Oregon Rifle wBlack Tail - Powerline cuts, scrubby fields or walking disused logging roads?

[MikeDaily]

Hello Rokslide!

TL;DR: Can I call in black tails during pre-rut (what calls)? Should I walk logging roads, hunt a scrubby field bordering a ravine or a glass a long powerline cut?

I moved to Oregon and have access to a 250 acre piece of timberland that adjoins a bunch of low-pressure ranch land and private farms. There are trails all over, I'm finding rubs and think I'm seeing scrapes? If this was whitetail country, I'd say they are 100% scrapes. Regardless, there is obvious sign all over and lots of does.

This parcel is half 20 year old reprod and half 8 year old reprod. The 8 year old stuff is so thick with blackberries I don't think it can really be hunted. However, I know it's being used by deer due to all the trails and beds back in there.

The 20 year old stuff is where I'm focusing most of my time as it's easier to hunt, has more ravines/streams/topography/edge habitat. This half also has a scrubby field (it's 400 yards long, but max shooting distance is only 40 yards) with a ravine bordering one half and a 500 yard power line cut. The powerline cut is the closest thing to a "clear cut" that I have, and could actually glass for bucks in the timber edges.

Throughout this whole property I have about 5 miles of overgrown logging roads with deer trails crisscrossing them all over.

Would you spend your time on the power line cut, walking logging roads quietly or setting up on that scrubby field? There is food and sign everywhere. I'm also curious to hear how pre-rut calling has been

Coming from Midwest whitetail, I'm at a bit of a loss. I've got a newborn this year, so I may only have 4-5 more chances to work this out.

 

[BRTreedogs]

I think I'd set up a treestand along a trail on the timber edge.

 

[FI460]

Rattling is popular with some guys in Southern Oregon near the end of the season. I rattled one buck in a few years ago that I wasn't able to capitalize on.

I think any of those strategies can work depending on how you want to hunt. Many blacktail have been killed by folks walking closed roads, and many have been killed by folks glassing under the power lines.

 

[Oregonhntfsh]

Put some cameras out and different locations and see what's going on at night. Give it another two weeks and things will start moving lots more.
The way you described the country, in my head, it sounds more like country where I'd just sit and watch early mornings and late evenings.

 

[MikeDaily]

So far it’s been hot and dry which I read isn’t great this time of year to start things off early. 45 at night/morning and up to 80 and smoky by 2:00PM.

I’ve sat the power line cut, which was fun as I could glass some distant timberline clear cuts. Covered those well and pretty confident nothing was moving across them or bedded/feeding. I did hear some sparring, so that was cool. Not sure I’ll hunt the power line anymore. It doesn’t seem like much of a funnel and if I do shoot one in there it’ll be a 350 yard shot and I gotta get em out of blackberries 150 yards of blackberries.

Spent two evenings glassing some 8 year old reprod with some open areas in it. Nice 175-250 shot distances. Nothing in there yet either. That would be a nice place to kill one, but I don’t see any ravines/big timber/edge habitat near it. So I don’t feel confident anything large is living in there.

This evening I’m hunting a scrubby field, max visible distance about 50 yards. It borders a ravine and seems to have the most activity/trails. Lots of beds around it. Still has some old reprod left and next year i’lI get a tree stand in here, it’ll be a deer producer for sure. Right now it’s hard to hunt, can’t see very far or take advantage of the ravine.

Next spot i’m checking will be a string of mature Oregon white oak along a ridge. After that it’ll be a dried out ravine/draw I can park myself at the top of. If I shoot

Place is just hard to hunt without cutting some access, getting some stands and cameras out. I’ll be very excited for next year!

Pretty confident I can pull a nice buck out this year though.


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[BobbyMac]

Your putting in the time. You will be rewarded. Just don't get frustrated before that happens...rain is comming!!

 

[cjdewese]

It takes less than 5 minutes for your entire year to change. Be patient and slow down when it does.

Keep updating this thread with your progress, looking forward to a picture of a deer here soon.

 

[MikeDaily]

Did not see any fresh rubs, this is at 1,000’ at the southern end of the Willamette. That normal for this time of year?

Walked over three miles. Found a four acre patch of 20’ Doug fir intermixed with 30 yard grass openings and young Oregon white oaks. The oaks, barely 10’ tall and very “bushy” did not appear to be dropping acorns. However, lots of deer trails (like
Midwest whitetail amounts of deer trails) and fresh scat. Most of the scat was constipated and in big lumps, not little pellets. There are trails from the aforementioned patch leading into a swampy area with mature doug fir and white oaks about 500 yards away. I tried several ways of getting in, but there is 50 yards of 6’ tall blackberries surrounding it. I will cut access next year and put a stand in there.

I checked some other spots that are frankly too brushy to hunt and I have little interest in dragging an animal out if I did shoot one. But, I wanted to see what they looked like anyway. I found where I -assume- a lone bull elk is recuperating post rut due to all the sign and droppings.

Today was all on the newer cut side, reprod less than 10 years old. I will now focus on the 20+ year old stuff.

Wife has been very accommodating, letting me get out and explore during October.


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[MikeDaily]

Absolutely brutal.

• I've seen lone does and duo does (no bucks) after shooting light nearly every night when walking back in the dark.
• I bumped something on the end of the logging road, but even if it was 10' off the road there's no way I could see it through all the brush.
• I rattled in a smaller buck who came in downwind and behind me. When I stood up at the end of shooting light he bolted
  • I thought my wall of impenetrable 6' tall blackberries would be enough to keep them from circling around to wind me - I was wrong.
  • I may bring a mirror in the future
• I walked and still hunted six miles with the wind in my face on Sunday looking to "kick" bucks out of their beds just to learn where they are. Didn't bump a single animal.
• When walking those six miles, I didn't run across a single fresh rub or rub line to provide any clues
• I've sat in the rain, the wind, the fog and the heat. Over 75 hours in and not a thing.
• I've continually glassed a 100 acre clear cut that is 2-3 years old - nothing in it.
• I've found trail networks in and out of reprod, swamps and ravines with hundreds of poop piles only to find them as barren in deer as everywhere else.

These blacktails are quite the adventure. I can only assume the pre-rut down here in the hilly part (800'-1,400') of the Southern Willamette just hasn't started. If the rut kicks on, I think I'll get one. If not, I learned a lot.

Next year I'm getting a muzzle loader tag and will have cameras, tree stands up and access cut through the brush.

 

[MikeDaily]

I'm a bit south of you but if you got the weather we just did. Get ready because it's on!

Great! I just got access to the private timberland clear cut I mentioned. So I’ll be stationed there all weekend after the 3 mile atv and hike in


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[MikeDaily]

Made it out to this cut last night that I just got access to. Sure looks Deer-y! Wind was bad so I couldn't glass into the bottoms, but I can't imagine bucks aren't utilizing this. Didn't see any deer the 45 minutes I was there before end of legal shooting light.
I found some tracks that are three and four fingers wide. Walking out there, I checked some of the spots I have been hunting and there are deer droppings exactly where I was previously sitting...

This weekend is my last chance before elk season kicks off!

 

[cjdewese]

Stay with it. Only takes a minute for your season to change.