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Blacktail Deer Butt
Washington State Blacktail Deer Tips
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This hunting information is provided as advice only. It is the duty of the hunter to ensure that he or she is complying with all current laws and regulations.
For this species there are a few basics you need to understand in order to hunt them legally with the proper licenses and tags. The WDFW regulations have a number of exceptions to the information provided below, these are general statements meant to help point the beginning hunter in hunting this particular species. It is also the duty of the hunter to ensure that he or she is complying with all rules and regulations put in place for that season, species, and area they are hunting.
Blacktail deer reside on the western side of Washington State delineated by the Pacific Crest Trail. Blacktail deer hunting generally has good liberal seasons and allows for general late season rut hunting. A hunter purchases a deer license (transport tag) and must choose a weapon (Modern Firearm, Archery, or Muzzleloader) The deer license allows you to hunt any open area statewide and for all three managed species. You do not have to hunt just this species. The WDFW has allotted seasons and areas for each of the weapon types. You cannot hunt any other area or season outside of your weapon choice. The general season limit is one animal per year.
There is no single "right" way to hunt blacktails... being flexible and paying attention to your surroundings will increase your success.
Gear
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Pay strict attention to your smell. Deer will spook easily. Cover up scents (like raccoon) work well and put deer at ease. HWS staff Scent tips
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When using scents and gear pay attention to what you are using. Many chain stores and online supply companies will try to sell you scents and gear that have no applicability to any hunting situation in Washington. HWS staff
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Wear warm and rain proof clothing. You are bound to encounter either rain or soaked underbrush in Blacktail country. HWS staff
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More and more timber company lands are being gated. Buy a nice mountain bike and pedal into the area. You’ll be amazed at how much area you can cover. If you are handy or go to the local bike shop, you can have the freewheel noise disabled for a really silent bike. HWS staff
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Stow the rifle and put slugs in your shotgun in modern firearm seasons. Lots of Washington State Blacktail deer are taken with shotguns. You won’t have a scope to fog up and you can pack bird shot for the random rabbit or grouse. HWS staff
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Gather some vegetation from the area you plan to hunt. Store all of your hunting clothes in garbage bags with the vegetation. Even your underwear, pack, etc. This is the best scent mask I have found. (tip: courtesy Jeff D)
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I would recommend a 25-06 or larger, also dress head to toe in camo these deer are smart wear it even if you are going to put orange over it, and wear a lot of clothes, you can always take it off, but you cant put it on if you do not have it!!! (courtesy Craig N.)
Habitat
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Non-rut Blacktail deer are typically solitary or in groups of no more than 3 deer. HWS staff
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Mule Deer in Washington State reside only in the Eastern side of the State. Their close cousins, the Blacktail deer, reside only on the West side. There are some “cross” deer in the areas around White Salmon and along the Cascade Crest. Pay attention to the hunting regulations to know if the deer in your hunting unit are considered Blacktails or Mulies “officially” WDFW definition -Black-tailed Deer: Any member of blacktailed/mule deer (species Odocoileus hemionus) found west of a line drawn from the Canadian border south on the Pacific Crest Trail and along the Yakama Indian Reservation boundary in Yakima County to the Klickitat River; south down KlickitatRiver to the Columbia River. HWS staff
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Pre rut (November) Bucks will be mostly nocturnal and solitary. Best hunting for bucks will be in the first hour of shooting light and the last hour of shooting light.
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Rut bucks will be around does, look for the doe.
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Look for alder stands for rut Blacktail bucks. The bucks seem to prefer the alder tree to rub their antlers on.
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Camouflage your hands and face when bow hunting. Your face will stick out in the surrounding cover and underbrush. You spend a lot of money buying camo clothes. spend a few bucks more and get some paint for your skin. HWS staff
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It is rare to jump a buck in the old timber. He knows you are there. HWS staff
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Blacktail deer in the lowlands rarely venture outside a 1-2 square mile radius. HWS staff
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Blacktail deer can be migratory if they spend the summer and fall months at high elevations. With significant snow fall, these deer will move up and down with the snowline. They will move out if there is more than 20 inches of snow on the ground for a few days. HWS staff
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Pay little attention to Blacktail deer browse or potential feeding areas. Blacktail deer have no problem finding browse anywhere. However, some blacktails will regularly come in to special crops such as apples, Garden Vegetables, roses, and other non native plants around yards and farms. HWS staff
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Blacktail deer generally shed their antlers anywhere between late December and late February.
