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Blacktail!

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Blacktail!

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 10 19, 2018 •  [Post 1]

OK, on to the elusive Pacific Northwest Columbian Blacktail. The modern seasons in my neck of the woods for BT (W WA) is 13-31 OCT and 15-18 NOV. Gonna get after them a bit on the weekends through the end of this month starting tomorrow (20 OCT) and again in the late season when the bucks will be really tweaking. They appear to be starting their pre-rut a bit now as evidenced by personal observations and other reports of smaller bucks "twinging" a bit and gravitating towards the does. Perhaps rooseibull will "shoo" a few nice bucks up my way from his over populated OR location ;). I'll use the OCT blacktail hunts to also do some scouting for elk in a new area in anticipation of the WA modern elk (west side) season which looms close (3-14 NOV). Good luck to any and all of those on this side of the big river who are able to get out after the grey ghosts... they are both fun and challenging to hunt.
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Re: Blacktail!

Postby Swede » 10 19, 2018 •  [Post 2]

Good luck RJ. I still have a deer tag, but don't know if I will go after one. If Roosie shoos some Blacktails your way, don't they have to pass by here to get to your hunting grounds? Humm.
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Re: Blacktail!

Postby Roosiebull » 10 21, 2018 •  [Post 3]

Good luck! Starting tomorrow, the weather gets good and I get time off :D

My wife is going Wednesday for her first big game hunt! That is exciting to me.

I'm stoked about this stretch coming up... I don't know where to go, where to start, haha.

I made it out Thursday morning on my short time at home... not a single deer! I found out why around 9 when mr lion stepped out...had it dead to rights at 300, but it was coming my way, so I let it... at 200yds, I get back behind the gun, now it's below me and I can't see it from my rest!!

I rushed things, took a shot from a crappy rest and weird angle and felt myself pull high... still sick about that
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Re: Blacktail!

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 10 22, 2018 •  [Post 4]

Eyeballed a few small bucks over the weekend (spikes/forkies) but holding out a bit for something a bit bigger ;). WA early modern deer (west side BT) goes thru 31 OCT and then has a late season (rut, rut, rut) 15-18 NOV so very well may end up waiting till that short four day period to see if I can bring one home for dinner. Elusive little suckers 8-).
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Re: Blacktail!

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 10 30, 2018 •  [Post 5]

I have such a cool boss ;). Taking tomorrow off from work and heading out for the last day of the early WA blacktail season. Last time I was out I saw a small buck, a handful of does, and three spike elk. Hoping my deer area is really starting to heat up with the blacktail pre-rut and I can locate a shooter buck :D.
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Re: Blacktail!

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 10 31, 2018 •  [Post 6]

Buck down 8-)

Took today off from the old salt mine to see if I could bring a buck home for dinner this last day (Halloween Buck) of the early season. Well, I did just that. Saw three bucks and took the last one I saw, the first two being button bucks, not too far past 9ish AM. 2 1/2 miles back in my area on a gated road is where I really start hunting... that's where I see most of the sign, and, most of the deer. Shot this guy right around 3 miles back in; he was sniffing around just inside the timber on the edge of a clear cut. Took the little Browning AB3 .243 for a walk today as it has never seen any hunting action. It did well and put a well placed 95 grain Nosler BT well, right in the boiler room of the BT buck... see what I did there ;) (distance was right around 150 yards). He hunched, ran back into the timber, and made it about 50 yards before expiring. I took two trips to pack the meat out as I am not quite the beast mode packer I used to be ;). All in all, a good day in the deer woods..... RJ

IMG_0307 RS.jpg
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Re: Blacktail!

Postby Roosiebull » 10 31, 2018 •  [Post 7]

WapitiTalk1 wrote:Eyeballed a few small bucks over the weekend (spikes/forkies) but holding out a bit for something a bit bigger ;)..

mission accomplished! :lol:

smart on the 2 trips too :mrgreen: nice thing about those forkies and small 3's, they aren't too bad to pack out whole, those big heavy bodied bucks will make ya suffer. last rifle elk season my buddy killed a young bull (still a roosie though :) ) I packed a ham and front shoulder bone in our first trip out of the woods, which was HEAVY, and it seems those big bodied bucks feel about as heavy, not pleasant.
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Re: Blacktail!

Postby lamrith » 11 01, 2018 •  [Post 8]

WapitiTalk1 wrote:Buck down 8-)

Took today off from the old salt mine to see if I could bring a buck home for dinner this last day (Halloween Buck) of the early season. Well, I did just that. Saw three bucks and took the last one I saw, the first two being button bucks, not too far past 9ish AM. 2 1/2 miles back in my area on a gated road is where I really start hunting... that's where I see most of the sign, and, most of the deer. Shot this guy right around 3 miles back in; he was sniffing around just inside the timber on the edge of a clear cut. Took the little Browning AB3 .243 for a walk today as it has never seen any hunting action. It did well and put a well placed 95 grain Nosler BT well, right in the boiler room of the BT buck... see what I did there ;) (distance was right around 150 yards). He hunched, ran back into the timber, and made it about 50 yards before expiring. I took two trips to pack the meat out as I am not quite the beast mode packer I used to be ;). All in all, a good day in the deer woods..... RJ

IMG_0307 RS.jpg

Outstanding! Now both the boomsticks have been properly seasoned!
'15 Elite E35. 30.5", 67#
100Gr. G5 montecs
Sportsman's Vital Impact 300spine

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Re: Blacktail!

Postby Swede » 11 01, 2018 •  [Post 9]

Congratulations on a great looking buck. Did Roosiebull push him up your way from his hunting area?
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Re: Blacktail!

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 11 01, 2018 •  [Post 10]

Thanks guys, it was a good hunt.
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