I'm scheduled to hunt blacktail deer on Kodiak Island for a week in mid-Oct of this year. We will be based on the water and going ashore each day. A big buck would be nice, but a representative head will do since it will complete my NA deer slam.

Do the deer have a set pattern, such as staying high or low at certain times of the year.

Is the terrain open enough for effective spot-&-stalk hunting by glassing with my 15x & tripod from a good distance away? -TONY

Tony

In October you'll definitely need to do some climbing to get to where the big bucks are. The rut won't be on yet so your probably better off to get high and glass. When you get up from the beach the country will start to open up making glassing pretty good but I don't think you will find it a long range affair like Coues deer hunting. I preferred to go later when you literally might see 30-40 mature bucks in a day. One thing you might want to keep in mind is one of the Sitka blacktails often used defenses is to stand absolutley still forever and then slink off very slowly. I shot a B&C buck by waiting him out.Also if you see any 4x4 just shoot it as he will probably score very well. More than likely a descent 3x3 should be carefully considered if you are looking for a trophy. 100 B&C is a pretty good buck since 108 makes the book if I remember correctly.

Good luck!

Mark

I think you picked a good year to complete your deer slam. You might already know, but the deer population on Kodiak is rebounding nicely and trophy potential should be excellent this season if we dont get major storm on Kodiak, we still have some winter left and the spring storms can be hard on the deer.

It sounds like your doing a boat hunt, but if your flying out there are a fair number of lakes higher up and might be a better option for you.

I have 3 of the deer and would love to get the chance to hunt the other two....soon. I might pull off a Kodiak hunt myself this Nov., but moose is my priority this fall.

Have a great trip and if you lay over in Anch drop me an email.

-Ron

Basic hunting technique is to glass, climb, glass, climb etc. Till its about 4 pm then put your head lamp on and head back to camp.
Hunting blacktails on Kodiak is the most fun hunt I do every year.

Mark,

I just hate to hear, "They'll be up high." Me and climbing don't get along well anymore after 50 years of smoking.

The group (USSA) setting this hunt up have done it twice before -- once in early Oct. when the deer were ALL up high and once in Dec. when most of the bucks had already shed their antlers. So I think they picked mid-Oct. as a compromise, though *I* would have chosen mid-Nov. But I have no say in the matter.

Found out a bit more info yesterday. We'll be hunting with Ninilchik Charters.

Since we'll be boat-based off shore from the hunting area, I'll probably bring the 15X glases and pod if for nothing else but to glass from the boat deck. That would probably provide a decent overview of where most of the critters are located -- at least elevation wise.

I think three deer is the legal bag at that time of year. So I'll probably shoot the first decent buck I see and then perhaps buy another license to be more picky with a 2nd buck. B&C score is unimportant, however. I don't do books.

Ron,

Which two deer do you lack?

I've got a bunch of eastern whitetails from various states that include NY, AL, PA, IA, IN, MI, MO and TX, several Coues from AZ and Mex., plenty of mule deer from AZ, MT, WY, ID and ONE Columbia blacktail from northern CA. So the Sitka will finish it for me.

That will make a 2nd NA slam because I have all the wild turkey subspecies. For caribou, I still lack a Quebec/Labrador.

SW,

It gets dark that early, huh. What time does the sun come up in mid-Oct then -- 8 or so? -TONY

It probably doesnt get dark till about 5:15 but if you climbed a good deal and have a pack full of deer meat it could take a few hours to get back to shore. The terrain on Kodiak is not the type you want to drag a deer carcass over for an extended time. A mature blacktail will provide about 35-40 pounds of boned meat. Leave everything else up there for the other critters to eat.

Outdoor Writer,

I need a Couse and a Columbia....an upgrade at Mule deer would be nice too !

Next year I'll start the drawing game in AZ and my inlaws live on the coast of Ore so there is hope!

Sounds like your Caibou slam will become a reality for you in the near future as well....excellent!

Of course we'll be looking forward to some pic's from your Kodiak trip....

-Ron

I went in 05 oct 23- nov 5. Shot the one in my pic in a river bottom on Oct 31. There were three of us hunting and we got nine deer. Most were shot in that river bottom.

I had incorrectly assummed all the deer would be as high a could be found since there was no snow at all yet. The first few days I only hunted up high. But when we started hunting lower we found plenty of deer doing a lot of moving around.

I would think that on your boat hunt you won't find many on the beach but plenty of deer walking distance from shore.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that the limit will go to four this year. I may go back this year with the wife.

Thanks for all the info, guys. As I find out a bit more about the hunt, I'll post it here.

Grizz,

Noted Coues deer guide Duwane Adams and I wrote How To Hunt Coues Deer, the only book strictly about the little deer. So if you need any help when applying here in AZ, holler at me.

RMiller,

We'll be there two weeks earlier.I'll be sipping margaritas and eyeing teeny bikinis on a warm beach in Mazatlan, Mex.during the dates you hunted on Kodiak. In fact, I'm off in the a.m. to Lake El Salto, which is about an hour from Mazatlan, to fish for bass.

Hard to see the deer in your avatar. How's about a full-size image in a message? -TONY

OW,

Your book looks excellent...Thanks for the link and the offer with the apps!

El Salto sounds nice, I'm watching the snow falling as I type

-Ron

Grizz,

I have no pity for you. It's supposed to be about 80 in Phoenix today! No snow either. -TONY

That looks like a decent buck -- at least one I would shoot for my first one! Good show. I spiffed it up a bit for you in PhotShop. -TONY

Here's one you can use for your avatar that is cropped at the correct size. -TONY

Yeah, I remember the heat in Phoenix in Feb....sweatin my butt off, very nice though!

-Ron

Thanks Tony.

You're looking good. Glad to help.

BTW, been forgetting to mention that I've driven thru North Pole a couple times over the years. Neat little town. My wife often wears a gold-covered aspen leaf necklace, which I bought her in a small gift shop along the Alcan there.

Last time I drove to AK, I even did the pipeline road (Dalton Hwy) all the way to the major mountain range (Brooks?) up north. When I neared the top of the pass, it started blowing and snowing like hell. I had wanted to drive all the way to the bay, but decided to turn around instead. I didn't want to get stranded on the other side of the hills! I know I had made it about 50 miles past Dietrich Camp, which is about about halfway. -TONY

It is a scenic drive though. I have driven to deadhorse in my truck 2001 2wd Ford Ranger. It was the first of Sept and had not snowed yet.

My drive was in mid-Sept. I went from there to Denali to do some wildlife photography. I got lucky and got one of the permits to drive into the park that year.

I'm outta here for Mexico in the morning so proably won't be back here until I get back next week. -TONY