Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: Smith_22 on November 17, 2014, 01:32:46 PM
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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)
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Good advice, congratulations.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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!
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!
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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???
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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.
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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!
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How much land are you hunting?
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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:
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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.