With the Oregon deer (general rifle) season opening tomorrow, I'd like to learn some things from experienced blacktail hunters.
I've hunted deer a long time, but my experience was built on mule deer and I'm still a novice with blacktail. My preference is to hunt the west cascades, rather than the coastal range, so my questions are focused there. I'm interested in where bucks are hanging out in September and October; i.e., what elevation.
I was up in the western Cascades scouting in mid-September. I was heartened by the amount of sign I was able to find, but in spite of several days spent looking at dawn and dusk, I never saw a buck. It got me wondering whether the sign I was seeing was all old and from migrations (it was difficult to tell age, with the rain). My time was largely spent in the 4,000'-5,000' range. It's possible they were simply completely nocturnal, I understand. But the other possibility is that they were hanging out at a different elevation. I saw significant deer and elk sign, but never saw a buck or elk. I did see a few does, but no bucks.
If it were mule deer, I'd say that they're definitely higher. Pretty much as high as you can go in September, and that would only change in October if there was significant weather to start them moving (likely latter half of October). But I'll admit that I do not yet have a handle on these blacktail. The description of them as ghosts is well deserved, in my opinion.
I'd be interested to hear thoughts on buck elevation in the Cascades in the fall from those of you who have been hunting blacktail much longer than me.
Thanks
I've hunted deer a long time, but my experience was built on mule deer and I'm still a novice with blacktail. My preference is to hunt the west cascades, rather than the coastal range, so my questions are focused there. I'm interested in where bucks are hanging out in September and October; i.e., what elevation.
I was up in the western Cascades scouting in mid-September. I was heartened by the amount of sign I was able to find, but in spite of several days spent looking at dawn and dusk, I never saw a buck. It got me wondering whether the sign I was seeing was all old and from migrations (it was difficult to tell age, with the rain). My time was largely spent in the 4,000'-5,000' range. It's possible they were simply completely nocturnal, I understand. But the other possibility is that they were hanging out at a different elevation. I saw significant deer and elk sign, but never saw a buck or elk. I did see a few does, but no bucks.
If it were mule deer, I'd say that they're definitely higher. Pretty much as high as you can go in September, and that would only change in October if there was significant weather to start them moving (likely latter half of October). But I'll admit that I do not yet have a handle on these blacktail. The description of them as ghosts is well deserved, in my opinion.
I'd be interested to hear thoughts on buck elevation in the Cascades in the fall from those of you who have been hunting blacktail much longer than me.
Thanks
