Black Tailed Deer hunting in Northern California
It's not easy.... but the challenge is worth the effort!
The Blacktail, or Black-tailed deer, (Odocoileus Hemionus Columbianus) is a species of deer found in western North America.
Related to the mule deer, the Blacktail is known for being a smaller deer at 100- 140 lbs. and the toughest deer to hunt. The hunt is challenging for many reasons. Many try, few succeed.
First, here in A Zone, the season is early in the year with bow season in July and rifle season in August when the ground sounds like potato chips, the temps are near the 100s and the terrain is steep and rugged. Second is the fact that Blacktails live in dark timber and heavy under brush. Once their antlers have hardened and are ready for scraping they spend their time in heavy cover and are mostly nocturnal.
Third, the rut won't even occur in California's A Zone seasons. No chance for a pre occupied buck to walk into the open. They are very aware of their surroundings and the best chance you have is to ambush a deer on his feeding or water route. Spot & stalk is another way to hunt this ghost of a deer. Binoculars are your best friend. Sitting in a high stand and glassing a valley for movement is the best way to find a deer to stalk. Then the stalk may take several hours. Having a buddy with a radio to talk you through it is really helpful. And of course a guide can increase your odds. But remember, Blacktails are not likely to stay in a routine like a Whitetail or a Mule Deer. The bucks I see early in the year are not there when the season opens. I tend to scout does more than bucks as the bucks will move to where the does are as the breeding season draws near.Watching for buck tracks on trails is a great way to at least know that bucks are in the area. Spend lots of time glassing and listening. Don't move around too much and don't be seen. Walking in the open over the top of a hill will give you a good view of the land, but it will give the animals a good view of you. You must be more elusive than your quarry.
So don't feel too bad if you don't fill your tag. On average, 73% of Blacktail hunters will go home with an un-used tag. The lucky 27% will have serious bragging rights, as harvesting this buck is a major accomplishment and trophy no matter the size.Good Luck Blacktail Hunters!!!
Running Wild Guide Service's
Featured Hunt
The 2010 Deer Season is getting off to a great start!
Amber's first buck was a hunt to remember!
The weather has been cooler than normal and the bucks are already starting to fight. We were hoping for a better than average California deer season. Amber and I have been keeping track of several bucks all year and hoped we would encounter one of them in range. Our friend Larry was along for the hunt, as he wanted to get a hog if he could. So we set out into the hills of Northern California's wine country for the afternoon. The Remington Model 788 .243 had been checked and rechecked for accuracy. So the only thing left to do was actually find a buck. We hunted to the top of an oak covered hill where we could glass for miles. Everyone wanting to be the first to spot a buck we spread out on each new hill and really look carefully around the trees and in the tall grass for antlers and ears. Amber made a suggestion to hunt south to a set of draws that had hosted bucks on previous scouting trips. Again we spread out and eased our way up onto the hill top to glass the oak line below. As I look at the base of every tree, not finding what I was looking for, I hear Amber's excited, urgent whisper. "Hey TJ" she stressed almost under her breath. I look to find her in that half crouched, totally frozen position with wide eyes. "I see a buck!" She says. I reply, "Shoot it!" as I make the trigger-finger pantomime. "I am too shaky" She says. "Come here, I want to rest on you to steady myself" Immediately I ask." Is he going to run if I try to move to where you are?" She holds her hand above her head making and antler gesture and then lays her cheek into her hand as if to fall asleep. "He a good buck, and he is sleeping!". "How cool is this?" I thought to myself. If I could get to her without spooking the bedded buck, she might get a shot! So I started moving in her direction. I could not see the buck as he was over the other side of the hill. I stayed low and away from the edge of he canyon. When I got to where she was, her and Larry were both looking down a very steep canyon wall of grass and sparse oaks. She pointed out the three trees that marked his location and I began to look. As soon as I saw him my heart started to pound. "This is a real opportunity," I thought to myself. The buck was pretty far down the mountainside and the wind was coming up into our faces. It was perfect! The sun was nearing the horizon and the moon was nearly full and already up. The rolling grass and oak hills under a deep blue and still sky with just enough uphill breezes to give us an edge was an amazing sight! The sun started to turn that orangey, pink color that makes everything glow like sherbert. And below us, a hundred thirty yards down, sat a big buck, facing away from us, asleep. I crouched down in front of Amber to offer my shoulder to lean on for a more steady rest. The adrenaline had her shaking too hard to keep the cross hair in the zone. It took several minutes to process some of the excitement and to find the most comfortable way to stabilize the rifle. She props the gun on my shoulder and I could see the barrel still moving around too much to trust for a shot. "Can you keep it on him?" I asked. "No" she says. I am too shaky and he looks pretty far. I remind her to breath and relax. She takes a minute or more to really collect her self. Then she says,"I need to get more comfortable". We make a few more adjustments and found a good place where I could sit all the way down on the ground and she, with the rifle on my shoulder, could see well enough the tall grass to try again. The buck's body was curled up and his head was up. We could see the back of him. Mostly his shoulder and neck. There wasn't a whole lot to shoot at. There was enough vital area showing but it was much more difficult than if he'd been standing. But the sun was going down and we had to get it right if it were going to work. I could see that Amber had relaxed her breathing a bit and she was much steadier as she held the scope on the buck. I ask again, "Could you shoot him?" "Yes" She says, "I am keeping the cross-hair in the zone." I ask, "Are you sure?" "Yes, I can do it" She whispers. With Larry watching for behind us, all of us not knowing what is going to happen when she squeezes the trigger, we prepare to keep track of this buck as he has a long, deep forested canyon to fall into after the shot. Everything is quiet at this point and she says, "I'm going to do it!" "Ok" I say as I plug my ears, "fire when you feel ready" There was a pause and I could see the barrel lock in on the buck, everything became very still and calculating. And then, KABOOM! As the thunder of the gun is amplified by the shape of the canyon walls, we are shocked to see the buck slam to the ground without ever getting up! She stoned that bucked!!!! What a shot! We kept looking for the buck to jump and run down into the depths of the canyon but he just dropped! It was too perfect! We were fairly near the top and dropping the buck in his bed meant the recovery was going to be much easier than anticipated! We couldn't believe it! I look at Amber and say; " You just harvested a Black Tail in California!" In a state where 80% of hunters get nothing, this is a big deal. For Amber, a year of anticipation, scouting and focus came together while the moon and sun shaed the horizon, Larry and I shared her hunt and a nice buck lay on a steep canyon wall. It took all three of us to get him off that mountain. The high-fives are still occurring and the buck, well after his meat filled our freezer; he ended up at the taxidermist. Not only was he her first buck, he was a great buck with a hunk of velvet still hanging from his antlers and some mountain lion scars from a past attack. What character! Congratulations to Amber! She put forth the energy to learn to hunt, she practiced, she studied, and she got her buck!
New bucks for '10
This buck is bigger this season... the question is, who will find him?
All these bucks were photographed from a great distance and do not know I am tracking them. As their antlers grow I will post more pictures. Blacktails are tricky to hunt and make up for there size with wariness. Known as one of he toughest deer in North American to hunt as they live in heavier cover and tend to run before being spotted. Fortunately we have land that is hilly and scattered with open grasslands. This allows us to see deer at a long range and plan good stalks. Stay tuned for updated photos.
