Trail cam Blacktail

[humbolt]

I just brought in my trail cams and this guy was on it. Any guesses how big he is.

[snareman1234]

thats a beauty

[ChilliwackWinchester]

Good size buck. Mind if I ask what region he was in?

[d6dan]

I would say 140". If its a mulie. Hard to tell, the pic is too small.

[proguide66]

thats a great buck..........unfortunately he offered up the worst possible angle to give an accurate guess...cant see how wide he is OR how tall he is with his ears...for the tape measure , he has it all....long main beams and the points break out close to the main beam....give him a 16 to 18" inside i'm goin over 140" to

[ElkMasterC]

Holy crap....want a hunting buddy for next fall? lol

Mid 120's

[pnbrock]

he s big enough for me.

[humbolt]

He is a mainland buck. I think I have a picture of him last year as a big three point. I only got one picture of him and never saw him again. Still trying to figure those blacktails out.

[ElkMasterC]

You'll figure out women long before you figure out Blacktails, but I wish you well, my friend. ;-)

[ChilliwackWinchester]

You'll figure out women long before you figure out Blacktails, but I wish you well, my friend. ;-)

You won't figure out women!

[OutWest]

Fairly decent rack but the body looks huge!

[d6dan]

:wink:
He is a mainland buck. I think I have a picture of him last year as a big three point. I only got one picture of him and never saw him again. Still trying to figure those blacktails out.
I still say around 140'. If he is a Blacktail, he sure is nice!:-D good luck bagging that big boy...

[humbolt]

Any suggestions on home range of these things. I am trying to figure out were he is going to be so that I can shoot him.

[d6dan]

If he is a true Blacktail, he will be territorial (like a whitetail). If he's a mulie, he will roam a much larger area.
I guess you won't want to give us a general location eh?

[humbolt]

He is a true blacktail, no mule deer mix. There is a possibility that he might go to the alpine, but that would be two or three km away. Sorry I have to be selfish on this one.

[d6dan]

He is a true blacktail, no mule deer mix. There is a possibility that he might go to the alpine, but that would be two or three km away. Sorry I have to be selfish on this one.
Thats fine, This province is big enough!. 2-3km isn't big to a deer. You should be able to figure him out. Make notes on times and locations, rubs,etc..A pattern will come of it. you'll get him sooner or later:wink:.

[humbolt]

It just seems the harder you try the more scattered you get. But you are right with your advice. Thanks. Here is a hint to the general location-plunge

[Gilmore]

:shock::shock::shock::shock::shock:

140 gross minimum. That is a smoker, great fronts. Fronts make up over 60% of total score.

[showtimebc]

great lookin buck! my guess is 135ish

[5 spike]

that is a nice lookin buck if he is a true blacktail you have your work cut out for you. good luck cant wait to see the pics.

[humbolt]

I was hopping some of the blacktail masters were going to give some advice.

[Buck Skin]

awsome deer

[BlacktailStalker]

Find the thickest or most secluded area and poke around in there. Its likely where he lives.
If the pic is recent he is likely on his way to or from a food source and wont be traveling far (they never do)

If it snows, pack a lunch and follow his tracks (both ways)
Doing that should give you what you need to know to know where to set up to kill him next year (and hopefully find his sheds)

Discovering a blacktail like that is truely an accomplishment in its own, I would spend all available effort trying to anchor him when the season comes. So learn him while you can!

[humble hunter]

I would buy more trail cams and have them all over the area starting in july. I chased a buck like that for 30 days straight this november. He went nocturnal on me and was never out in the open in the daylight. Every morning I would see his tracks heading up to a series of cliffs that
were unaproachable. I hate blacktails!! Good Luck!

[humbolt]

Blacktailstalker you are right, were I took the picture is the thickest narliest bush. The buck travels in a tunnel of bush. I am going to set up my cameras again, in hopes of finding his sheds. Great advice, thanks.

[hunter1947]

Thats a huge BTD you caught on your camera ,my guess on his score would be in the mid 135 range..

[Jetboater]

put the camera near blackberries right now ... all the bucks as of late have been chomping on blackberries that I have seen...big bucks like that seem a lot more visible at this time of season...

