Book Class Blacktail Huntin 2010

[BlacktailStalker]

Ah yes, cape beale and blacktails... if only a guy could do both in one day, THAT would be livin'.

[Prowler]

when I lived year round in Bamfield, I often tried for both in one day. Dont know that I ever connected though..

[BCrams]

Nice pattern:

Weather might not matter too much but if you get a storm or snow the night before it might help.

Target your hunt between 4000 and 5500 ft elevation.

Target mature timber and bluffy areas between that elevation.

Ensure you're in the above places at first light for the first couple hours.

Time to pull the maps and identify those likely looking areas......one more thing..... what aspect did you kill each buck in?? That ought to pin it down.

[proguide66]

'aspect' ?..you mean each situation?...

One thing to note , i really dont sit much. I have noticed that these deer do a lot of 'standing' , especially while a doe is feeding. I really hunt hard for does , its what the bucks are doing and we HAVE to connect sometime.
Soon as I find a doe or two ( especially mature females with NO fawns) I sit with them as loong as possible....if they feed away out of sight , I use my can call just enough to keep em coming bacl and give me some extra time I may need for Mr. B to come out.
in snow , tracks are HUGE factor...there s no guessing if hes around. BIG tracks is what kicks me into gear...tells me flat out he's 'here' and lookin...then I go out as much as humanly possible and really start pounding for the does.....the does dont move much and I can 'usually' go right to each pocket and find the same ones..soon as one comes 'hot' its going to happen real quick...as long as the buck is what I'm after.
Bartels buck was a classic..I KNEW it was getting wacked that am after about maybe 12 days straight of finding the does..the night before putting two hot does to bed...next am 22yrds , blam..
as well , i'm getting these deer on all the slopes the compass has to offer...obviously more on the sout/west facing..but all around the slopes and dark big timbered north slopes...
These bucks really seem to 'tip toe' around , no reall 'cruising' aimlessly...they seem to 'know' exactly where they are and where they goin.
The damned things are soo smart and elusive , reason I like hunting them more than anything else.
Only animal that can still make my knees wobble when I get a big one!!!

[BUCKJR]

Man how i've been looking forward to this thread! I'm gonna be sucking the info up like a sponge!

I see that ratting and calling these big bucks has produced well! I haven't done this much myself as i though it didn't work much for the blackies. But due to the thick timber and bush i hunt this may be a worthy endevour to explore.

How would you determine if an area is worthy to rattle in?

I have located a number of 'rut holes' (i think), SIGNIFICANT amount of rubs from recent and years past. Should i be setting up in these areas to rattle?

Thanks and look forward to your future posts!

[bigwhiteys]

How would you determine if an area is worthy to rattle in?

I have located a number of 'rut holes' (i think), SIGNIFICANT amount of rubs from recent and years past. Should i be setting up in these areas to rattle?

Good Question... I'd like to know the answer too... I tried rattling last night, wind in my face, overlooking a tiny little area of slash, bordering some deep timber. Lots of fresh sign around, including all the marks from a fight the night prior.

I would rattle hard, really smashing the bag together for the first whack and then would slowly grind them, mimicking two bucks locked together...

Each rattle session lasted like 30 secs to 1 min about 10-20 minutes apart. After about 45 minutes and 3 or 4 rattling sessions, there was something moving through the timber in my direction, I could hear the branches breaking...

Sounded like a deer, moving slowly... in comparison to the black bears which usually just crash through...

Never saw what was there though... The night ended without seeing anything.

Carl

[luckynuts]

Hey Carl,

Were you using scent? I have had great luck rattling BTs right around this time on the island but have always used a doe in heat scent when doing so. Shouldn't need to hammer the bone too hard. again I had deer in the area each time I would set up between the bedding area and a rocky bluff they came out to feed on. Good luck

W.

[Gateholio]

rattling this time of year shoudl work well, but I wouldn't go nuts like the whitetail hunters on TV

More mellow seems to work better for me.

[proguide66]

When I find a rut hole , I stay wayy away from it until I KNOW 'its on'...one rut hole I have had for years usually gets hammered to hell...I would try different approaches into it ( thick as hell) and would NEVER see a thing , not even a yrling fawn...butt he tracks , shit , beds , fight areas were incredible..bark still green from shreddings ect ect...I DID rattle in a 141" buck in there the very first yr...never again,,,5 yrs later. I tried everything...put a trail cam in there and had 13 bucks on it in 4 days..3 5X5's a throw back fork and a buck at 130am that would go 160" plus...never saw him again..still havent..
anyway , blacktaisl DONT come running in like whitetails( wich are a damned easy pushover for calling in)...I set up where 'if ' one comes in he has to come in front of me and cant circle....but they seem to more stand and look/listen..or tip toe in..its more a curiosity instead of an 'excitement' thing like whitetails.
As soon as I saw the buck pics on my cam , I threw the rattle horns , the abviosly knew it was me and cleared the way for me..I did finally get in there in the drk and above the rut hole to where I 'guessed' they were going to avoid me , used my quakerboy can call and had 4 does and a 5X5 come right into my lap...boom.
I usualy rattle a bit..stand a few..still hunt on...rattle a 'bit'...stand a while...slowly move on...my 151 buck listened to me rattle for probably 15 minutes...I slowly moved on , here he was maybe 50 yrds from where I was rattling and only 3 steps from his bed....but I'll bet the rattling made sure he would stay for me to see , instead of him hearing a noise and thinking it might be a predator...may have calmed him enough for me to get to 30 yrds??
The can call has helped me more than the horns , but I never elave without either one , or a spare trail cam...
the can call sounds EXACTLY like our does...I mean EXACTLY...the does are quite vocal with each other , more vocal than I would have thought yrs ago....the can call gets full award for Bartels buck and as well maybe 3 other book bucks I have nailed the last few yrs....I tip it , stand , walk maybe 10 yrds , stand , tip it , keep going...kinda like a meandering deer...but only use it when I KNOW I'm close to a good hole.
I'll try to get this shit on vdeo soon...Gatehouse has offered to be my camera guy this weekend but I have a feeling he's trying to infiltrate another one of my spots..

[bigwhiteys]

Hey Carl,

Were you using scent? I have had great luck rattling BTs right around this time on the island but have always used a doe in heat scent when doing so. Shouldn't need to hammer the bone too hard. again I had deer in the area each time I would set up between the bedding area and a rocky bluff they came out to feed on. Good luck

W.

No scent... I may try using some tonight. I only hammered the bag hard at the first go to mimmick bucks crashing together, then just slowly grinded the bag between palms to mimmick the sound of the bucks locked together.

I bought a rattle bag, it was full of wood doweling... sounded like wood, not antler so I cut up an old muley rack I had and replaced with those pieces, now it sounds way better. I should have just bought an empty bag to start!

Carl