{"id":202935,"date":"2024-06-03T13:09:36","date_gmt":"2024-06-03T18:09:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=202935"},"modified":"2025-12-09T07:41:52","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T13:41:52","slug":"hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\/","title":{"rendered":"TAKE THE SHOT: Sitka Blacktail In Alaska"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Hunter in the Alaskan mountains hunting for Sitka Blacktail deer\" class=\"wp-image-202936\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-1-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-1-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-1-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">When you\u2019re DIY hunting in some of the most rugged places on earth, shot opportunities can be hard-earned and fleeting. Be prepared to make the most of them.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"yoast-reading-time__wrapper\"><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-icon=\"clock\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" style=\"display:inline-block;vertical-align:-0.1em\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M12 8v4l3 3m6-3a9 9 0 11-18 0 9 9 0 0118 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__spacer\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:1em\"><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__descriptive-text\">Estimated reading time: <\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__reading-time\">6<\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__time-unit\"> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Sitka Blacktail deer hunt in Alaska has been on my bucket list for years. This year I decided to make it happen. I wanted to go DIY, and after extensive research, I decided to travel to southeast Alaska early in the season and climb to the alpine country with a bivy camp on my back. It would be a lot of work, but I could do things my way and on my schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>Table of contents<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-rifle-ammo-and-optics\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\" title=\"TAKE THE SHOT: Sitka Blacktail In Alaska\" data-level=\"2\">Rifle, Ammo, And Optics<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-hunt-for-the-sitka-blacktail\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\" title=\"TAKE THE SHOT: Sitka Blacktail In Alaska\" data-level=\"2\">The Hunt For the Sitka Blacktail<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-take-the-shot\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\" title=\"TAKE THE SHOT: Sitka Blacktail In Alaska\" data-level=\"2\">Take The Shot?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-here-s-what-happened-true-story\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\" title=\"TAKE THE SHOT: Sitka Blacktail In Alaska\" data-level=\"2\">Here&#8217;s What Happened (True Story)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-sitka-blacktail-hunt-conclusion\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\" title=\"TAKE THE SHOT: Sitka Blacktail In Alaska\" data-level=\"2\">Sitka Blacktail Hunt: Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The climb turned out to be the gnarliest I\u2019ve ever made. I\u2019ve climbed farther and higher, but never before had to fight such a tangled jungle of Devil\u2019s Club, massive downed logs, slippery boulders, and truly steep, wet terrain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My friend Sam who lives in the area warned me about how hard it could be, and he was spot on \u2013 to do this hunt you must be in good shape and tough. My hunting buddy Nathan Robinson and I eventually made the top, breaking into the alpine country just as dusk settled over the landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"756\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-2-1024x756.jpg\" alt=\"Hunter sighting in an X-Bolt rifle with a Leupold scope and Winchester ammo\" class=\"wp-image-202937\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-2-1024x756.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-2-400x295.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-2-150x111.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-2-768x567.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-2-1536x1135.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-2-2048x1513.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This X-Bolt rifle, Winchester Copper Impact ammo, Leupold scope, and Spartan bipod make an accurate, lightweight combination for hard-core backcountry hunting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-rifle-ammo-and-optics\">Rifle, Ammo, And Optics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My rifle for this hunt was a proven Browning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.browning.com\/products\/firearms\/rifles\/x-bolt.html\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\" title=\"TAKE THE SHOT: Sitka Blacktail In Alaska\">X-Bolt<\/a> chambered in 6.8 Western. Snugly mounted in Talley rings is a lovely Leupold <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leupold.com\/vx-6hd-2-12x42-cds-zl2-illum-firedot-duplex-riflescope\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\" title=\"TAKE THE SHOT: Sitka Blacktail In Alaska\">VX6<\/a> HD 2-12X42 <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/accessories\/optics\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\" title=\"TAKE THE SHOT: Sitka Blacktail In Alaska\">riflescope<\/a>, complete with a CDS ZL2 Turret. I don\u2019t have a custom dial installed on this scope, instead choosing to utilize the MOA turret paired with the ballistic software on a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.revicoptics.com\/shop\/ay-r-e1101-revic-acura-blr10b-ballistic-rangefinding-binocular-10x42-23158\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\" title=\"TAKE THE SHOT: Sitka Blacktail In Alaska\">Revic Acura BLR10b<\/a> smart binocular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I range a target the binocular factors in my ballistics and current atmospherics, and then provides a dial-to solution in MOA. I crank the dial to that number and hold the crosshairs dead on target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/winchesters-new-turkey-patternboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\" title=\"TAKE THE SHOT: Sitka Blacktail In Alaska\"  data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1830\">ammo was Winchester\u2019s<\/a> 162-grain Copper Impact load, sporting a G1 BC of .564 and traveling at 2897 fps. This load shoots well from my X-Bolt, grouping well under an inch at 100 yards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"703\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-3-1024x703.jpg\" alt=\"A target with bullet holes and water droplets\" class=\"wp-image-202938\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-3-1024x703.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-3-400x274.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-3-150x103.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-3-768x527.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-3-1536x1054.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-3-2048x1405.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Little groups always make me smile. This one was shot during a southeast Alaskan rainstorm, at 100 yards, from a mossy old wooden shooting bench. Just cool.