Concealment, though it is often confused with camouflage is really much more. You cannot simply go out and buy a Ghillie Suit or some other high quality camouflage and expect to remain concealed.
Concealment is the skill or art of keeping from being seen, found, discovered or observed; camouflage is just one step in concealment.

For this article we will use the example of a deer hunt, we will discuss how to keep concealed in different types of hunts, and how to place yourself in a position to get a good shot. There are typically 3 different types of deer hunting. Stationary hunting typically from a tree stand or blind is a method often used for bow hunting. The “Scope and Stalk” method also known as the “Sniper” Method is used by bow hunters and rifle hunters alike. The “drive” or walking hunt is typically used by larger hunting parties using rifles. Since it is not typically the objective of the driving hunt to remain camouflaged or concealed, we will not discuss the “drive” in this article.
We have already touched briefly on camouflage, and will return to it again later. When practicing concealment consider all of the senses your target has available, sight, scent and hearing are the most powerful ones.

With the wind in their favor deer can smell a human well over a mile away. There are “scent blockers” that may help, but the best result will always come when you position yourself downwind of the deer. This means walking into the wind, stalking into the wind and positioning your tree-stand such that your most likely shooting opportunity will be upwind.

Exercising a little common sense with regards to wind direction has now brought you well within the one mile zone of your prey. The next two challenges are really equally important; How do you beat the deer’s sight and hearing. It may be easier than you think, everything in nature moves and makes noise, so “if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em”. Be as quiet as you can, but don’t be afraid to make a little noise. Just make the right type of noise at the right time. Listen for a wind gust blowing up through the tree tops and move when the background noise is near its peak. Watch how a deer moves, a couple steps and a pause, a few more steps and a pause. Constant evenly paced foot steps will give you away like a marching band. Be aware of your surrounding and make your noises appear natural.

Now we will return to camouflage. When you apply what you have learned so far with the proper application of camouflage you will be a master at concealment. When choosing camouflage, consider the two challenges you are up against with a deer’s sense of sight. The first is color and pattern, choose camouflage pattern that blends well with the surroundings. The second challenge is your profile or silhouette, if your hunting terrain and vegetation allow, a Ghillie Suit is a great way to diffuse or soften your profile.

Now that we are all experts in concealment, lets make a practical application of our new skill and some other helpful hunting knowledge. Remember, nature is lazy, water flows down hill, electricity takes the path of least resistance and have you ever seen a cow trail the goes up the steepest side of a hill? No. Keep this in mind when you are hunting.

When hunting from a tree stand, the goal is to hunt deer that are completely un-aware of your presence. Deer in transition between night feeding and morning bedding or between daytime bedding and evening feeding are great targets. They are not spooked, typically a combination of walking and standing until they get to the feeding grounds. When you are in a tree-stand or in a blind you cannot move so location is critical. It is a good idea to scout out several locations that may be effective in different wind. Remember nature is lazy, much like water deer will follow low lying areas as long as possible. Position yourself at a natural bottle-neck in the terrain, where two or more coulees converge or where a stand of trees is narrowed by hills, water, agricultural development, etc. Another option is to place yourself at the edge of the cover near the feeding area. Deer will often walk to the edge of the cover and stand for minutes at a time before they are comfortable enough to break cover and feed. This can provide some exceptional opportunities.

The Sniper method is different from hunting in a tree stand in a couple ways, typical Sniper hunting is performed during the day when the deer are not moving. The objecting is to conceal yourself in a position that offers a good viewing range, “scope” or “glass” the surrounding hills especially upwind. If you have not spotted any deer, back down the hill into some low lying gully or coulee, slowly and quietly make your way to a spot you have already scoped and are confident there are no deer. This will put you in a position where you will not disturb any un-scoped hunting ground while offering you a new vantage point to glass your new surroundings. When you have spotted a deer, chances are that it is out of range, this is where the stalk comes into play. Determine where you need to be to have a good shot and plan a route to get there that will keep you out of sight. Keep in mind all of the tips discussed earlier about movement and natural sounding noise and begin the stalk.

