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about to give up hunting all together
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Topic: about to give up hunting all together (Read 44557 times)
30draw
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Pilgrim
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 11
Location: wet side
about to give up hunting all together
«
on:
October 20, 2014, 06:54:12 PM »
long time reader, finally registered. I started hunting 4 years ago. I have asked a million questions, read 2 books on deer for this region, and tried it all. I am good with a rifle or a bow, i have tried both season, I spot n stalk, sit n wait, sit in the same place for days on end. i have hunted capitol forest, vail area, snoqualmie, naches, greenwater, a little on the east side. I use scent killer, i dont smoke, chew, or any of that, i get as high as i can when i can and glass nonstop, basically all day, i truly get out there and i work my butt off 95% of the time. and I come home empty handed.
I read all these posts from people passing on bucks, seeing 20 deer in a day.
and then there is me, in 4 years I have seen 2 does, while driving out headed home. never a bear. never a elk except one cow once.
Am i doing something wrong or hunting in the wrong places? seems i have tried it all, put it to good use, and still dont even see an animal. I know if i dont get something on the ground this year, I will never see another cooperative wife hunting season again.
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Skyvalhunter
Washington For Wildlife
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Explorer
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 16006
Location: Sky valley/Methow
Re: about to give up hunting all together
«
Reply #1 on:
October 20, 2014, 06:56:28 PM »
Location location location
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The only man who never makes a mistake, is the man who never does anything!!
The further one goes into the wilderness, the greater the attraction of its lonely freedom.
jrebel
Non-Hunting Topics
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Explorer
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 11322
Location: East Wenatchee
Re: about to give up hunting all together
«
Reply #2 on:
October 20, 2014, 07:01:51 PM »
Stop looking for the whole animal and get good at Where is Waldo books. Not making fun at all....but you sound like you are doing the right things. My guess is you are walking right past deer and elk. Move slow and pick the forest apart. Look for horizontal plains in the otherwise vertical forest. Look for ears, legs, movement and anything that looks out of the ordinary.
Hike in in the dark and Hike out in the dark. People that are afraid of the dark miss most of the animals as they show themselves literally minutes before end of shooting light.
Again not trying to make fun.....Are you color blind? Father in law hunted with another guy for years that could never see deer they were pointing out. Years later he told them he was color blind.....apparently he couldn't see deer to save his life. They attributed it to being color blind.
Keep at it, if you give up you will never harvest a deer.
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Magnum_Willys
Political & Covid-19 Topics
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Old Salt
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 5601
Re: about to give up hunting all together
«
Reply #3 on:
October 20, 2014, 07:02:42 PM »
Go out oct 30/31. Bucks will be in rut. Get where you can see more than 60 yards.
Good luck pilgrim.
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buckfvr
Washington For Wildlife
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Frontiersman
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 4515
Location: UNGULATE FREE ZONE UNIT 121
Re: about to give up hunting all together
«
Reply #4 on:
October 20, 2014, 07:04:31 PM »
Id spend some time looking over harvest reports and hunt where the deer are...........if you hunt as hard as you say, you would hang meat over here..............
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Revwrangler
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Longhunter
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 535
Location: Spanaway, Wa
Re: about to give up hunting all together
«
Reply #5 on:
October 20, 2014, 07:05:02 PM »
Your doing it for all the wrong reasons! Yes meat in the freezer is nice, and trust me I NEED meat in my freezer, but I'm good with tag soup too just for the experience of time and fun in the woods.
I've come up empty the last 3 years, and have had some really bad experience in those 3 years, but am far from giving up. I love the hunt!
And I understand the wife issue. My wife doesn't understand why I spend the money on the tag to come home empty, but she understands I need the time, so she is good with it.
Long story short, don't give up, just learn to love putting in the time.
