Always interested in a hunt for Blacktails, either n. cali or i guess oregon. Anyone have any info as to how hard it is for a NR to get a tag? Are they pretty much private land for a decent buck? Just trying to get something going in the next year or so, i know its probably too late for this year?
lets hear about blacktails
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lostinOregon
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It is not too late for this year, Oregon is over the counter for its blacktail deer, from the cascade summit to the coast. Season starts the first weekend of October and runs through the first week in November, generally depending on the way the calendar goes in a specific year. Most serious blacktail hunters hunt the last week of the rifle season. If you are a bow hunter there are over the counter tags and that season is late August to late September, but there are a few units that have a bow season late during November for the same unfilled tag. That is when most of the good bucks are taken with a bow.
There is plenty of public land to hunt, but early october is tough to say the least. Where these critters live is jungle and they are mostly nocturnal. Jackson County is one of the top spots in B&C for producing big bucks.
Big blacktails are probably the hardest deer to harvest, I grew up hunting them and they are incredibly tough to find, let alone harvest. I might get some flack for that but I mostly hunt muleys and whiteys now, blackies are tougher IMHO.
The best hunt for blacktails is probably the applegate muzzleloader which is a draw and is picking up popularity and is getting harder to draw, especially for NR's.
They are neat looking deer, my brother has killed some great ones and they are awesome looking mounts. I don't have the patience anymore to chase the ghosts of the jungle.
Hope that helps,
Rich
There is plenty of public land to hunt, but early october is tough to say the least. Where these critters live is jungle and they are mostly nocturnal. Jackson County is one of the top spots in B&C for producing big bucks.
Big blacktails are probably the hardest deer to harvest, I grew up hunting them and they are incredibly tough to find, let alone harvest. I might get some flack for that but I mostly hunt muleys and whiteys now, blackies are tougher IMHO.
The best hunt for blacktails is probably the applegate muzzleloader which is a draw and is picking up popularity and is getting harder to draw, especially for NR's.
They are neat looking deer, my brother has killed some great ones and they are awesome looking mounts. I don't have the patience anymore to chase the ghosts of the jungle.
Hope that helps,
Rich
C
CHWine
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I think blacktail is one of the toughest deer to get a trophy of. Without hunting on one of the ranching for wildlife properties where they get to hunt deep into the rut, public land is tough. Private property is how most guys do it. Many guys lease ranches or gain permission from land owners for good ground.
We have an 1800 acre ranch that we've been hunting for 25 years and have a healthy population because of selective harvest. We've also been hitting coyotes pretty hard over the past 3-4 years.
Swap hunting is another way to not lay out a bunch of cash to get a good blacktail. I know a couple of guys that swap hunt (I do too) and its great. I've met many guys that have become great friends long after the hunt.
Our seasons are generous (5 week rifle season) but end long before the rut. Sometimes the last week we get a cool spell and some big boys are taken as they're starting to think about love a bit early.
Here's an archery buck taken here a couple of weeks ago. THAT'S RIGHT ARCHERY HUNTING IN JULY!
Venison and Zinfandel are GOOD!
We have an 1800 acre ranch that we've been hunting for 25 years and have a healthy population because of selective harvest. We've also been hitting coyotes pretty hard over the past 3-4 years.
Swap hunting is another way to not lay out a bunch of cash to get a good blacktail. I know a couple of guys that swap hunt (I do too) and its great. I've met many guys that have become great friends long after the hunt.
Our seasons are generous (5 week rifle season) but end long before the rut. Sometimes the last week we get a cool spell and some big boys are taken as they're starting to think about love a bit early.
Here's an archery buck taken here a couple of weeks ago. THAT'S RIGHT ARCHERY HUNTING IN JULY!
Venison and Zinfandel are GOOD!
HunterHarry
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I hunt them here in Northern California's A zone.
Tags are OTC and you get 2 buck tags a year.
