Your chances of finding a deer in the open during warm, dry weather are also slim.

“I would stay away from the large open clearcuts that are south-facing and going to be soaking up a lot of sun,” said Dave Nuzum, a wildlife biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. “I would look for more activity along the north-facing slopes and creek draws.”

Before hunting season, it’s important to get familiar with an area to locate water holes, the beds of cooler creeks and entry and exit points into the forest. That way, if it’s warm, you’ll know where to go.

Nuzum said hunters should get into a hunting area as early as possible, while it’s still dark, and then stay put. Hunters who are walking risk alerting big bucks. Instead, you should find a good spot to glass openings and wait for the deer to show themselves.

4. USE TREE STANDS
“Whitetail hunters have been using tree stands for years,” Portocarrero said, “but not many people use them for blacktails. Blacktail hunters will find they will have higher success if they use them.

“I like to get up into the trees and see what’s going on and where the deer are -- without them seeing me.”

Aside from affording hunters a better vantage point, tree stands also help them remain hidden. Sitting in a tree stand for a long time is more comfortable than hiding crouched down in the brush, where you can’t move because you risk making noise and spooking deer.

5. UNAWARE HUNTER ASSISTANCE
Many hunters simply drive forest roads and road-hunt, hoping to see a buck standing in a clearing. While road hunters do take some deer each fall, especially at first and last light, unknowingly they often move deer around. Big bucks will retreat from areas of high pressure.

Hunters who hike away from roads and then dig in for an all-day wait are often rewarded.

“In high-pressure areas, sit and wait,” Portocarrero advised. “Let people push the deer to you instead of walking around and pushing the deer to them.”

Hunters waiting to ambush a deer have a few advantages. A buck trying to get away from a road or area with hunter activity will often be more concerned with what’s behind than what lies ahead. It will stop, look back at the road where it heard a truck or car, then scurry forward.

If you are going to lie in wait, you must conceal yourself. Use scent blocks and get downwind from the road or other areas the deer might be coming from. Also, listen carefully for deer movements.

A pair of hunters can also ambush deer by having one hunter hide near a game trail with the other driving the deer toward the waiting hunter.

6. PRIME TIME TO HUNT
Along with openers that are dry and warm, blacktail hunters often encounter stormy weather during the middle and latter part of the season. Heavy rain makes it easier to walk through forested areas. But chances are, the biggest bucks will be hunkered down, trying to avoid the wet, cold weather.

Stuart Love is a veteran biologist who has spent much of his career in blacktail country. He said that deer tend to be good indicators of coming bad weather. They’ll often be active just before a storm hits, and then again as soon as it passes.