Blacktail patterns, strategy and chat

Koda

Koda

Hammer Time Executive member
(was hoping wed have a dedicated Deer/elk section in the "hunting" section so I put this here....)

Do Blacktail make scrapes?

I have read that Whitetails make "scrapes" (not the same thing as a rub). I haven't read if Mule deer make scrapes. Ive noticed some hunting blogs that Whitetail patterns mirror Blacktail habits but Ive never heard anywhere that Blacktails make scrapes...

"scrape": where the deer marks low branches with the scent from their eye glands typically during the rut.
I recovered one of my trailcams left over winter and found this...

Blacktail Scrape_2022.gif

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Scrapes, licking branches, rubs, beds, travel routes, everything the same as whitetails, just generally all hidden in the timber away from people.

Think if blacktails inhabited the range that whitetails do. There would be no mystery to them.

I also was going to start a thread on blacktails but didn’t think it’d get much love.

Maybe change the title of thread to “Black-tailed Deer Chat” or something similar?🤷🏼‍♂️
 
MeatBuck said:
They are deer after all.

But to answer the question, yes, absolutely.
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it only makes sense but its literally a jungle out there its so hard to gather evidence of blacktail scrapes. I dont get to hunt the rut during rifle season (maybe the last week is just beginning typically...) so I hear hunting scrapes during the rut is effective.
At least I know Im in a good spot. There is a larger 3pt in this spot that eluded me last year..
 
Koda said:
it only makes sense but its literally a jungle out there its so hard to gather evidence of blacktail scrapes. I dont get to hunt the rut during rifle season (maybe the last week is just beginning typically...) so I hear hunting scrapes during the rut is effective.
At least I know Im in a good spot. There is a larger 3pt in this spot that eluded me last year..
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They are easy to see out here in California. Lots of open country.

Look at Against the Wind on YouTube for how to kill them in Oregon(Washington) late season archery.
 
MeatBuck said:
Scrapes, licking branches, rubs, beds, travel routes, everything the same as whitetails, just generally all hidden in the timber away from people.

Think if blacktails inhabited the range that whitetails do. There would be no mystery to them.

I also was going to start a thread on blacktails but didn’t think it’d get much love.

Maybe change the title of thread to “Black-tailed Deer Chat” or something similar?🤷🏼‍♂️
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Im all for discussing blacktail strategy and patterns... need to learn all I can. I hunt north coast blacktails most years since mule deer are controlled tags here. Chaged the title for more chat...
 
MeatBuck said:
They are easy to see out here in California. Lots of open country.

Look at Against the Wind on YouTube for how to kill them in Oregon(Washington) late season archery.
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I'll check them out but I hunt rifle season only, north coastal Oregon. Ive hunted them all over the state and the north coast area is quite different, like a jungle. Really hard to get on them here.
 
Also don’t get much rut action. But out here the bucks travel searching for does in the rut so they become more visible. Lucky if they start chasing the last week of rifle.
We’ve been lucky to draw three late season tags in the last 6 years. By we I mean my ol lady and son. I’m not that lucky.
Two of the three bucks are shoulder mounted on the wall. Both taken by unintentional road hunting while traveling in our hunt areas. Both with does.
 
Koda said:
I'll check them out but I hunt rifle season only, north coastal Oregon. Ive hunted them all over the state and the north coast area is quite different, like a jungle. Really hard to get on them here.
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If you want to kill big ones consistently you have to pick up the bow or muzzleloader and hunt the late season.
Oh ya and get you some apples. 😉
 
In orchards they rip the trees up pretty good. Anything young on the ends of rows do not survive the first year, bark shreaded.
If not pressured hard they are very habitual.
 
riceman said:
In orchards they rip the trees up pretty good. Anything young on the ends of rows do not survive the first year, bark shreaded.
If not pressured hard they are very habitual.
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They hit the ol ladies sunnies pretty hard too hahaha
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Ive hunted them all over the west side, from the cascades to southern Oregon where I have have "3rd party" access to a ranch.
Up here close to home... only public land access and the terrain is incredibly unforgiving jungle.

Heres one of my spots off trail, deep in a draw between forest roads. Theres a creek flowing down this draw, I glassed a tail flicker about 75yds straight ahead it had spotted me. This is about a quarter mile away from where my cam captured the buck scrape... except this was yesterday.

This is one of the more open spots in deep timber.
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I found 3 beds fresh with hair. I plan to hunt this draw but probably not visit it but one more time in a month to check the new cam I placed here. Im escouting an approach uphill from a road where I can sit above and look down.
 
I once thought i had them figured out no so much anymore, Scrapes i dont see many because of where they live, when you find a fresh one during Rut pre Rut they are rank! and most likely not far away from you. I once sat basically on a fresh one could hardly stand it herd chasing out popped doe and then a decent 3 point. what's hard in north coast is hunting pressure and access to good area's with decent BT population's, once i find a good area i loose it in a year or two. I find where you see blackie's in summer months isnt the same during hunt season they just go deep and nocturnal until doe's go in estrus.
 
2Tone said:
what's hard in north coast is hunting pressure and access to good area's with decent BT population's, once i find a good area i loose it in a year or two.
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Pressure is super heavy in the Wilson unit but I've found the numbers are still plenty. What I have learned though is the Blacktails in the pressured units are way more elusive even in the off months, way smarter. Drive even just an extra hour away and I start seeing more deer even just driving around... but it's rare to see a buck that way in any unit.
 
2Tone said:
I find where you see blackie's in summer months isnt the same during hunt season they just go deep and nocturnal until doe's go in estrus.
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Same for me. I've left cams up and watched bucks grow antlers all summer but come Oct.... the cam goes completely dead until about December.
This is the part I haven't figured out....
Been trying g to find where a buck beds and pattern him but it's nearly impossible. Why I was excited though to find that scrape, if he stays in this spot come Oct. it's a new clue for me anyways.
I got close once sneaking in before light into heavy timber off trail and could see their shadows ghosting around me. Creepy and cool at the same time. At the break of dawn I might get lucky seeing an ear or tail disappear thru the brush.
 
I just can’t do the timber hunting for em. Even archery is hard for me because I need to be able to see stuff or I get bored. I can easily sit behind glass for 12+hours looking over brushy hillsides or picking through burnt timber but a couple hours sitting over water or trails and Im ready to go look at more country.
At least you guys don’t have the heat up there on the coast that we get here. Having a cool opening day of just 90*. Next weekend shows 103*.
Not sure I’m even going to be able to get out tomorrow since my sons baseball tournament is dragging on. If he wins @5p he has a 7:30p game and if he wins that there will be Saturday morning or early afternoon championship game.
Looks like Saturday evening Or Sunday morning is my first real opportunity to get out. We’ll see.
 
I didn’t even put cameras out this year. Never been successful in finding a buck worth killing while using them. And recently Ive been finding someone else’s cameras at the spots I used to put mine, so I just check them for intel instead.
 
Yes getting away from the crowds is a big part of it. it would amaze me year's ago Rosey hunting trask/wilson unit steep nasty brushy crap
how many bruiser bucks i would see. now adays age and eye's is my issue i just dont see them like I used to! good ol day's are gone for me
for sure. keep telling myself to get my tree stand up some where and wait them out.
 
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