Ask any archer about crossbows and their inclusion into the “archery” family and you will most certainly get a vivid response expressing their disgust or enthusiasm for the controversial topic. Many bowhunters are advocates to the use of crossbows (sometimes referred to as “X-Guns”) and feel that they are closer to a firearm than a bow due to their characteristic string locking mechanism, gun stock design and ability to use telescopic scopes. On the other hand, crossbow supporters debate that crossbows still have a string that must be drawn, still shoot an arrow (called a bolt), are sometimes even less accurate than new compound bow designs and even shoot at roughly the same speeds as high end compound bows.

In reality, there are many differences in the engineering of traditional, compound and crossbow designs. Traditional, or “stick” bows, use a single string attached to a one piece wood riser and limbs. Some long bows and recurves, however, are made with the limbs and riser being separate pieces of wood. This method is used to create the specific pull weight of the bow string. Traditional bows can use wood, aluminum or carbon shafts and a variety of points and vanes.

In comparison, compound bows are different in that they use a cam and pulley system. For instance, single cam bows use a simple pulley system to create stored energy when drawn to hurl the arrow at a faster rate of speed than most traditional bows. The cam system also allows for the archer to enjoy a more relaxed and longer hold on full draw due to the “let-off” or amount of energy that is taken from the string and stored in the limbs (usually 65 to 80 percent). Due to the force that an arrow is released from a compound bow, these designs are only able to shoot aluminum or carbon arrow shafts with a variety of points and vanes similar to that of a traditional bow.

Crossbows are similar to the compound bow design with a few exceptions. First, a crossbow when fully drawn uses a locking mechanism to hold the string in place. This releases the “archer”, or “shooter” if you prefer, to allow the bow to distribute 100 percent of the stored energy in the limbs, effectively allowing the bow to do the work of holding the string for long periods of time. Second, crossbows use a stock very similar to that of a firearm instead of the normal riser design used in traditional and compound bows. Crossbows, due to their design, are also able to use a bolt, which is a smaller sub-species of the arrow, and telescopic sights similar to the version found on firearms. Most argue that crossbows are much less accurate than traditional or compound bows but I am hesitant to say this is due to design more than the abilities of the “archer/shooter”.

State and national bowhunting organizations are beginning to lobby strongly against the inclusion of crossbows in the archery-only season. In August of 2005, the NABC (North American Bowhunting Coalition) and 32 other interested organizations released a formal letter stating their position on the crossbow topic:

“A major issue addressed by the summit attendees was the use of crossbows during archery-only hunting seasons. It was immediately apparent that the attendees were unified as being strongly opposed to the use of crossbows in any bowhunting season. State and provincial representatives unanimously agreed that crossbows are not bows and should not be allowed in archery-only seasons.”

It’s apparent that many active archers and hunters alike have serious opinions on the crossbow topic. Since we have highlighted the differences and similarities of traditional, compound and crossbow designs, let’s look at the exact reasoning behind the statements released by the NABC:

“A hunting bow is recognized as a compound, recurve or longbow that is hand-drawn and that has no mechanical device to enable the hunter to lock the bow at full or partial draw. Crossbows, on the other hand, are locked at full draw by a trigger, utilize a rifle-like stock, have rigidly controlled internal ballistics, can readily be shot from a rest and typically use a telescopic sight. A crossbow’s characteristics are so vastly different from those of conventional bows that summit attendees agreed that crossbows would negatively impact bowhunting seasons if allowed in archery-only seasons.”

Naturally, these opinions do not express the thoughts and feelings of every archer or hunter. Horizontal Bowhunter (http://www.horizontalbowhunter.com), which states itself to be “The Official Magazine of the American Crossbow Federation”, has this to say about the crossbow debate in their Frequently Asked Questions section of their website:

MYTH: Because it is not hand-drawn and released, the crossbow is more closely compared to a firearm than a vertical bow.

FACT: Opponents to the crossbow often quote an apples and oranges comparison when voicing this smokescreen. The vertical archer, if they are a sportsman/bowhunter, prior to ever going into the field hunting spends hours and hours working on the physical conditioning required by drawing, aiming and shooting their chosen tool — nothing mystical, just physical work. Once the season starts, the act of drawing, aiming and shooting (especially with high let-off compounds utilizing a triggered release aid) is no more difficult for a vertical bowhunter than a crossbow hunter. Movement is required by both (one to draw back the other to raise the crossbow into a shooting position) to obtain the target at an average of less than twenty yards. Both hunters must be accomplished woodsmen to get that close to a whitetail and still mask those necessary movements.

