How far in is far enough ?

[seansfire]

i have been hunting in the kitsap gmu mostly in the green mountain area. just wondering for you guys that are hunting the same area how far back in the woods you guys prefer to go or how far before you start seeing more animals ?

[washelkhunter]

Most hunters will venture no further than 300 yds off the road if they even bother to leave the rig.

[bwhntr350]

I think deer can and will be anywhere, imo. I have been hunting a strip of timber that is like 150 yards wide and 250 yards long and shaped like a triangle. So, it narrows up to nothing, and has a road on one side of it.

 The other day I was in it, seen a truck drive by about 70 yards from me. I was thinking that I need to scoot over to the clearcut side of the timber but before I could even move I saw movement right below the road. Soon, I had 4 does within 15 yards of me, another about 25 yards away, and saw a 6th one, a buck I am sure, walking parallel with the road and about 30 yards from it coming right towards me. He was about 60 or 70 yards from me.

 They soon winded me and ran off.

 I have hunted deep into woods many times, sometimes there are deer, sometimes not.

 It just depends on where they are, what they are doing at that time of day, cover, where they bed, eat, etc.,

 I used to always feel like I was wasting my time if I did not get away from the roads as far as I could. I have since realized that, if there is adequate cover, I see way more deer not so far in.

 

[RENAGADINGCLOWNS]

I have about a 3 mile hike in to my spot. I don’t know about the 300yd BS. I don’t think that sitting in your "RIG” or just a measly 300yd walk is not hunting.

[jackmaster]

we do this one hunt where its a 12 to 13 mile round trip, we see deer pretty much everywhere but to be honest we see more deer closer to the pick up, i have places that i hunt right from the door of the truck and then there is other places where its a long hike before it gets light, mostly because i want to be alone and not see a orange mass of humans ramboing through clearcuts

[boneaddict]

I have seen thousands of deer beds 50-75 yards off of a main road.   Deer are where deer are.   I go to great lengths to get away from people more than I do just to see deer.   Kirk Danner killed several booners overlooking a hiway.   You have idiots that hike 5-10 miles in or in a day and don't see a thing becasue they don't know how to hunt.   I saw my buck driving down the road this year after doing 3 major backpack trips, 9,14, and 7 miles in respectively, where did I kill mine, 75 yards from the truck. 

[Fullabull]

Deer are where they are least disturbed, even if that is close to a road.

[Fishstiq]

From the title, I totally expected this thread to be about....  uh....  something else.

[D-Rock425]

Why leave the road its warmer in the truck.

[tlbradford]

Food, Water, Security = deer.  That is the equation you need to concentrate on.  Everything else is just extra.

[TheFewTheProud]

I've hunted green Mt. numerous times. I have seen deer and bear both close to paved roads and far back behind locked gates.

[boneaddict]

Food, Water, Security = deer.  That is the equation you need to concentrate on.  Everything else is just extra.

That about covers it.

All this emphasis on getting it deep is just blow...one of my favorite places to hunt was 5 miles in.  Well a hundred other people discovered it and guess what....not that great of a spot anymore. 

[janttihunter]

I have hiked all over the place this season 20 miles just last weekend.. But I have seen allot more  deer close to the road..But thats deer not big bucks.. Im a new hunter here in the NW but just sayin.

[jaymark6655]

I have about a 3 mile hike in to my spot. I don’t know about the 300yd BS. I don’t think that sitting in your "RIG” or just a measly 300yd walk is not hunting.

Sitting in the rig is BS.

Why walk 3 miles when 300 yards works?  Just a waste of time and energy unless its more about the hike than the hunt.

[tlbradford]

I'm with you Bone, I hunt areas to avoid people, even if they wouldn't be my first choice.  I just can't take the crowds anymore.

[janttihunter]

Personally I put in so much work and preperation into hunting that if I walked in the woods a few feet and got a deer id feel disapointed.. Unless it was a huge buck  (i also may be eating tag soup this year)

But no disrespect to anyone who does hunt close to the truck. Eveyone has different time restrictions , physical abilitys, and ideas of hunting.

[Jingles]

High hunt I'm 22 miles in and if haven't filled tag general season is 16 miles in mainly to just get away from other hunters and the pressure they cause by just out strolling through the woods with their 2 way radios blairing away "hey just had one come your way" and the totally oranged out outfits they feel they must wear. I've seen mule strings make less noise than some of the hunters I've had walk past me when I hunted in close

[seansfire]

thanks for all the replies guys. i am a new hunter , very new in fact , and just trying to get it figured out what i should be doing to find these critters. LOL. having fun with it so far and am learning every time i get in the woods.

[bobcat]

I have found that often there is great hunting within a quarter mile of the gate, or the pavement if it isn't gated. Not necessarily if there's a clearcut right at the gate, because it WILL get lots of pressure. But just reprod or timber and most people will ignore it on their way in to get to where all the deer are. Sometimes the best spots are the obvious ones that everyone overlooks.

[throttlejocky20]

The biggest buck i ever shot had a bed less than 30 yards from the road down low on the hill. I bet he laid there year after year and watched hunters driving by to hunt higher up the hill.

[buck man]

My sister in law drew out the big bull tag for the roadless area of the Book Cliffs,in Utah. They scouted and put in many hours on horse back learning the area. Opening day found them late on the trail head , and they decided to camp there that night and head in,in the morning. Well they made a quick hunt of the drainage by the trail head. They rode past all the rigs and started glassing  and soon spotted 15 different bulls. She picked the one she liked, stalked into position and one shot later had a 367" smoker on the ground.

Too often we overlook the "easy" hunt and it is often the most productive. Doesn't always work out that way but I have learned to hunt the overlooked "easy" ground in addition to the more remote.

[rock]

Look in brush that you cant see into from the road, the deer will be sitting right there watching you.

[NW-GSP]

I've hunted green Mt. numerous times. I have seen deer and bear both close to paved roads and far back behind locked gates.

green mountain in granit falls or darrington?

[Simcoe hunter]

High hunt I'm 22 miles in and if haven't filled tag general season is 16 miles in mainly to just get away from other hunters and the pressure they cause by just out strolling through the woods with their 2 way radios blairing away "hey just had one come your way" and the totally oranged out outfits they feel they must wear. I've seen mule strings make less noise than some of the hunters I've had walk past me when I hunted in close

Jingles-  I am glad that you are able to get in so far.  That would be awesome.  Old knees missing half a meniscus won't go quite that far anymore.  Keep up the good work.  I hunted a rifle season this year and was amazed at how few hunters I saw.  The last time I hunted GMU388 was unbelievable.  It was the first time I had taken my two youngest sons.  There were so many hunters the deer wouldn't even move.  I had never seen so many hunters, and heard so few shots, on an opening day.

[norsepeak]

we kill 90% of the bulls we kill within 200-300 yards of roads.  Killed this guy right from the road.