Blacktail for a new Washington hunter

[JerryKern]

I’m looking to hunt some public land before paying to get into a timber company. I’ve been looking at Olympic national FOREST not park. Also been looking at Gifford as well. Does anyone know if these areas are even worth hunting? I also have a bear and elk tag and they are all modern gun. I’m struggling to find some places to be able to glass since it’s all thick timber. If anyone has any suggestions please pm me. I’m worried I’m going to waste my short time period to fill a tag. Thanks guys

[bkaech]

What you mentioned is Forest service land, in general, Forest Service land has not been logged for decades and only has openings in the high country above tree line. Large tracks of big timber is not good deer or elk habitat, they like edges, so either high country or logged areas. If you look for land owned by the State of Washington it is managed (not well) for timber and has a mix of timber and logging and most is open to public use you just need a discover pass.

[Bearhunter308]

The app OnX is about $35 a year but is well worth it. Lets you see land ownership everywhere you go in WA. State land can be good, as well as companies like Port Blakely and Sierra Pacific. Mostly walk in access, but can have a good mix of timber and clear cuts.

[addicted1]

As was mentioned above, you’re not going to do much glassing blacktail hunting unless youre on cuts or alpine. You are probably gonna need to read some material on blacktail hunting tactics. Boyd Iverson books are good but kind of pricey, but seem like they’ll at least get you started. If it’s your first time hunting BT, you may not see any all season honestly. It takes some time to figure out areas and deer habits.

[high_hunter]

Pick a spot and go wherever you can spend the most time in the woods as both have the critters you're after. The books & tactics mentioned or a mentor may help also.

Enjoy the time and experience of being out in the woods hunting. You'll learn something and know to avoid, or go back and hopefully what to do next time to increase chances.

This is all part of the hunting experience. Don't equate a kill to success otherwise, most trips will be a "waste" and you may burn out quickly. Scouting and time over target help lead to downed quarry, there generally is no easy button. Don't be surprised if there are others out where you are.  Be curious, safe, and have a good hunt!

-HH

[chukardogs]

Big timber Blacktails take scouting and more scouting and most scouting. Scout until you find tracks that look promising. Drive roads looking for crossings. Once you find the crossings, verify whether it's one, two or several animals and whether it looks like they've traveled that trail numerous times. Look for a set of tracks that are deeper than the rest. Mature Cascade Blacktail bucks can out weigh their does by 50 lbs.
 Years ago on the Beckler Peak road while Grouse hunting, I noticed a deer trail that came out of a wall of brush and crossed the road and vanished into a rock wall loaded with brush and ferns. I checked it numerous times throughout that fall on my trips through and it always had sign on it. One of the late Novemberish Grouse hunts when I was parked just down the road from the deer crossing, I had just loaded the dogs, shut the hatch and turned around. There standing in the road beside that trail was a brute of a Blacktail buck with a smaller buck beside him.
 They're out there and those bucks that live up high in the cascades can get huge bodies.
Couple years ago outside of Forks, hunting the late season. Didn't know the area so the kid and I drove hundreds of miles on numerous roads up high until we found one lone set of deer tracks on the end of a logging road. Numerous trees on the end of that road were trashed. One lone buck lived somewhere close but we couldn't find him. We saw a hundred elk or more that weekend and one set of deer tracks.
 Many years ago on the Foss river road during late bow season, driving roads looking for tracks, I crossed a set of tracks. Went up the road, parked, walked back down the hill to check the tracks. They were big, deep and looked fresh so I followed the tracks down the hill about a quarter mile and ended up in a wall of vine maple and walked right up to a Blacktail buck laying in his bed that looked like he belonged in the Chiwawa drainage. He knew I was there long before I knew he was there so he won.
 If you want to see large numbers of deer, hunt timber land with 5 to 7 year old clearings. If you want the chance at a Blacktail of a lifetime, hunt high country or private.
 It wouldn't be unreasonable to think you could hunt public land all season long and see one deer but that one deer may be a stud.
Good luck Out there!