summer blacktail scouting

[scotty30-06]

Hey guys trying to get a jump on this falls blacktail season....yet to harvest one and been trying for years so wondering if anyone has tips for what to look for?....elevations etc.....any info would be great....thanks HBC

[RackStar]

should check out that howtohunt app. if i am correct there is a howtohuntblacktails one too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzSDApEr6RM

[Squamch]

Get up high.
Find a good vantage point, and glass, glass, glass.
Always look for deer. All year. Everywhere. You'll get better a seeing them, seeing parts of them, seeing the colour of their coats in that season.
Hunt in shit weather. Sleet? Yep. Pissing rain? Yep. Fog? Oh hell yes.

[scotty30-06]

Yea I have been hunting in all the nasty conditions....but I do a small amount of glossing when hunting for them maybe I should start doing a lot more glassing.

[caddisguy]

Scouting in the summer can be tricky if you're just looking for deer. Hard to tell if they're resident bucks or migratory bucks. Many of the bucks you see June - July might move to a different location at the end of August. If I was after a September buck, I would head up high and scout places in the alpine. At least you know the bucks you see in August will probably still be there in September.

I tend to hunt old growth timber near valley bottoms that hold resident deer and have migratory deer later in the fall. This way I can hunt the same area all GOS and learn that one area well enough to hunt it like a ninja.

To sum it all up, find an area you figure holds deer and find sign to confirm. Identify logical feeding and bedding areas and how deer use the area and how you are going to hunt the area... spots you're going to sit and rattle, routes your going to take for each wind direction, where you'll put your boots so you don't spook deer moving between finding and bedding areas.

For October-December, have a grunt tube and a real set of rattling antlers. Move slowly and quietly from spot to spot. Sit, rattle, wait an hour. Creep to the next, spot, sit rattle, repeat all day.

Disclosure: I haven't shot a blacktail either, but this is the year. Been collecting all the puzzle pieces the last 3 years and 2016 fall GOS I'm putting them all together.

[scotty30-06]

Hahahah sounds just like me....i have found great spots and tons of sign....just a matter of connecting with one....im climbing sleese mountain this weekend....so will be doing lots of alpine scouting

[caddisguy]

Hahahah sounds just like me....i have found great spots and tons of sign....just a matter of connecting with one....im climbing sleese mountain this weekend....so will be doing lots of alpine scouting

I think rattling is the way to go, especially in thick timber. Could be a number of deer within 150 yards, but you'll be lucky to see them by chance and doubtful you can get close crunching around. A bit of rattling should have them looking for you, rather than the other way around. Certainly worked this year for does in the spring using a fawn call. I also think using real antlers is key... those rattle bags just don't sound like real antlers.

[ruger#1]

Rattle bags work for me. With a combination of doe bleats. And I do it mid October to mid November. Blacktails come out and are stupid in Oct. They are at all elevations. They also like corn and berry fields. They will see you before you see them. And any day is a blacktail day. I have shot lots on sunny days. Keep the wind to your face. And both eyes open.

[ruger#1]

November is the best time. No leaves on trees. In clear cuts. They will have their trail about twenty yards in the woods. Their trails get trampled down good in Nov. They also like to travel at all times of the night. So a full moon really sucks.

[brian]

I spend summer months walking deer trails and looking for good bedding grounds, feeding grounds, rut sign from previous years, and trying to figure out the land as much as possible.

[Ferenc]

I'd be scouting all the areas where I found rubs from last year.. And making a plan on how to ambush them ... They will be there again.... Later of course. : )

[Wentrot]

I don't know much about anything but from what I have seen around these parts is blacktails are where you find em. Don't worry about elevation. Find a few cool looking areas on Google Earth and hike in to them for a look. Worked well for me to find areas, only problem is that they are smarter than me when it comes to actually putting cross hairs on one.

[miner_luke]

+1 on the HowToHunt app it's worth it for the black tail deer chapters alone. I got them downloaded too late last season to really put the lessons into use but this season is different! I'm really hoping to put in the effort to get a mature black tail buck this season!

[Ohwildwon]

Scouting in the summer can be tricky if you're just looking for deer. Hard to tell if they're resident bucks or migratory bucks. Many of the bucks you see June - July might move to a different location at the end of August. If I was after a September buck, I would head up high and scout places in the alpine. At least you know the bucks you see in August will probably still be there in September.

I tend to hunt old growth timber near valley bottoms that hold resident deer and have migratory deer later in the fall. This way I can hunt the same area all GOS and learn that one area well enough to hunt it like a ninja.

