Here are a few of the bucks taken by author Scott Haugen and his family. He calls them "foothills blacktails." Rattling is effective as early as mid-October on these deer. Photo by Scott Haugen.

If you want to ruffle the feathers of a hard-core blacktail hunter, just show him photos of a buck taken from a habitat other than the one he hunts, and say it's a blacktail.

Nothing gets serious blacktail hunters riled up like telling them these elusive deer are just as challenging to hunt in habitats other than where they, themselves, spend time.

The guys in Washington cringe when they see photos of blacktails taken in California. The folks in northwest Oregon shudder when shown shots of open-country blacktails taken in the southern part of the state. Some hunters along California's coast don't even want to associate their deer with migratory blacktails farther inland.

The funny thing is, I agree with all of them, to some extent. If I had my way, there would be six different categories for blacktails in the record books. This is because these elusive deer inhabit a wide range of habitats, from their rainforest-rich environments of coastal Washington to the rugged foothills of Oregon's Cascades to California's inland mountains, valleys and far-reaching southern zones.

But I also disagree with them. A true blacktail is a true blacktail, no matter which state or habitat it lives in.

It's the diversity of habitats and their elusive lifestyle that make blacktails so challenging to consistently kill, no matter where they live.

With October upon us, blacktail deer season is at its peak. For hunters, knowing how bucks are behaving, within the areas they're hunting, is critical to success. Let's take a look at the four most-hunted habitats this time of year.

CASCADE BLACKTAILS
Starting in the Cascade Range in Washington and extending into the Sierra Nevada Range in California, you'll find blacktails living at surprisingly high elevations. No matter what you call these bucks -- Cascade blacktails, benchlegs or inland blacktails -- the fact that they are capable of crossbreeding with mule deer is what sets them apart from other blacktails.

A Cascade blacktail may come from a high-elevation mark that is 100 percent blacktail, or at least appears to be, or could be more mule deer-like in appearance. Cascade blacktail hunts can take place in some of the West's most rugged terrain, at elevations of 6,000 feet or higher. These are deer that live at high elevations throughout the spring, summer and early fall, then migrate to lower elevations with winter's onset.

Be in good shape and ready to cover ground when hunting this country in October. Trophy bucks are reclusive for the first part of October, sticking very tight to their core areas. This means you'll need stealth, but you'll have to be aggressive and patient. Spend time glassing, even in dense brush.

Ceanothus, or buckbrush, is a favorite food among Cascade blacktails this time of year. However, keep in mind that blacktails have more than 60 types of plants they feed on, with leaves making up 60 percent of their diet. Don't limit yourself.

In Oregon and Washington, there is enough food and water to sustain deer in higher elevations. This means bucks will be found in their home grounds, not along migration routes. In California, mid-October can find a majority of inland blacktails migrating to lower elevations because of a dry climate and lack of food.