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-hunt-for-the-sitka-blacktail\">The Hunt For the Sitka Blacktail<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Morning of our second day on the mountain found Nathan and I glassing the undulating ridges and hummocks of southeast Alaska\u2019s alpine country. Much to our delight deer seemed to be everywhere, and I eventually spotted a good buck feeding his way up the face of a ridge. He was within range, but the shot would be slightly long at just under 400 yards. I found a good prone position on the mossy ground and snapped my Spartan bipod to my rifle, settling in for the shot. The buck was relaxed and feeding, working his way higher on the ridge face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The morning was chilly, and in a stroke of pure stupidity, I had left my coat at the cabin down below before we climbed to the alpine two days earlier. I\u2019d been okay until now, but the combination of chill temperatures, adrenaline, and being belly-down on cold wet moss was giving me the shakes. I breathed slow and deep and focused on staying relaxed, needing to be calm to make this cross-canyon shot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, the buck turned broadside and partially emerged from the brush. The distance was 392 yards, and my turret was set. There was no wind at all. I snicked off the safety and placed my finger on the trigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-4-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Hunter in wet Alaskan alpines looking for deer\" class=\"wp-image-202939\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-4-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-4-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-4-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-4-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Expect everything to be wet \u2013 no, let\u2019s make that saturated \u2013 when you\u2019re hunting southeastern Alaska\u2019s alpine country. A waterproof rifle cover provides some protection for your firearm.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-take-the-shot\">Take The Shot?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Place yourself in my position, belly down in the alpine moss in S.E. Alaska\u2019s mountains, a good Sitka blacktail buck in your crosshairs. The shot is a little long but you\u2019re prepared for that. Your scope is dialed for the distance. There is no wind, and the shot should be very doable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two elements complicate the situation; first, you\u2019re cold and adrenaline-ridden, and having to focus hard to stay steady. Second, the buck is in deeply dappled shadows, making it tough to see his outline and locate the vitals. He\u2019s broadside, with his hindquarters obscured by several small tree trunks. His vitals are completely open (finally), and the buck is relaxed and feeding. The safety is off, your finger on the trigger. Will you take the shot?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"763\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-5-1024x763.jpg\" alt=\"Hunter with Sitka blacktail buck near big evergreen trees\" class=\"wp-image-202940\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-5-1024x763.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-5-400x298.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-5-150x112.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-5-768x572.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-5-1536x1144.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-5-2048x1526.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The author with his Sitka blacktail buck. This hunt had been a bucket-list adventure for years.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-here-s-what-happened-true-story\">Here&#8217;s What Happened (True Story)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I took the shot. I was steady and calm enough to feel good about pressing the trigger, and I managed to see the buck well enough through the shadows to get a semi-clean sight picture. At the shot, the buck bolted downhill and was gone, seemingly shot through both shoulders. And that\u2019s in fact what we found \u2013 the buck lay dead in a small rivulet. My shot was a bit low, going through the heart and breaking bone on both sides. Thanks to the solid copper bullet I still had full penetration despite impacting so much bone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-6-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Hunter packing out of Alaskan backcountry with his Sitka blacktail buck\" class=\"wp-image-202941\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-6-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-6-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-6-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-6-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-6-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-6-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The satisfying end to a great hunt. Being prepared to take and make challenging shots can mean the difference between grilled venison and tag soup.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sitka-blacktail-hunt-conclusion\">Sitka Blacktail Hunt: Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Would I take that shot again? Yes, I would. However, I think I would wait even longer (I\u2019d already waited 15 minutes or so), hoping the buck would step into the sunshine so I could see him better. I would risk becoming even colder and thereby getting the shakes for real, but I could have done some pushups as I waited, warming myself a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What do you think? Would you take that shot?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong><em>*** <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\" title=\"TAKE THE SHOT: Sitka Blacktail In Alaska\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a> ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I wanted to go DIY, and after extensive research, I decided to travel to southeast Alaska early in the season and climb to the alpine country with a bivy camp on my back. It would be a lot of work, but I could do things my way and on my schedule.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":202940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1164,7,1217,4320,992,1256],"tags":[1747,1352,1209,2620],"featured":[4084],"hunt365":[4089],"class_list":{"0":"post-202935","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-aram-von-benedikt","8":"category-gunsamerica-authors","9":"category-hunt365","10":"category-hunting-hunt365","11":"category-specialty-publications","12":"category-stories","13":"tag-alaskan-hunt","14":"tag-deer-hunting","15":"tag-hunt365","16":"tag-take-the-shot","17":"featured-row6","18":"hunt365-hunting"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Hunt365 - Take The Shot: Sitka Blacktail In Alaska<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A Sitka Blacktail hunt has been on my bucket list for years. So I went up to Alaska and made it happen. When the shot came, I took it.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"TAKE THE SHOT: Sitka Blacktail In Alaska\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I wanted to go DIY, and after extensive research, I decided to travel to southeast Alaska early in the season and climb to the alpine country with a bivy camp on my back. It would be a lot of work, but I could do things my way and on my schedule.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-06-03T18:09:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-09T13:41:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Photo-5-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1907\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Aram Von Benedikt\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Aram Von Benedikt\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Aram Von Benedikt\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1b6c32ef487f841f57497be84bffb30f\"},\"headline\":\"TAKE THE SHOT: Sitka Blacktail In Alaska\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-06-03T18:09:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-09T13:41:52+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1029,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/Photo-5-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"alaskan hunt\",\"Deer Hunting\",\"Hunt365\",\"Take the Shot?\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Aram von Benedikt\",\"Authors\",\"HUNT365\",\"Hunting\",\"Specialty Publications\",\"Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\\\/#respond\"]}],\"accessibilityFeature\":[\"tableOfContents\"]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\\\/\",\"name\":\"Hunt365 - Take The Shot: Sitka Blacktail In Alaska\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/hunt365-take-the-shot-sitka-blacktail-in-alaska\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/Photo-5-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-06-03T18:09:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-09T13:41:52+00:00\",\"description\":\"A Sitka Blacktail hunt has been on my bucket list for years. 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