Options for Columbia Blacktail

[LCH]

So back in 2016 I hunted B-zone blacktails in California for the mid-September opener. Had a great time and saw some really neat country. I saw very few deer though and did not harvest.

I'm thinking I'll probably try again next year. The obvious option is to go back where I hunted in 2016. If I do this I'll probably try it in October, hoping that some more bucks have moved down from the higher elevations.

However, I also have somewhat of a goal to have eventually hunted something in all 50 states, and am curious about Washington and Oregon for blacktails.

I'm not looking for spots or anything like that, just general comparisons between CA, OR, and WA. What do you like about one state over another, etc.

Appreciate any feedback or discussion!

 

[LopeHunter]

Look at southern Oregon. Blacktail tags are relatively easy to get and plenty of public land.

 

[FI460]

I grew up hunting B zone and moved to Oregon a few years back. 2018 was my first season hunting there and I didn't find it to be much different. The deer are still very spooky, the timber is still very dense.

I was surprised by how many people were hunting the wilderness zones in Oregon. I grew up in an extremely rural county in California and never encountered people like I did hunting the Rogue Unit in Oregon.

All that said, the Oregon season goes a little longer. During the last weekend I saw a few bucks exhibiting rotting behavior. We also have a late archery season if you're a bow hunter that runs through prime rut.

 

[gouch]

I've lived in southern Oregon my entire life. The deer population isn't what it used to be but is still pretty good. Tags for archery or rifle are OTC and are good for all of western Oregon. There is plenty of public land and most of the timber company land is open for hunting. I like the Applegate, Rogue, Dixon and Evens Creek units. If you go father north or west the vegetation gets much thicker and is harder to hunt. The Applegate is my favorite. The country is steeper and tougher than the Rogue but there are more deer and less people. Hunting gets tough during rifle season as the deer become very nocturnal. Archery season is good but my favorite is the muzzleloader season which requires drawing a tag. The migration starts in mid October so hunting high early and low late is a good Idea but there are plenty of bucks that stay low all year and some bucks remain high until the rut. Hope this helps. Good Luck