Blacktails in burned Wildernesses - will they live on slopes with all brush

[BrendanHickey]

Hunting in California wildernesses - do the bucks like to live on slopes that only have brush and no trees? If not pressured at all, how far are they moving for food, water and shade during archery season?

 

[JFK]

There are no hard and fast rules. Many times they can be in the brush that regrows after a fire as there is often feed there. If there is shade there, they may bed there as well. Slopes that burn that hot and every tree is gone are often south facing, meaning not a lot of mid day shade, in which case they’ll go into a nearby draw or change slope aspect to get shade. As far as how far they are moving….as little as possible. Can be 10 feet or a mile. Just really depends on the area, the deer, pressure, etc. One thing is that the bucks will try to stay up high and will use little springs and seeps for water if available, whereas the does will come down to established water like ponds and creeks. If you are seeing does down low but no bucks, then look into higher, thicker cover. Be prepared to sit and glass a long time and pick a hillside apart. They definitely like burns. I shot my buck in a 3 year old burn last season here in Ca.

 

[JNDEER]

To answer your specific question. NO- bucks won't "live" in an area that only has brush and no trees..

There is ALWAYS pressure. Human, Bear, Cougar, etc.. Just because you think you have found a spot that no human has been at, likely one has.

I have seen bucks stay in hillsides with only brush and no trees for a while, but eventually they will move/relocate to other areas.

Upside of brush hills is they are easier to glass. Glass them long and hard and hard and long.

 

[BrendanHickey]

There are no hard and fast rules. Many times they can be in the brush that regrows after a fire as there is often feed there. If there is shade there, they may bed there as well. Slopes that burn that hot and every tree is gone are often south facing, meaning not a lot of mid day shade, in which case they’ll go into a nearby draw or change slope aspect to get shade. As far as how far they are moving….as little as possible. Can be 10 feet or a mile. Just really depends on the area, the deer, pressure, etc. One thing is that the bucks will try to stay up high and will use little springs and seeps for water if available, whereas the does will come down to established water like ponds and creeks. If you are seeing does down low but no bucks, then look into higher, thicker cover. Be prepared to sit and glass a long time and pick a hillside apart. They definitely like burns. I shot my buck in a 3 year old burn last season here in Ca.

Appreciate the reply - We went into an area that burned fairly recently, found a lot of good bucks in archery opener last year and got some shots off without luck and then went back in rifle and didn't find any of the big ones, only a few of the smaller ones. I just assume the pressure pushed them deeper in the canyons or pushed them into adjacent draws.

 

[BrendanHickey]

To answer your specific question. NO- bucks won't "live" in an area that only has brush and no trees..

There is ALWAYS pressure. Human, Bear, Cougar, etc.. Just because you think you have found a spot that no human has been at, likely one has.

I have seen bucks stay in hillsides with only brush and no trees for a while, but eventually they will move/relocate to other areas.

Upside of brush hills is they are easier to glass. Glass them long and hard and hard and long.

very true, brush is easier to glass but hard to focus on particular portions, versus timber patches on some broken hillside where you'd expect to see the deer.

 

[Hoodie]

I did a lot of shed hunting this spring in a recent-ish burn area. Found this in the only spot on the entire mountain that had a stand of mature Doug-firs that survived. The rest of that mountain was scorched earth. Never say never and never say always, but if it were me I’d look for places that still have some shade trees.


Not California, but I would still think they'd seek out the cover.

 

[BrendanHickey]

I did a lot of shed hunting this spring in a recent-ish burn area. Found this in the only spot on the entire mountain that had a stand of mature Doug-firs that survived. The rest of that mountain was scorched earth. Never say never and never say always, but if it were me I’d look for places that still have some shade trees.


Not California, but I would still think they'd seek out the cover.

that's a dandy blacktail shed

 

[WestCoast86]

it depends on how old the burn is. If its a year old burn I like to hunt the edges of the burned-unburned interface. There is good feed in the burn and they will bed just inside the unburned tall brush or unburned trees. for older burns, say 5 years and older, the bucks will bed in the burn as well, bedding under large bushes or clumps of large bushes on north east and west slopes. once acorns start falling all the deer will be near the oaks. there really is no rule of thumb where they will be. you will need to spend a lot of time glassing everything. i do not think buck move more than a mile from there water.

 

[Cburket42]

I would recommend spending some time in a particular area and learning the habits of the deer that live there. I have hunted blacktail for the last 20 years almost and each place has its own nuance. Mostly where I hunt they stick to timber that is close to water. If you're in a recent burn say less than 10 years old I'd look for the pockets of timber that didn't burn. Cross reference those with areas that hold water and be patient. Really really patient. Find a good vantage point and spend lots of time in the glass, you'll find one. I'm a believer there's a deer on every hillside you just have to find it. Good Luck