High country blacktails?

[shanevg]

Anyone ever hunt highcountry blacktails? After reading Cameron Hane's Backcountry Bowhunting for the first time , all I could think about was applying those same principle's to blackmail hunting in the high country in Washington. Last year we scouted out 3 different bucks and were able to make stalks on two of them but just weren't able to close the deal. This year I have some more vacation time (since I'm not going on a 10 day Colorado deer trip) so I plan to focus even more on the high country blacktails. Hopefully I can get this guy with another year of growth. He was the smallest of the three bucks we scouted this year too!

I'll keep you all updated as the snow starts to melt this year with what we can find!

 

[shanevg]

This is what the WA state backcountry is all about!

 

[weaver]

I know nothing about blacktails but those are some awesome pics!

 

[rebecca francis]

I haven't hunted blacktail, but plan to this fall....can't wait!!!

 

[Matt Cashell]

Nice pics, Shane.

 

[bearguide]

i really love the mountian pic

 

[huntndad]

I've lived in WA my whole life, but never hunted in the high country here. Elk seem to take priority in early September. Your pictures make me want to rethink that.

 

[ceetoo]

shanevg -- Are you able to hunt Rosie's and Blacktails at same time during your early season in Wa? Those early season coats sure stand out don't they!

Rebecca - What state are you headed to for your BT hunt?

 

[shanevg]

shanevg -- Are you able to hunt Rosie's and Blacktails at same time during your early season in Wa? Those early season coats sure stand out don't they!

Rosie's and black tails are open the same time but I tend to hunt farther north in the state where we don't have any OTC rosie hunts. I generally focus on black bears and black tails. We are a lot more successful on the black bears! Down south you can hunt both roses and black tails at the same time and people definitely do, but the roses don't tend to hang out in the alpine. (Black tails are anywhere from sea level to the glaciers so you can definitely find them while elk hunting.)

My first and only archery kill was a black tail while I was hunting rosies on a draw tag though.

 

[Ridgetop]

Nice pics! I hunt OR and CA for blacktails every year but havent made it to WA yet.

 

[couesbitten]

Shane, it sounds like you may be hunting up north, closer to the Mt. Baker area. I've always wanted to hunt the early high hunt (rifle) in one of the Olympic Peninsula wilderness areas for blacktails, but I can't pull myself away from the mule deer.

 

[Ironman]

Wow! Educate the ignorant! I'm interested!

 

[bohntr]

I love bowhunting Blacktails in the high-country of the Northern California wilderness'.........lots of beautiful country and quality bucks and bears. Never trekked up to WA for a wilderness hunt.

 

[bowhunterty]

Shane, believe we PM'ed before on Washington-hunting.com. Have a couple awesome areas for high country blacktails. Can never get a hunting partner to commit to hunting them. This your hunting them solo.

 

[tradair1980]

I mainly hunt them in the central cascades... I have hunted and killed lower but my passion is the high country out of my home town! This year I'll be hunting the trinity's in California for them as well if all works out as planned...

 

[chiefhoyt]

hunted them in the Trinitys the last two years, beautiful country. Bring a bear tag if you hunt em. I always seem to see more bear then deer.

 

[sojourner]

Trinitys and Marbles are where my hunting is starting to focus more and more.

 

[sojourner]

Some Marble Mountain Wilderness (Nor Cal) photos from 2011

 

[RosinBag]

sojourner, I would be careful posting those pictures....I have sat on that same rock looking over that basin in late season for bears and it isn't hard to find. You don't want to have a bunch of people hunting right on top of you. I have hunted the Trinity Alps, Marbles and Yolla Bollys for the last 15 years and every year more and more people are showing up.

Trinity Alps....

Marble Mountains....

Yolla Bollys

California Wilderness areas are full of game, but more and more people are getting into this Backcountry type hunting making it more difficult to hunt isolated areas...

 

[chiefhoyt]

rosin I read your article that was posted in weekend bowhunter. great buck you killed a few years back.