BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[kingsmen140]

hey yall, im new to this forum but i thought id ask you all your opinion on this situation, first off i hunt in the northern coast mountains of oregon near the town of mist and birkenfeld if anyone is familiar, ive shot a number of smaller bucks here but last tuesday i was out scouting and sat just off a gravel road near an intersection and stayed till after dark, about and hour and a half before dark all alone the buck of my dreams meandered accross the gravel road, this is a closed road so there is no road traffic at all and very low hunting pressure, im not sure if i should wait for him there come october or if he would even be there i dont know how to approach it, any advice?

[Don Fischer]

Welcome to the site. Been a long time since I've hunted blacktails. I think I'd be there in the evening and sit till dark then befor daylight and wait for an hour or so after daylight. As I recall, blacktails just don't move a lot in daylight. At least not where there's not a lot of cover. They hang to the cover. If you can figure out where he's eating and sleeping and watering, your chances go up. But I doubt you'll catch him at the watering spot. I used to sit at a water hole on my folks place a lot. Lots of fresh tracks, all made after dark!.

Blacktails are a tuff deer to hunt! I think it would be best to do in a fairly heavy hunted area from a blind and just wait there.

[Bullbuster]

Welcome to the forum.

I'd keep scouting the same area. Go back to the same spot every other week or weekly and see if you still see him. Just don't pressure him or the area. Keep tabs on his movements in a log to track his patterns. May be helpfull to get a toppo or satalite photo of the area to find water and possible beding areas.
When i hunted in CA it was hard to pattern blacktail as they moved so much in the areas I hunted. I'd stick to this big guy and ya may just end up with your dream buck.

[fuzzybear]

I would guess, if he's not chased off or picked up by another hunter. The chances of him being there, after the season opening, would be very good.
Unless you plan on being there every day all day. So he can get use to seeing and smelling you. I would be very very careful about spreading human scent in the area. If he doesn't feel comfortable. He won't hang around.
Try glassing from a nearby ridge,
If you must go into the area. Wear scent cover and don't disturb the area or make a noisy pest of yourself. They like their privacy.
Good luck and good hunting.

[ratrivertrapper]

a few things to find out are was the trail he was using well used ? or was he just passing through are there doe's in the area using the same trail ?also find out if your able to set out bait or not ? if it was in the evening he may have been going to his feed area my next step would be set up a trail cam for a week or so see whats moving if there is a lot of activity and you spot him over and over find a spot to set up a blind and be there opening day ..good luck hope to see you posting his pic come fall!!

[osagejake]

Having hunts Oregon blacktails all my life , i may be able to help you out some.

As a general rule, blacktails in the coast range won't travel very far. In fact, ODFW biologist studies indicate they spend the majority of their lives within a 1 mile radius of where they were born. So chances are he will still be in the general vicinity come october.

Also, don't waste your time watching watering holes. Being browsers they can get enough water from the plants they eat, without having to spend much time near streams or ponds, where they are vulnerable.

Find out the likely feeding areas around that area and spend your mornings and evenings inside the timberline watching the entry and exit routes. especially in the evening it would be prudent to set up a tree stand or ground blind about 100-300 yards inside the treeline from the feeding spot and try and catch him on his way to it. Unless during the rut, he won't be caught out in the open during daylight, so you'll have to catch him on his approach or exit.

Bring a flashlight and a gps or compass, and stay out until after its too dark to see. don't move at all until then. big bucks like him survive a lot of seasons due to hunters being afraid of the dark.

hope this helps!! and good luck!!

[blacktail hunter]

The whole thing with finding watering holes is that there are SO MANY Blacktail change there pattern ALOT. same with bedding (for the bucks anyways) Good Luck to All

[BIG BUCKER]

I HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO ME THIS YEAR AND I GONE BACK SEVRAL TIMES AND HAVE NOT SEEN IT BUT I HAVE SEEN SEVRAL SMALLER BUCKS BUT I KNOW I AM GOING THERE OCT.13 BRIGHT AND EARLIE AND HOPE TO SEE IT I AM GOING TO TRY TO BE THE ONLY ONE IN THE AREA. AND ILL HUNT THAT AREA FOR COUPLE DAYS AND IF I CANT GET THE BIG ONE I AM GOING TO WAIT AND TAKE A DIFFRENT ONE BUT I KNOW OF SEVRAL BUCKS IN THE SAME AREA SO I JUST HOPE THEY ARE THERE WHEN I AM DURRING THE SEASON.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL AND ANY ADVISE LET ME KNOW
BIG BUCKER

[fishseeker]

I have hunted blacktail in western Wa. for 35years, as for water holes come on its washington!!! all they have to do is stick out thier tounge to get all the water they need! One thing I've learned is blacktail will be where they want to be and go where they want to go in they home area, they are real unperdictable in there travel, watching a trail you have seen one on could be fruitless cause he maynot use it again till next month!! Watch food areas cause they gotta eat!!

[billythekidrock]

Here in the South Sound / Coastal area, I don't think our blacktails drink! I have watched ponds and water holes for years and have never had any luck doing it. Of course I have seen deer drink from streams, but never when hunting. The fall is so wet and the underbrush so thick that they don't have to move from their beds to get a sip.

[csumerall]

I agree that watching water holes is a HUGE waste of time, black tails seem to be very erradic so just find an area and stick with it eventually somthing wll turn up, also you may want to contact your local game warden, they are usually a wealth of info and generally very easy to talk to,

[blacktail hunter]

billythekidrock wrote: Here in the South Sound / Coastal area, I don't think our blacktails drink! I have watched ponds and water holes for years and have never had any luck doing it. Of course I have seen deer drink from streams, but never when hunting. The fall is so wet and the underbrush so thick that they don't have to move from their beds to get a sip.

Blacktails in washington do not need to go to lakes rivers ponds etc. al they need are some wet leafs from the mornin dew or wet moss that they might eat anything that soaks up water or lets water puddle up on. Blacktail are very different from mulies and whitetails in there eating drinking and traveling habits. the bucks in my area are just inside the timber of a 3 or 4 year old clearcut and they just hang out right there. Good luck to everyone on the OCT 13th opener.

[goldmtnman]

water????? waste of time, guess most of us agree on that. those big bucks get all they need from moisture in grass ----Well even though the seasons done, hopefully my opinion might help you out one day: stick with the trails from the thick cover. Eventually he will step out of the cover. those big bucks come out but not often. and he wont be far from whats familiar. thats why they can slip away, they know every path in and out-- most important is to just be there. big bucks aren't easy, increase your odds by being there as long as it takes-- everyday is usually what it takes!! good luck buck hunter.

[nailbender]

waterholes.. I just gotta laugh!! that's too funny..

[rude robert]

water holes in s. cal r u serious. just being funny. ive never even considered that but i have looked for acorn trees ect. i know they love those now only if i can find one where there are no hunters that is the tough one robert