Blacktail patterns, strategy and chat

I miss blacktail hunting in southern Oregon. I usually hunted public land or timber company land. After a few years, I found a spot that didn't have a ton of pressure and I kept my mouth shut! I'm not sure how they got there, but there was about 80 acres of Oak trees mixed with the pines and the blacktails loved those acorns.
 
Oh yes they do! and a buck that has hooked his horns clean on oak's are so cool looking....yes i said hooked never seen an elk or deer rub a tree.
 
Yup oaks. Both the trees and the brush. Feed, bedding, scrapes and licking branches, and open country to stare at when the search for does is on.
They are not always in it but close to it.

Look for transition zones between different types of vegetation (or terrain if that applies in the dense timber jungle where you are).

Not just the acorns they eat but the leaves and fresh tips of the regenerative grown after fires. They get faaaaat on it.
IMG_2849.jpegIMG_2854.jpegIMG_2850.jpeg
 
Oh and poison oak too. They absolutely love that stuff. Seen here (green/red leaves and white balls) in the background. IMG_0029.jpeg
IMG_0175.png
 
Last edited:
MeatBuck said:
Look for transition zones between different types of vegetation (or terrain if that applies in the dense timber jungle where you are).
Click to expand...
its all the same terrain and jungle up here.
Post 13 pic of the area Im working... theres a deer in it about 75yds ahead, but cant be seen until it moved.

Blacktail patterns, strategy and chat

(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...
hammerbullets.com
 
I’m hunting the high timber this year. Thick but different. The Western aspects can look like that with manzanita thrown in.
 
What I learned years ago hunting a very small perfect aged clear cut near buddy house is when you think there is not a deer in it there are probably 1/2 dozen or more you can’t see.. patience is the key if you see decent sign sit glass and glass some more then when shooting light has gone away they are everywhere.amazing how little cover it takes for blackie to hide for sure.
 
Koda said:
its all the same terrain and jungle up here.
Post 13 pic of the area Im working... theres a deer in it about 75yds ahead, but cant be seen until it moved.

Blacktail patterns, strategy and chat

(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...
hammerbullets.com
Click to expand...
It can’t all look exactly like that picture.
If it does then maybe try a water source.
 
MeatBuck said:
It can’t all look exactly like that picture.
If it does then maybe try a water source.
Click to expand...
other than clearcuts, yes, its all like that up here.
Theres a flowing creek in that draw a few feet away from me when I took the pic.
 
MeatBuck said:
Oh and poison oak too. They absolutely love that stuff. Seen here (green/red leaves and white balls) in the background
Click to expand...
Glad I don’t see a lot of it where I hunt . I used to get real bad now it’s just soso bad.remember dad bringing home on his cloths as a kid he was immune mom wasn’t she stopped washing his hunting cloths.
 
Well the 3a alarm was a bit too early for not making it to sleep til after midnight😑.

Gonna get out this evening and see what I can see.
 
MeatBuck said:
Well the 3a alarm was a bit too early for not making it to sleep til after midnight😑.

Gonna get out this evening and see what I can see.
Click to expand...
yeah, I never get up early to scout. But the hardest part of hunting Blacktails is getting up hours before dawn to take advantage of that first 15 minutes of legal light.
 
You guys are right up my alley.wish I had the drive like I used to or maybe that I could afford to drive and scout summer bucks!
 
2Tone said:
You guys are right up my alley.wish I had the drive like I used to or maybe that I could afford to drive and scout summer bucks!
Click to expand...
Because of how hard its become to get a controlled tag I've made it a project to learn to hunt the blacktails close to home.
Im still learning cause I dont get them, but this guys just 45 minutes from my driveway. The last piece of the puzzle I just need to find out where he goes once Oct hits and they go nocturnal.
1688850416113.png
 
Koda said:
Because of how hard its become to get a controlled tag I've made it a project to learn to hunt the blacktails close to home.
Im still learning cause I dont get them, but this guys just 45 minutes from my driveway. The last piece of the puzzle I just need to find out where he goes once Oct hits and they go nocturnal.
View attachment 2004
Click to expand...
I’m not sure you will ever figure that out. I don’t think they go far there just to dam smart they will stay in there bed until you step on them.just gotta find where they bed and wait them out.so years ago my son shot a collared deer in Carlton area,Odfw came to get collar the guy said he had tracked him for 4 or 5 years and had never seen him.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top