight years since I have hunted in Western Washington so I have nothing recent to compare it to, but I did hunt Saturday on the
Olympic Penninsula and following my instincts that there would be a crowd of hunters (which there was), I put in a serious hike and
brush busting to get to an area away from the crowd and was awarded with calling in a 3 point black tail.  Unfortunately, he came in so
quick and left just as quickly that I did not get a chance to get off a shot.  Talking to other hunters on the way out, they all semed to be
having similar frustrations as you - not seeing anything.  I felt lucky to have seen something legal, but still kicking myself and second
guessing everything I did and did not do to blow my opportunity. 

[Black Ghost]

Bowhunter, I have killed deer from 1st light throughout the day, and you are probably right most have been around mid morning.  But still can't sleep in, never know what you are missing.  LOL