Looking for a mentor around the Spokane area

[jmwaide]

Hi. I'm looking for someone to mentor and teach me to hunt and be a woodsman. I'm 23 and currently live in Medical Lake, just west of Spokane. I grew up helping my grandfather on his farm during the summers . My family were big hunters but by the time I got old enough to hunt my dad had stopped all together and we moved away from my grandfather and uncle, so all I was able to do was hunt rabbits and small game on my grandfather's farm during the summer. I have gone deer hunting with them once. During my late teen years I didn't care about hunting, fishing, or anything outdoors. We lived in town and, as you can guess, my only interest was girls. However, now I want to go back to my roots. Unfortunately my grandfather has past away and my father lives in Texas and doesn't care about hunting. I have been trying to fish a lot and I have been watching a lot of videos on youtube on hunting and the outdoors, along with reading everything I can online. I have a 270 that belonged to my grandfather and I also have most of the gear. I know how to use a map and compass pretty well. I know the theory behind tracking but I'm not good at it. I can identify a lot of tracks and scat, but I'm not good at telling how fresh it is, or what is good habitat. I'm not looking to steal any spots. I just want to learn to be a good hunter and outdoorsmen. I would like to learn to hunt everything, ducks, geese, deer, and elk. I'd like to even learn to trap and hunt with hounds eventually. I am currently going to school full time and I also work full time but I'm willing to make time to learn. Thank you.

[vandeman17]

I am from East Wenatchee but we hunt up in Chewelah and Colville each fall. I would be willing to try and help you out as much as I can.

[jmwaide]

Ok. Thanks! I was going to try and scout around that area during the summer. However, I wouldn't really know what to do while I was scouting. I was just going to hike around and look for sign. Don't know how successful I'd be. Oh I already bought my deer tag too.

[vandeman17]

Ok. Thanks! I was going to try and scout around that area during the summer. However, I wouldn't really know what to do while I was scouting. I was just going to hike around and look for sign. Don't know how successful I'd be. Oh I already bought my deer tag too.

That is a great way to start. Find an area that is open to hunting and get out and go on some hikes. Just take them slow and steady, and try to absorb your surroundings. Look for sign and areas that you think might hold game. Some things can be taught but a lot will just come with trial and error and experience.

[Jburke]

Also when you do find game, take a look around and look for similarities in the different areas you spot them.  That will help you start to figure out what types of cover, food, terrain, etc. 

[runamuk]

Gonna offer up the strangest advice you might ever get.......however you mentioned a farm several times, do you now have access to a farm?  with stock, say horses sheep cows goats chickens?  if so go there and study scat watch it age in summer, in heat in wet, look at tracks, again in all conditions and over time.  My love of critters and years and years of animal keeping have helped me with tracking and dating movement and activity.  Deer and elk scat is very similar to goat and sheep it ages similarly and it is composed of similar things, if none of them horses will work but know equine scat is looser and less dense so dries faster however due to sheer volume it takes longer....still a lot can be learned.  Heck watch dog poop age in your yard and you can gain insight to tracking coyotes and cougars....seriously study scat and domestic critter tracks then take that to the trails and you will quickly know if the tracks and sign are good or bad for hunting season.  oh and good luck out there

[huntingyearround]

There is public land in medical lake! Every thing behind west medical lake is open to hunting also by fish trap there is land out there....if you have property in the area I will be more then happy to get you started....also what are you planning to hunt bow rifle muzzle?

[jmwaide]

There is public land in medical lake! Every thing behind west medical lake is open to hunting also by fish trap there is land out there....if you have property in the area I will be more then happy to get you started....also what are you planning to hunt bow rifle muzzle?

Sorry about the long delay in replying. I've been taking summer classes along with working full time and the family has been up to visit from New Mexico. Really? I was wondering about public land around Medical Lake that's accessible to hunt. I live in a duplex right now on an acre, right next to silver lake. My original plan was to hunt up north around Usk, but that's a long drive, especially when there are a lot of mule deer right in my front yard. Are there a lot of hunters in that area, behind west medical or around fish trap? Right now I'm hunting modern. Next year I really want to get into muzzleloader hunting.

@runamuk: Unfortunately I don't have access to a farm. My grandfather had one in New Mexico but I don't have any family here in Wa and I've only lived here for a couple years. I know a little about scat, just from being around animals and hunting with my grandfather. I know the difference between coyote and deer scat but I'm just not at the place I want to be. The same is with tracks. I can identify a decent amount of tracks but determining how fresh they are is another matter entirely.

I appreciate all of your guys advice. It's been very helpful!

Also, if anyone knows how to trap, or anyone who does I would really love to learn. Unfortunately it's hard to learn everything I want due to work and school but this stuff has always been a passion of mine. I only wish I would've been around my grandfather more and listened to him more when I was younger.