2022 Blacktail Bucks

[Rogue Bay]

View attachment 492777Washington Blacktail. Not my biggest but he had the biggest track on the mountain, probably one of the older bucks I’ve taken. Over 8” around the burl and over 6” bases etc. tracked him in the snow on the 26th of October. Fun hunt and lots of falling on the way out as I got another foot of snow that night. View attachment 492776

Look at the neck on that thing! That’s a stud forky! Congrats on an incredible buck.

 

[AlpineBeard]

Look at the neck on that thing! That’s a stud forky! Congrats on an incredible buck.

Thanks, he was a pig. Here’s a better pic of the bases and a velvet pic.

 

[Rogue Bay]

Thanks, he was a pig. Here’s a better pic of the bases and a velvet pic.

Those bases are huge. Do you have an estimate of live weight? I hope you submitted teeth to get him aged. I’d be really interested in knowing how old he is.

Last year I killed a 7 1/2 year old forky. He had a great frame but not nearly that much mass.

 

[JasonWi]

Those bases are huge. Do you have an estimate of live weight? I hope you submitted teeth to get him aged. I’d be really interested in knowing how old he is.

Last year I killed a 7 1/2 year old forky. He had a great frame but not nearly that much mass.

A 7.5 yo BT is quite the feat! For them to make that age is impressive.

I killed a 6.5 yo forky in 2020 and he’s my oldest buck and his body size is still the biggest BT I’ve ever killed.

 

[AlpineBeard]

Those bases are huge. Do you have an estimate of live weight? I hope you submitted teeth to get him aged. I’d be really interested in knowing how old he is.

Last year I killed a 7 1/2 year old forky. He had a great frame but not nearly that much mass.

Ya, I measured before and I believe theres only 1.75” between his bases!

A tooth has been sent in. In the areas I hunt it looks like 6-8 year old bucks are usually prime and they start to decline in the antler department, usually adding mass still but the frame gets progressively smaller. Based on my buddies trail cam pics some decline fast and some decline slowly.

I’m guessing this one is 12.5 but we’ll see. I have another that was 13.5 also very heavy (heavier up top) but not as heavy at the burl so there’s a lot of genetic variation on heft. I’ve also been fooled with age in the other direction… when I guided a buddy on his first “mature” blacktail. He got a really nice buck that I figured was at least 5.5 but he was 4.5, it’s only a year but those years make a BIG difference from what I’ve seen, so that buck he got would have been a true monster in a couple years.

Body weight is always controversial… I generally don’t get into. But since you asked, I’m about 220 pounds in the pic and it seems obvious he weighed as much or more than me. I’ve taken bigger bodied bucks before, but they are mostly somewhere around this bucks size body wise.

Congratulations on your big old forky! I’d love to see it! My dad had always been obsessed with 4x4 Blacktails and that influenced me in my earlier years. I’ve taken five true 4x4’s and I can tell you the real trophy is taking the oldest and or smartest buck on the mountain. I usually target a particular buck, this year my target buck was surely not the oldest so I’m glad it worked out as it did. Now I still have a big one to chase in that spot!

 

[Rogue Bay]

Ya, I measured before and I believe theres only 1.75” between his bases!

A tooth has been sent in. In the areas I hunt it looks like 6-8 year old bucks are usually prime and they start to decline in the antler department, usually adding mass still but the frame gets progressively smaller. Based on my buddies trail cam pics some decline fast and some decline slowly.

I’m guessing this one is 12.5 but we’ll see. I have another that was 13.5 also very heavy (heavier up top) but not as heavy at the burl so there’s a lot of genetic variation on heft. I’ve also been fooled with age in the other direction… when I guided a buddy on his first “mature” blacktail. He got a really nice buck that I figured was at least 5.5 but he was 4.5, it’s only a year but those years make a BIG difference from what I’ve seen, so that buck he got would have been a true monster in a couple years.

Body weight is always controversial… I generally don’t get into. But since you asked, I’m about 220 pounds in the pic and it seems obvious he weighed as much or more than me. I’ve taken bigger bodied bucks before, but they are mostly somewhere around this bucks size body wise.

Congratulations on your big old forky! I’d love to see it! My dad had always been obsessed with 4x4 Blacktails and that influenced me in my earlier years. I’ve taken five true 4x4’s and I can tell you the real trophy is taking the oldest and or smartest buck on the mountain. I usually target a particular buck, this year my target buck was surely not the oldest so I’m glad it worked out as it did. Now I still have a big one to chase in that spot!

Maturity is the greatest metric of trophy status for me as well. Most of my life I dreamt of killing a giant, flawless 4x4 and I counted on luck to do it. What I ended up with were small forks and 3x2’s. I finally had to commit to hunting for mature blacktails and it’s changed the game for me.

