Sitting water for Blacktails

[HaveBowWillTravel]

Any Cali Blacktail hunting lovers out there? How’s your success sitting water during HOT archery season? I tried the other day mid day 100 degree heat and all be damned if a nice forked in velvet came right in.

also, strategies for combatting SUPER NOISY crackling grass in hot weather? Blown several stalks because ground is so damn dry and loud.

 

[MeatBuck]

That’s California for ya. Not much you can do about the weather or weeds. Half the fun of it in my opinion.

 

[MeatBuck]

Using topography to block sound of feet and scratching like a turkey when closing a stalk can help. Other than that go higher and hunt crunchy pine needles. Accept it and work with it.

 

[jfs82]

Based on my one day of bow hunting (near water) my success is 0%. But tomorrow morning its going up to 50% or staying the same... Nowhere to go but up.

 

[polemtn]

When it's hot they definately will move to water midday.

I killed one in my socks on Sat. I also used a small knoll that they fed behind. Like Meatbuck said, topography really works well to hide the sound, used a tree to block the final approach but I was still mostly behind the Knoll. Got to 10 yards doing this. Had to pick lots of stickers out of my socks but worth it.

 

[oldskool67]

Where I hunt in southern B Zone it’s basically a large drainage with small springs and a creek / river that always has some water. I’ve never caught a deer getting a drink. Probably because they have several options there. It would make sense in some of the areas where there is only one water source within a couple of miles.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

It’s a decent strategy depending on where you are. You just have to be extra careful of your noise and movement... Lion populations are skyrocketing in most of northern A zone, so the deer are coming into watering holes like they are on crack. Every single little sound has them full head raising instead of just ear turns. It’s hard to work with when these deer are so hard to sneak up on as it is.

If you plan to sit water be smart about it and have some ambush points in place if you need to adapt on the fly. Don’t expect them to come into the water where you want them to. Two pairs of socks are your friend. Boots are too loud in long crunchy fox tails and dry grass. I prefer crawling and belly crawling and moving slower than you think you’d need to. If the buck isn’t there anymore by the time you get there, oh well. If you rushed in and blew him out that’s worse than taking too long and having him move off on his own in my experience.

 

[MeatBuck]

When it's hot they definately will move to water midday.

I killed one in my socks on Sat. I also used a small knoll that they fed behind. Like Meatbuck said, topography really works well to hide the sound, used a tree to block the final approach but I was still mostly behind the Knoll. Got to 10 yards doing this. Had to pick lots of stickers out of my socks but worth it.

Well let’s see it.

 

[jfs82]

Just got back. Still 0% Sat water first thing in the morning for bit, hiked/still hunted 3 miles over 3 hours, sat where two game trails hit a pool. Didn't see a single deer of either sex, found a hell of an area for jackrabbits though I guess.

 

[polemtn]

Well let’s see it.

I put it on the 2020 blacktail thread.

 

[MeatBuck]

I would only sit over water in the evening after they went all day not drinking. Most likely they got a drink sometime at night so odds are low they will hit water in the morning.

You could say this with some amount of certainty if you had a camera out on that water source. I’ve had deer come to water at all times of the day. If you don’t sit all day or have a trail camera out you won’t know what came and watered or when.
Pretty easy to know when to hunt if you’ve been seeing them on camera at a certain time.

 

[KMBH]

I have two waterholes that I sit on. Both have cameras. Blacktails have never been predictable for me in the 45 years I have watched them. A typical month of camera data during the A zone seasons may look like this (with a fair amount of variation).

5-7 days watering between midnight and 0500
3-4 days watering between 1000 and noon
2-4 days in the heat of the afternoon
4-5 nights 1900-2130
Many days without any sightings

The does may be there everyday. The bucks may come through several days in a row at a different time every day. I have an apple tree in my yard. No hunting, no harassing them, and my dogs have passed away. They still only come in once in a while at different times. They just do what they do when they want to do it.

I feel like evenings are the best option, especially if there is a feeding area/ corridor you can view as the move in. I am bowhunting general season this year. You have to spend a lot of time sitting. We shall see.

 

[mod700]

My experience is if a buck is thirsty in the am., odds are he's already watered before shooting light, as far as noise goes, as mentioned you got to donate a pair of socks, or similar like the old bears feet, and slow down, and then slow down some more. Good luck,
Mike

 

[MattB]

Where I hunt, blacktails over water is very hit or miss. I personally would not spend my time trying. That is based on what I have seen from the cameras my friend has on most every water on our lease since May.

 

[NCN]

Any Cali Blacktail hunting lovers out there? How’s your success sitting water during HOT archery season? I tried the other day mid day 100 degree heat and all be damned if a nice forked in velvet came right in.

also, strategies for combatting SUPER NOISY crackling grass in hot weather? Blown several stalks because ground is so damn dry and loud.

Never seen one walk up to water mid day. I always like to set up close to water if I can. Theres not much of it In A zone.

 

[MeatBuck]

Never seen one walk up to water mid day. I always like to set up close to water if I can. Theres not much of it In A zone.

You’d be surprised