New BC resident....getting the Blacktail itch!!!

[Rackmastr]

Hey Guys,

Well, I'm starting to settle into life in BC. So far I'm loving it, and looking forward to the opportunity to start exploring different options that BC has to hunt, fish, camp, etc. There are a LOT of things on my list and a ton of places I cant wait to go and explore.

One thing that never really got me very excited while living in Alberta is hunting blacktails. I've gotta say that in the past couple days though, I've been hit with a bug and its got me thinking how cool it would be to shoot a nice blacktail one day!!!

So, what can you guys tell me about them. Mainland vs island hunting? Looks like Columbia blacktails on the coast and VI and then Sitka blacktails up in the QCI? Are they tougher to hunt than other species of deer for a nice representative buck?

If anyone has any tips or suggestions or just plain comments on hunting these critters, I'd love to hear it. I'd be glad to help anyone out if you were travelling my way or ever needed info on Alberta stuff or could somehow return the favor. Bottom line though, I've gotta scratch this itch and get myself on a blacktail hunt in the next year or two!!!

[gerrygoat]

I can only tell you about the Charlottes since that's the only place I've hunted them but it is a lot of fun to hunt over there, you will get bigger deer on Vancouver Island or the lower mainland but if you get away from main roads nice sized bucks can be taken. Haven't been there since 2008 and need to get back this year badly. You won't be dissapointed if you head over I can tell you that much :)

[grizzlydueck]

Buddy your in luck=when we go for coffee i'll give ya a killer spot on big island blacktails ! I hunted them all over the island and have the honey hole of honey holes!
maybe the grand po pa's genetics are still floating around in there! Ive show a coulple of guys on here the spot but it takes some hiking effort. maybe i'll take ya in there one day =that would bring back some great memories. lbiggest buck population iv'e ever seen on the island lots of wolves -cougars-some elk passing through. one morning i watched 11 blacktail bucks funnel up to the timber up the pinch point -the same deer path that grand poo pa came walking up ....what a wooper! know i'm getting excited lol

[Spy]

This is a good thread to keep you occupied until the season LOL !:wink:
http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?57547-Book-Class-Blacktail-Huntin-2010&highlight=book+class+black+tails

[keoke]

Steep, thick, and wet is how to find a black tail.

[guest]

Search PG66 (proguide 66) threads on BT hunting also Youtube has a bunch, great footage and advice. Good luck finding any one better on the subject of hunting Big BT's in BC.

He knows what he's doing thats for sure.

Welcome to BC and good luck to you.

CT

[grizzlydueck]

the monster blacktails are in the lower main land around the farms =some monsters 130 class are being shot and seen -ive seen pics that d dog showed me of some pigs ! but they aren't true blacktails, like the island.

[Rackmastr]

Ya I sure have read a lot of proguide's stuff and man he's done some awesome hunts. Lots of very good resources on here for sure.

Cant wait to chat with ya grizzlydueck. I'll call ya tomorrow when I get off work. And yep, my ph # is still the same for another week or two most likely.

[todbartell]

easy to hunt. Just a stroll through the bush should land you a booner within the first hour of the hunt. :D

[Rackmastr]

easy to hunt. Just a stroll through the bush should land you a booner within the first hour of the hunt. :D

Haha ya so I hear! Maybe I need to just follow you around next year for a hunt!!

[hunter1947]

I hunted BT deer all my life on the island and they are not as hard to hunt as you would think ,early season as for the rut you see them out in the open slashed ,Lens Creek Port Renfrew ,Gold River ,Woss Lake North island ,Cowichan area ,Robertson Main ,Nitinat area Cowichan Lake ,Vernon Lake north island ,Bonanza Lake North Island ,Sayward area ,Adam River north of Sayward .

Just a few from the top of my head the BT deer are making a come back from years ago when the wolf population got out of control yes I do miss the black tail hunting on the island but with what I got up here in the EK make up for what I lost on Rock..

Welcome back to Cranbrook :) H-47..

[Rackmastr]

Thanks! Lookin forward to hearing some BT stories and chat about the area with ya.

I'm finally getting 'settled'....if you can call it that!

[grizzlydueck]

Hey wayner bringing back old wet memories ! Many hours of hiking and hunting robertson and the nitnat -walbran valley. I too remember the low deer population and the huge wolf take over ! With the highest pop of cougars and all the wolves, together they lowered the deer population untill they started killing off all the grouse and black bears ! It was a dead zone in alot of spots. Everywhere we went was wolves driveing around wolves -hiking ino a remote valley = wolves! It was crazy -right when i was leaving the rock there were wolves being found starving to death =too tired to run away sick looking just standing on the road as you drive by eveybody were shooting them only to walk up and they were nothing but skin and bones =but the deer started bouncing back in a couple of my spots -sucked for hunting -but was very interesting to see first hand and soo many wolf incounters ....crazy

[IronNoggin]

the monster blacktails are in the lower main land around the farms ... but they aren't true blacktails, like the island.

