Poll: The 2021 Official Blacktail Deer Thread

[PNW Partisan]

Been out the last few days and there are so many people driving around. Was getting set up at a clear cut when another truck pulled up, asked if I was going low or high, parked, and then made a bunch of noise as they closed their doors and walked through the clear cut to the area opposite where I was going. At least they asked…

Went out today in the off and on rain and saw a nice herd of elk, chanterelles, and lung oyster mushrooms. But no damn deer. Spent more time trying to glass thinned areas. Hopefully I'll be able to connect with one before season ends. Glad to see others are having success!

 

[osprey]

The rut is beginning in earnest in my neck of the woods. All kinds of chase and sniff going on. Many bucks I had not seen before are coming out of the woodwork. Opener is this coming Sat.

 

[osprey]

A couple days ago my daughter and I tried hunting before dark where we figured bucks were moving in headed to our field. Another hunter beat us to the spot. A group of does were bedded down blocking our path to another area so we watched around them until dark.
We skipped hunting yesterday afternoon because the weather was too nice for the bucks to move out before dark. Figured the morning would be the best bet with the wet weather coming in. I was correct, at day break, three deer were in the field feeding. It was a little too dark to tell but one looked like a spike. Then I spotted two more nearby and one had bigger antlers.
My daughter stalked over behind a hill to get a good vantage point and rest for the rifle. I spotted for her. The biggest buck walked out from a tree broadside near two others. She increased the scope magnification so she could see antlers better. She confirmed she was on the same buck I was spotting then let the shot fly. He dropped in his tracks.

When we got to him, we discovered he was a bigger buck then any we had seen so far. He was a very nice buck for her first deer. Her shot was a centered double lung behind both shoulders.

View attachment 1047915

Congrats to your daughter and you for that beauty of a buck!

 

[Koda]

Ive seen a couple reports that the pre rut is starting now. Does anyone have any tips on using this....
Buck grunt call vs doe bleats?
Rattling?

Any advice for prerut tactics?

 

[PNW Partisan]

Ive seen a couple reports that the pre rut is starting now. Does anyone have any tips on using this....
Buck grunt call vs doe bleats?
Rattling?

Any advice for prerut tactics?

Check out the podcast "The Rich Outdoors" with Scott Haugen on blacktail. He's based out of Springfield and has so much knowledge. He also wrote an amazing book about the subject. Another person to check out is Tom Ryle. He's out of Washington but also lived in Oregon. They both highly discuss blacktail tactics in the cascade foothills to the coast.

 

[Koda]

Check out the podcast "The Rich Outdoors" with Scott Haugen on blacktail. He's based out of Springfield and has so much knowledge. He also wrote an amazing book about the subject. Another person to check out is Tom Ryle. He's out of Washington but also lived in Oregon. They both highly discuss blacktail tactics in the cascade foothills to the coast.

Ive read Haugens book, its awesome.
I will have to scan it again. Iirc he doesnt cover a whole lot about nort coastal blacktail but his tactices should be close enough.

Im hoping to hear from anyone with north coastal experience. I do believe there is a difference in blacktail regions.

 

[PNW Partisan]

Ive read Haugens book, its awesome.
I will have to scan it again. Iirc he doesnt cover a whole lot about nort coastal blacktail but his tactices should be close enough.

Im hoping to hear from anyone with north coastal experience. I do believe there is a difference in blacktail regions.

He covers general coast range. Rattling is the main strategy with a few not-as-aggressive grunts.

 

[BBQ Guy]

Ive seen a couple reports that the pre rut is starting now. Does anyone have any tips on using this....
Buck grunt call vs doe bleats?
Rattling?

Any advice for prerut tactics?

First time ive heard of "prerut".

Either they are ready to hump the does or they are reclusive. Occasionally they will hang out in bachelor groups.

Best tactic is find the does. Hunt the rainy days. Find converging trails that are active. Are they moving to food or bedding areas.