MYTH: Crossbows are too easy to shoot.

FACT: Experienced rifle shooters can expect to quickly achieve tight arrow groups on targets up to forty yards (the effective hunting range of a crossbow). Is that bad? Isn’t accurate shot placement the goal of all ethical hunting? Does the difficulty of shooting a bow accurately deter people from participating in bowhunting? However, to be successful, a crossbow hunter must master all skills and tactics common to bowhunting.

So back to the debate at hand: Is a crossbow actually a bow? Should they be included in the archery-only hunting seasons? Are they really that different from traditional and compound bow designs?

That is a debate that will more than likely be the topic of discussion around many state and national hunting organizations for years to come. In my opinion, crossbows are no less dangerous or easier to shoot than traditional or compound bows. However, crossbows are certainly engineered in a very different manner than that of the design typically considered to be in the “archery” family. I believe that an archery or hunting enthusiast should support whatever method they feel the most comfortable with and have the most fun shooting.

Remember, the goal of the archery and hunting industry is to promote a) legal and ethical tactics, b) a place for recreational activities for women, children and men alike regardless of physical abilities or preferences in equipment and c) to promote the sport of hunting and shooting with a unified voice. If this can be accomplished, the overall achievements and gains will far outweigh the losses due to allowing crossbows to actually be considered a bow.

Predator hunting is one of the fastest growing segments of the hunting market. I recently had a chance to talk with Al Morris, a champion coyote caller and member of the Hunter’s Specialties Pro Staff, about some predator hunting basics.

Q: “Al, many of us are just getting into predator hunting. What are some basic tips to help someone be successful?”

A: “I know it sounds cliche, but you need to hunt where predators live. Scouting is king in my world. If I see coyote or bobcat sign in an area while I am hunting other game, I make a point to log it in so I can return to these places later. Tracks and scat help you see where the animals are concentrated. Coyotes will serenade you at night, as well, giving away their general location.”

Q: “Once a hunter locates a good spot, then what?”

A: “Proper set up is important. You need to learn to find spots that make it easy for a predator to approach your position without seeing or smelling you. In a perfect world, the sun would be at your back and the wind in your face, but you will seldom find those conditions. Use the terrain to your advantage and remember predators will usually always try to approach from down wind. If possible, try to have a shooting lane down wind. I like to use Hunter’s Specialties Scent-A-Way products to minimize my human scent. This often gives me closer shots because even though they are down wind, they don’t smell me.”

Q: “I’m a little intimidated about starting to call predators. How hard are the different calls to master?”

A: “The easiest calls to use are, of course, the electronic ones. The Johnny Stewart Attractor and PreyMaster Callers are durable and affordable and feature the authentic Johnny Stewart sounds, which I consider some of the best available. It is always good to learn to blow a mouth call as well. Don’t get too hung up on technique, because everyone is a little different in the way they call. Just learn to put plenty of emotion into the calling series. Remember, you are trying to re-create the sound of an animal in distress.”

Q: “What other equipment do I need?”

A: “I usually recommend first-time predator hunters get a good caller. After that, it is decent camo, something to sit on, and your favorite deer rifle or turkey gun. You may want to get a rifle more suited to predators later on, but start out with a minimum of equipment until you decide to get more serious.”

Q: “Anything else you would like to add?”

A: “Learn to hunt ‘outside the box’. Scout in areas where others don’t. Sometimes a hunter that avoids the wide open areas where most people go will find success in thicker cover using a shotgun. Don’t be afraid to try different sounds. If predators have heard plenty of dying rabbit calls in your area, use a bird or fawn distress to get their interest.”

Q: “Thanks, Al. Where can people go to learn more about Hunter’s Specialties products?”

A: “They can visit our website at www.hunterspec.com, or call toll free at 1-800-728-0321.”

HUNTING THE BLACKTAIL
Whether you hunt with bow, rifle, or handgun, a big blacktail buck will give you fits. Many well known outdoor writers and hunters say they are harder to bag than a wily whitetail or a wise old mule deer. My goal, through these articles, is to give you some tips for hunting these beautiful animals.

