A wild Noob has appeared!

[Sitka_Blacktail]

How far are you willing to travel? And how flexible is your schedule?

[Jarhead Chase]

If you were closer I'd be more than happy to help you clean and dress any deer you got. I will agree with the previous post, YouTube has some great videos. It may seem intimidating, but just keep a couple of things in mind:

1) Don't take a shot you're not sure of. You don't want your first time hunting to involve an exhaustive tracking job that may or may not result in you recovering your deer. You also don't want your first time dressing your animal involving the smells associated with a gut shot animal.
2) get a knife with a decent gut hook so you don't knick the rumen or intestines (not something you want to smell).
3) Know that everyone has trouble when they start out. I started hunting as an adult. I gut shot a doe with an arrow, and ended up not recovering her after trying to track for 2 days. That is not how I wanted to remember my first deer. I went 3 years without getting another shot at a deer, but I learned more in those three years than I thought possible by putting in as much woods time as possible, and am a better hunter for it.
4) Either invest in a GPS or some maps and a compass and practice practice practice with them in an area that you can find your way out of easily. Once you are using either of those, go farther than 30 yards off of the road. You'll see a lot more animals that way.
5) You will make mistakes. Learn from them. Heck, I've gutted a few now, and I still knicked the intestine this year with my archery deer. Things happen. Don't let the little things or a little discomfort ruin your day. Some of my best stories are about times when I was beyond miserable.

Hopefully this doesn't come across as some altruistic high horse bull crap. It's just good to get another hunter in the woods.

[Saiidin]

Well, I see lots of does...when i'm driving in or out of the forest before sunrise/after sunset when it's pitch black out and they're hopping across the road!

otherwise, I can't seem to find deer for the life of me.

The past 4 days I've seen more trails and squashed areas where they slept and droppings than I can coun,  and not one buck. Definitely heard one grunting, but he would not come out of the deeper trees so I could see him.

I did see a couple bone piles by the road...somebody got one.

Could use a bit of help finding these beasties...

[pd]

Well, I see lots of does...when i'm driving in or out of the forest before sunrise/after sunset when it's pitch black out and they're hopping across the road!

otherwise, I can't seem to find deer for the life of me.

The past 4 days I've seen more trails and squashed areas where they slept and droppings than I can coun,  and not one buck. Definitely heard one grunting, but he would not come out of the deeper trees so I could see him.

Could use a bit of help finding these beasties...

Don't panic: What you are experiencing is normal.  The rut for blacktail is just about to start, and until it does you will not see many (if any) bucks during daytime hours.  I predict (because I don't live close to your area) that you will see many bucks in the open during the next 2 weeks or so.  The problem is the season, which closes this Saturday.  Get out and stay out, and you will find the buck by Halloween.

[Saiidin]

Looks like I'll have to take time off for the late season.


Anyone need a second set of hands? :p

[pianoman9701]

I just saw this post. Welcome to the forum, neighbor. I hunt archery, so wouldn't be much help. By the way, there is no measurement of how far off the road you must be. The actual law is that you can't negligently shoot from, across, or from the maintained portion of any public road. Maintained portion being the part that's mowed back, trimmed, seeded and cut, etc. The key word is negligently. According to state law, if it's not negligent, you can do it. According to the regs, they leave out the word "negligently". That doesn't mean they get to rewrite state law, however. They don't.

[elkboy]

I would definitely get off of the shoulder of the road- that horizontal portion that is contiguous with the actual traveled surface.  If there is a lot of traffic on that road, I would want to get at least 40-50 yards into the timber before seriously hunting or shooting!  That's just me, though! 

Wish I could help you get started, but I am on the wrong side of the state to be of much assistance!  I grew up in a non-hunting family, too, and had to 'hunt for opportunities to hunt'.  Stick with it, and you will find someone willing to help.  If you knock on the right farm door politely asking for permission (and explaining your newness to hunting), you might even find an old-timer willing to help you get started.