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Strange here in this thread for me is two things;;;coastal(west of I-5) blacktals are hard to find due to vegatation.;; We didn't hunt those.

Cascade foothills blacktails is where learned to hunt them, strange to me is that no one has mentioned the 'technique' of making a drive...
Takes 8 to make a good drive, and three drives a day was the norm.

I got my last blacktail on a drive, thing is though that isn't a reliable group being I am a 3rd party invite on private land and they only want me there to drive deer, and I helped drive several to those good ol boys. Not fair. I no longer want to be dependant on someone for my hunting sucess, and nothing against drives but its easy.... I pretty much am a solo public land deer hunter and coastal blacktail are closest to home. I have the entire coast range 40 min from my house and have a few good spots, while mule deer out east are declining the coast is loaded with deer and elk, the heavy brush keeps the hunting pressure on cuts and bermed roads while Ive learned to navigate in the heavy dark timber and brush.

I'd love to see some coastal specific tips but I'm totally open to driving over to the Cascade range, and I know how to find sign... just one summer of scouting and Id have 2 or 3 holes to hunt. Its just connecting up with the bucks during the season thats always been a real challenge. I have a few honey holes in the coast range, seen bucks in there but always heavy brush or some excuse. Closest I came once saw 2 bucks farside of a clearcut a spike and a small forked horn. When I put the scope on them all I saw was the spike. I got rifle fatigue waiting... so switched to binos and there was the fork. Raised the rifle and only saw the spike. The two were ducking behind brush randomly, then bounced off. Another year I spot and stalked a doe in heavy timber trusting a buck was hiding nearby, glassed every inch of ground around that doe for half an hour decided to try to flush the buck by stalking closer, thing flushed 30yds from me so fast I couldn't get a bead on him even from the ready position, coastal jungle again. Another year I foolishly stepped in the open and flushed a doe about 100yds out except I could see the brush moving off to the side, I just know that was a buck as it moved under the brush to the draw with heavy timber and was gone. The brush wasnt taller than the doe so that buck knew to crawl being busted in the open. I wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't for the doe.
Then between those years I see nothing, a few does usually but no action.

I'm close... I just want to know what more I can do? I feel like I have most of the puzzle together but cant find the last few pieces. Looking for tips.... strategy, techniques. I do feel I could learn a lot more about their movements and food they eat...

My first book order arrived from Scott Haugen. I was pleasantly surprised to find he personally autographed it fore me.
 
Most of my scouted areas this year were inaccessible due to fire. What was open I was unable to scout much due to fire danger. I saw a few spikes, and one nicer 4 point. I could have connected with the spikes when I saw them. Especially the one which kept stalking me while I was trying to sneak in and get a shot at the 4x4. I finally went over to a completely different area the last couple days of the season. As I was driving out of one area I had walked through, I caught a glimpse of 2 deer headed into the brush. Parked, and made to intercept them. After cat and mouse for about an hour, I was in position to take the last one. He was a decent sized spike, and it was the last day of the season. Plus he had given me a good hunt. Sometimes you get lucky. Especially when you are no longer able to get to some of the deep holes where the big hogs are (age and a busted up body). The point is, get out there and do it. Get out of the rig, even if it is just for walks down old roads, or easier trails. Enjoy the day. You can science it out until the end of time, but in the end, there is still a lot of luck involved. This guy was shot in the Tioga Unit West of I-5 and South of 138. Nice area to hunt, and Roseburg Forest Products still allows public access to their lands for no fee.
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Any experienced Blacktail hunters here willing to share tips on skill and techniques?

I'm not new to hunting but have preferred Eastern Oregon in the past thus Blacktails have eluded me the most. Ive done my scouting but one of my spots is seeing increasing pressure so I found another with deer sign and learned its game trails and how to move around in the coastal jungle, was pleasantly surprised to find 3 different sized rubs at the start of the season this year, one quite large... I put in the effort this year, felt like I came close, saw two in my new spot in the deep heavy timber.

This year I tried calling and rattling for the first time with no results, how effective are these skills for Oregon's northern coastal blacktails during rifle season? Is there a best way to set up a spot to call from, how long do you call or rattle before moving on?
Don't worry about making noise when you walk into the woods.
Salal is gonna be noisy, no 2 ways about it.
Once you find a spot, sit and stay still.
Will probably have to sit for at least a couple of hours.
Try to find a spot where a game trail meets a draw...gives you multiple locations to watch.
 
I have noticed in my life Blacktails can't resist Peach trees.
We planted two this year and some *&#@ deer scraped the bark off of 18" of the 2" diameter trunk. I'm going to eat him.
My dad and I got Agricultural hunt tags (doe) for the Drain,ORE area years ago for a Peach orchard grower, he had an eight foot fence and the deer were killing his 8' tall trees.
We each got to tag meat. He welcomed us to hunt there within 200 yrds. of his farm.
 

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