my Blacktail scouting trip.. need help interpreting

[aman]

I'll be doing my first big game hunt this season. I am in western Washington and I am targeting blacktails during the modern rifle season. I went out this weekend to do some scouting but I'm not really sure what I'm doing so I'd like to show you folks some photos and get your opinion.

I checked the edge of a clearcut and found some signs of browsing on vine maple, serviceberry, and swordfern.





I also found some scat but it was all very dry which made me think that it old.



I walked down the hill from the clearcut and found some game trails converging at a spot but I'm not sure if the the trails are from deer, coyote, bear or something else.

I also didn't see much food down the hill. And there was plenty of thick brush at top of the hill for them to bed in so i'm inclined to believe that the deer have no reason to go up and down the hill.

I'm not sure where to go from here... From everything I've read I think I need to identify some game trails and figure out the bedding and feeding areas. I can walk through some of the old growth but most of it is very dense vegetation and I can't see past few feet.

I'm trying to figure out where to set up as well. If I set up 50 yards or so in the old growth, I have a very limited view except for the vine maple, service berry, swordfern food but I can't see anything down the hill. If I set up down the slope, I can glass the large area below me but then the food would be behind me.

Sorry for the rambling. I don't have any friends or family to teach me so I'm trying to fumble my way through it. Help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Joe Hulburt]

Elk are what is eating the sword ferns. Blacktails are very difficult to pattern. I have my best luck glassing into areas like the bottom photo right at daylight and dark. Mature blacktail bucks are notoriously nocturnal so really focus on the edges in the first and last moments of daylight. Normally in an old clearcut/reprod patch like that you can count of the bucks using the most protected area and does and fawns in the easier ground.

 

[Chester]

The best advice I can give you on western wa blacktail is to just clear everything off your calendar the 26-31 of October and be in the woods an hour before daylight until an hour after dark. Pray for wind and sideways rain and I can all but guarantee you’ll see bucks. 2c

 

[aman]

The best advice I can give you on western wa blacktail is to just clear everything off your calendar the 26-31 of October and be in the woods an hour before daylight until an hour after dark. Pray for wind and sideways rain and I can all but guarantee you’ll see bucks. 2c

fingers crossed for sideways rain i guess..

Elk are what is eating the sword ferns. Blacktails are very difficult to pattern. I have my best luck glassing into areas like the bottom photo right at daylight and dark. Mature blacktail bucks are notoriously nocturnal so really focus on the edges in the first and last moments of daylight. Normally in an old clearcut/reprod patch like that you can count of the bucks using the most protected area and does and fawns in the easier ground.

How do you know that the elk and not deer are eating sword fern?

I will setup early and late to glass the area in the last photo. I don't even care about a mature buck. I just want any buck.

 

[Joe Hulburt]

How do you know that the elk and not deer are eating sword fern?

I will setup early and late to glass the area in the last photo. I don't even care about a mature buck. I just want any buck.

I've never hunted Washington so I guess I can't say for sure but in Oregon blacktails browse on finer browse. In areas with no elk I never see the ferns eaten back and I have watched elk eat them and never seen deer do it. It's not really important because deer and elk will use the same habitat often. I have a lot of trail cam pictures with both in the image.

 

[aman]

I've never hunted Washington so I guess I can't say for sure but in Oregon blacktails browse on finer browse. In areas with no elk I never see the ferns eaten back and I have watched elk eat them and never seen deer do it. It's not really important because deer and elk will use the same habitat often. I have a lot of trail cam pictures with both in the image.

Interesting. Do you think the elk were bedding here then?

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

listen to what Joe and Chester said, Blacktails will try your patience and dont get discouraged by not seeing bucks, i hunted 19 days last year to find a buck and was able to tag out on the 2nd to last day of season. hunt hard and just keep grinding. all my bucks ive killed on the edge of a clearcut by timber or in reprod, my 1st one got lucky there was a hot doe and she had 2 bucks with her 100 yards out in a treeless new cut . i always hope to get that lucky again but it never seems to work that way for me