Have a few Questions. What are the major food sources a bowhunter should be looking for to attract blacktails? Where do they like to bed? Do the same scents and calls for whitetail work for blacktail? Whare are some good spots to begin scouting for a guy living on the Kitsap Peninsula. I would love any and all info on blacktail deer hunting. I would like to look for a decent buck but have only seen does in my scouting attempts. I know bucks are nocturnal. Should I wait until the next rut before expecting to see many bucks? Thanks. Brass

I grew up hunting whitetails in upstate New York and I've found that Midwest or East coast Whitetail tactics won't help much with the elusive Columbia Blacktail. I must admit that I have not had a lot of luck finding a decent buck during archery season yet either. These guys are way more nocturnal than their white tailed cousins. Outisde of the rut, I've really only seen nice bucks a few times when it wasn't getting just about too dark to see,after shoting hours have expired (which is when I always see them). Those times were during an incoming serious weather system at the end of several days of a high pressure system hanging out.
In order to help you out I'd really end up regurgitating most of what is in a book that you should consider owning: Blacktail Trophy Tactics by Boyd Iverson. His succes is still only possible due to many hours of scouting ... big surprise, huh? If you find find sign, you know they are they and they rarely travel much more than a mile or two radius. Find a spot that you can get some visibility and contains fresh sign and scout it hard. 4 or 5 of these spots will give you the flexibility you need for different wind and hunting pressure conditions.
Chances are I haven't told you anything here so far that you didn't already know.
One of the stark differences I have discovered between whitetail and blacktail is how they behave in your prescence. A pressured whitetail will often bound off so that you know they were there. A blacktail won't do that. They usually quietly sneak off, and often times just hunker down and let you walk right by. I've seen a buck on its elbows crawling under a jack fir for cover from a hunter that was no more than 20 yards from him! Keep alert and watch your back trail.

I hope this helps even though I'm by no means a trophy blacktail bowhunter.

-lobo

Black tail respond to Whitetail better then the White tail do, You just have to concentrate on the rut and when it happens, Unfortunitly in happens for us during the early rifle season to late rifle season in western washington, So us archers have to wait and hope and work hard or Buy a rifle tag and hunt with our bows during there season. And it really works. If you want I can e-mail you some results to show you they are not the dinks that are easily fooled, Real nice trophy bucks right here in you neck of the woods. And during archery season start your scouting in the early summer the bucks will be out eariler and as hunting season nears APPLES ripen, Just pattern you monster and wait him out, He will show.

respond to whitetail tactics is what it shoud have said. oooopppps

Steelie Matt-I would love some pics of your deer. I would also like to pick your brain a little more. You sound like you have some good ideas. Please respond with an email address. Brass

The elusiveness(sp?) of Blacktails is what makes them so much fun to hunt. Small bucks aren't to hard to come by but a real good buck takes some work most of the time because they are so nocturnal. A great book that has a lot of trophy tips in it is Blacktail Trophy Tactic's by Boyd Iverson. I killed my best bucks before I read his book but have picked up a lot of great ideas from it for scouting to stand placement's.

A little off subject, but, Hey Lobo, what part of Upstate NY are you from. I was born in Plattsburg. Just wondering if you are from that neck of Northcountry.

Wow, that's WAY up there Big Jim! I'm from the Ithaca area (yes, of Ithaca Gun fame). The fingerlakes region is full of whitetail deer and I make the trip back every other year to help my dad load the freezer. Nothing like corn and grain fed venison.

Yeap, when people say upstate I kinda laugh. My home town is three miles from Franklin Center Canada. I was back there two years ago and saw deer daily. My uncles farm had dozens.

Blacktail are very elusive and mature bucks are very hard to come by without extreme scouting and finding an area that holds big bucks. Its best to scout in the summer when deer aren't afraid to feed into clearcuts. Get an idea of what's in the area and then really concentrate on finding a pattern. Also, Boyd Iverson's book on blacktails isn't bad, but you have to understand that he was caught poaching, out of season and after dark. So, I guess you can read it if you want, but don't give your money to a guy who made his by poaching bucks. Good luck.

chromeslayer

Scouting in the summer is a great idea....Except that a lot of public land is locked up during the summer, either for fire danger, or just because thats the way the property owners (including Washington DNR) do it. The last few years I have used the early hunt(rifle) to basically scout for the later 4 day hunt in November.

Start scouting now for blacktails! You need to find an area that has a lotof deer sign and then start getting there at the majic times. First light and just the last hour of day light. Scout all the way until hunting season starts and that won't even gaurantee you a decent buck. Blacktails are just very hard to get. IF the roads are closed for scouting then walk or ride a bike, or find somewhere else to go.

Chromeslayer-- where did you hear abut Boyd Iverson being a poacher? Even so he has written a couple of excellent books.

Another very good book is bowhunting trophy blacktails by Cameron Hanes. Another Oregon hunter.
Buck

i can confirm that boyd iverson was caught poaching, and his trophy bucks that have made book are being discredited, i have read part of one of his books, not a bad book, but as chromeslayer said, don't give your money to a guy who makes his money poaching. as far as finding deer, bucs in particular, start scouting anytime between now and summer, really hit it hard in the summer before seasosn to pattern your big buc, i wouldnt be worried about getting a big buc your first year, just work on getting your first blacktail, besides if you shoot a big one the first year, you have nothing to look forward to except for years of smaller bucs

Sturgio / Chromslayer

I am just curious where you heard Boyd Iverson was a poacher. I don't know the guy I have just read his books. But I have been at this hutning game for quite a long time and read a lot of hunting article and heven't read anyhting about Boyd paoching? I would just like to see some better proof.
Buck