I am blessed to have about 5,000 acres of private ground to hunt all to myself with my son.
It makes things easier than public ground , but not easy.
It's steep, hot, dry country.
The horribly dry grass and oak leaves make it sound like you are walking on firecrackers making stalks extremely difficult especially with a bow..
Temps are often 90 - 100 degrees in the afternoon during the July bow season and the August rifle season.
many of these bucks are nocturnal and only come out of the thick brush and oaks to feed in the cooler temps of darkness until the very last of the season when we get a bit of rutting activity in late September.
Again, I am blessed to have watched my son take some great bucks for our A zone country.
These are better than average for A zone north and he worked his tail off to get them.
I hunt B zone also for blacktails quite often and have seen some bruisers there, just have never sealed the deal on one of those toads.
The B zones have much better genetics and lusher feed than the chaparral country of A zone.
There are many huge canyons that make glassing imperative and shots can be loooong.
It is always a super gruelling back pack affair to access those high country B zone bucks, we often go in about 6 miles and spike out on top of the mountain.
Friends of mine have several stunning Boone & Crockett bucks from the B Zone's public ground.
This year I really have not put a lot of effort into bowhunting.
We have located a few dandies and with conditions being so horrible for stalking I think we will just keep an eye on them from afar until rifle season.
We were able to get a photo of these bucks just before bow season opened, they are pretty good, but aren't at the top of our list.
This year I'll be bowhunting blacktails in southern Oregon for the first time, it will be in December and the bucks should be rutting.
I'm expecting conditions to be completely different than what I'm used to, but am looking forward to the challenge.
HH
Tags are OTC and you get 2 buck tags a year.
I am blessed to have about 5,000 acres of private ground to hunt all to myself with my son.
It makes things easier than public ground , but not easy.
It's steep, hot, dry country.
The horribly dry grass and oak leaves make it sound like you are walking on firecrackers making stalks extremely difficult especially with a bow..
Temps are often 90 - 100 degrees in the afternoon during the July bow season and the August rifle season.
many of these bucks are nocturnal and only come out of the thick brush and oaks to feed in the cooler temps of darkness until the very last of the season when we get a bit of rutting activity in late September.
Again, I am blessed to have watched my son take some great bucks for our A zone country.
These are better than average for A zone north and he worked his tail off to get them.
I hunt B zone also for blacktails quite often and have seen some bruisers there, just have never sealed the deal on one of those toads.
The B zones have much better genetics and lusher feed than the chaparral country of A zone.
There are many huge canyons that make glassing imperative and shots can be loooong.
It is always a super gruelling back pack affair to access those high country B zone bucks, we often go in about 6 miles and spike out on top of the mountain.
Friends of mine have several stunning Boone & Crockett bucks from the B Zone's public ground.
This year I really have not put a lot of effort into bowhunting.
We have located a few dandies and with conditions being so horrible for stalking I think we will just keep an eye on them from afar until rifle season.
We were able to get a photo of these bucks just before bow season opened, they are pretty good, but aren't at the top of our list.
This year I'll be bowhunting blacktails in southern Oregon for the first time, it will be in December and the bucks should be rutting.
I'm expecting conditions to be completely different than what I'm used to, but am looking forward to the challenge.
HH
huntindad4
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Although it has been pretty well covered I will add that it is not too late to get tags and plan a hunt for Kali either. Every year some HUGE blacktails are killed on public land in the B zones.
It is not difficult to find inaccessible land away from roads and devoid of people to hunt but it is pretty tough to get into it through thick brush and poison oak an upon ground steeper than it looks.
Although (like everything) it is not what it was even 10 years ago you can still find a big blacktail on public land, you will also find places where there "should be ten huge bucks" but they are empty or the bucks are so nocturnal they don't twitch in the daylight.