To sum it all up, find an area you figure holds deer and find sign to confirm. Identify logical feeding and bedding areas and how deer use the area and how you are going to hunt the area... spots you're going to sit and rattle, routes your going to take for each wind direction, where you'll put your boots so you don't spook deer moving between finding and bedding areas.

For October-December, have a grunt tube and a real set of rattling antlers. Move slowly and quietly from spot to spot. Sit, rattle, wait an hour. Creep to the next, spot, sit rattle, repeat all day.

Disclosure: I haven't shot a blacktail either, but this is the year. Been collecting all the puzzle pieces the last 3 years and 2016 fall GOS I'm putting them all together.

What the hell you talk'n bout?
The way you described your BBear hunt, you are a Ninja...! :smile:

[scotty30-06]

All awesome tips guys keep then coming

[hookedonblacktails]

I'd be scouting all the areas where I found rubs from last year.. And making a plan on how to ambush them ... They will be there again.... Later of course. : )

Scotty, pay special attention to Ferenc's post. Let's face it, the rut is when the odds are highest for conecting with one, so you need to find where they rut. You also need to be careful about tramping all over the rut holes all the time and spreading your scent so in which case sneaking in a back door and sitting and waiting ( ambush )comes into play.
Also give opening week some thought, you may still catch them in groups hanging around slashes stuffing themselves still a little naive, but you may only have the first few days of the season before they get the picture and get sneaky again.

[caddisguy]

What the hell you talk'n bout?
The way you described your BBear hunt, you are a Ninja...! :smile:

It does seem I can consistently out-ninja black bears which is a step in the right direction. They are easy to hunt but being able to get within 5 to 15 yards of bears every year for 3 years is re-enforcing even though applying BT tactics to bears almost seems unfair. Some of the strategy overlaps but BT consistency requires a higher level of ninja. It has taken me a few years and never a "lucky break" but that's fine. I'll even jinx myself by calling it. There will be threads about team caddis* and BT's down this year. All sorts of excitement coming this GOS. No rush for summer to pass by, but I'm counting down anyway :)

[835]

Disclosure: I haven't shot a blacktail either, but this is the year. Been collecting all the puzzle pieces the last 3 years and 2016 fall GOS I'm putting them all together.


lol that's ok... just for perspective.
I am 40, been on the rock all my life... born hunting blacktails.... I moved to ucluelet for 13 years and all my blacktail spots went out the door......
when I moved back it took me a good three years to pin down some good spots....
unless you are single and can devote a pile of time scouting .. it really takes time or luck...

Island Blacktails are extremely pocketie deer... they are not everywhere.. but there are places that hold great populations.... and in those places there is a place that they frequent more...
find somewhere that has trails coming down to the road and work out from there.... or alpine... or heliblocks..... or virgin timber..... find sign, a lot of sign... and work that spot and the surrounding area....
you might scare them out from your pressure,, but you need to learn the spot.... scaring them out doesn't mean never to return. one of my spots is really heavily hunted... last year I saw a guy pull a very large fork out of it...

[Pursuit]

I think elevation is not that important. They can be anywhere - up high, or in the valley bottoms. For scouting I like to start with Google Earth and find a few spots that look promising such as mature timber, remote cut blocks a few years old or even better, somewhere with both. Then get boots on ground and look more for deer sign than actual animals. If an area has lots of sign, especially pellets or rubs I'll return to try and learn it better before the season opens. No doubt that hunting in the rut increases your odds and who can't use that help!

A few resources I found useful where Boyd Iverson's book and Scott Haugen's too. Howtohunt app or any YouTube by ProGuide66 are excellent.

Good Luck!!

[scotty30-06]

Love doing spot and stalk hunts for them but was also thinking of tree stand hunts for BT's.....any guys tried or have experience with this?

[boblly1]

come sit on my front porch you can watch 2 4 points eat every last one of rose bushes the buggers lol

[boblly1]

come sit on my front porch you can watch two 4 points eat every last one of rose bushes the buggers lol

[rides bike to work]

I run 3 trail cams at different elevations on one mountain checking those cams every months teaches me a lot about who is where and when. I haven't had luck sitting in a tree stand yet but the slow stalk through a couple honey holes with a good weather change late October to mid November has been lucky for me a few times now

[Salty]

I don't know man. I've wasted a lot of time by seeing a few nice velvet bucks in the summer and then looking and looking in that area come fall to find absolutely **** all. These bucks are a bitch in heat to try to figure out I'm telling you. I've had this happen 3 or 4 times in the few years I've been around PA.

