Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: Smith_22 on November 17, 2014, 01:32:46 PM

Title: Blacktail perspective
Post by: Smith_22 on November 17, 2014, 01:32:46 PM: I in no way consider myself an expert on blacktails, but I sure have learned a lot in the last two years hunting out of a tree stand. There are a lot of questions posted on here about what people need to do to get a blacktail...or why am I not seeing any bucks? The number one answer? PATIENCE! The area I look over from my stand is small, and thick, with only an old grass covered skid road being open. This year alone I spent over 32 hours in my stand. That's roughly 1900 minutes. Out of that 1900 minutes, I saw four bucks, and they were in sight for a total of about 4 minutes. That means that if I would've glassed this area for a continuous length of time, I would've struck out for 1856 minutes! Don't give up, if you're in an area with deer, there are bucks there. This little area I hunt over has 5+ bucks that work it, you just have to be there when they are. I attached pics of my buck from this year and a few from my trail cams. Happy hunting

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi299.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fmm307%2Fstevesmith_22%2Flopp.jpg&hash=cb598f1eb180a4fd550d33fc3638accb7047dbf2) (http://s299.photobucket.com/user/stevesmith_22/media/lopp.jpg.html)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi299.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fmm307%2Fstevesmith_22%2F20143x3.jpg&hash=198a7947c4a27b8955457badfd36f307caf77b7e) (http://s299.photobucket.com/user/stevesmith_22/media/20143x3.jpg.html)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi299.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fmm307%2Fstevesmith_22%2Ffork2014.jpg&hash=c8b7ff7ff28e7af6b843ff91b3c7b2bad5c50070) (http://s299.photobucket.com/user/stevesmith_22/media/fork2014.jpg.html)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi299.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fmm307%2Fstevesmith_22%2F20143x2.jpg&hash=b9cd0d75ec54aa0ffcc17c3cbeb56eeff2c4f188) (http://s299.photobucket.com/user/stevesmith_22/media/20143x2.jpg.html)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi299.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fmm307%2Fstevesmith_22%2Fbuck2014.jpg&hash=131ffdba8b515be66f2f6c047b32f16d0ea069ba) (http://s299.photobucket.com/user/stevesmith_22/media/buck2014.jpg.html)
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi299.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fmm307%2Fstevesmith_22%2F2014buck.jpg&hash=f603fc7962ff84453bcaeeeae9e46cf9786a46f5) (http://s299.photobucket.com/user/stevesmith_22/media/2014buck.jpg.html)

Last years buck, same stand
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi299.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fmm307%2Fstevesmith_22%2Fbuck2-6.jpg&hash=0503a3b6285ff1181ff451b833cf539b3b58c6ee) (http://s299.photobucket.com/user/stevesmith_22/media/buck2-6.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Blacktail perspective
Post by: lokidog on November 17, 2014, 01:56:24 PM: Good advice, congratulations.
Title: Re: Blacktail perspective
Post by: longstevo on November 17, 2014, 02:21:20 PM: That's a pretty heavy horned buck.

Patience is the hardest aspect. I find myself getting antsy and choose instead to stomp around. When I do decide to sit (for only short periods of time), I always start thinking "Is this the right spot?" "What's over the hill? I'd better go check it out."

Obviously you've found a good spot. Public land?
Title: Re: Blacktail perspective
Post by: BackStrappin on November 17, 2014, 02:46:35 PM: Quote from: longstevo on November 17, 2014, 02:21:20 PM
That's a pretty heavy horned buck.

Patience is the hardest aspect. I find myself getting antsy and choose instead to stomp around. When I do decide to sit (for only short periods of time), I always start thinking "Is this the right spot?" "What's over the hill? I'd better go check it out."

Obviously you've found a good spot. Public land?

I find myself doing the very same. Always second guessing my plan.

I might try a stand next season, I have few spots that would work great , that's if I am patient enough.

Nice buck btw.
Title: Re: Blacktail perspective
Post by: Smith_22 on November 17, 2014, 04:21:32 PM: Thanks for the replies, he was a very heavy horned buck, 17 1/4" wide. The Land I hunt is private land I lease from the land owner. If i'm not in a stand I have the "what's over the next rise" problem as well. I wonder how many times I left a good area to move on the my next area, only to have a buck walk out 10 minutes later.
Title: Re: Blacktail perspective
Post by: huntingbg on November 17, 2014, 04:52:59 PM: Great advice and after striking out this year for the first time since 2010, I'm thinking about taking a stand next year! I always try to remember what Boyd Iverson says, it's not how much you can see, but the quality of what you see that matters!
Title: Blacktail perspective
Post by: huntingbg on November 17, 2014, 04:53:30 PM: !
Title: Re: Blacktail perspective
Post by: fishnfur on November 17, 2014, 06:45:55 PM: Two hours max in a tree stand is all I can handle. I'm genetically programmed to get up and move, scare the deer and move on to less productive areas. Same with plunking for salmon/steelhead. No bites and its been 30 minutes already? This spot sucks! >:(

I can't figure out why I never see game or catch fish???
Title: Re: Blacktail perspective
Post by: longstevo on November 18, 2014, 07:58:54 PM: Quote from: fishnfur on November 17, 2014, 06:45:55 PM
Two hours max in a tree stand is all I can handle. I'm genetically programmed to get up and move, scare the deer and move on to less productive areas. Same with plunking for salmon/steelhead. No bites and its been 30 minutes already? This spot sucks! >:(

I can't figure out why I never see game or catch fish???

:yeah:

While calling coyotes or rattling bucks:
I've been here 15 minutes and no animals? There's no animals around. Better move on.
Title: Re: Blacktail perspective
Post by: trophyhunt on November 18, 2014, 08:18:14 PM: I've also spent a ton of time in a stand hunting these ghosts, you are very correct about how little they show themselves. A few times I've had hunters walk right on by without even noticing I was in the tree. I love how you are out of the deer's sight and it does help with the wind but I've been busted still. Nice job on your success and on being patient!
Title: Re: Blacktail perspective
Post by: klikboom on November 25, 2014, 07:35:10 AM: How much land are you hunting?
Title: Re: Blacktail perspective
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on November 25, 2014, 08:28:04 AM: I like how you do things :tup: I am seriously considering hunting out of a tree stand more often ..Need to get in there living area which becomes a little more confined later in the year after the rut ... They find a little hole in the ground and stay there ...I can not wait for tomorrow ...I am seriously pumped for this late season :tup:
Title: Re: Blacktail perspective
Post by: Smith_22 on November 25, 2014, 12:57:41 PM: Quote from: klikboom on November 25, 2014, 07:35:10 AM
How much land are you hunting?

The property I hunt is 140 acres, we have three stands on that property. I have spent the last 4 years placing trail cameras and finding the "pockets" the bucks like. I'm sure there is some sort of logic, or reason why the bucks seem to concentrate in these areas, I just haven't found it yet. I generally set my cams up on intersecting trails and then just wait and see. Some areas are hot for bucks, others are not. I used to believe that where the bucks are in August isn't where there are in October\November. However, in this particular area if I catch them in velvet over the summer, I catch them rutting on the same trails from late Oct to early Nov and again for a few days or so in late Nov.