Among other things, blacktail deer are
nocturnal, habit-forming, and home bodies.
Learning their habits will help make them
less difficult to hunt.
8 Tips For Hunting
Columbia Blacktails
1. Find the Groceries
Blacktail deer depend primarily on browse.
Some of the most nutritious food sources
include buck brush, vine maple, and trailing
blackberry.
2. Vagabonds
Blacktails spend their summers at higher
elevation, and in the fall and winter mi-
grate to lower elevations. If hunting in the
Cascade Mountains during the early rifle
season, it’s recommended to hunt above
3,500 feet in elevation. Drop in elevation as
the season progresses. If, however, hunting
on the coast, or in northwest Oregon and
Washington, it’s recommended to hunt less
than 1,500 feet in elevation.
3. Love Sick
It’s no secret that bucks become careless
during the mating season. Each year black-
tail begin to show signs of rutting in mid- to
late-October and lasting throughout No-
vember and into December. One way to
take advantage of hunting during the rut is
hunt the late archery season, or apply for a
late-season muzzleloader hunt.
4. Know Your Logging
Blacktail favor logging clearcuts that are
between 5 and 10 years old with a strong
shrub component.
5. Find Sign, Stick to It
Knowing that blacktail deer have a small
home range, it’s best to stick close to areas
with sign (droppings, rubs) and proven hab-
itat.
6. Where There’s One,
There’s Some
Because deer are not strongly territorial,
and home ranges of different deer overlap,
it is not unheard of having as many as 20
deer per every square half mile. Which is to
say, find one deer and you’ll find more.
7. Habit Forming
Blacktails are an edge-adapted specie hid-
ing in the cover during the day, and emerg-
ing in the morning and evening to feed.
Translation: Hunt early and late.
8. Home Bodies
Each deer varies, but a blacktail deer’s
home range varies from 12 to 500 acres.
Make a note of the aforementioned tips and
use them accordingly when hunting a small
area.
www.westernhuntingjournal.com
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