We all know how hard it is to fill a blacktail tag. Is that because their overall numbers are low?

Don't road-hunt. To increase your chances of tagging a trophy, get back into the dark timbered areas where blacktails feel safe. Photo by Bud Journey.

Definitely not! It's because blacktails are one of the most difficult species of deer to hunt in the Western states. On average, only 10 percent of all blacktail hunters fill their tags consistently every year. Even though the odds are stacked against us, droves of hunters still venture into the woods each season to accept the challenge presented by these elusive big-game animals.

Have you ever wondered why there are so many whitetail and mule deer videos, but very few that display successful blacktail footage? There's a reason for this. As hunting pressure increases, most trophy-class bucks tend to become nocturnal.

But terrain and habitat also play a large role in their ability to vanish in the shadows like ghosts.

The trick to being successful is to be in the right spot, at the right time, with the knowledge you need to execute proper tactics. There's no easy way to do it. But do it properly, and quite possibly you could join the ranks of those successful hunters.

To achieve that takes time, patience, sweat -- and an understanding of the game you're pursuing.

Here are some tips to help you achieve your goal of bagging a trophy blacktail.

KNOW THE ANSWER TO 'WHY?'
To begin with, in order to gain the advantage, you need to understand what makes them tick.

Most blacktails live most of their lives well inside dark, timbered forests that give them safe haven. They're highly deceptive and cunning animals that depend on their stealthy movements, highly sensitive noses, superb eyesight and acute hearing as their main lines of defense.

They use the contour of their terrain and its thick cover to move undetected. You'll rarely catch them flat-footed in open areas.

Although their defenses may seem impenetrable, a hunter who does his homework and takes the time to put in the sweat-equity required to outfox these masters of deception can be successful -- on a regular basis.

GET IN DEEP
We've all heard stories of novice hunters lucking out and killing some big buck that just happened to walk out into the open and offer a perfect broadside shot. That does happen, I guess. But in my 25 years of hunting blacktails religiously, it's never happened to me, or to anyone I know.

Some guys will perch on a rock outcropping for days, like a turkey vulture waiting for an easy meal.

Others will spend a week constantly filling their gas tanks as they road-hunt, hoping for a buck to leap out in front of them.

For those lucky few who fill their tags in this manner, thousands are hunting with these very same tactics, but will never see an antlered deer.

To increase your odds of being successful, year after year, you must go deep into the dark timber that blacktails call home. To do so requires that you slowly and cautiously penetrate the security of their comfort zone, and find them in the areas where they are most vulnerable.

It takes dedication and hard work, but when all is said and done, you'll be proud of your achievements.