 

[Koda]

He covers general coast range. Rattling is the main strategy with a few not-as-aggressive grunts.

He does but not as extensively as he does the cascade range. Most of his coastal coverage is southern oregon, north California.... Ive hunted down Roseburg way and its a distinctly different habitat than the north coast range in my opinion.

 

[mhayd93]

First time ive heard of "prerut".

Either they are ready to hump the does or they are reclusive. Occasionally they will hang out in bachelor groups.

Best tactic is find the does. Hunt the rainy days. Find converging trails that are active. Are they moving to food or bedding areas.

Hunted just like this a few days ago, ended up seeing a lot of does being a lot more active and skittish than they typically are. Also ended up finding some very fresh buck tracks but never could get onto it.

So far I have seen way more deer this year (in the form of does) than I can recall in the last 4 years or so; I am going to take that as a good sign!

 

[solv3nt]

Hunted just like this a few days ago, ended up seeing a lot of does being a lot more active and skittish than they typically are. Also ended up finding some very fresh buck tracks but never could get onto it.

So far I have seen way more deer this year (in the form of does) than I can recall in the last 4 years or so; I am going to take that as a good sign!

The does I bumped into were hyper vigilant. It's amazing, we were ignoring some does from over 300 yards and downwind, and they still made us and booked.

 

[BBQ Guy]

Hunted just like this a few days ago, ended up seeing a lot of does being a lot more active and skittish than they typically are. Also ended up finding some very fresh buck tracks but never could get onto it.

So far I have seen way more deer this year (in the form of does) than I can recall in the last 4 years or so; I am going to take that as a good sign!

Just a matter of time before you find the does and a buck dogging them.
A few years ago the rut was running a bit later. Into the elk season. One morning on our way out we came across a lonely doe. Watched her in the road for 3 minutes, sure enough a buck popped out with his nose glued to the ground and eyes on her.
She scooted out pretty quick and he follows double time.
Dudes of any species are pretty dumb when chasing tail.

 

[Grizzly_A]

That's funny right there!

My kids even pass on spikes. They want them bigger. This year I've had more bucks in front of the cameras than ever. I think it's from habitat loss as there are some nearby properties who logged/thinned and animals have been repositioning.

I'm all tagged out. Took my daughter (11) for an evening hunt and she tagged out using my tag under the Mentored Youth program. Her first deer, and she's thrilled. In whitetail speak, she got a 6 point. In the PNW it's a fork with eyeguards. I'm proud of her. She spotted the deer, I told her that it was one that I had seen on the trail camera and was a shooter, and she wanted to harvest it. So she did. Sometimes everything just comes together.

My son (12) wants to fill his first tag and can't believe his little sister tagged out before he did. He had an opportunity but it was 3 min until the end of legal shooting light and we were coming out of the forest towards the truck. There was a doe and yearling in the field that spotted us and started moving into the tree line. As we came up into the field, I looked beyond the doe and spotted another deer that was bigger. He looked through the scope and said it's "The Buck"! He was so excited he handed the gun to me so I could see. I asked him what he was doing and handed the rifle back to him and he snuck up to a tree about 10 yards in front to get a solid rest. He couldn't see the crosshairs in the dark and didn't want to make a bad shot and risk losing the animal. So he passed on it. I couldn't tell anything other than there were antlers, but he was pretty sure it was our target 5x5. He was pretty down on himself going between "I should've shot" and "I'm glad I waited" and all the excuses that comes from a missed opportunity. I'm proud he exercised restraint, and positively reinforced his decision to not pull the trigger. Truth be told, the deer gave him 3 different broadside opportunities but that's part of the learning process with young hunters and that's how great hunting stories start. We are both hoping we get another opportunity to harvest that buck. That's hunting!

It's been a great season so far. I love the memories I'm making with my kids.

