Coastal Blacktail Techniques - Does WHERE trump HOW?

[albravo2]

I'm pretty new to HBC and to hunting. I have been very pleasantly surprised by the people on this site sharing their time and knowledge and, in many cases, their humour. A few of you really distinguish yourselves with consistently insightful and helpful advice. So I ask my first real question of this forum: Am I spending quality time with my son and my gun in the forest or am I actually hunting with a reasonable hope of filling my freezer?

We've put on a fair number of miles this season. In the early part we were up around Placer Mtn, near Eastgate on the Hope-Princeton. We left camp in our Rhino but did our share of hiking because the terrain was well suited to walking. We saw one doe in six days of hunting.

For the past month we've been up in the Ashlu Valley near Squamish on a weekly basis at least. I read the forums almost every night and have been trying to glean info that will help us. People say to hunt south facing slopes. And hike and hike until you are far away from any road. And follow tracks.

But the terrain up that way is thick, thick, thick. For those not familiar with the area, I'm guessing it was logged in the 60s or 70s and largely left alone since. There are no fresh cut-blocks, south facing or otherwise. I haven't found a vantage point with more than 60 yards worth of terrain to survey. The main roads are overgrown for the Rhino and the side roads are overgrown even for fit people that enjoy a bit of suffering. Last weekend we found a set of tracks along the main Ashlu FSR and followed them for a couple of miles before they veered off into the woods but we could only follow them for 10-20 yards into the bush because the tracks seem to go straight through the thickest BS imaginable.

As a novice hunter I like the fact that the area isn't under much hunting pressure (we've consistently been the only people up there) but I'm wondering if we are having fun but not actually hunting.

We're planning to head back up this weekend. Raining hard tonight, so I'm hoping there will be a fair amount of snow higher up. I'm also hoping a nice buck will wander down the road in front of me and wait while my son gets an arrow nocked or I get my gun loaded. Hell, I'll even go back to the truck and get my earplugs if that's what Lady Luck demands;-)

Seriously though, any advice appreciated.

[Gateholio]

"Where" is important if there are no deer there.

If there are deer there, then the "how" takes over.

Driving along the road hoping to bump into a buck is just luck. It happens, but it's about mileage.

[west250]

If you're checking out new areas, always keep an eye out for sign. If there isn't any or it sparse - move on. There's certainly 'pockets' of deer around and other areas are 'devoid'. Don't commit to areas where the sign isn't encouraging, you'll just waste a good hunt.

[Trophyslayer]

Look for old dark timber big cedars and firs look for sign and still hunt slower than molasses going down hill on a winters day. I find the worse the weather conditions the more they move. You can walk right by blacktails easily in the thick stuff I find they "sneak" away more often then bolting

[beejee]

Watch for the sign if it's there they r find places where they can hid but has opening where u can still get a look I see more deer on rainy days than nice and slow is key take ur time when hunting the timber watch for every little movement hunt hard and u will find one

[Shooter]

"Where" is important if there are no deer there.

If there are deer there, then the "how" takes over.

Driving along the road hoping to bump into a buck is just luck. It happens, but it's about mileage.

That right there is about the best answer to what you have asked.

"where" and "how' are 2 pieces to the same puzzle.

[5 spike]

In my experience with these deer if you are seeing no rubs,tracks,trails,beds it is time to move on.Look for sign find some does and it should all come together plain and simple.Good luck to you guys and hope to see some pics and read a story too.

[HIGHRPM]

Where and how are very intertwined, it always seems to be a mixture of different percentages. To me, the main thing is you are getting out with your son ! Getting the deer will be your bonus one day. Like the guys say, for blacktails mainly, dead slow, look for something that seems out of place and watch it. I have over the years seen deer lay tight in their bed and let people walk right by because they were pushing bush and not really hunting. So grab your son, go have qaulity time and hunt slow, they are there .

[albravo2]

For the record, I don't actually expect to run into a suicidal deer while driving down a road. I was referring to a recent post where the guy ran into a great buck while hunting without his gun, then went back to his truck for his gun, then went back to his truck for his earplugs.

Thanks for the comments and PMs so far. At least nobody has sent me directions to the grocery store;-)

[BC_Viking]

Look for ..

-Tracks
-Deer shit
-Rubs

if you cant find one of these things move on to another area.

[NovemberBravo]

I too have not had much success :twisted:. Me and my dad go up there a lot and have not seen anything yet. We drive a red Yamaha rhino a bit but also walk. We have Sitka rain coats. If you see us feel free to pull us over and we can talk different places we've found sign

[Gateholio]

Bucks are still doing post rut stuff in Squamish. They are still moving. Ge out there, find tracks and get out of the truck and head for timber. Deer are going to be in the wintering ground now, so low elevations, timber, etc.

[hunter1947]

I always look for tracks and rubs if you find these then there are deer within the area I then work the area to see what I can find ,,early scouting is a key factor try to get out scouting for deer in July or Aug this will go a long ways on filling your tags come opening deer season..

[Camp Cook]

I'm heading out this morning going to hunt low preferably below the snow line.

I'm seeing does down low now and the buck my son shot Dec 2 was heading down @ appr 9:30am when we intersected him appr 400 yards below us the ground was covered in the weed/feed I am referring to below.

I'm posting this pic to show the feed I am targeting see the small roundish broadleaf weed one is almost touching the forward bullets on the butt stock I am going to be hunting where there is an abundance of this weed I have watched dozens of blacktail deer feeding on it over the last 2 years since I have started targeting blacktail deer again.

The last buck we shot last fall a doe was standing in a patch of it when she ran off a nice plump 2X2 jumped out from behind a hill right into the middle of the weed patch.

Look for patches of this weed then start looking for deer if they are in the area they will not be far off.


http://www.hunt101.com/data/504/medium/2602.JPG

[Dutch Ppoacher]

they are still rutting, seen two different decent bucks today with does (following)

know your land. these animals are smart, use the same areas that benifit them.
if your out by a couple hundered yards the sign might not be there. but... when you find the area they're in, it is obvous.
then agian there is dumb luck which in its own is a beautiful thing
don;t hike the exact same path if you can help it,

[albravo2]

We did one last trip yesterday up the Ashlu and found a rub, then fairly fresh tracks. If I had to guess, it was a doe followed closely by a buck. We followed as far as we could, then sat quietly in the woods hoping for action. Our hearts raced a bunch of times as the snow melted off the trees and created startling noises all around us. In the end, nothing, but it was a great end to an amazing first deer hunting season. Lots of campfires, hiking, and adventuring with a gun and bow as company. My son and I both have the hunting bug pretty bad-- next weekend we're taking the sleds up to Princeton to see if we can dispatch some predators.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I really think we're on our way. Lots more learning and a little more luck and we'll be in good shape.