There is a big population of Blacktail deer in Western Oregon. These are the Columbian Blacktails. Your best chance for harvesting one of these animals is in the early season or the late season (especially for archery hunters). I say early season because then some of the deer haven’t wised up to the fact yet that they are being hunted. But I think the late season is the best time of all. There’s a late archery season at the end of November and this is generally the peak of the rut when the bucks get crazed with searching for does and they lose some of their caution.

In Oregon the early bow season generally opens up around the last weekend of August while the last weekend in September or the first weekend in October is for rifle. There is a late bow season that generally begins around the third week of November, about two weeks after the rifle season ends. But in Melrose, Evans Creek, Rouge and Sixes areas the late bow season opens about one week earlier. The bag limit for Blacktail deer is one deer in Western Oregon.

Well, where do you begin? How do you locate these creatures that love to lay low in heavy cover? One of the best prospects for finding Blacktail deer occurs in 3 to 4 year old clearcuts. Look in these areas for sign such as trails, droppings, tracks, or scrapes. Another good spot to begin your search is in an alder tree canyon or a bench. You may also want to check out powerline right-of-ways, Reprod areas (a place where a bunch of fir trees have been planted and they are 6-8′ tall and really thick) because this is where they really love to lay up. Also look at lowlands because they often harbor some big bucks.

Some of the same techniques that you use for Whitetail or Mule deer hunting can be used on Blacktails. Tree stand hunting takes its share of big blacktails every year, but to me it seems very much like a hit and miss way to hunt because blacktails love to move at night rather than in the daytime. If you are hunting from a tree stand try placing it at apple orchards, a funnel strip of cover between two clearings where they are moving, or a rub line. The key to success is to learn the habits of the deer in your tree stand area.

You can also do a “spot and stalk” hunt where you may see a good buck in a clearing and try to pull a sneak. But since cover is very thick this makes for a difficult way to hunt.

One of my favorite techniques is “still hunting.” The biggest mistake most still hunters make is moving too fast. Take only two steps and then stop, look, and listen. Blacktail deer are famous for holding tight and letting you walk right past them. Every so often stutter step (a couple of quick steps). This will often break the bucks nerves and he’ll move, giving up his location. Remember to move as slowly as possible and then cut that speed in half. Keep looking in all directions, especially behind you. I’ve seen bucks sneaking across my back trail crawling with their bellies on the ground. Hunt from a top of a ridge down in the morning and hunt back up the ridges in the evening. This will help keep the wind in your face as the thermals move your scent up and down the hills.

Another very successful way to hunt Blacktails, even with a bow, is “drives.” This technique works well when you have two or more hunting partners. May sure you plan your drives carefully so safety is uppermost in your minds. On a drive one person skirts around the bottom of a hill while a second may take the middle and the third takes the top of the hill. All three of the hunters go around the hill moving very slowly as you would in still hunting. You don’t want to panic the bucks, just slowly move them hoping to give a shot at a sneaking buck to one of the other hunters. This technique probably works the best for those big bucks that lie up all day and only want to move after dark.

How about calls? These can sometimes work well although Blacktails are not very vocal. The doe bleat or fawn distress calls seem to work best while grunt tubes will occasionally work just before or during the early part of the rut.

Rattling can also work but my success rattling has been very spotty at best. But I’ve seen it work occasionally with great success so you many want to try it as just another tool of your trade.

Well, how to you begin to narrow down your search for a good hunting area. Your first step should be to write to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. You can write to them at 17330 S.E. Evelyn Street in Clackamas, Oregon 97015 or call them at (503) 657-2000. Ask them to send you the biologist’s reports for buck to doe ratios in given units. Drive through the areas with the highest buck to doe ratio looking for logging company gates or public access. A lot of logging companies allow hunting by permission. Other logging companies will just open their gates during deer season and let anyone in. If you can find a logger who spends some time in the woods who will tell you where he has seen deer moving you have a quick leg up. Some will talk others won’t give out any information on their favorite spots. Some logging companies will even draw you a map where heavy deer damage is occurring on their land and they want deer thinned out. In Blacktail hunting like anything else you will find out your best information talking to everyone you meet who may know something about the deer habits.

The best weather for hunting Blacktail is in a light fog or a light drizzle. The deer seem to stand around more in these conditions rather then bedding up. And often they will head for more open areas then. If you’re not seeing any Blacktails, wait until it starts raining. Then get out into the field quick. The deer seem to come out of the woodwork then.