What I've come to is pretty much ignore the bucks in the summer they're on some twisted walk about as near as I can figure. I concentrate on does, does with fawns is fine too. I keep an eye on them where I find them from time to time and see if they'll be found in the same areas in the fall as the nursery groups often do. Or if they're wanderers like most of the bucks you strike out there. Anyways I want to know where the does are even for pre rut cause the boys will come to them.

Also like Fern and company say if you know where bucks have been during the golden time definitely come back to that. The rut is about the only time you have a chance to come close to patterning mature black tail bucks in my experience. But hey I've only been at this 15 years with 3 youngish bucks to my credit so I'm still totally in the minors here. Find out what works for you and work it.

[Xenomorph]

Who has time to summer scout :)

Jokes aside, if you can get out, that's awesome. Go mushroom picking, pick a spot and glass, move on their trails. They're ghosts. Remember last season I literally stumbled onto this bedded doe and fawn, I was following the trail as silent as I could and they just WHOOSH feet away from me jump up and bolt it from the ferns. There was no way to see them, unless I stumbled onto them.

Pick some mushrooms, eat some berries, enjoy the clean air and good luck come fall.

Here's an idea, Haida's bucks are opened since June. Take a couple weeks vacation, go camp on Moresby and hone your skills :P

[Wentrot]

Love doing spot and stalk hunts for them but was also thinking of tree stand hunts for BT's.....any guys tried or have experience with this?

Made the mistake of hauling one in to an area that a few great bucks heavily messed with my brain. Trail cam pictures during the day of them standing where the stand was but of course anytime I was around there wasn't a thing. The sitting thing isn't for me, I'm one of the "What's over the next hill" kinda guys. This fella drove me to the point of insanity, showed up to be filmed every time I wasn't around. Luckily for me I abused the area so much there doesn't seem to even be a spike around this year lol

http://i1347.photobucket.com/albums/p719/mwentrot/Mobile%20Uploads/Screenshot_2016-07-21-18-25-23_zpsuet2ioeg.png (http://s1347.photobucket.com/user/mwentrot/media/Mobile%20Uploads/Screenshot_2016-07-21-18-25-23_zpsuet2ioeg.png.html)

[scotty30-06]

Lol.....glad to hear others are having same frustration hahahha...pg66 makes it look so damn easy hhahah

[Wentrot]

Lol.....glad to hear others are having same frustration hahahha...pg66 makes it look so damn easy hhahah

The frustration is what makes chasing them so addicting lol

[Salty]

Made the mistake of hauling one in to an area that a few great bucks heavily messed with my brain. Trail cam pictures during the day of them standing where the stand was but of course anytime I was around there wasn't a thing. The sitting thing isn't for me, I'm one of the "What's over the next hill" kinda guys. This fella drove me to the point of insanity, showed up to be filmed every time I wasn't around. Luckily for me I abused the area so much there doesn't seem to even be a spike around this year lol

http://i1347.photobucket.com/albums/p719/mwentrot/Mobile%20Uploads/Screenshot_2016-07-21-18-25-23_zpsuet2ioeg.png (http://s1347.photobucket.com/user/mwentrot/media/Mobile%20Uploads/Screenshot_2016-07-21-18-25-23_zpsuet2ioeg.png.html)

Look at the bases on that thing bit of palmation coming on.. that's the kind of shit that keeps a guy coming back :mrgreen:

[scotty30-06]

Oh hell yea he is a beast.....it is the constant challenge that I love....but always up for new ideas.....guy in wholesale said set up tree stand and bait them like no other...works like a charm he said....not sure if I'm down for the whole baiting thing

[Ferenc]

Wentrot .... Any perennial rubs in the area of where that gooder was caught on your cam, or in the near surrounding area.... I'm sure he's still in there. : )

[BUCKJR]

One extremely important note that many overlook is...... if you find that magic area with tonnes of sign, like LOTS of rut sign... you know the deer will be there at some point. Resist the urge to pound the area day in and day out. The deer will know you are there and will start to avoid that area like the plague. I've witnessed excellent spots ruined due to guys finding them and pounding them to death. I've ruined some myself by putting too much pressure in the area. Im talking like many bucks on cameras for many months and once the feel the pressure, GONE for good and the spots haven't recovered. Be stealthy and strategic when you find those gems, your better to hunt effective less often than not effective lots.

[BCBear]

get a hold of Boyd Iverson's books on Blacktails they're good reads with lots of helpful tips