2024 Blacktail bucks

[LoganWolfe]

One of the better blacktail we killed this fall

 

[Dkerwin78]

View attachment 753898

Nice buck!

 

[roosiebull]

Went with my sis in law the last morning who wasn’t able to get out much and had the last tag in the family, and I had been seeing this buck on a hidden little grown up flat

Figured hunting pressure would be pretty intense on the last day so we decided to sit on the flat confident this buck or another would show up.

She just didn’t want a little dink bodied buck, and I knew this buck was at least 3.5yrs and seemed like the most likely way to find with one sit (as long as it wasn’t foggy… this spot is taken out by fog often)

Got up there, couldn’t a deer, but I know that this area can hide a lot of deer. Around 10, a button buck fed out, then a doe, and he followed the doe. Perfect example of believing you have deer in front of you, just need to be patient in some areas that can hide deer

We put all of our eggs in a football field size chunk of ground knowing this buck or another would stroll through, but for late season, it has a lot of things going for it

We did see a really big track that was around too, which hopped over from the west side of that ridge, but he wasn’t in the mix that morning, and I know that track well, but I could never put eyes on him

I think this was the 4th last day buck I’ve seen her shoot, and it was a fun hunt and a relatively easy pack for me, probably just over 2 miles and nothing crazy steep. Good way to wrap up the blacktail season

 

[roosiebull]

I am almost certain I was able to find out what the buck was I passed in the fog/rain earlier in the season, a friend of mine who hunts the same area sent me a picture of his buck, a really big 4x4 and I was telling him, for future reference, I saw a big buck at X spot, and told him the story, and he said he had a trail cam in there, and that’s exactly where he killed his big 4pt

Stoked for him, and thought it was cool that it’s almost certainly the same deer I didn’t shoot… in hindsight, I am glad I didn’t kill that deer, I knew it was plenty big, but I really value my days chasing blacktail, and I didn’t want to kill one that I didn’t know exactly what it was, even if I knew it was big, early in the season

All in all, very pleasant season, and can’t wait until next season, and I have a couple bucks/places I’m excited to hunt

People are losing common courtesy all the time, which is unfortunate, but besides that, blacktail season is my most anticipated time of year. Really hoping my daughter wants to deer hunt next year, as of now she only wants to hunt elk and bear, but if I can get her out blacktail hunting, I think it will be her favorite

Thanks to everyone who participated in this thread, it was fun to follow

 

[copperhead04]

My Willamette buck this year. Saw him out in the open on my way into the stand. Tried sneak up through the timber to get closer but he busted me. Got in the stand and rattled a few times, to my surprise he came back out to the tree line but was still uneasy. Rattled again and he came out even further, fortunately that’s when a doe came by and he couldn’t resist. He walked the trail by me and I let one fly. Didn’t go 20 yards, arrow right through the heart. Super blessed to feed my family with deer meat this year, my kids love deer meat!

 

[Ucsdryder]

My dad sent me this one. Well west of I-5. He was chasing a doe. One of the biggest he’s seen on his ranch in 20 years. The fires have really helped the deer population!View attachment 785410

This big boy just moved in. 4x4 with eye guards. Crappy picture but he was on the move looking for honey.

 

[Pharmseller]

Saw this fella today for the first time since August.



In velvet in my backyard

 

[roosiebull]

Interesting, the bucks almost completely quit moving the past couple days locally, assume actual breeding is happening, but the past week they have been everywhere, coming out of the woodwork

It’s so weird that our rifle season is during the most active rut period (peak activity) and the archery season is far less desirable regardless of weapon. That’s Oregon for you I guess

The higher elevation areas being the exception, but in western Oregon, the rifle season is the better time period

 

[Steve300xcw]

Only for the past year or so

 

[OwenHa]

I was fortunate to tag this one. I saw him a week before and couldn't get in range but finally got a 70 yard shot after spotting his antlers while he was bedded in the brush.

 

[Northwest_stillwater]

Interesting, the bucks almost completely quit moving the past couple days locally, assume actual breeding is happening, but the past week they have been everywhere, coming out of the woodwork

It’s so weird that our rifle season is during the most active rut period (peak activity) and the archery season is far less desirable regardless of weapon. That’s Oregon for you I guess

The higher elevation areas being the exception, but in western Oregon, the rifle season is the better time period

i noticed the same. out scouting for elk and i just drive back roads a lot to see local deer on private and what theyre doing. the evening i shot my buck until a couple days after halloween i was seeing bucks and does out and about. its been a ghost town the last week or so

 

[roosiebull]

i noticed the same. out scouting for elk and i just drive back roads a lot to see local deer on private and what theyre doing. the evening i shot my buck until a couple days after halloween i was seeing bucks and does out and about. its been a ghost town the last week or so

The first time I really noticed that was one year I was taking a young lady out for youth weekend, and the few days leading up to it were really good, deer everywhere, and all age bucks in the mix wishing I had a tag