If you’ve had any success with Blacktails using any special methods you would like to share with our readers, please send me an e-mail. It’s always good to share your experience and success with others. If you would like to send me any information, tips, or “secrets” or a photo of you with your trophy Blacktail, I would love to include them in my articles. You can send them via e-mail to me at kenmcginnis@nohannah7@aol.com.

You can also post any questions you may have about Blacktail hunting to me at nohannah7@aol.com and I will try my best to answer them there.

As always, hunt safe and ethical.
Ken McGinnis

it was a cold day outside as me and my dad walked out onto the field.we hunt my grandpas friends land in perry michigan.anyways let me introduce my self i am james vanness 12 years old. when we got out to our blind and my mom and grandpa got to theres [so they could see any coming my way] at 3:30 or so. there where a lot of turkes down in a gully.i watched them and my dad looked out the side window for a few hours or so when i look away for a second theres a young doe standing right there in front of me i said to my dad theres a deer he whispers where right there he lookes out and thers the doe looking around and eating. i shoulder my 870 12 guage and put a bullet threw her lungs her front legs fell and her rear end kicked but she layed down about 15 yards from where she was eating. my mom and grandpa came out and we came out we looked for her for 10 minutes and found out she was in a small patch of hay.thatr was the happiest day of my life. thank you for listining

While waterfowl seasons across the county begin to come to a close, hunters may start to feel a little bit of pressure as time starts to run out. Competing with crowds and getting pressured birds to cooperate may be frustrating to say the least. Here’s a few tips and tricks to help you bag your limit of birds before time expires.

Knowing when and how to call is essential in waterfowl hunting. With more calls on the market now than ever before, ducks and geese are starting to become call shy due to the hundreds of hunters that have honked, quacked and whistled to them along their distant journey. Calling to frequently will turn birds away, and will give them more of a chance to listen and study your call. Try calling once birds are spotted from a distance to grab their attention, once the birds are moving towards you, sit back and watch your decoys work. The only other time you should need to call now is if the birds spot something “fishy” and decide to turn away. Giving a few quacks or honks will sometimes change their minds and offer you another chance. Keeping a close eye on the weather and watching if any storms are headed you way is also a good factor to consider while hunting later in the year. Storms coming from the north will often push new ducks into your area that aren’t as weary, and just want a place to rest.

Decoys are an invaluable tool in the waterfowl world, and often is the difference between having a tasty meal, or going home skunked. Try setting out a smaller decoy spread consisting of only a few birds. The birds may feel more comfortable landing in small groups, and a larger decoy spread gives you a larger margin for errors and mistakes that can turn shy birds away. Place the decoys well within your shooting distance and leave a piece of open water or land between your decoys so the birds will land right in your face. Don’t forget that ducks and geese land into the wind. It is critical that you have the wind at your back at all times. Watching and paying close attention to the ducks as they are coming in tells you if you need to critique or change your spread. Ducks that often circle but never commit is a hint that something isn’t right.

Now before you take a step out that front door, take a good look at yourself in a mirror, and make sure that you are covered from head to toe in camouflage. Ducks are underestimated for their amazing eyesight, and have been known to pick up the glow of a face from 1 to sometimes 2 miles away. Wearing a mask or putting on face paint will help in breaking up the human outline. Since your hands are constantly moving using calls and reaching for your gun and other equipment, make sure to bring along a pair of gloves as well. Know the habitat and the vegetation that surrounds the selected area that you are going to be hunting so you can buy your camouflage accordingly. If your hunting marshes with lots of cattails, or a field with 4 inches of snow, having a pattern such as sage brush or fir trees, probably isn’t the best idea. Spending that few extra dollars for good quality camouflage, is well worth it.

It may be close to the end of the season, but it’s not to late to go out and grab your limit of waterfowl. Putting in time and effort will surely pay off in the end. Be mobile and be prepared to move your blind and decoys quickly, as mother nature often throws dirty curve balls.

I glanced at Karena. Her eyes were wide and excited. She mouthed, “bear,” without making a sound. I followed her eyes to the front of the blind. On a small hill above the bait station a bear. Not huge, but a bear. It was coming to the bait station and soon we would have the moment-of-truth. The bear stopped.

