Due to schedule and also wanting to get out in the woods more this year, I decided to get an archery tag for OR Columbia blacktail. This is my third season hunting (period) so my expectations are appropriately calibrated...the goals are to get out more, learn to recognize sign and habitat (virtually and in person), getting to know a few specific areas to hunt, and recognizing good spots to setup, in that order. Killing a deer (some units are any deer units) is obviously a stretch goal but far from an expectation. To prepare, I've spent quite a bit of time tuning my bow and tuning my bow skills so I know what my limitations and capabilities are...talk about humbling! In addition, I went out hunting a bunch with a friend who had a rifle tag in order to get my scouting in and learn the area I'm targeting. Add to this some books and ALL of the youtube videos... I feel like I've learned a ton but there are some dark spots in terms of rattling and calling.
A few questions, specific to late season archery blacktail:
I appreciate any advice you can offer. Thanks for reading.
A few questions, specific to late season archery blacktail:
- I haven't found much in the way of advice for rattling. The deer will be rutting and I'm thinking rattling some might be effective but besides folks saying they have a rattling sequence, there's not much detail. I get that I'll want to start slow but beyond that...how long should I rattle before pausing? How long of a pause? How long do I try a location before moving on?
- I also have a call that will grunt and bleat. Here again, beyond folks saying they have a sequence there's not much detail. When calling, do you both bleat and grunt or just one or the other? How long should a calling sequence last...how long do I pause...when should I decide to move?
- Do you rattle or call? Or both?
- Location...am I better off in timber or a clearing? My thought is that in a clearing I'll obviously have a better shot window but then I think the deer may stop short of entering the clearing since they would expect to see fighting bucks in the clearing. In the timber, which in OR is thick, i would have less visibility and limited lanes of shooting but would likely limit the deer's visibility and bring them in range for me to make an ethical shot. Another options I've thought of is sitting just inside the timber next to a clearing. I know there's no clear answer but your experience may point to a detail I likely haven't considered (there's likely so many).
I appreciate any advice you can offer. Thanks for reading.
