about to give up hunting all together

[billythekidrock]

but seriously if there is sign there are deer it took me the first couple years on the wetside to figure out even how to see those blacktails, once I did I saw lots of deer just never the ones I could shoot.

I'm a newb too and I've heard a lot of talk like this about not seeing them.  I've been out several times now and haven't even see does.  My more experienced buddies at work seemed a little surprised by this.

Could you please elaborate about this?  If I'm not seeing deer that are there, everything else I've been trying to do/change/pay attention to could be pointless.

Thanks

Don't look for the whole deer. Look for an ear, a nose, a tail flick, or a lateral line (back/belly) in a vertical forest. Don't look for brown, look for shades of gray in the shadows. Don't look at or in the brush, look through it. Look beyond the first few yards and look for the small things mentioned above.

When walking look at/through the forest in front of you, to the sides and then to the ground. I call it a triangle. See what you can in front, look at it from the side as views change when you move and notice where your feet are going to be placed. Repeat. Don't forget to look behind you periodically.

[runamuk]

I have 6 seasons now 3 on the wetside and 3 on the east technically central.  I change what I am doing and still cannot seem to make a forked horn magically turn into a 3 point  and I choked last year on a legal buck because I just was not 100% certain about a fence.  So I am not one who never see's deer I see plenty of deer just cannot seem to put it together.  Oh well it will happen or it wont.

Maybe something needs to be changed that you aren't aware of? Just swapping regions or from still hunting to blind hunting might not be enough. Maybe a steady mentor that has been successful in your current hunting region with your preferred tactics.

And I wouldn't say you choked on the buck because of the fence. That is hunting and sometimes it doesn't work out.

Yes I am sure it would help however my bigger change from married to single has seemed to really make me not a good candidate for finding mentors.  Or I am just in a bad area.  I did hunt one season with someone locally and it was quite awesome I had a lot of fun but life happens and people get busy. 
Its ok was just a rough crash landing on the end of this season, it is harder when you dont have mom's, dad's, grandparents, brothers, uncles, boyfriends, etc to really mentor you.
I also know I did not scout enough the woods got shut down due to fire and when they opened back up it was spend money to scout or save it so I could hunt.

See to me a single person of the opposite sex would be an easier situation to mentor in. For me it was an odd vibe to have your husband constantly come out and hover around when we were bear hunting.

Now see, you are observant of your situation (like not scouting enough) and why (due to fire closure and money). That gives you a starting point on what to start working on and what to do different next year.

I still remember hunting with you it was awesome I learned a lot and appreciate all of your help.
And yes it was just sort of a weird deer year for me.  Hoping next year is a little more normal and I can find a few bucks before the season starts.

For the Kuilimand guy listen to what he is saying.  First find sign. no point spending lots of time where there is no fresh sign.  Then its look for triangles and suitcases, seriously sounds crazy but when I stopped looking for deer and started looking for geometry and movement I started seeing all sorts of deer. And slow down in fact if you are not in thick timber just stop and watch for a while.  I also learned to watch the timber ahead of me before I move I look through binos for anything.  I see lots of animals I get right in them I have close encounters I just havent managed to get a legal animal in sight during a legal season.

[brew]

but seriously if there is sign there are deer it took me the first couple years on the wetside to figure out even how to see those blacktails, once I did I saw lots of deer just never the ones I could shoot.

I'm a newb too and I've heard a lot of talk like this about not seeing them.  I've been out several times now and haven't even see does.  My more experienced buddies at work seemed a little surprised by this.

Could you please elaborate about this?  If I'm not seeing deer that are there, everything else I've been trying to do/change/pay attention to could be pointless.

Thanks

let me first start out by saying that i am no Lee Majors (young people google it) and my eyesight is getting poorer by the year..i find my best success glassing for blackies is to look at an area with my binos and move my eyes around the entire field of view that i can see without moving my binos and identifying everything in that section...i find it easier to wear a hat and grab the binos with my thumbs and the hat brim with my fingers to steady things.  I cant just pan with the binos as i miss a lot.  grid the area out and check it section by section---again and again and again.  as was said previous look for horizontal lines (backs of deer) alternating colors (i really notice white throat patches,butts and lower legs)..dont think that seriously glassing deer in cuts can only be done in low light conditions...i've been hunting a particular buck for a year now in a clear cut that is 300 yards wide by 300 yards deep to the top ...first time i saw him he was bedded on top at the repord line looking over his does...glassed him as he was looking at me and he stretched his neck out in his bed to avoid detection...after a minute of me looking at him in his bed he decided to walk into the timber but not after putting on a show...it was modern firearm elk season so he got out of his bed and stretched like a cat--first reaching his front legs out and dipping his head down then pushing his back legs out and pushing his rack straight up...i about crapped myself watching the display he put on.  Now every time i roll past this area i stop to see if he's home.  every time i see does there no matter what time of day...it may take a half hour of glassing before i see them but they are always there...bottom line is that deer will always bed/feed in what is convenient as long as it is far enough away from pressure...i usually find that to be around 250 yards

[Odell]

I think for blacktails a big part of the challenge is having confidence they are there. I was just talking to a friend who was telling me that in CF if you find a south/southwest facing clearcut that is 3-8 years old, he would bet that 90% of the time there are deer in it.

You have to identify the right kind of terrain then have confidence the deer are there, you just have to find them. That can take a VERY long time of glassing.

Personally I think most people quit too early and move too fast. I took my BIL hunting a few years ago and couldn't believe how much ground he covered. And he never saw any deer. 

Be patient. They are there, just need to spot them.

[whacker1]

I find this thread interesting.  This has been one of the most helpful and "everyone Pitch in type" informative threads in a long time and it appears to be started by a troll.  I hope that is not the case, but keep that in mind when others are asking for help.

[irishevox]

where are you located i may be able to put you on a deer..

[sirmissalot]

where are you located

That seems to be the million dollar question

[DoubleJ]

I would guess at this point, he's located only on the internet

[irishevox]

thats what it looks like.... i offered him the option of success.....

[Jonathan_S]

thats what it looks like.... i offered him the option of success.....

Hahaha!  Well if success is what you can provide then I bet you'll get about 3,000 PMs tonight.

[irishevox]

hahahha i realized i made that mistake..... lol 

[billythekidrock]

where are you located

That seems to be the million dollar question

He is/was an active member/troll and this username is banned.

[sirmissalot]

How about his other username?

[billythekidrock]

How about his other username?

Haven't looked, but the site has been free of his drama lately.

[RadSav]

My position towards folks wanting to quit hunting due to lack of success has been changing.  I used to believe that helping educate and added support was worth the effort.  Figured with just a little guidance they could change their outlook.  Maybe I'm becoming more cynical or people are just getting more fast food/entitlement oriented.  Either way if someone starts in whining about their success and saying they are going to quit, my first reaction lately has been, "Go ahead and quit.  Do you have a gun you want to sell?"

Of course this is different than folks who are reaching out for help and guidance.  I feel obligated to some degree to help those hunters.  But, "I'm going to quit unless I get my way" to me is like a school kid saying he is taking his ball and going home.  All about creating drama and throwing a fit.  Make's me think of Herman Simpson - Homey don't play that!