Blacktail are an interesting animal to hunt, but once you figure out their patterns, just like whitetail, they are easier to hunt.

Pick out areas where there is mature forest next to relatively new clearcut, 2 years to five years old. These animals live on the fringe. In the mornings they will be out in the cuts, and you can flush them from the thick timber during the day with drives and still hunting.

Blacktail hunting in Washington results in fewer trophies, but you still have a chance to come across a nice buck. A 3-point (three on each side) here is a really good deer, more than that and you have a trophy. That said, I usually take the first legal deer I see.

One final thing, the first and last hours of the day are the best for movement, and of the 14 deer I have taken, 10 were in these magic hours.

Have fun learning!