ohh man this ever happen to you?!

[runamuk]

I wish I had beginners luck....but nope....pretty much follow the same routine....trying to figure out if I will completely cripple myself or eventually kill something.......   I get so frustrated then like a *censored* every year someone talks me into trying again..... I dont give up very easily I am a stubborn ass actually......

try again next weekend....

[coachcw]

may be you need to hunt the least likley spot to hold a buck Run ? don't put to much thaught into it . thats my new plan .

[runamuk]

may be you need to hunt the least likley spot to hold a buck Run ? don't put to much thaught into it . thats my new plan .

I dont know.....I just keep trying...    at least since I started hunting muleys I see deer just not the ones I can shoot 

[Doc Sauce]

 Boyd Iverson goes into great detail about still hunting in his Blacktail trophy tactics books. He is a master at it...over the top...I've always heard it is not the quantity of distance, its the quality of time glassing.

Most deer will freeze and watch you walk on by
[/quote]

I am reading Mr. Iverson's book now...  I am amazed.  I have not seen a deer yet (still learning, new hunter and all that), but I decided about a week ago to put some of his ideas to the test.  Got out of my jeep, stood there for about 10 minutes after putting on my gear.  A group of hikers comes rolling up, so I wait another 10 minutes or so.  Then I start creeping out of the parking area.  I saw a little trail dropping down of the trail I was on, and I took it.  I covered maybe 300  yards in about 2 and a half hours.  Ended up in some thick stuff... so thick I was on my hands and knees and couldn't even slither through, much less be quiet.  After about 10 minutes of trying to crawl/low crawl/slither super slowly for a few feet, stop and listen, slither again, I hear what sounds like a hiker crashing through the brush.  I pop up and take a few steps to a more open area and pop out the binos.  Then I realize the noise is not coming from a hiker.  One of Boyd's things is the notion that every sound has a source and a purpose.  Do not move or disregard a noise until you ascertain the source.  So I sat there and realized quickly that it is a big animal... get a little creeped out thinking its a bear.  It starts moving away, I figure i'm never gonna see it in this thick crap, so I go crashing forward really fast to see if I can at least catch a glimpse...  I pop into a bed, looked like a cave in that brush, big buck tracks and, soft, brown deer terds...   I learned a lesson... 

Don't be afraid to hunt where the road hunters and rifle hikers/mountain runners are hunting because the animals aren't so scared of them.

Move super SUPER slow and quiet.

Maybe carry a heavy pistol in order to engage deer in such crazy thick underbrush. 

Either way... I'm trying to break my already developing habit of trying to get far and high as fast as possible and then start hunting, and replace it with getting slow and quiet and hunt from the door of the jeep out, and back to the door of the jeep.

Let me be another one to plug Boyd Iverson's books.  Now I just need to actually connect with a deer...  (or a bear)...

[ELKBURGER]

With what your learning now, its only a matter of time. Keep it up. Good luck to ya

[bassquatch]

YEP! I had to hunt an area I had never been to this year. Started each morning at 5am, straight up 1000' then another 1/2 mile side-hilling a ridgeline and then up another 500'. Saw one monster drug out right below me, saw a shooter on a dead hop at 800 yards and he wasn't stopping for anything! Hit that area opening morning and couldn't believe the other hunter's I saw up there opening morning! Coming back down I jumped a big 2x2 and 2 does 200 yards from my truck they were two drainages away and I was still glassing him begging for a brow tine !

Left that area alone until yesterday. Went back up and was the only one around. At 9:09am here came the deer! Doe's, and 3 bucks, a pickle fork, a huge 2x2 and a legal but very small 3x3 walking with the 2x2...the 2x2 dwarfed the 3x3! Took a 330 yard downhill shot as they were walking away from me and not slowing or stopping...clean miss  . they didn't hang around to give me a second shot, up and over a saddle I wasn't following them through. As was said, it's hunting and it always seems to me to be nothing, nothing, nothing and then all hell breaks loose!

[jackmaster]

well rudedawg look at it this way, you still got a tag and get to go beat the brush and that kid dont not deer hunting anyways and he shot a nice little 3 pt and you still have a good chance at crackn a monster, i myself love poundn the brush i havent killed a deer in 3 years, i could have each year but chose not to, thats why i have a son, he gets to shoot the first legal buck he sees, i highly doubt he has the strength to pass any up yet so either way it works for me, good luck and keep poundin the bush, it will all work out....

[Bigbuckoholic]

2010 I hiked probly 30 miles. Then decided to go road hunt with gramps and relax and share some good time together. Well half way through the evening hunt we see my 5 pt standing 30 yards off the dirt road. All about being in the right place at the right time. U don't have to kill something to have a successful year IMHO. 

[lazydrifter]

I don't even worry this early in the season.  Didn't hunt opening day.  Spent about 1 1/2 hours out on Sun. and about the same on Monday.  Didn't go today.  It's only going to get way better later this month. 

Brant

[Dustin07]

Do you think I just walk out the door and find these bucks to take pics of?    Its called hunting for a reason.  Sometimes the luck is on your side, sometimes it isn't.  The harder you work, sometimes increases that luck.  Something about a blind squirrel finding a nut that always makes you mad though.

exactly. I love the story, but I relate hunting often times to lottery. The more you play, the better your odds. This year I went three grueling days of blistered feet and exhaustion without seeing a single LIVING buck, much worse than ever before. On day 4 I not only sat down on a heard of 12 does, but for five hours I watched 2 bucks walk in and fight. it was awesome. one fantastic day like that makes up for days of zero. (my buddy took one of the bucks too!)

[bone collector 12]

Did a    6 mile loop only to shoot the buck 200 yards from being back at my truck 

[runamuk]

Did a    6 mile loop only to shoot the buck 200 yards from being back at my truck 

 at least you shot a buck..... 

[Dustin07]

Did a    6 mile loop only to shoot the buck 200 yards from being back at my truck 

sounds like the best of both worlds lol. You got to put the feet to the ground, "earn" your buck, then only haul it 200 yards to the truck?? LOL