 

[Zechariah]

Sat in the tree stand 3/4 nights. First night I was dog tired and was worried about dropping gun or falling out so I left early, of course a very nice buck my friend has been getting on camera came in and got his picture taken soon after. Next 2 nights stayed till last min possible I had several does come in. It's pretty intense knowing a big buck is around so every deer that comes in is super fever lol. I'm surprised how exciting it is I'm gonna really have to pull it together if I see that big buck come in. First time a doe came thru I almost came unglued on the inside as you can't move. It's like one of those dreams you want to scream but can't. I think I'm kinda addicted now.

 

[Zechariah]

I went out today on the ground. Had appointments today so did a little hunting in the morning and a little in the eve. Saw about 12 deer total couldn't identify 2 of them. Saw about half the deer just going from place to place and the other half glassing. I think we'll get some good rut time this year. I'm digging the weather so far.

 

[Koda]

First time ive heard of "prerut".

Either they are ready to hump the does or they are reclusive. Occasionally they will hang out in bachelor groups.

I dont fully know, but first read it in Haugens blacktail book, the way I read it I think it has more to do with the does, the prerut is when the bucks are ready and trying but the does are not receptive yet. IIRC Haugen mentions there is only 1 or 2 short windows when the does are receptive ...typically November, full rut.

 

[Zechariah]

I dont fully know, but first read it in Haugens blacktail book, the way I read it I think it has more to do with the does, the prerut is when the bucks are ready and trying but the does are not receptive yet. IIRC Haugen mentions there is only 1 or 2 short windows when the does are receptive ...typically November, full rut.

I don't really know either on deer but Elk it's a thing for sure. Just before archery I see so many elk often time bulls just moving here and there.

 

[PNW Partisan]

I dont fully know, but first read it in Haugens blacktail book, the way I read it I think it has more to do with the does, the prerut is when the bucks are ready and trying but the does are not receptive yet. IIRC Haugen mentions there is only 1 or 2 short windows when the does are receptive ...typically November, full rut.

Scott and other blacktail professional hunters talk about prerut as the time when younger bucks are ready before the does and also cruise around more locating does and sizing up competition before the rut. Apparently there are a good percentage of does that don't go into estrous in November and then are ready in December when there is another smaller rut period.

 

[IronSights]

Been out the last few days and there are so many people driving around. Was getting set up at a clear cut when another truck pulled up, asked if I was going low or high, parked, and then made a bunch of noise as they closed their doors and walked through the clear cut to the area opposite where I was going. At least they asked…

Went out today in the off and on rain and saw a nice herd of elk, chanterelles, and lung oyster mushrooms. But no damn deer. Spent more time trying to glass thinned areas. Hopefully I'll be able to connect with one before season ends. Glad to see others are having success!

Ooh, Chanterelles are a favorite of mine. I like king boletes and black trumpets best though. What's a "lung oyster"?

I'm heading up to near Nicolai Mountain in the morning by myself. I went out mushroom hunting a few weeks ago. Got a tag and everything I need except experience.

I'm a noob, but putting in miles. My hunting buddy from last year is busy with 2 kids under 3 now, and nobody else I've asked was keen on it. I'll post back if I get or see anything. Last year I went out near the Tillamook visitor center, and there were quite a few guys driving around with a few guys in the back of their trucks. Thick thick thick cover too.

 

[BBQ Guy]

Ooh, Chanterelles are a favorite of mine. I like king boletes and black trumpets best though. What's a "lung oyster"?

I'm heading up to near Nicolai Mountain in the morning by myself. I went out mushroom hunting a few weeks ago. Got a tag and everything I need except experience.

I'm a noob, but putting in miles. My hunting buddy from last year is busy with 2 kids under 3 now, and nobody else I've asked was keen on it. I'll post back if I get or see anything. Last year I went out near the Tillamook visitor center, and there were quite a few guys driving around with a few guys in the back of their trucks. Thick thick thick cover too.

Those black trumpets look like they'd hurt you.
When we found some last year i was expecting a hospital trip after my wife ate them.
It didnt happen. But man they are wicked looking.