Bear baiting is legal in Idaho. Using the correct bait can be the difference between a successful hunt and a hunt watching other wildlife. Karena and I had tried several types of bait but none seemed to interest the bears. We had done our scouting the fall before and found a good population of bears near our home in Salmon, Idaho. We both enjoy the taste of the spring black bear. It makes great roasts and stews.

Baiting bears in Idaho requires that the hunter obtain a baiting permit along with license and tags. No parts of or whole game animals, game birds or game fish may be used. The skin must be removed from any mammal parts or carcasses used as bait. No bait may be contained within paper, plastic, glass, metal, wood or other non-biodegradable materials. The exception being that a single metal container with a maximum size of 55 gallons may be used if securely attached to the bait site. No bait may be contained in any excavated hole greater than four feet in diameter.

Bait stations must be removed within seven days after the close of the spring and fall bear seasons. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game issues a bear baiting tags. These tags must be visibly marked at the nearest tree or on the bait container. Baiting permits are valid for the calendar year and can be obtained at any Fish and Game office beginning March 1. The Department issues three bait station tags for each hunter purchasing a permit. No bait station may be placed within 200 feet of any water or within 200 yards of any maintained trail or any road. Bait stations are not allowed within one-half mile of any campground or picnic area or other dwelling. Certain hunting units within Idaho have different regulations. Some units allow bait stations to be placed up to seven days prior to the opening day of bear season. Check with Idaho Fish and Game prior to hunting.

Although using metal containers such as a 55-gallong drum is a popular method we decided the bait station in our area needed to look as natural as possible. Making a bait station is much like trapping. The station is a holder for the lure. The lure is the bait. The location of the bait station is dependent upon where the bears are traveling. While many use multiple bait stations, Karena and I decided that one would do the job. This location was at the west end of a meadow that dropped off into a lodge pole forest.

The construction of the bait stations was simple. Several large rocks were placed around the base of a large pine. Logs laid horizontal formed a V from the base of the tree outwards. Other rocks were placed in the center of the V. Under the rocks in the middle went the magic bait.

While watching a movie at home one night, enjoying a large bowl of popcorn it dawned on me. The smell of popping corn, melted butter, and salt filled the house.

Even outside the smell of popcorn was enjoyable. Popcorn would be our primary bait. Popcorn, readily available at the local discount store, already buttered and salted, was cheap and the best part, the individual popped kernels would keep the bear at the bait station longer.

Positioning a ground blind near a bait station has to be accomplished with the utmost caution. Normally it is not a good idea to place the blind until it is determined that a bear is using the bait station. This gives the hunter the opportunity to position the blind downwind from the bait and away from the travel route the bear uses. This year we placed the ground blind the same day that we made the bait stations. The ground blind consisted of several large logs placed between trees, giving the illusion a pile of slash. We knew the direction of the evening wind and just hoped that the bear would not come too close. We checked the bait station every afternoon. The first few checks were negative. On the fourth check, we noticed that the logs and rocks had been moved. The individual kernels of popped corn were gone. A bear had visited the night before. Quickly re-baiting the station with two bags of buttered popcorn, and replacing the rocks on top of the kernels, we quickly moved to the blind. Our wait was short.

Karena saw the bear on the hill above the station. The bear stopped. It sniffed the air currents and appeared to be slightly nervous. The bear continued toward the bait station and if it stayed on course the bear would cross a small opening about twenty yards from the blind. Nothing ever goes as planned. The bear decided that it liked the popcorn and ignored the trail. The bear headed off the hill through jumbles of slash. It attempted to climb over a dead log, but fell off. After scratching itself and rubbing it’s back the bear went around the log and continued toward the station. Stopping every couple steps the bear worked it’s way downwind of the station. Karena could not last much more. At a hundred yards, she had seen enough. The bear passed through a small opening giving the broadside shot needed. The .270 spoke once and we had delicious bear meat for the summer. The popcorn bear was average for the area, squaring just at five feet. The hide was in great shape.

Karena had scored on her first big game hunt. She was hooked. After packing the hide and meat to the truck we reflected on the hunt. The hours of practice at the range had paid off. Returning home, hung the meat, salted the hide and decided to catch a movie. You guessed it, buttered popcorn.

