Blacktails in timber

[longrangelead]

If you gotta ask that. You arent lookin at a mature buck

100%

...but some have never seen an actual mature buck.

 

[bielenbm]

Haha that’s for sure when you see one you’ll know.
A buddy and I got this one on cam a few years ago. Never could find him in his h… hole of a back yard

 

[slyck68]

I really enjoyed this write up and find this works just as well in California’s wilderness areas. Several years ago I made a decision to only focus on mature bucks that normally step out right at the very edge of legal shooting light. Hunting in the timber (and similarly thick brush country) has yielded more opportunities…at the expense of fewer deer sightings.

Reminds me of bass fishing, do you want to spend a day catching lots of fish using finesse baits or do you want to fish a big swimbait all day hoping for one lunker to bite?

 

[slyck68]

I should also emphasize your point on moving S-L-O-W-L-Y! I am certain I’ve ruined an otherwise excellent spot by moving too quickly and bumping deer. I believe once a mature blacktail is bumped, he vacates the area for at least the next few weeks. My batting average at relocating pressured bucks is pretty abysmal.

 

[ActivelyDying]

Haha that’s for sure when you see one you’ll know.
A buddy and I got this one on cam a few years ago. Never could find him in his h… hole of a back yard View attachment 1094998

Oh man the mass on that guy!!

 

[Steve300xcw]

100%

...but some have never seen an actual mature buck.

 

[longrangelead]

View attachment 1095120View attachment 1095121

easy to see with a doe nearby.

 

[Hoodie]

I should also emphasize your point on moving S-L-O-W-L-Y! I am certain I’ve ruined an otherwise excellent spot by moving too quickly and bumping deer. I believe once a mature blacktail is bumped, he vacates the area for at least the next few weeks. My batting average at relocating pressured bucks is pretty abysmal.

Slow is key, but the last two bucks I’ve killed I bumped out of their bed 48 hours before killing them within 150 yards of it.

One of those bucks was 5 and a 1/2.

Sometimes I think when they get bumped, they feel that bed worked for them and are likely to continue using it. I’m sure this varies buck to buck with personality, but it’s been enough of a pattern that I don’t write off returning to where I bumped one.

At least I know he likes that spot.

The more I hunt blacktails the more I think the list of hard and fast rules is pretty short. About the only thing I feel certain of is that a buck who isn’t bedded in thick stuff will be bedded in STEEP stuff.