Largest bodied black tail you’ve seen?

[Azone]

I had a friend shoot a giant bodied black tail a couple days ago. Field dressed out at 198lbs but the scale wasn’t high enough to get the deer all the way off the ground. His head and front legs were still touching the ground a bit. After skinning and getting him all cleaned up the carcass came out to 153lbs on the same scale.
What’s the largest black tail you guys have encountered?

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

198 lbs would be the absolute largest on the hoof blacktail I've ever seen, and I lived in their territory for 35 years before I moved.

I've killed and seen some absolute bruisers over the years but the heaviest on the hoof buck was estimated at 170-180 lbs. He was a HORSE of a blacktail.

 

[Quicksilver]

I’ve seen some high country bucks taken that you’d think would have been cross bred with elk. Obviously no way to weigh it, but the sheer size of the body makes any other lowland deer look like a dog. Saw a high country doe this past weekend that was the largest one I’ve ever seen. Had chiseled features and a very broad frame on it. They’re out there for sure.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I’ve seen some high country bucks taken that you’d think would have been cross bred with elk. Obviously no way to weigh it, but the sheer size of the body makes any other lowland deer look like a dog. Saw a high country doe this past weekend that was the largest one I’ve ever seen. Had chiseled features and a very broad frame on it. They’re out there for sure.

I think he was asking for pure coastal blacktail not high mountain hybrids.

 

[Azone]

I think he was asking for pure coastal blacktail not high mountain hybrids.

Location was in Monterey County.

 

[bohntr]

Monterey county has mule deer and Columbian Blacktail

 

[Azone]

Monterey county has mule deer and Columbian Blacktail

Maybe he was a hybrid then. His tail was all black and didn’t look muley to any of us. The deer was living on ag land and had plenty of good food sources around him.
What testing could a guy pursue for a definitive answer?
I’ve heard some of the old timers in my area mention that some of our deer are muley crosses. Maybe this is the case then. What sub species of mule deer inhabit this part of the state?

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Maybe he was a hybrid then. His tail was all black and didn’t look muley to any of us. The deer was living on ag land and had plenty of good food sources around him.
What testing could a guy pursue for a definitive answer?
I’ve heard some of the old timers in my area mention that some of our deer are muley crosses. Maybe this is the case then. What sub species of mule deer inhabit this part of the state?

There are few other mule deer black tail crosses that aren’t on this list. Down your way there is another recognized subspecies called “Coastal Mule Deer” that are very black tail dominate but blood test and have tail traits of mule deer (more shape than color).

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Does his tail look like “E” or “F” or “G” ?

 

[Azone]

Does his tail look like “E” or “F” or “G” ?


View attachment 454262

It was h.

 

[Azone]

There are few other mule deer black tail crosses that aren’t on this list. Down your way there is another recognized subspecies called “Coastal Mule Deer” that are very black tail dominate but blood test and have tail traits of mule deer (more shape than color).

View attachment 454257

I guess the deer in California are just as confused as most people out here as what to identify as. I blame Newsom.

 

[Quicksilver]

I think he was asking for pure coastal blacktail not high mountain hybrids.

These are coastal deer, I know the hybrids you speak do but this is farther west of that line by a ways. These deer are still only 50 miles from the coast.

 

[541hunter]

My buddy killed a buck in the Oregon coast range that dressed out at 132lbs. That’s no head, skin, guts, and all legs removed at the knees. Butcher said it was one of the biggest bodied Columbia blacktail he had ever seen.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

These are coastal deer, I know the hybrids you speak do but this is farther west of that line by a ways. These deer are still only 50 miles from the coast.

I’ve killed hybrids less than 50 miles from the ocean.

 

[TripleJ]

This Cascade buck weighed 150 pounds after guts, head, hide, and lower legs were removed. You can argue whether it was a true blacktail or not.

 

[Azone]

This Cascade buck weighed 150 pounds after guts, head, hide, and lower legs were removed. You can argue whether it was a true blacktail or not.View attachment 454431

That thing is a tank.

 

[TripleJ]

That thing is a tank.

Yeah, this one was the opposite of ground shrinkage.

 

[orelkaddict]

Nice buck Triple J!!!! I'd list what mine scaled at last year as it was the biggest blacktail body I've ever got but apparently people would rather argue about where you killed it haha. Unless you're wanting it in the books I've never understood the where you killed it argument?

 

[MattB]

These are coastal deer, I know the hybrids you speak do but this is farther west of that line by a ways. These deer are still only 50 miles from the coast.

It is an issue of north/south in Monterey country, not east/west.

 

[eaglemountainman]

On other threads, I've seen the term, benchleg, mentioned quite a bit. A hybrid between a muley and a blacktail. Is that what these outsized bucks on this thread are...or are they pure strain blacktails?

I'll be doing my first blacktail hunt the end of Oct, near Roseburg, Or. Do I have more chance to run into purebred blacktails or hybrids in that region? Thanks.