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Unless there are significant drought conditions, water sources are too numerous to worry about during your Blacktail deer hunt. HWS staff
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Gated areas are becoming hot spots with untouched areas available for hunting. HWS staff
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It is rare to see Blacktail deer in driving rain and significant wind. However, immediately before or following a storm is the perfect time to find a deer. They get out of their bedding areas and shake off in openings in the timber. The residual rain drops coming off the trees makes them nervous. A quiet opening or clear-cut is a safe place to look for Blacktails. Call in sick to work the morning after a significant rain storm and get out in the woods. This is nature's lottery ticket for you. Most hunters will not want to hunt in the rain and most will stay home. HWS staff
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It is relatively impossible to pattern Blacktail deer like you would a whitetail. Blacktail deer are smart and have many escape routes and daily routines. HWS staff
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Washington Blacktail Does tend to travel in pairs. If you see one, there’s a fair chance you will see another. HWS staff
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Blacktails in the rut will sometimes herd together. There could be scenarios where you could encounter up to a dozen Blacktail deer milling about. HWS staff
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Most blacktail deer will spend a lifetime in a one to two square mile area. When scouting new areas do not overlook any spot or nook or cranny. If you miss that big 3 point one year and he is not a migratory buck, chances are he'll be in the same vicinity next year. (tip: courtesy Bob L)
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Deer usually only use a trail going one direction only. If you are 100% sure of the location of a feeding area, the trails which have deer tracks pointing away from the food source will be morning trails. With deer tracks pointing to the feed source, the trails will more than likely be used by deer in the evening. (courtesy Parker L.)
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Blacktail deer are very aware of the scent they leave behind and are continuously watching their backtrail. Blacktail deer almost always bed downwind from their backtrail by looping back on their trail. Try to not hunt the trail but hunt 50 to 70 yards downwind of a known trail. (courtesy Mike D.) Here is a diagram of how they bed.
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When tracking a deer, pay attention to its tracks in the dirt or snow. A meandering path signals a deer which is feeding or is looking for a place to bed. A straight path signals that a deer is on the move and is moving from one point or other. A path which is straight but shows the deer stopped and turned around is a sign that a deer knows it is being stalked.(courtesy Mike D)
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When observing browse or feeding areas, remember that the lighter the color of the nipped shrub or twig, the fresher the sign. Older browse browns with age. (courtesy Mike D)
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Deer are usually considered "browsers" not grazers like cows, sheep and elk. Think like a browsing animal when looking for deer. (courtesy Bill P)
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Easiest piece of advice regarding whether there are any bucks in an area.. If there are fawns... There are bucks (at least during rutting season) (courtesy R. Johnson)
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While the actual time can vary... The Blactail rut usually begins full swing in mid November and goes through the first couple of days of December. You will see Blacktails in rutting behavior Sept through December, but most of the actual breeding happens around Thanksgiving. (courtesy R. Johnson)
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Best places to set up tree stands or ground blinds are in travel zones. Always set up downwind of the trail. Stream bottoms/gullies, a gap in a fence, a stream crossing where it narrows, or in really thick underbrush are the usual areas deer will move through while allowing you to have a closer shot. (courtesy Petey7)
Techniques
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First rule! Know what you are shooting at !!! There is no excuse for accidentally shooting something you did not intend to. HWS staff
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Wait along the fringes of clear-cuts, just inside the timber. HWS staff
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Hire a guide for one season. Chances are that guide will teach you more during your hunt than you would learn from years of "trying to figure it out on your own." Guides are willing to teach and are getting paid to give you all their attention. Most guides will be flattered if you continually pick their brains for information.
