Blacktail or Mule Deer? Know the Difference

Blacktail deer hunting guide: learn how blacktails differ from mule deer - identification, behavior, habitat and tactics for West Coast hunters.

Blacktail deer hunting guide: learn how blacktails differ from mule deer - identification, behavior, habitat and tactics for West Coast hunters.
Scan with a monocular, engage with your rifle scope - never the reverse. Here's why.
Rolled ankles injure more night hunters than firearms do - safe routes prevent both.
Night shooting demands a slower sequence: detect, identify, verify backstop, pause, confirm, then shoot.
Walk the property in daylight first - night hunt prep doubles the work but prevents disasters.
Thermal detects heat in total darkness; night vision needs moonlight to amplify. Both matter.
Darkness hides your backstop - what's beyond your target can kill if you can't verify it.

Master the 3-hour crawl that closes a 600-yard gap on open pronghorn country.

Hog hunting injuries are real - learn tusk risks, recovery protocols, and dog protection.

Hunt foxes after dark using lights, thermal, and calling - plus why ID discipline matters most at fox size.

Learn how coyotes, raccoons, and suburban sprawl shape fox numbers - and where to hunt them.

Squirrel hunting exists in the West - Abert's, western gray, and fox squirrels await.

Get into the squirrel woods for under $200 - here's the simple gear that actually matters.

Learn to slow down, listen for falling nut cuttings, and combine walking with sitting for more squirrels.

Find squirrels by finding their food - read mast trees, fresh cuttings, and forest edges.