I’ve been fortunate to take some great bucks (at least by local standards) that are very mature. Not the giant 4x that I used to dream of but something even more special to me. I’ve come to value that maturity even more than antlers.

I usually shy away from throwing around weight estimates as well but that buck is built like a beef animal. I would say your estimate is very realistic. Age and body size do it for me!

Below is my 7.5 yo buck from last year. Until this year he was my biggest bodied blacktail by far, but not even close to your buck!

 

[AlpineBeard]

Maturity is the greatest metric of trophy status for me as well. Most of my life I dreamt of killing a giant, flawless 4x4 and I counted on luck to do it. What I ended up with were small forks and 3x2’s. I finally had to commit to hunting for mature blacktails and it’s changed the game for me.

I’ve been fortunate to take some great bucks (at least by local standards) that are very mature. Not the giant 4x that I used to dream of but something even more special to me. I’ve come to value that maturity even more than antlers.

I usually shy away from throwing around weight estimates as well but that buck is built like a beef animal. I would say your estimate is very realistic. Age and body size do it for me!

Below is my 7.5 yo buck from last year. Until this year he was my biggest bodied blacktail by far, but not even close to your buck!

 

[JasonWi]

Once a person starts focusing on age/body size instead of points it changes the entire experience. I’ve always dreamed of killing a giant 4pt, and I accomplished it this year.

He’s nothing like your two buck's body size wise, but big for our area.

 

[AlpineBeard]

What a great buck! I couldn’t agree more! Every area is different in terms of genetic potential. You got a primed out buck there… what a treat!

It’s fun to see some of the massive bucks in this thread and others. I definitely don’t compare my bucks against some of the monsters coming out of other areas. Once I know what “big” bucks and “old” bucks look like in my areas that’s all that matters. My highest scoring buck barely breaks 140 gross and is only 16.5” outside spread but he’s mature and very heavy so he floats my boat. My favorite buck I’ve ever taken doesn’t break 110” but he’s massive and heavy and I would never pass on a buck like him.

Another benefit I’ve noticed a few times when I’ve taken the most dominant buck in a particular area is the number of mature bucks will increase noticeably the next year as they compete over the prime patch of land (and the does that live there).

 

[Rogue Bay]

Once a person starts focusing on age/body size instead of points it changes the entire experience. I’ve always dreamed of killing a giant 4pt, and I accomplished it this year.

He’s nothing like your two buck's body size wise, but big for our area. View attachment 493304

That’s a smoker! I’d put my tag on a buck like that every year and die a happy man!

 

[brushape]

Set high standards, passed up a ton and ended up shooting my biggest blacktail yet this year and somehow he’s a 3 point . For the number guys he is 23 3/4” wide with 13” g2s and has a gross score of 142”

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[Rogue Bay]

Set high standards, passed up a ton and ended up shooting my biggest blacktail yet this year and somehow he’s a 3 point . For the number guys he is 23 3/4” wide with 13” g2s and has a gross score of 142”

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Wow!

That’s a giant and an extremely cool buck!

Just out of curiosity, what are the Crocs strapped to your pack in the bottom photo for?

Congrats on a dandy blacktail!

 

[AlpineBeard]

Awesome work Brushape! Well earned! It’s very rewarding to pass good bucks to get better ones. I’ve done the same to get some of my best bucks… I’ve also passed big bucks and had tag soup and was happy to do so. Lol.

 

[brushape]

Wow!

That’s a giant and an extremely cool buck!

Just out of curiosity, what are the Crocs strapped to your pack in the bottom photo for?

Congrats on a dandy blacktail!

I Had to cross a river to get into that area!


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[Rogue Bay]

I Had to cross a river to get into that area!


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Ah that’s genius! I thought maybe since they’re soft soled you used them for stalking but now it all makes sense. I never seem to plan ahead like that LOL. Congrats again!

 

[brushape]

Ah that’s genius! I thought maybe since they’re soft soled you used them for stalking but now it all makes sense. I never seem to plan ahead like that LOL. Congrats again!

Haha thanks, to be honest I’ve hunted that area for years and finally figured out I could wear some crocs instead of beating the hell out of my feet in the cold rocks just this year on my last hunt


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[JNDEER]

Thx. That a friend's buck unfortunately. My one evaded me so I'll get his arse next year. Huntin blacktail is a love hate thing!

Stud buck!

What state?

 

[limpet]

my dads buck from this year and my 3x4. Shot 300 yards apart on opening and closing weekends of b-zone

 

[welkin]

Little 3x3

 

[welkin]

Evans Creek unit, Oregon