I was getting excited because the weather was going to be perfect for the youth weekend and it shouldn’t take long to get her a buck

Long story short, we couldn’t find a deer, and there was almost zero sign anywhere, we had a ton of prime country all to ourselves all weekend and I think we saw 2 doe fawns the whole weekend

That was years ago and I had never experienced that, and at the time didn’t know that we needed to be covering miles in the vehicle, because on foot, we couldn’t walk out of it… 10 miles away was on fire I found out after the weekend, but I did what I always did and kept walking until we find sign and then slow down, but that never happened…. I walked that poor kid all over and I thought it was going to be the easiest tag to fill all year, but she never got a chance…

It happens every year when in every area, but a little bit east or west can be on fire. The actual rut is not a good time to try to kill a buck. I still think there is a way to hunt them during lockdown, but I haven’t figured it out on the coast yet

 

[Northwest_stillwater]

The first time I really noticed that was one year I was taking a young lady out for youth weekend, and the few days leading up to it were really good, deer everywhere, and all age bucks in the mix wishing I had a tag

I was getting excited because the weather was going to be perfect for the youth weekend and it shouldn’t take long to get her a buck

Long story short, we couldn’t find a deer, and there was almost zero sign anywhere, we had a ton of prime country all to ourselves all weekend and I think we saw 2 doe fawns the whole weekend

That was years ago and I had never experienced that, and at the time didn’t know that we needed to be covering miles in the vehicle, because on foot, we couldn’t walk out of it… 10 miles away was on fire I found out after the weekend, but I did what I always did and kept walking until we find sign and then slow down, but that never happened…. I walked that poor kid all over and I thought it was going to be the easiest tag to fill all year, but she never got a chance…

It happens every year when in every area, but a little bit east or west can be on fire. The actual rut is not a good time to try to kill a buck. I still think there is a way to hunt them during lockdown, but I haven’t figured it out on the coast yet

i think this is exactly what i have learned this year and as a very green hunter its a good lesson to keep in my pocket. most of the deer i know of killed for my group of friends were the same 4-5 day stretch as well. seems like when pre rut activity pops in your hunt area its a good few days to be in the woods. i had a family member hunt decently hard the last week of season he even had much better weather (cool and wet) and he struggled to find deer.

cant wait for next year. onto roosevelt hunting!

 

[fisherman983]

The first time I really noticed that was one year I was taking a young lady out for youth weekend, and the few days leading up to it were really good, deer everywhere, and all age bucks in the mix wishing I had a tag

I was getting excited because the weather was going to be perfect for the youth weekend and it shouldn’t take long to get her a buck

Long story short, we couldn’t find a deer, and there was almost zero sign anywhere, we had a ton of prime country all to ourselves all weekend and I think we saw 2 doe fawns the whole weekend

That was years ago and I had never experienced that, and at the time didn’t know that we needed to be covering miles in the vehicle, because on foot, we couldn’t walk out of it… 10 miles away was on fire I found out after the weekend, but I did what I always did and kept walking until we find sign and then slow down, but that never happened…. I walked that poor kid all over and I thought it was going to be the easiest tag to fill all year, but she never got a chance…

It happens every year when in every area, but a little bit east or west can be on fire. The actual rut is not a good time to try to kill a buck. I still think there is a way to hunt them during lockdown, but I haven’t figured it out on the coast yet

I've noticed the same thing year in and out.. the 20-31 is usually pretty good. Once nov 1 hits, deer get kegged up and movement slows way down. No matter where I am, seems to be the same and it's frustrating. Some little pockets are on fire and if your in that pocket, your golden. If not you hate the world. I think if you could be hunting right now, it would be pretty decent.

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[TripleJ]

It's crazy how different areas turn on at different times. East of I-5 where I was hunting, everything is later. The bucks were not really showing any sign of rutting until the last 7-10 days of the season. The bucks I was seeing in late October were not showing any interest in the does and were by themselves.

 

[Ucsdryder]

They’re fired up now!

Anybody want a pasture buck?

This ranch will be for sale in a few months. Northern California, west of I-5. Just under 400 acres.

 

[Steve300xcw]

In CA? I'll pass

 

[Taudisio]

They’re fired up now!

Anybody want a pasture buck?

This ranch will be for sale in a few months. Northern California, west of I-5. Just under 400 acres.
View attachment 791057

I reverted the photo back to original and removed the photoshop work. Standard California deer. Identifies as ze/zhem, goes by Stephanie.

 

[Or.hunter]

There fired up, was out scouting yesterday evening and saw 5 different bucks chasing. Hoping for a good youth season! This big ole fork was doing a little lip curl for me.

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[Dirtscoots]

Nice hopefully one of these years my boys will draw a good youth tag. It’s hard to keep them interested with the lack of deer up here.