Poll: The 2021 Official Blacktail Deer Thread

[Zechariah]

Lesson learned years ago. Double and triple check you have your tag and license before Saturday. I was busy with kids stuff and thought I had my general season tag. It wasn't there when I got ready to go out Saturday afternoon after watching the kids opening Saturday morning sports. We went "hunting" with the camera that year.
Just a teaser of a blacktail that my wife's best friend took a week ago.

View attachment 1040977View attachment 1040976

Ok whose yard is that in? I've seen very few like that wow!

 

[Koda]

North Coast Blacktail hunter here. I grew up Mule deer hunting and thus suck at Blacktail hunting but am dedicating some learning for it since Eastern lottery tags are every several years now. Been at it steady for a few years now and only taken a forked horn, these "grey ghosts" are a totally different quarry. Ive started year round scouting and am learning a few bucks areas. No idea if I will connect this year but Im going to work on new and different strategies and see what happens. Im not keen on taking spikes but will in years Ive gone skunked.
heres a trailcamp pic from one of my spots few years ago....

 

[pharmseller]

They like apples, corn, and wheat bread.



P

 

[BBQ Guy]

I've passed on spikes.
Just doesn't seem like the right thing to me. I don't fault other folks for doing their thing.

Not sure what I'll be doing this year. We have some trail cam pictures of animals in an area that is overlooked by the road hunters. Easy hike in and even easier animal retrieval from the hillside I'd be shooting to.
Lots of options for the season. I really hope there are less yahoo's this season. Last year was a zoo.

 

[orygun]

North Coast Blacktail hunter here. I grew up Mule deer hunting and thus suck at Blacktail hunting but am dedicating some learning for it since Eastern lottery tags are every several years now. Been at it steady for a few years now and only taken a forked horn, these "grey ghosts" are a totally different quarry. Ive started year round scouting and am learning a few bucks areas. No idea if I will connect this year but Im going to work on new and different strategies and see what happens. Im not keen on taking spikes but will in years Ive gone skunked.
heres a trailcamp pic from one of my spots few years ago....

View attachment 1040979

Grey ghosts is right!

I didn't answer the poll. Wasn't a good answer for me.

I've been hunting Blacktails for too many years compared to the amount of filled tags.
Last year it had been a very long time since I'd shot a deer. In the two previous years I'd had some instances where I'd missed out on some nice bucks. Some very frustrating instances... Last year I was hunting with the gun I hunted with as a teen and young adult, but hadn't ever filled a tag with, on our property where I'd never taken a deer (see previous instances). After missing a very nice buck too early in the day to really be shooting with irons, I had no qualms about filling my tag with this guy.



Ok, so now I've scratched those itches. I'm looking for something like this one. We have a few that wander thru. I plan on being there to greet one. My stand overlooks the camera that took this pic.

 

[Koda]

I plan on being there to greet one. My stand overlooks the camera that took this pic

I changing tactics this yeal, all but eliminating spot and stalk and will be stand hunting. Ive learned if im moving, the deer leave. Last year on a blind had a doe walk past me like I wasnt there. Trick now is to find a spot to sit with a nice buck like your camera got.

 

[BBQ Guy]

I changing tactics this yeal, all but eliminating spot and stalk and will be stand hunting. Ive learned if im moving, the deer leave. Last year on a blind had a doe walk past me like I wasnt there. Trick now is to find a spot to sit with a nice buck like your camera got.

I have increasingly become interested in stand hunting as it seems that they are used across the country, except here in the PNW.

We have watched deer at the edge of a steep hill from 50 yards above and they had no idea we were there.
I think a stand in some deep dark timber might be the trick to seeing more of the monster gray ghosts.

I cant count the amount of times i have spent hours just spotting an animal to only look away for a moment and it has ghosted me without a sound.

 

[pharmseller]

My deer aren't really wild (duh, they come when I call them and eat out of my hand, no exaggeration) but their senses are spooky acute. It's common for one to look sharply into the bushes, only to have another deer silently appear from that spot minutes later.

Sneaking up on them can be done, but not by me.



P

 

[Koda]

I have increasingly become interested in stand hunting as it seems that they are used across the country, except here in the PNW.

My take on this.... Historically most people hunted mule deer in Oregon where spot and stalk technique is effective. Now that mule deer tags are harder to get plus our mule deer population has plummeted i think hunters are looking more at blacktail but its taking many many years for the tactics to adapt.
I get bored sitting still, but im not going to keep doing the same thing anymore and not get a deer. When im walking i see no or very few blacktail. I started stand hunting last year and had 2 walk right by me like I wasnt there. (They werent bucks...).
What im working on different this year is patterning specific bucks and hiding in wait. Im bringing a thick book to help with my need to move around.

 

[BBQ Guy]

My take on this.... Historically most people hunted mule deer in Oregon where spot and stalk technique is effective. Now that mule deer tags are harder to get plus our mule deer population has plummeted i think hunters are looking more at blacktail but its taking many many years for the tactics to adapt.
I get bored sitting still, but im not going to keep doing the same thing anymore and not get a deer. When im walking i see no or very few blacktail. I started stand hunting last year and had 2 walk right by me like I wasnt there. (They werent bucks...).
What im working on different this year is patterning specific bucks and hiding in wait. Im bringing a thick book to help with my need to move around.

Make sure that book is waterproof.


My best days of seeing animals are the wettest ones.

 

[OldTengu]

I hunt behind there alot. I have a 2nd season rifle tag for saddle mt so I'll be hunting that side mostly but I like the scappoose unit better for deer. You gonna hunt saddle mt unit then?