[proguide66]

Here's a couple things to think about with this buck.
If there is aBIG anual snow dump around there he COULD be traveling up to and more than 25 to 30km...proven by our local clubs efforts in live capture.collar/transmitting.
Even if he WAS a migrating deer...he WILL RUT where he winters.....that being said , you already ' found him' ....now you have to make a decision that might 'make or break' nailing him.
I used to have more time on my hands yrs back and followed BIG blacktails all summer...one thing I realised is when the BIG dominant buck ' busted' me watching them , he would go instantly nocturnal ( or maybe leave??) and I would more than likely NEVER see him again , not even in the rut....and this was being busted in July / Aug.
The largest blacktail I ever nailed was first seen ( a quick glimpse) at the very end of deer season after I had tagged out and he was in 2 to 3 ft of snow , up high. I NEVER WENT back until I was SURE they were rutting and went in Nov 15 the next fall.....and nailed him maybe 50 yrds from where I had the glimpse a yr before.....I was terrified of goin in and blowing him out wich would have sucked real bad dut to him having 151" of bone on his head and the area was gnarly and huge...but the zone he was in was very secure but as well sweet to still hunt......
Lookin at your pics , I would be tempted to maybe go in there once or twice early spring...maybe google earth it..'just' enough to get familiar with wich direction the winds blow and what time of am the thermals change...go after him starting mid Nov...unless the area gets pounded by other guys...then its a ' hail marry' anyway....good luck! ( i'm doin the same with a buck bigger than that one at the moment:shock:)

[humbolt]

Thank you Pro guide, I was hoping that you would give some advice. I have seen your other posts and I am very impressed. If you ever give a seminar on hunting blacktails sign me up(seriously). The buck is in an area that is so thick you can forget still hunting, it is purely a stand area. Have you ever tried to hunt them opening day, when they are still in velvet and not wanting to damage their horns or do they head for the high country in the summer.

[proguide66]

Unfortunately I have been guideing up north for many past Sept's and havent a chance to chase them in the alpine......yrs back though , July seemed to be the best month for seeing #'s of bachelor bucks as opposed to aug.
As far as a " stand only" spot ...EVERY place a deer hangs out can be still hunted..all depends on your patience and the wind.
Blacktails DONT pattern like whitetails on 'specific' trails and times of the day..( if they did I would have MANY MANY more kills than I do now...and would be tagged out in the first 2 days of hunting season each yr)...if you hunt early season b tails on farm land , you can predict them on trails in/out faily accurately until the rut starts....but mountain bush bucks change up their days non stop...until a 'hot doe' keeps them anchored up for a bit.
If you can , slip in there early spring and find the nearest place that has numerous rubs..fresh and from yrs gone by... this is KEY...if I could ever give anyone the MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE it is the rubs..or as I call them ' rut holes'...find this spot ( and it wont be too far from where you got the pic) and your chances of nailing him go up HUGE...as well...when Nov hits...only hunt does EVERY TIME you go out--HUNT DOES--- do what the bucks are doing and you will bump into each other all daythose bucks KNOW where each doe is and check them all non stop until they find a hotty...if you start seeing the same does in the same holes..PERFECT..keep checkin on them and dont stop until they give up the 'big boy' anyway...all else fails , gimme GPS to pics and I'll see what I can do , :tongue:....good luck!
ps....here's a pic of a rut hole I found4 yrs ago...took me 2 yrs of trying 'trial/error' aproaches to FINALLY nail ( and see) ONE buck..after seeing 8 different bucks on my trail cam at all hrs of the clock in there...thick as hell.!!( sorry about the creepy guy in the pic , only one I have..:tongue::tongue:
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq155/proguide66/thickbush.jpg

[humbolt]

In another area that I hunt, that gets pressure, I decided to go were I thought no other hunter would go. Well I found what you call a rut hole. There were rubs, beds, lots of droppings all in a very small area. I figured it was his bed room. Unfortunately I found it to late in the season. I never saw the buck just his track and it was a track worth chasing.

Were I took the picture of the buck I had about another 100 pictures of does and fawns. They are obviously the same deer, but it shows that they live in that spot. Do still hunt the rut holes or do stand hunt them. The one I found has about 20 to 30 yrds visibility and near vertical with small benches? I will try to put all the great advice to work. Thanks again.

[Kody94]

Check out "Mule Deer Quest" by Walt Prothero. The section on core areas and center areas is very relevant here, IMHO.

Cheers
4Ster

[xtremearchery]

I just brought in my trail cams and this guy was on it. Any guesses how big he is.

my guess would be 120-125. beauty!!

[fourbyfour]

I was hopping some of the blacktail masters were going to give some advice.

nice buck, and i think you can learn all year round . so get out there and try shed hunting. ther are no master blacktail hunters because we all just keep on learning.:):)