In the 2002 season, author Scott Haugen spotted and then stalked this 6x6 Columbia blacktail using archery gear. Photo courtesy of Scott Haugen

By Scott Haugen

When it comes to tagging a trophy blacktail, no surefire method exists, but narrowing your tactical approach to fit the time of year can pay off.

Depending on what tag you're holding, applying the following techniques will help put meat in the freezer, just as they've done for me over the past three decades.

July and early August are some of the best times to observe mature blacktail bucks. At this time they avoid dense brush, for it's too discomforting on their tender growing antlers. As a result they can often be seen in the open, feeding and watering, or on the move between those areas.

Because bucks largely shy away from brush at this time, they can often be found bedding in open terrain. Logged units, meadow fringes, grassy knolls and boulder country - virtually anything except thick vegetation and dark, dense timber - can hold deer. Finding bachelor bucks before the season will allow you to plot a solid plan of attack, taking into account wind, topography and other hunters.

By knowing where bucks feed and bed, hunters can often slip in to intercept them as they move from one place to another. If this daily movement takes deer through a patch of timber, having a tree stand in place may be the ticket. If the deer are bedding and feeding in the open, try moving into the bedding area while they are feeding, and wait out their return.

Still-hunting along known trails can also pay off. Keep on the downwind side of such trails, and simply wait out deer as they move along these travel corridors. Again, it is crucial that you know where deer feed, water and bed. Constantly monitor the wind, for this can foul an early-season hunt quicker than anything.

Binoculars are great for locating bucks, while spotting scopes allow for accurate trophy evaluation. If in an area void of logging roads, the situation may require hiking from ridge top to ridge top, glassing for bucks. This is where having a camp on your back - backpacking - is handy, allowing you to move ahead each day, rather than being tied down to a central camp. Horses can also be put to use.

Look for deer working open meadows and along timbered edges. Finding food and water sources are key, especially given the drought-like conditions in recent years. Locating bedding areas will also provide an opportunity to close in. Once a good buck is found, carefully plan your attack.

The focal point of this style centers around knowing where deer bed and how they will react to pressure. This time of year the bucks are nocturnal, and only tracks, preseason scouting and perhaps last year's rubs will tip you off to their presence.

Amassing enough hunters to push through the brush is critical, for blacktails will often hold tight, letting danger move past. This means deer can't be left to slip through the cracks, which sounds easy, but can be next to impossible when the bucks are bedding in thick groves of reprod.

Rarely do drivers get a shot when pushing blacktails. Instead, position shooters on the outer fringes of the bedding area or at known funnel areas. Deer can kick out at any moment, or hold until the very end; be ready, and make sure of your target.

The key to an effective one-man drive is using the wind while remaining in shooting position. By using the wind, human scent can be carried into the bedding area, with the hopes of spooking a deer. When working through narrow strips of bedding zones, this can be ideal for kicking deer out and creating a shooting opportunity, either for the driver or a person sitting on a stand.

Blacktails often require very little cover in which to bed. Small patches of foliage can hold big bucks, even in areas that are heavily hunted. Blacktails that are accustomed to human activity often bed tight to well-traveled roads; don't overlook these spots.

Covering 200 yards of ground in several hours is not too slow when still-hunting. The important element to keep in mind when applying this technique is that deer better be in the area or time is being wasted. Do the homework, know a buck is in the area, then spend time rooting him out.

By working one or two sections of prime bedding land a day, eventually that deer will be discovered. When hunting in this way, spot the deer before he sees you. Search for antler tines, a white throat patch, a twitch of an ear or a horizontal line of a brown back interrupting the brush. If patient, this approach can lead to monster bucks.

BLACKTAILS IN MIGRATION Hunters focusing their efforts on trails leading down out of mountain ranges and into foothill areas bordering valley floors often encounter whopper bucks, and not by chance. Late-season blacktail hunts capitalize on the annual migration of these deer from high-elevation summer grounds to mid- and low-elevation winter grounds. Migration hunts are far from a slam-dunk proposition. Then again, if you're in the right place at the right time, hunting the migration can be the most productive blacktail hunt of your life. This style of hunting takes time, dedication and persistence, and yet the entire event could be over in a few days. The more you hunt up high, the better you'll be at patterning deer movements and behavior, and learning an area's terrain and how local deer use it. Search for land funnels through which deer will move. Bucks move from the high country for a number of reasons, including bad weather, shortening daylight hours, and the movement of does. Search for does on the move; bucks will be sure to follow with the approach of the rut. Glassing from an elevated vantage point can save lots of time and energy. Hunters can apply spot-and-stalk strategies, as well as calling and rattling, to get within shooting range. If you hunt an area with a post-rut season, look for bucks coming to food sources near secluded winter ground. Place tree stands along known travel routes, and be in your stand long before first light. -- Scott Haugen

Late in the year, tree stand effectiveness climbs to another level. This is the time of the rut, when rifle and muzzleloader hunters head afield, along with archers who held out for this time of year in hopes of finding that buck of a lifetime.

The rut marks the height of big-buck movement during daylight hours. Hanging stands along trails and, in particular, where does are present, is important. This time of year does often congregate and remain in one general area. By finding the does, it's only a matter of time before the bucks show up. Place stands near where does feed and along their travel routes; then get ready. Don't be afraid to stay in a stand all day long.

Hunt into the wind, and be alert at all times. Deer are often up and about during such storms, keeping an eye out for predators as well as seeking treasured foods such as lichens and mosses that have fallen from trees.

It's all the better if snow falls. Quiet footing is a blacktail hunter's dream, and being able to track one of these coveted deer in the snow is a rare occurrence. As for driving rains, I've seen deer bed smack in an opening, all day long. If the rain doesn't bother them, don't let it bother you; it could make the difference.

Rattling can bring quick results, but that's not always the case. The first time I ever tried rattling, a buck came darting out of the timber and a buddy shot it - all in less than one minute. One of the last places I rattled, four different bucks came in over the course of two hours.

Before commencing the rattling sequence, be sure your firearm is readily accessible for a quick shot, especially if hunting with a bow. Racking the antlers together is only part of the rattling game. Raking the ground, busting limbs and scraping trees should also be implemented into the sequence. Occasionally kicking the ground or hitting it with a thick stick will send out a resonating sound, resembling a stomping deer. All this can draw the attention of mature bucks.

One of the best scenarios in which to use a bleat is when you have a buck on the move and you want him to stop. For archers this can make or break the hunt, for if that deer keeps moving, there's no shot. A simple estrous bleat is often all it takes to get a buck to stop and look around, pausing just long enough for a well-placed shot.

At the same time, subtle bleats and gentle grunts can emulate bucks and does naturally going about their business. These confidence calls may not bring deer running, but they can convey the message that all is safe, whereby encouraging bucks to continue in the direction they are naturally moving.

Take your time on these hunts. Don't press too hard or the gig is up. Heed the wind, move quietly, mask your scent and be alert. Only when all these elements come together can this tactic be pulled off.

By preparing yourself to meet the blacktail on its own terms, the chances of filling that tag in your pocket increases. The key is tailoring your hunting style to meet the demands of nature.

(Editor's Note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen's latest books, Cooking Salmon & Steelhead, Smoking Salmon & Steelhead and Plank Cooking, log on to www.scotthaugen.com. These and other books can be ordered direct from this Web site.)