If you just have to have a buck for the wall then I would say go to private property or plan on working VERY HARD on Public. I know I will be hammered for this but on a lot of the ranches if you cannot get a bruiser you have either bad luck or I don't know what. Therefore a trophy buck from the ranches IMO means a lot less.I know that will offend some and I apologize but if you don't think it's true go on up to the public and get it done easier than the private and I will take it back.
Bill
Look out Forkie, FTW is watching us!
It is not difficult to find inaccessible land away from roads and devoid of people to hunt but it is pretty tough to get into it through thick brush and poison oak an upon ground steeper than it looks.
Although (like everything) it is not what it was even 10 years ago you can still find a big blacktail on public land, you will also find places where there "should be ten huge bucks" but they are empty or the bucks are so nocturnal they don't twitch in the daylight.
If you just have to have a buck for the wall then I would say go to private property or plan on working VERY HARD on Public. I know I will be hammered for this but on a lot of the ranches if you cannot get a bruiser you have either bad luck or I don't know what. Therefore a trophy buck from the ranches IMO means a lot less.I know that will offend some and I apologize but if you don't think it's true go on up to the public and get it done easier than the private and I will take it back.
Bill
Look out Forkie, FTW is watching us!
HunterHarry
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"If you just have to have a buck for the wall then I would say go to private property or plan on working VERY HARD on Public. I know I will be hammered for this but on a lot of the ranches if you cannot get a bruiser you have either bad luck or I don't know what. Therefore a trophy buck from the ranches IMO means a lot less.I know that will offend some and I apologize but if you don't think it's true go on up to the public and get it done easier than the private and I will take it back."
Not always so Bill.
If my life depended on killing a Boone & Crockett blacktail, I'd be high on a peak in one of the B zones, NOT on the private ground I hunt near my home in A zone.
I've seen bigger bucks and more of them in B zone on public than A zone private.
That I promise you.
One glance at the record book will show that Trinity and Mendocino counties are FAR AND AWAY in the lead as far as B&C entries go.
More difficult, yes, because of the distance you need to hike and the ruggedness of the country.
B zone has FAR superior genes & feed that result in much better antlers and body size than the dry chaparral near my home in A zone.
Southern Oregon's blacktails are like an entirely different species compared to the deer I hunt as well.
I hunt my private ground in A zone more because it is virtually in my backyard, I can go before and after work making it cheap and logistically simple and I get to hunt much more during the season.
When I hunt B zone it is a huge undertaking requiring a week off from work and a full on backpacking adventure.
I will stand by those words to my dieing day.
Not always so Bill.
If my life depended on killing a Boone & Crockett blacktail, I'd be high on a peak in one of the B zones, NOT on the private ground I hunt near my home in A zone.
I've seen bigger bucks and more of them in B zone on public than A zone private.
That I promise you.
One glance at the record book will show that Trinity and Mendocino counties are FAR AND AWAY in the lead as far as B&C entries go.
More difficult, yes, because of the distance you need to hike and the ruggedness of the country.
B zone has FAR superior genes & feed that result in much better antlers and body size than the dry chaparral near my home in A zone.
Southern Oregon's blacktails are like an entirely different species compared to the deer I hunt as well.
I hunt my private ground in A zone more because it is virtually in my backyard, I can go before and after work making it cheap and logistically simple and I get to hunt much more during the season.
When I hunt B zone it is a huge undertaking requiring a week off from work and a full on backpacking adventure.
I will stand by those words to my dieing day.
huntindad4
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I agree with most of what your saying Harry and wasn't intending to say EVERY private ranch has greater trophy potential than the public high country of the B zones and in reading my post that is the way it sounds, sorry if you took offense?
There is a couple of ranches in a few of the counties that are pretty much slam dunks on HUGE blackies and these are the ones I would look at if I had to have that wall hanger in short order.
Bill
Look out Forkie, FTW is watching us!
There is a couple of ranches in a few of the counties that are pretty much slam dunks on HUGE blackies and these are the ones I would look at if I had to have that wall hanger in short order.
Bill
Look out Forkie, FTW is watching us!