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Well placed Tree stands are very effective for Blacktail deer. HWS staff
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Spot deer in low points and benches inside 5 to 10 year old clear-cuts. You should be able to utilize the terrain to your advantage. Pay attention to the wind in your stalk. HWS staff
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Get out of your vehicle and walk away from the road. Blacktail deer are smart, they recognize vehicle sounds and vary their routine accordingly. You will find deer by driving logging roads, but, you will see many more quality animals by simply walking along a clear-cut or up a closed logging road. HWS staff
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Use a crowded hunting day to your advantage. Find a bench or a saddle in the area you are hunting, get there before first light and wait for other hunters to kick the deer in your direction. Saddles are the most heaviest used escape routes for bucks, especially on opening morning. HWS staff
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Be very careful after shooting a Blacktail. Tracking the blood trail of a deer in rain and soaked underbrush can be an enormous challenge. If not near impossible. HWS staff
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A mortally hit Blacktail will almost always run downhill or sidehill. If you can get into position after shooting your deer, pay close attention to where it runs. HWS staff
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Follow up your arrow shots. What may have appeared as a miss, could have been a good hit. These darkly colored deer can be difficult to see blood on.
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When you get up on a deer watch it closely to find out what your next move is. Deer with ears turned toward you and tail up means you've been busted and the deer is just about to bolt. Deer with ears toward you or the ears are constantly moving and stomping a front foot means they've busted you, but not really sure what you are yet. The stomp is intended to get you to make a move. Deer with ears constantly moving and the head is bobbing up and down usually means they think something might be there, but, they are not too alarmed. If you don't move, these deer will settle down and provide a shot. HWS staff
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When scouting an area with binoculars or a spotting scope. Don't look for a "deer" look for an odd shaped color or misshapen branches (ears or antlers) Watch for movement rather than seeing a whole deer. Set up behind a stump, a fallen log, or any place where you can be comfortable. Chances are quite good that you will see a deer in that clearcut. If you don't believe it. Next time you go out, watch another hunter who bumbles through the middle of a clearcut, watch the deer beeline it for the protection of the surrounding timber stands. HWS staff
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When exiting your vehicle, be quiet. Close your door gently, talk to hunting partners quietly. It is not uncommon to have deer within 50 yards of where you park your vehicle. Typical Blacktail county is thick with vegetation. HWS staff
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Be patient! If you have found a well used game trail, have seen fresh deer poop, can see fresh deer rubs on nearby saplings
, the deer will come. It may take a few days, but they are there. HWS staff -
Lightly pressured Blacktails will almost always stand in position if they think you may walk by or haven’t seen them. You can sometimes continue walking at your previous pace and duck behind a tree or a bush. Some of these deer will be curious and may even try to follow you. HWS staff
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Pressured Blacktails will almost always turn to look at you before they enter thick underbrush. This is a good time to set up a good shot. HWS staff
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When moving to and from hunting spots, keep looking behind you. Many times a Blacktail will hold still and let you walk by and exit behind you. Also many times a spooked deer will circle back, and sneak out the back door. Spook a deer get some cover and turn around and watch a spell !! (courtesy Mike M.)
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Get in the habit of erasing deer tracks you come upon in areas that you will hunt more than 1 day. By erasing those prints, you will be able to tell with great precision when new tracks were made.
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Deer are diurnal, meaning that they are most active at dusk and dawn. Cloudy days increase the time that a deer will spend in the open as the lower light levels will be more spread out. (courtesy Mike D)
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When deer approach a waterhole or a water crossing, they will slow down and scan the area considerably. Use these areas to ambush a deer. (courtesy Mike D)
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When looking over terrain for bucks. Watch for things other than deer. Bucks will rub on saplings which make the tree move. Also, deer moving through tall brush will move the brush as they walk. Look for these signs and you will find a chance at seeing deer. (courtesy Mike D)
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I have experienced very good success using two methods. 1.) Hunt the clear cuts dawn and dusk. Pick a spot where you can see the most open area and the wind can't be blowing your scent toward the primary area you are watching. 2.) Hunt the gated dirt roads during the rut, you can hear them in the thick stuff and they will often come out on the road to frolic. Be ready for a close and quick shot as it tends to happen fast. (courtesy MH)
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Lightly pressured November rut bucks will work their scrapes all day and night. Set up near an active scrape and hunt it all day long. (courtesy MH)
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Get in the habit of breaking up your walking gait. A sure sign that a human is walking is the steady pace of his footprints. Break up your walking pace like a deer or elk would and walk 10 paces, stop, walk 2, stop ...mix it up! (courtesy Ron P, Woodinville)
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If hunting alone or in a small group, place trail cams on those trails you aren't hunting that day. Come back and retrieve the trail cam after you are done hunting for the day and check to see if a buck has been using the particular area. At least you won't be thinking in the back of your mind.. "I wonder how the other area is doing" as you'll have an electronic eye watching for you. (Courtesy Jeff L, Seattle)
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Many hunters think that a bright full moon all night will affect the next day's hunt. What it will do is is make the animals get up and move in the middle of the day rather than in the early morning or late evening. Animals won't bed down all day long and still need to eat, drink, and stretch their legs. (courtesy Smith J.)
