Oregon Coast Range Blacktail Tips and Tricks?

duckhuntr

FNG
Joined
Mar 3, 2023
Messages
53
It’s been warm/hot over here on the coast during Archery for quite a few years. Deer move into timber shortly after light. Come back out just before dark. and I am talking doe‘s….bucks are nocturnal. Tree stand in the timber and cameras is a good strategy for archery.

Good to know. Seems like several people have said scout in the summer months and locate bucks, so they talking with trail cameras too then? I was planning to spot some areas at first and last light on our summer trips over there.

looking forward to trying it regardless.
 

repins05

WKR
Joined
Aug 29, 2021
Messages
388
Good to know. Seems like several people have said scout in the summer months and locate bucks, so they talking with trail cameras too then? I was planning to spot some areas at first and last light on our summer trips over there.

looking forward to trying it regardless.
You can do a combo of both scouting and cameras. Summer glassing in first and last light is what I do. The more time you put in the better chance for success. In my opinion filling your tag with any blacktail buck during archery is a great buck.
 
Joined
Mar 11, 2023
Messages
10
Location
Nw OR
Get some good glass….they can bed close you just have to be able to pick them out of the brush they love to hide in. Always look behind you, they will let you walk right by.
 
Joined
Mar 11, 2023
Messages
10
Beware of mushroom hunters/ anywhere with Subarus, they are ruthless. Had a good still hunting spot, kept cameras on it. Didn’t see a soul for years, one year it exploded with them. Hasn’t been the same since.
 

FairWeatherFisher

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 1, 2023
Messages
104
Location
Eugene, OR
This is a good thread! I’ve been hunting blacktail the past 2 years, no luck filling a tag so far. I’m in Eugene so I’ve been pretty much exclusively hunting the cascade foothills and the east side of the coast range. Just read Scott Haugen’s blacktail book, and I’m seeing a lot of what he said in there repeated/verified here.

That, and the late general season, have me hopeful for filling a tag this fall!

Question for you all. Is there a way to tell from OnX which gates are locked year round?

I don’t mind hiking a few miles up a mountain, but it sucks to do that all summer scouting, just for the gate to be unlocked in October and all that hard work wasted when everyone come driving through the area.
 

FairWeatherFisher

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 1, 2023
Messages
104
Location
Eugene, OR
Not really, and the timber companies don't always open the same gates during the season.
That’s what I’ve noticed, too. I was hoping there was a secret way to tell or something.

Lately I’ve been thinking the best course of action is to just suck it up and pay for a Weyerhaeuser permit, if I can even get one.
Seems like the only way to be sure there’s less people likely to bust your spot.
 
Joined
Jun 5, 2017
Messages
414
Location
Portland, OR
That’s what I’ve noticed, too. I was hoping there was a secret way to tell or something.

Lately I’ve been thinking the best course of action is to just suck it up and pay for a Weyerhaeuser permit, if I can even get one.
Seems like the only way to be sure there’s less people likely to bust your spot.
I don't know about your neck of the woods, but I've purchased Weyerhaeuser permits for the North Oregon Coast in the past. If you're planning on trying to purchase a driving permit; the roads are just as busy as national forest roads. They give out a very liberal number of tags and people definitely use them! Depending on the area you're looking at, I'd look into the walk in only permits. Much cheaper and aren't nearly as in demand.
 

FairWeatherFisher

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 1, 2023
Messages
104
Location
Eugene, OR
Well that is disappointing. I suppose the only benefit would be that it’s closer to home than the 1hr drive to any NF & BLM lands…but is that worth $325? Doesn’t sound like it.

I’m thinking I’ll put that towards better glass instead.
 
Joined
Jun 5, 2017
Messages
414
Location
Portland, OR
Well that is disappointing. I suppose the only benefit would be that it’s closer to home than the 1hr drive to any NF & BLM lands…but is that worth $325? Doesn’t sound like it.

I’m thinking I’ll put that towards better glass instead.
I'd bet there's some smaller timberland company property near you that you can do some research to see if they allow walk-in access. There are more companies than Weyer, Stimpson, and Lewis & Clark. OnX is your friend.
 

FairWeatherFisher

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 1, 2023
Messages
104
Location
Eugene, OR
I'd bet there's some smaller timberland company property near you that you can do some research to see if they allow walk-in access. There are more companies than Weyer, Stimpson, and Lewis & Clark. OnX is your friend.
Oh there’s plenty, that’s where I’ve focused my hunting the last two years. It’s just the closer to town, the more people, and those spots are flooded.

That’s why I was on the fence about if I should pay for the Weyerhaeuser permit in the false idea of exclusivity, or make the longer drive & trek into more remote places.
 

Dirtscoots

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 1, 2019
Messages
249
Location
Oregon
Same experience with werhouser permits. More people than state land. Everyone thinks they own the dam place because they paid 350 bucks. Assholes blocking roads I’ve had many sour experiences. Also to note with looking for locked gates just because they are locked doesn’t mean there won’t be hunters with keys. Be it loggers, some timber companies let employees have keys. Just be aware and don’t be pissed if your five miles back and hiking and someone drives up on you. It does suck but in most cases it is a perk of their job.
 
Joined
Sep 7, 2015
Messages
590
Well that is disappointing. I suppose the only benefit would be that it’s closer to home than the 1hr drive to any NF & BLM lands…but is that worth $325? Doesn’t sound like it.

I’m thinking I’ll put that towards better glass instead.
Don't waste your time hunting blm/nf
Hunt timber company lands that have public access.
If you want to hunt the blm/nf your gonna need to put forth a lot more effort to be successful.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Sep 7, 2015
Messages
590
Same experience with werhouser permits. More people than state land. Everyone thinks they own the dam place because they paid 350 bucks. Assholes blocking roads I’ve had many sour experiences. Also to note with looking for locked gates just because they are locked doesn’t mean there won’t be hunters with keys. Be it loggers, some timber companies let employees have keys. Just be aware and don’t be pissed if your five miles back and hiking and someone drives up on you. It does suck but in most cases it is a perk of their job.
Roseburg and lone rock employees get keys to their property. Some lone rock ground is set aside for employees only just for this but they can and will also drive in behind you. It sucks.

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Ehunter

FNG
Joined
Jul 13, 2022
Messages
74
Location
Oregon
Hunt the edges bucks check cuts from a distance. There is a blacktail book out there that has excellent info. The book title escapes me (old age)
 

Ehunter

FNG
Joined
Jul 13, 2022
Messages
74
Location
Oregon
Hunt the edges bucks check cuts from a distance. There is a blacktail book out there that has excellent
 

FairWeatherFisher

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 1, 2023
Messages
104
Location
Eugene, OR
Just read that one last month. Good book! Scott sent me two with my order, so I gave the other one to a kid who joined the OHA recently as well.

I’ve got Boyd Iverson’s book up next. I found it at a St. Vinny’s for $1, which is amazing because folks are wanting $65 for them online!

I guess what I struggle with most is how to know when to hold tight in a spot, or move on. I’ve got no problem finding trails and scat, etc. but I’m hardly ever seeing deer. A lot of what Scott talks about in his book goes something like “locate does. Once you’ve done that, now you start doing x,y,z to find the bucks”. I’m stuck in that first step of finding the does AFTER the season is underway.

Last year I had cameras up in one spot and patterned some does and young bucks pretty good over the summer. Once the season started, I never caught them on that camera again. No idea where they went.

That’s why I’m trying to get deeper and more off the beaten path this year, in hopes of find somewhere that the deer likely won’t be spooked from.
 
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