HUNTING THE BLACKTAIL

Whether you hunt with bow, rifle, or handgun, a big blacktail buck will give you fits. Many well known outdoor writers and hunters say they are harder to bag than a wily whitetail or a wise old mule deer. My goal, through these articles, is to give you some tips for hunting these beautiful animals.

There is a big population of Blacktail deer in Western Oregon. These are the Columbian Blacktails. Your best chance for harvesting one of these animals is in the early season or the late season (especially for archery hunters). I say early season because then some of the deer haven’t wised up to the fact yet that they are being hunted. But I think the late season is the best time of all. There’s a late archery season at the end of November and this is generally the peak of the rut when the bucks get crazed with searching for does and they lose some of their caution.

In Oregon the early bow season generally opens up around the last weekend of August while the last weekend in September or the first weekend in October is for rifle. There is a late bow season that generally begins around the third week of November, about two weeks after the rifle season ends. But in Melrose, Evans Creek, Rouge and Sixes areas the late bow season opens about one week earlier. The bag limit for Blacktail deer is one deer in Western Oregon.

Well, where do you begin? How do you locate these creatures that love to lay low in heavy cover? One of the best prospects for finding Blacktail deer occurs in 3 to 4 year old clear cuts. Look in these areas for sign such as trails, droppings, tracks, or scrapes. Another good spot to begin your search is in an alder tree  canyon or a bench. You may also want to check out power line right-of-ways, Re- prod areas (a place where a bunch of fir trees have been planted and they are 6-8′ tall and really thick) because this is where they really love to lay up. Also look at lowlands because they often harbor some big bucks.

Some of the same techniques that you use for Whitetail or Mule deer hunting can be used on Blacktails. Tree stand hunting takes its share of big blacktails every year, but to me it seems very much like a hit and miss way to hunt because blacktails love to move at night rather than in the daytime. If you are hunting from a tree stand try placing it at apple orchards, a funnel strip of cover between two clearings where they are moving, or a rub line. The key to success is to learn the habits of the deer in your tree stand area.

You can also do a “spot and stalk” hunt where you may see a good buck in a clearing and try to pull a sneak. But since cover is very thick this makes for a difficult way to hunt.

One of my favorite techniques is “still hunting.” The biggest mistake most still hunters make is moving too fast. Take only two steps and then stop, look, and listen. Blacktail deer are famous for holding tight and letting you walk right past them. Every so often stutter step (a couple of quick steps). This will often break the bucks nerves and he’ll move, giving up his location. Remember to move as slowly as possible and then cut that speed in half. Keep looking in all directions, especially behind you. I’ve seen bucks sneaking across my back trail crawling with their bellies on the ground. Hunt from a top of a ridge down in the morning and hunt back up the ridges in the evening. This will help keep the wind in your face as the thermals move your scent up and down the hills.

Another very successful way to hunt Blacktails, even with a bow, is “drives.” This technique works well when you have two or more hunting partners. May sure you plan your drives carefully so safety is uppermost in your minds. On a drive one person skirts around the bottom of a hill while a second may take the middle and the third takes the top of the hill. All three of the hunters go around the hill moving very slowly as you would in still hunting. You don’t want to panic the bucks, just slowly move them hoping to give a shot at a sneaking buck to one of the other hunters. This technique probably works the best for those big bucks that lie up all day and only want to move after dark.

How about calls? These can sometimes work well although Blacktails are not very vocal. The doe bleat or fawn distress calls seem to work best while grunt tubes will occasionally work just before or during the early part of the rut.

Rattling can also work but my success rattling has been very spotty at best. But I’ve seen it work occasionally with great success so you many want to try it as just another tool of your trade.

Well, how to you begin to narrow down your search for a good hunting area. Your first step should be to write to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. You can write to them at 17330 S.E. Evelyn Street in Clackamas, Oregon 97015 or call them at (503) 657-2000. Ask them to send you the biologist’s reports for buck to doe ratios in given units. Drive through the areas with the highest buck to doe ratio looking for logging company gates or public access. A lot of logging companies allow hunting by permission. Other logging companies will just open their gates during deer season and let anyone in. If you can find a logger who spends some time in the woods who will tell you where he has seen deer moving you have a quick leg up. Some will talk others won’t give out any information on their favorite spots. Some logging companies will even draw you a map where heavy deer damage is occurring on their land and they want deer thinned out. In Blacktail hunting like anything else you will find out your best information talking to everyone you meet who may know something about the deer habits. 