True that. If you simply want a BIG set of horns on your wall that you can justifiably call "Blacktail", then the mainland is for You! :twisted:

They are generally a tad smaller on The Rock, and you'll find it takes a LOT of Effort and more than a little Luck to find one even approaching this: http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?74520-Any-guesses
But then again, that would at least be a "Real" Blacktail!! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

Cheers,
Nog

[Brambles]

Lemme get this straight, you move from the land of monster deer, get to BC and wanna hunt the runt species blacktail... You must have worked the oilfield too long....

[madrona sh]

The roughest of the rough
The swampiest of the swampiest
Where you would never want to go into because there is way easier hunting
Is were the largest Black bear and deer spend there time away from you until dark
And then they frolic without a care here on the island
And I am not talking about dink bucks and big eared bears

[proguide66]

True that. If you simply want a BIG set of horns on your wall that you can justifiably call "Blacktail", then the mainland is for You!

They are generally a tad smaller on The Rock, and you'll find it takes a LOT of Effort and more than a little Luck to find one even approaching this: http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?74520-Any-guesses
But then again, that would at least be a "Real" Blacktail!!

Cheers,
Nog
I spent my first 30 years of life on the island chasing those bucks and being 'pissy' about bigger blacktails on the mainland to:razz: Until I decided to go over and slay a few of em for myself.:wink:
There's BIG blacktails on the mainland and island...you just have to really punish yourself physically and mentally for a while to get one , a BIG one that is. And if you get too frustrated and cant pull it off , blame it on the genes,:lol::lol:( easier than admitting they are too tough for ya!):mrgreen:

[.330 Dakota]

Hey Guys,

Well, I'm starting to settle into life in BC. So far I'm loving it, and looking forward to the opportunity to start exploring different options that BC has to hunt, fish, camp, etc. There are a LOT of things on my list and a ton of places I cant wait to go and explore.

One thing that never really got me very excited while living in Alberta is hunting blacktails. I've gotta say that in the past couple days though, I've been hit with a bug and its got me thinking how cool it would be to shoot a nice blacktail one day!!!

So, what can you guys tell me about them. Mainland vs island hunting? Looks like Columbia blacktails on the coast and VI and then Sitka blacktails up in the QCI? Are they tougher to hunt than other species of deer for a nice representative buck?

If anyone has any tips or suggestions or just plain comments on hunting these critters, I'd love to hear it. I'd be glad to help anyone out if you were travelling my way or ever needed info on Alberta stuff or could somehow return the favor. Bottom line though, I've gotta scratch this itch and get myself on a blacktail hunt in the next year or two!!!

I moved here from Northern Ontario 6 years ago, and my 1st year hunting I was like a kid in a frikin candy store. I am still filling my bucket list.

[lovemywinchester]

I hear guys talk about getting in shape for sheep hunting. Its the same for BT. Its all uphill.

[Rackmastr]

Lemme get this straight, you move from the land of monster deer, get to BC and wanna hunt the runt species blacktail... You must have worked the oilfield too long....

Haha most definitely not!

Hey, I never said that big whiteys and mulies dont turn my crank. And I can always go back to Alberta or Sask and hunt some of the big deer, but killin a blacktail would be a cool new thing to do for sure!! Heh

[IronNoggin]

There's BIG blacktails on the mainland and island...you just have to really punish yourself physically and mentally for a while to get one , a BIG one that is. And if you get too frustrated and cant pull it off , blame it on the genes,( easier than admitting they are too tough for ya!):mrgreen:

LOL! Just KNEW that would get a "rise" from someone! http://fishbcforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/hook%5B1%5D.gif

That said, I VERY Much buy into the "punishment" thing!! Hunted pretty much most of the Western side of our continent, and a handful of times times offshore. Never faced a critter quite so challenging as a "Biggie" Blacktail!! Frustrating? You BETCHA! And Loving Every Minute Of It!! :mrgreen:

And of course, there very much are times I "blame it on the genes"!! :twisted:

Cheers,
Nog - Still Working on Tough Enough!! :-D

[TheProvider]

blacktails are ok to hunt....... :l very addicting and challenging.... well depending what your looking for