Hopefully.
Edit:
I also have a 2nd season rifle tag for saddle mtn, as well as generals for elk and buck deer. I've not hunted the saddle mountain unit before, and clatskanie is close enough to the border of both scappoose unit and saddle mountain unit that I'm going to have to call and see where my friend's place lands between the two. I don't want to take something at his place with my general only to find out he's in saddle mountain.

 

[dangerranger60]

Where I live the Blacktail are tiny! Probably only 75 lbs on the hoof. And a little spike would be even less. I have one that wanders through my yard that would just make a decent sized German Shephard [ with 9 points on it]
I'm in Central CA just South of Yosemite. I'll pass. DR

 

[Zechariah]

My take on this.... Historically most people hunted mule deer in Oregon where spot and stalk technique is effective. Now that mule deer tags are harder to get plus our mule deer population has plummeted i think hunters are looking more at blacktail but its taking many many years for the tactics to adapt.
I get bored sitting still, but im not going to keep doing the same thing anymore and not get a deer. When im walking i see no or very few blacktail. I started stand hunting last year and had 2 walk right by me like I wasnt there. (They werent bucks...).
What im working on different this year is patterning specific bucks and hiding in wait. Im bringing a thick book to help with my need to move around.

You put out a salt lick? Its legal for deer and elk, not for bear however. My take is I know it would work but I don't have one. My friend has one I helped him carry in and I will be sitting in it at times. He had a big boy on camera the day before archery and in velvet another time prior. I don't think he'd mind me posting a non descriptive photo. He put in a lot of work on his cameras this year.
I see it like anchoring to salmon fish once you get that first takedown you'll sit there all week type thing but I've just never done it to feel confident in it yet.

 

[Koda]

You put out a salt lick? Its legal for deer and elk, not for bear however. My take is I know it would work but I don't have one.

I'm not certain how I feel about admitting this publicly..... Im an adamant believer in fair chase hunting... but uncertain where that line is, and ever so curious if they work.... I put a $5 brick out I bought at bimart in front of one of my trail cams and that cam gets twice as many deer pics as the rest. It was mostly a doe and her fawns though, several hundred pics of them. Theres a forked horn that's visited occasionally but he just passes by... I don't think he cares about the salt actually. I put it out last spring and there's just only a tiny chunk left now, not certain I will put another one out as I'm learning the pattern of the bucks in this area. But salt blocks work.

 

[Zechariah]

I'm not certain how I feel about admitting this publicly..... Im an adamant believer in fair chase hunting... but uncertain where that line is, and ever so curious if they work.... I put a $5 brick out I bought at bimart in front of one of my trail cams and that cam gets twice as many deer pics as the rest. It was mostly a doe and her fawns though, several hundred pics of them. Theres a forked horn that's visited occasionally but he just passes by... I don't think he cares about the salt actually. I put it out last spring and there's just only a tiny chunk left now, not certain I will put another one out as I'm learning the pattern of the bucks in this area. But salt blocks work.

If it's legal and not some ranch hunt it's fair chase to me. We live in some tough to hunt country they get a fair shot.

 

[Koda]

If it's legal and not some ranch hunt it's fair chase to me. We live in some tough to hunt country they get a fair shot.

Thats kinda where Im leaning, its not like these Blacktail havent eluded me all these years and Im a public land hunter, way harder than private land. Ive focused most all of my effort since last season (tag soup...) scouting monthly year round observing forage and track sign and homing in on some bucks, plus expanding my range to a new spot (always have a plan B and C...). The salt block hasnt really given me any additional info other than that doe and her fawns use it.

 

[Zechariah]

If you start seeing different does in same area go back to that area. Bounce between spots that start getting active. If I see a doe I keep going back around seeing if it's getting more active. If it is there's bucks there and you'll see a buck sooner or later. I'm not that great at hunting but that helped me alot when I started realizing that.

 

[BBQ Guy]

Hopefully.
Edit:
I also have a 2nd season rifle tag for saddle mtn, as well as generals for elk and buck deer. I've not hunted the saddle mountain unit before, and clatskanie is close enough to the border of both scappoose unit and saddle mountain unit that I'm going to have to call and see where my friend's place lands between the two. I don't want to take something at his place with my general only to find out he's in saddle mountain.

Is that 2nd season for elk in Saddle Mtn?
I might be able to point you somewhere, up high.

I know a elk hell hole that I've watched the bulls from a herd dissappear down into. Several times. Went back many times one deer season just so we could watch it happen at the sweet grayish light that's just enough to separate the bulls from the rest of the herd in a scope. 150/155 yards every time we walked in on them.
The road hunters drive up and glass for 5 minutes and leave. Absolutely clueless about whats below em in the dark hole.

 

[Koda]

If you start seeing different does in same area go back to that area. Bounce between spots that start getting active. If I see a doe I keep going back around seeing if it's getting more active. If it is there's bucks there and you'll see a buck sooner or later. I'm not that great at hunting but that helped me alot when I started realizing that.

Ive got one spot like this and thats the plan. Ive never been good at stand hunting but am mentally reprogramming my mind all summer to sit in ambush over an area Im watching those does. If theres does theres bucks nearby.

 

[Zechariah]

Hopefully.
Edit:
I also have a 2nd season rifle tag for saddle mtn, as well as generals for elk and buck deer. I've not hunted the saddle mountain unit before, and clatskanie is close enough to the border of both scappoose unit and saddle mountain unit that I'm going to have to call and see where my friend's place lands between the two. I don't want to take something at his place with my general only to find out he's in saddle mountain.

You probably know but deer you don't have to have saddle mt tag but elk you must have the draw tag