Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: NWRookie on October 03, 2014, 12:30:04 PM
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I am new to blacktail hunting, having grown up exclusively Mule deer hunting in AZ. I have an area picked out around Mt. Adams that I found some does, but I did not do alot of hiking since it was during archery season and I didn't want to walk up on a stand or chase anything. My normal routine is to get away from the roads and set up watching trails and glassing, but it seems to be alot thicker than I am used to. Can you stillhunt in the trees or is it still the best bet to find somewhere that overlooks a good trail? Any suggestions would be appreciated, I am expecting a couple years of trial and error before I start to know what I am doing. :dunno:
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Yes I would say still hunting is your best bet. I have had most luck stillhunting although I'm trying the stand thing again. For MF just stillhunt as slow as you can possibly go and use your binos in the timber. These blacktail are sneaky!!
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Still hunt that area....but change your ways in where your looking...dont look out in the distance like you would for MD, rather look around you on the ground with in 20 yards....and when it rains...and i mean pours rain...make sure your in the woods. From my experience the BT's pop up like mushrooms in the heavy rain in that unit.
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Thanks for the advice. I will put myself back in archery mode with a rifle. Wish me luck. :tup:
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Set up overlooking a big clear cut.
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Forget everything you know about deer and start all over. This is the best advice I can give you. Spending lots of time in the woods will be your best teacher. :tup:
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I second the clear cuts....they should be 4-5 yr old cuts with lots of feed/cover for them to hide in.....they need to feel safe out there in the open...find a cut that's surrounded by timber or reprod that gives them security to bed in. Also make sure and glass all day long....if the cut is old enough they will bed down in it and you won't see them till they stand up....blacktail will feed through the night into the first hour or so of daylight then bed till mid day and get up and feed for an hour or 2 then bed again till late evening....11-1 is the magic hours.....everyone goes in to have lunch and the big bucks get up to feed
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:yeah:
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Archery hunting style still hunting is a key, been hunting 30+ years with Modern mostly and I think I could count on one hand the number of deer I took with a rifle that weren't in archery range.25-40yds.
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Thanks all - heading out Friday and will try a little bit of everything. I am excited to get my feet wet (literally) with blacktail. :tup:
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You can kill plenty o bucks in a clear cut, no doubt. A great way to fill a tag. But but ive taken ALL my large 3"s and 4 point bucks in maple flats.
I had to get over tbe idea that I HAD to have lots o open countfy to glass over. then I reverted to my Arkansas WT playbook. Bam! Started scoring on really nice deer. Small area, big racks.