The best weather for hunting Blacktail is in a light fog or a light drizzle. The deer seem to stand around more in these conditions rather then bedding up. And often they will head for more open areas then. If you’re not seeing any Blacktails, wait until it starts raining. Then get out into the field quick. The deer seem to come out of the woodwork then.

If you’ve had any success with Blacktails using any special methods you would like to share with our readers, please send me an e-mail. It’s always good to share your experience and success with others. If you would like to send me any information, tips, or “secrets” or a photo of you with your trophy Blacktail, I would love to include them in my articles. You can send them via e-mail to me at KenMcGinnis@nohannah7@aol.com
As always, hunt safe and ethical.
Ken McGinnis

Not many events would justify me missing the opening weekend of archery elk season. Hunting Barren Ground Caribou north of the Brooks Range in Alaska was one such event.

Joined by my brother Billy and good friend Dave Chapman, we decided it would be quite the adventure to experience the land of the never-ending muskeg bogs and wide-open tundra in search of the largest antlered specie of caribou. Although we were there to hunt, I wasn’t prepared for the other sites that the Arctic would provide.

The weather for 9 out of 10 days consisted of freezing rain, sleet, snow, harsh biting winds, and sub-freezing temperatures. The scenery was nothing like I imagined. Driving over the Brooks Range down onto the North Slope, I was witness to moose, bear, sheep and more caribou than I could ever hope for. The landscape was incredible, from towering mountains to wild, unforgiving tundra masses that disappeared into the horizon.

The hunt included many blown stalks, a couple of errant arrows, and a few days of limited caribou sightings. Even with the large herd sizes, the frequency of caribou encounters, and the total caribou out on the North Slope, getting one on the ground did prove to be a challenge. Whether it was the fog and not being able to spot them, the swirling wind and numerous eyes, the final “close the distance” stalk, or even in my case an arrow that missed it’s mark, we experienced it all.

It wasn’t until day five that I was able to connect with a really nice bull. Dave had an opportunity at the exact same bull just the evening before. Dave’s encounter took place on our side of the river, and he watched the bull cross and head for a small island. As darkness approached, we took off for camp and devised a plan for the following morning, which included the use of our very small Zodiac skiff to haul three of us across the freezing river.

The next morning, and after careful river navigation by our experienced oarsman Dave, we finally made it across the river. Dave and Billy split off in one direction, and I started downriver in the other. As I tiptoed my way up the river, I looked toward the middle of the island and spotted the unmistakable antler configuration of a mature bull caribou. He was bedded down in a soft dirt depression. I could tell his antlers were facing away from me, and as luck would have it, I was heading directly into a steady wind. With the soft dirt, great wind, and freezing rain, the stalking conditions were excellent. I took off my backpack, and with him in the depression, I basically just walked briskly right to where his antlers were. I walked until I was 25 yards from the bedded bull, still not being able to see his head or body.

After a short wait, the bull started to stir, and he slowly stood up. At this time my release was already snapped on my string, and all I had to do was get the bow back without a bunch of movement. Being only 25 yards from him, this was tough to do. He stood up, and, as scripted, stepped to a perfect broadside position. I yarded my bow back and settled in.

I watched my arrow zip through him about the mid-ship level, a few inches behind the shoulder. I knew he was mine. His death sprint took him up the bank out of the depression and promptly into the freezing river. He fortunately was able to swim away from the cut bank, deep-water side of the river and make it all the way to the shallow side before dying. Billy and Dave witnessed the action, and as the bull started floating down river, I yelled for them to retrieve the raft, not knowing how well caribou float and how far downstream he would go. Thankfully, his antlers caught on some rocks, and after a brief 60-yard float he came to a stop.

This Alaskan adventure wasn’t simply about the hunt and killing of a caribou bull. It was much more than that. The chance for me to stand outside my tent at 2:00 a.m. and watch The Northern Lights dance across the sky was worth the trip in and of itself. Alaska is truly The Last Frontier. One I hope to explore again in the near future.

I was out on a monday with my buddy squrrile hunting.It took us about an hour to get 15 big fat squrrils.Every withc way you looked squrrils where shoot’in everywhere.we had some good squrrle stew.