- Thread Starter
- #41
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...
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