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Author Topic: Western WA--Public Lands--Tree Stands, Ground Blinds, saddles, or spot & stalk?  (Read 3743 times)

Offline logola512c

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Rookie question here...Spent a couple days out in the woods (I-90 corridor in mountains that will eventually start getting snow) so far this deer season using makeshift ground blinds, sitting on a bucket, and that has left me a lot of time to think about blacktail archery tactics.  I did a fair amount of preseason scouting, and have set up in several spots where I had shooter bucks on camera within the past week.  As I sat there, I started wondering about how most folks try to fill their archery blacktail tags.  Seems a ladder tree stand would have been more comfortable and provided a better view, but also seems less flexible in terms of moving if the deer also move as the season moves on, and also limits the number of places I can hunt unless I just want to set up multiple stands, which seems expensive.  So then the YouTube told me all about the virtues of tree saddles.  I've been rock climbing for about 30 years so rope systems and harnesses and heights don't bother me too much, but they also seem like a midwestern thing.  So, any thoughts on your preferred method of archery blacktail?  And maybe a few words about why?  Thanks in advance 

Offline Special T

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First find a copy of Byod Iversons Blactail Trophy Tactics 2. Read it.
Climber tree stands are on a scale of light and fast like the tree saddle and then to the Lazy Boy. Ive killed most of my BT deer spot and stalk, and unless its the Rut or you are operating in a confined space, small private property, waterhole when hot, orchard... im not sure how helpful they are. I like that you have some pre made blinds setup, but once snow falls get out when its fresh and still hunt.
In archery we have something like the way of the superior man. When the archer misses the center of the target, he turns round and seeks for the cause of his failure in himself. 

Confucius

Offline brokentrail

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I haven't had a lot of luck patterning a blacktail.  I have used climbing stands to give me a height/sight advantage into a portion of a cut I couldn't hunt otherwise but the majority of my blacktails have come via spot/stalk or still hunting and not via anything stationary. 

Offline MAVsled

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I have Lone Wolf Alpha climber, 2 Alpha fixed stands & climbing sticks. Used many times in GMU460, 466, back in the day Vail Tree Farm and still have these.

Now always have the option of my saddle-onestick rig. I can be up in a tree in 10-15 minutes and be set up ready to go.
This goes with me to eastern WA, AZ and other states too, for all deer species, even sometimes on backpack trips. Versatile run-n-gun, gets your scent above ground, up in the trees. And in WA State, the deer hardly look up...unless you make noise.

Offline logola512c

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I have Lone Wolf Alpha climber, 2 Alpha fixed stands & climbing sticks. Used many times in GMU460, 466, back in the day Vail Tree Farm and still have these.

Now always have the option of my saddle-onestick rig. I can be up in a tree in 10-15 minutes and be set up ready to go.
This goes with me to eastern WA, AZ and other states too, for all deer species, even sometimes on backpack trips. Versatile run-n-gun, gets your scent above ground, up in the trees. And in WA State, the deer hardly look up...unless you make noise.

Thanks for the response.  I did a fair amount of research and ordered some climbing sticks, a saddle set-up, and plan to rig a one-step aider. 

Offline Cope30tyee

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I use all three options. Saddle is great for mobile hunting and setting up on fresh sign. Next year I'm also going to put fixed stands up in the spots where my trail cams showed the most day time pics this year. I also put a ground blind up in proven spots for days when it's raining hard.

 


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