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Avoid using the same entrance and exit paths to hunting areas other hunters use. It's a sure bet that the deer have been well educated and steer well clear of those areas. (courtesy MIke D)
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Never pass up on the first day what you would shoot on the last day of your hunt. (courtesy Smith J)
Miscellaneous
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Get in shape! You need to be in shape to trudge through Washington State Blacktail country. It can take enormous effort climbing through downed timber, Salal & blackberry bushes and vine maples. Most Blactail habitat is steep, tall and unforgiving. When Washingtonians talk about mountains... we really mean mountains. It is not uncommon to climb thousands of feet of vertical during a typical day's hunt. Not to mention if you bag something, you are going to have to haul the animal out. Your hunt will go significantly smoother if you are physically prepared. Run, jog, lift weights, bicycle, whatever it takes! HWS staff
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Any Blacktail buck with more than two points is considered a trophy in Washington State. We have some big 4 pointers and huge non-typicals. But they are few and far between. Unless you hunt private land, or more than 2 weeks a year, or are just plain lucky, big bucks are difficult to come by. HWS staff
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Don’t smoke. Tobacco smoke is not a natural scent to Blacktails and makes them nervous. Scent tips HWS staff
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Don’t drink alcohol while you are hunting. It is illegal. Do yourself, the deer, and the other hunters a favor leave it in camp or back at the hotel room for later. HWS staff
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Wrap a small piece of plastic to the muzzle of your rifle, shotgun or muzzleloader to keep debris and moisture out of your barrel. HWS staff
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When scouting look at areas where you see tall horse fences around gardens, orchards, and the like. More than likely, that homeowner has a deer or elk problem. You may have a pretty good shot at getting on their land to hunt their nuisance deer.
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Special Seasons have been developed to hunt some species. Special Permits are always required. There are no general seasons. The Permits "grow in value" the more years you apply for them. This is excerpted from the WDFW FAQ regarding special permits.
Q: How do the hunt choices work?
A: When the drawing occurs, it is as if all of the applications for a species are placed in a barrel. The computer spins the barrel by issuing random numbers to each application. The lowest random number that is issued to each application is the number used to order the applications from the lowest random number to the highest. It is the same as drawing cards from a barrel one by one. The application with the lowest random number is drawn first from the barrel and the hunt choices are checked. As each application comes up for consideration, the first hunt choice is checked to see if there is a permit left to be awarded. If there is none left, the second hunt choice is checked. If there is a permit available for that hunt choice, the application is selected for that hunt. If not, the process continues until all of the hunt choices on the application have been checked. If all of the hunt choices marked on the card have run out of permits, no permits are awarded to that application.Q: How do I build up points?
A: Each person who applies for a special hunt permit for a species receives a point for applying. If that person is not awarded a special hunt permit during that drawing the point is retained. If the person is awarded the permit, that person's point total drops to zero. If the person who was not awarded a permit for that species applies the next year, they then have two points. A single point is built up each year the person applies for a species until the person is awarded a permit.Q: What is the value of building up points?
A: Building up points is very much like putting more application cards into the barrel. Those that have more cards in the barrel have an advantage over those that have less. The more points a person has built up for a species over time, the greater are the chances that his/hers will be selected.Q: I heard that the points have multipliers on them. What is that for?
A: Some permit drawing systems are designed so that one random number is issued for each point built up for the species by the applicant. It is the same as having one card in the barrel for each point (one point - one card, two points - two cards, etc.).Washington's system places a multiplier on the points. The number of points is squared and it is this number of random numbers that are issued to the application (or number of cards in the barrel). If a person applies for an elk permit for the first time, they have one card in the barrel. If a person has built up two points, they have four cards in the barrel. If a person has three points built up, nine cards are in the barrel and so on.
Placing a multiplier on the points more noticeably increases the chances of being selected over someone who is a new applicant or was recently awarded a permit as points are built up.