Pacific Northwest Bowhunting

12/17/2025

Those who know me know my passion for black-tailed deer.

As a hunter and staunch conservationist who grew up here in the Pacific Northwest, these secretive deer got under my skin over decades of studying and learning about them in the field. They are cagey creatures that inhabit the thick coastal vegetation of Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. And, until recent years, blacktails have been largely overlooked in terms of research and conservation efforts.

When I first learned of this research effort and important partnership with the Blacktail Foundation (blacktaildeer.org), I was elated because gathering key monitoring data about black-tailed deer has proven very difficult, mostly due to densely vegetated forests they call home.

𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙪𝙡𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚-𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙨.

𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙮𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙪𝙣𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙧𝙚- 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩-𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨. 𝙏𝙤 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡, 𝙒𝘿𝙁𝙒 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙛𝙛 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠-𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙪𝙘𝙠-𝙩𝙤-𝙙𝙤𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙟𝙪𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙡𝙚-𝙩𝙤-𝙙𝙤𝙚 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙨.

Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) biologists developed a new monitoring framework using a combination of camera traps, GPS technology, and proximity sensors that has potential to produce the data needed to effectively monitor and manage black tailed deer throughout their ranges.

Thanks to all who are involved in this work!
www.blacktaildeer.org

https://wdfw.medium.com/innovative-technology-helps-washington-track-black-tailed-deer-in-dense-forests-a6534bd44100

ONE YEAR IN THE WILD JOIN OR RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO ENTER OUR ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY SWEEPSTAKES Join Now About The Blacktail Deer Foundation The creation of the Blacktail Deer Foundation is the inevitable result of a massive effort that started in earnest after the black-tailed deer summit in Orego...

01/12/2025

2 hour hike today to survey some fall rut activity. Found some good rubs and a honey hole for chanterelles. There were about 50 in a small area and a couple were still firm which was surprising for January.

12/06/2024

This blacktail has been a bu**er all season. I'm still after him but there are a couple other bucks that I'd gladly arrow if given the opportunity, including a mature 3x3 and a nice non-typical 2x3.

Moultrie Products

11/16/2024

I've been after this Washington blacktail for a while now.

In a word, the Moultrie Products Edge series cams are drop-dead simple to use, have great battery life, and the app makes is so easy to manage settings, plans, etc. Simply fantastic!

10/28/2024

Hope he comes back through this evening. Been a slippery sucker.

Moultrie Products

10/21/2024

The difference 12 hours can make...time to adapt and make some lemonade!

10/08/2024

CWD info you need to know - please get up to speed before you head out.

This summer, Washington became the 35th state to confirm the presence of chronic wasting disease (CWD). Four Canadian provinces also have…

09/13/2024

It's a fact that legal, regulated hunting is foundational to conservation in America and abroad, so please consider submitting your photos depicting all the ways hunters give back to habitat and wildlife for all to enjoy.

Your photo could be the next featured cover shot for WDFW's 2024 Big Game Hunting Regulations. Submit your photos via the link below:

Image

08/26/2024

Science, data, and appropriate wildlife/ecosystem management, or emotional drivel that hurts all wildlife?

This is on the ballot in Colorado and likely coming soon to other western states.

When it comes to ballot box wildlife management, the entirety of science-based wildlife management is gutted, undermined, and deemed irrelevant.

Imagine any other profession where your education, credibility, and expertise can be eliminated in an instant by the emotional position of someone who knows nothing about your work. And then, if your research data and a collection of other factors point to necessary actions to manage for balanced ecosystems, you or your employer will be sued.

Unfortunately, this is the reality of today's wildlife management agencies across the United States.

Cougars, bears, and wolves have been put on a pedestal by anti-hunting groups and like-minded organizations who are narrowly focused on protecting these animals at all costs. They hold the belief that these species hold more value than all other animals in the ecosystem.

As a result, they are crippling state agencies and wildlife managers at the expense of all prey species AND taxpayers.

Don't think for a second this can't/won't happen again in Washington.

Consider donating to stop this nonsense in Colorado at:

A coalition of anti-hunting activists is attempting to have a ballot measure qualify for the 2024 election that would prohibit the hunting of mountain lions, bobcats, and lynx in Colorado. This proposed measure intends to circumvent the authority of wildlife biologists and scientists at Colorado Par...

04/23/2024

Go fishing, win big in Washington!

April 27 kicks off the statewide lowland lake opener and WDFW's 9th annual trout derby. Over 100 lakes are stocked with over 800 tagged trout worth over $42,000 in prizes!

Read on for all the details:

Over $42,000 in prizes are available for anglers who catch tagged trout.

04/19/2024

It's almost time for WDFW's 9th annual statewide trout derby. With over $42,000 in prizes up for grabs in over 100 lakes around the state, it's a good time to gear up and make some plans. Check out the Derby page for all the details, participating lakes info, and the long list of prizes waiting to be caught.

Image Calling all fishing enthusiasts!

10/26/2023