Free: Contests & Raffles.
2 things your doing wrong.#1 Your blacktail hunting #2 Your expecting to see something. 35 year's chasing blacktail, 34 deer and I will tell you ...you will kill most blacktail when you least expect it .. your energy is a huge part of success.
Man, having a heck of a time getting eyes on anything at all. Been out early every day since season opened and I've seen one doe! I've tried stalking, blind, tree stand - can't seem to find anything. I'm hunting mostly the state land in 660. Tried grunt calls and bleat can but haven't tried scent yet. Been out before sunrise and out after dusk, nothing!Any pointers or is this just the name of the game? It's my first year hunting, so I'm sure I'm making some mistakes.Thanks in advance!
You're all right - I'm sure I've been impatient at times. Made a point today to sit and wait quietly, mind the wind, scan repeatedly and remember my chance will come. On a happy note, on the way out of the woods today, I crossed paths with a porcupine. He's in the stew pot right now!Thanks everyone for the encouragement. And yeah, social media will kill your enthusiasm haha.
I would say use all that enthusiasm and hard work at better times maybe, like later in October and like others said during the late hunt. I feel your pain with these blacktails.
Quote from: Duckslayer89 on October 27, 2021, 10:46:46 PMI would say use all that enthusiasm and hard work at better times maybe, like later in October and like others said during the late hunt. I feel your pain with these blacktails. This will be my first year hunting the late blacktail season, what makes it better?
Without knowing you, I'd say the number one mistake most hunters make is they arent patient enough. I was explaining to my new hunter this year, wildlife isnt like man. They dont have any place to be. They need food, water and to avoid being eatin' and a couple weeks of the year, to get laid. Most get killed at that time because they forget to aboid being eatin'. The other big mistake is understanding just how good they are at avoiding being eatin', their only tools are their senses. Now I dont know if you have ever watched a cat or a wolf, but they can move through the woods pretty darn quietly. Try to imagine what the deer has to do to survuve these cagey predators, or a man at 500 yards with his scoped rifle, and you will better understand them. Deer populations are down in many places. Dont get discouraged when you see some success pics or someone like me posting lots of pics. There are thousands of folks out there not notching their tags. In the old days, it was driving by a popular campground that discouraged you, seeing all the deer hanging from the meatpoles. Now its even worse when you log in to social media.
I know people say the rut is ending before the late buck hunt starts but I totally disagree. The biggest bucks I have killed were in full blown rut when I took them. My biggest buck was running off another smaller 3 point who had his nose on a does backside when I shot him. In fact I have seen a buck cruising through my hunting area for the last I can’t remember how many late hunts looking for does. Find a good spot along a clear cut edge or just inside the timber or still hunt a old logging road and you should have some success as long as your seeing some good sign.
Quote from: Buzzsaw461 on October 28, 2021, 01:04:18 PMI know people say the rut is ending before the late buck hunt starts but I totally disagree. The biggest bucks I have killed were in full blown rut when I took them. My biggest buck was running off another smaller 3 point who had his nose on a does backside when I shot him. In fact I have seen a buck cruising through my hunting area for the last I can’t remember how many late hunts looking for does. Find a good spot along a clear cut edge or just inside the timber or still hunt a old logging road and you should have some success as long as your seeing some good sign.I've noticed different areas and years the rut is a little different. I know where I've been hunting blacktails that last 10 years (lowland puget sound), the last few days of October are usually the most productive, with some aberrations. The late season is usually better than the first two weekends though. My cameras typically show mature bucks cruising at all times of the day from the last few days in October-around Nov. 4th and then activity slows. Not sure why, but I've wondered if more does have come into heat and the bucks are hooked up and not cruising.
Quote from: Griiz on October 28, 2021, 01:37:37 PMQuote from: Buzzsaw461 on October 28, 2021, 01:04:18 PMI know people say the rut is ending before the late buck hunt starts but I totally disagree. The biggest bucks I have killed were in full blown rut when I took them. My biggest buck was running off another smaller 3 point who had his nose on a does backside when I shot him. In fact I have seen a buck cruising through my hunting area for the last I can’t remember how many late hunts looking for does. Find a good spot along a clear cut edge or just inside the timber or still hunt a old logging road and you should have some success as long as your seeing some good sign.I've noticed different areas and years the rut is a little different. I know where I've been hunting blacktails that last 10 years (lowland puget sound), the last few days of October are usually the most productive, with some aberrations. The late season is usually better than the first two weekends though. My cameras typically show mature bucks cruising at all times of the day from the last few days in October-around Nov. 4th and then activity slows. Not sure why, but I've wondered if more does have come into heat and the bucks are hooked up and not cruising. Good info on Buck Movements. I hunt 513 and 516 and have had much better success during the late hunt. Wonder if ruts can vary depending on area and elevation?
