Westside deer

[MC37493]

Hey everyone how do you guys hunt the thick woods and clear cuts? i have been slowly walking gated off logging roads and glassing clear cuts where i find a lot of deer trails and poo. This is my first year deer hunting and i have only seen a couple of does at the start of the season that i held off on because it was early and i figured i would have more chances. I threw out some apples from my apple tree about a week ago in a spot and when i went back the ground was all torn up around the apples and littered with deer tracks. My question is what tactics do you guys use for hunting thick woods and clear cuts? Also is it normal for the ground to be torn up like that? Sorry if any of these are obvious questions I'm just trying to figure these critters out so i can put some meat in my freezer!

[Alchase]

I have had the best luck on the west side, posting up 50-100ft inside the tree line around clear cuts, and glass, glass, glass. Look for tail and ear twitches.
Also look for small patches of clearing within the timber.

[scout/sniper]

I have had the best luck on the west side, posting up 50-100ft inside the tree line around clear cuts, and glass, glass, glass. Look for tail and ear twitches.
Also look for small patches of clearing within the timber.

   There were probably a lot of deer right in front of you. They are very difficult to see until your deerdar kicks in.

[seth30]

Right before you get to that clearcut stop and GLASS.  A lot of times I have pushed deer out into the clear cut as I work my way to the treestand. 

[muzbuster]

  As stated, don't look for "a deer", look for parts of a deer. An ear or tail flick, a tiny white spot, a part of a leg, a short horizontal line that seems out of place or different from the surrounding area (it just may turn out to be a deer's back or belly). Use your binos even in timber with short sight distance, you will be surprised what you may see. 

[scout/sniper]

As stated, don't look for "a deer", look for parts of a deer. An ear or tail flick, a tiny white spot, a part of a leg, a short horizontal line that seems out of place or different from the surrounding area (it just may turn out to be a deer's back or belly). Use your binos even in timber with short sight distance, you will be surprised what you may see. 

     

[olaf]

Deer numbers are way down in sw Washington from say fifteen years ago hair loss ,predators ,management but still nice bucks watch wind and glass,glass,glass these bucks are bedded at daylight 90 percent of the time.If you got buddies hunting with you deer drives in older clear cuts will produce lots of action.

[Blacktail Sniper]

Here is a good example of a Cowlitz Co buck I found last year and what to look for:

[blacktailcody]

Here is another example of a west-side buck.   

[scout/sniper]

Here is a good example of a Cowlitz Co buck I found last year and what to look for:

Holy crap, great example!

[singleshot12]

Buy a sack of corn,crate of apples and a salt lick and start dumping now,everyone else is doing it. Draws all the deer in the area like a magnet. 

[Thefisherman83]

Move very, very slowly.  They like to freeze up when they see movement.   

[scout/sniper]

Move very, very slowly.  They like to freeze up when they see movement.

Nice!

[MC37493]

are you guys spotting and stalking? still hunting? hunting treestands? hunting over bait? Thanks for the advice on looking for small spots on the deer i have been doing that but will start looking extra hard for a line out of a place or twitch

[FLIZZ]

As stated, don't look for "a deer", look for parts of a deer. An ear or tail flick, a tiny white spot, a part of a leg, a short horizontal line that seems out of place or different from the surrounding area (it just may turn out to be a deer's back or belly). Use your binos even in timber with short sight distance, you will be surprised what you may see. 

- Said Boyd Iverson