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30draw
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Pilgrim
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 11
Location: wet side
Re: about to give up hunting all together
«
Reply #6 on:
October 20, 2014, 07:05:25 PM »
jrebel, i usually look for a good vantage point with a good shooting lane or a few but where i can be hidden well, i go to stupid lengths to be hidden, and quiet. and i glass and try to pick the areas apart. and my eye sight is good
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cooltimber
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Longhunter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 593
Location: Idaho
Re: about to give up hunting all together
«
Reply #7 on:
October 20, 2014, 07:07:17 PM »
patience,persistence,persevere ,My hunting bud always look's to much at the ground when hiking or hunting! track's, scat, location,pattern.relax don't put out killer vibe;s!
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rvn 69-70 11 b 2p 173rd
rmef
2 ways to conquer and enslave a nation
one's by sword,the other is by debt.
John Adams
Seahawk12
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Frontiersman
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 3046
Location: Kenmore
Re: about to give up hunting all together
«
Reply #8 on:
October 20, 2014, 07:11:52 PM »
I've hunted for years. Both archery and MF. I have harvested deer and elk. I've gone many seasons with nothing. I guess for me the act of hunting is more important to0 me than the meat.
I could go a decades without harvesting and I would still hunt the next year simply because I am in love with the experience of being on the hunt. Fort a short time each year being a pure predator.
A couple of pieces of advice I would give you are these:
1 ) Ask yourself if the act of hunting is pleasant to you. Looking past the frustration of not filling your tag, Does it give you joy?
If the answer is no..........
whats the point?
2 ) Pick an animal. With that info, pick a GMU. Camp often in the summer and plan on scouting a lot. Learn as much of the area as possible. Talk to the locals at the convenience store, delis, restaurants, gas stations, etc. Make that GMU yours.
3 ) Read the stories on this forum and others like it. (because it is full of knowledge, and knowledge is power
)
4 ) Relax your energy levels while in the forest. Like a dog can smell fear, prey animals like deer can smell your tension.
Just my
Hope it helps.
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"I make up my opinions from facts and reasoning, and not to suit any body but myself. If people don't like my opinions, it makes little difference as I don't solicit their opinions or votes."
William Tecumseh Sherman
jason stevens
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Sourdough
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1536
Location: Gold bar
Re: about to give up hunting all together
«
Reply #9 on:
October 20, 2014, 07:12:06 PM »
Don't feel to bad I've hunted for 24 years now and have never killed a buck I can find them just can't kill them .if you bow hunt and just want to harvest a doe I go everyyear to the same spot look me upnext year ill take ya out on a weekend.
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30draw
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Pilgrim
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 11
Location: wet side
Re: about to give up hunting all together
«
Reply #10 on:
October 20, 2014, 07:16:54 PM »
this year i went archery so i still have late season. my neighbor hunts too and i bug him alot with questions lol.
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CAMPMEAT
CAMPMEAT
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Explorer
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 13347
Location: ARIZONA, A PLACE WHERE I DON'T WANT YOU LIVING !!
I love my gun rights in Arizona..
Re: about to give up hunting all together
«
Reply #11 on:
October 20, 2014, 07:19:19 PM »
Don't feel bad. I live in what was the best hunting the state and I've only shot 1 deer in 14 years of living here. BUT, I don't like deer meat at all, so I don't hunt them very hard.
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I couldn't care less about what anybody says..............
go4itlab
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Scout
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 317
Location: Billings, MT
Re: about to give up hunting all together
«
Reply #12 on:
October 20, 2014, 07:24:54 PM »
Hang in there, it will happen
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sirmissalot
Past Sponsor
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Frontiersman
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 3070
Location: Shelton, WA
Re: about to give up hunting all together
«
Reply #13 on:
October 20, 2014, 07:26:48 PM »
Where do you live? Some areas don't have a lot of deer. Although hunting vail you should have at least seen some deer
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billythekidrock
Varmint
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Posts: 13440
Re: about to give up hunting all together
«
Reply #14 on:
October 20, 2014, 07:27:00 PM »
2 does in 4 years in at least 6 locations?
There is a lot of great info above, but I would also add sticking with one spot for a while and learn it like the back of your hand.
Where in Capitol Forest were you? It can be extremely tough to hunt but you should be able to see a few does up there at any time.
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