No sight of deer for the last few miles..

[jnordwell]

Feeling frustrated and pissed. Have been hunting up in the Gifford Pinchot and haven’t seen a darn thing for the miles I’ve put my kids thru. No new clear cuts to glass just walk and sit type hunting.. thinking there isn’t any animals in the pinchot anymore.. maybe will close my eyes and throw a dart at a map and try somewhere else next trip out...

[Alan K]

They're around, but populations are miniscule compared to industrial timberlands. Just not much for feed. 

Hopefully Trump kicks the USFS in the butt to get some timber harvest going again and create some habitat.  It was before my time, but I understand it used to be pretty good back in the 80's-90s when there was feed around.

[jnordwell]

Seeing the sign. Poop and tracks just no bodies.

[fishnfur]

Hang in there.  National Forest isn't the best BT ground.  Not many people hunt there because there's not many deer there anymore, except for possibly in the case of recently thinned stands up near Mt. Adams.  I still recommend clearcuts and the timber that surrounds them as being your best bet to find deer.  If the rut isn't ramping up there yet, the does and small bucks are likely just finishing feeding at first light, up again sometime between 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM, then lastly 30 - 60 minutes before last light for the last feeding during daylight.  That may be your only chances to see deer up and moving.  If it is pouring rain and windy, they might be standing up quite a bit of the day.  Those are the great BT days.

[jnordwell]

Will do have been up north of my place last Sunday seen more Oregon guys target shooting then hunters.. or it seemed like it. Jones creek area has some new cuts but the out of state target shooters are everywhere. Maybe will try out of battleground. Just don’t know the areas so if I feel like burning gas that’s what I will do.. just a struggle I guess. I think it’s funny during sept. See deer all over come oct. they vanish..

[bornhunter]

Back in the 80's and 90's the GP had miles of clear cuts and tons of deer. Our group hunted out of Packwood and many years everyone tagged out and some were dandy blacktail bucks. Will never be that way again if they don't start logging some of the forest that is going to die of old age. Some beautiful timber up there that needs to be harvested and then the critters will return.

[dscubame]

Its not November yet.

[scottfrick]

They say there is tons of animals out there and little of hunters. I think they got that mixed up! Orange fricken hunters every where

[fishnfur]

There's not much public land in Battleground area that I know of.  East of whatever unit that is (Clark Co. /506? - I've forgotten) all timberlands, probably Washougal there as well.  I've never heard of the problem with Oregon target shooters on DNR lands, but it wouldn't surprise me.  I'm guessing the farther you get from the bridges, the fewer there are.   It sucks trying to hunt around target shooters.  It's noisy and a bit unnerving wondering if some idiot is spraying the woods and surround area down with random fire.  The deer don't seem to mind the daily barrage too much from what I've seen though.  They seem carry on with their lives a half-mile away in normal fashion, oblivious to the onslaught. 

[Kc_Kracker]

they are still very much nocturnal not many out chasin tail with their dumb sticks out. if your gonna just walk around all day you have about a 1% chance of seeing one. you need to get in those areas between the clear cuts, and follow some game trails with sign, when you find that starts sneaking down them keeping an eye out about 20 yards downwind of the game trail, and you might bust one bedded down. getting in the thick bustin them out is hard with kids.

[deerhunter_98520]

Clear nights and 3/4 moon doesn't help daylight sightings 

[RadSav]

The GP sucks!  Little to no feed puts them in small areas.  What there is the cougar population hits hard.  Beautiful country for a walk though.

[jnordwell]

The GP sucks!  Little to no feed puts them in small areas.  What there is the cougar population hits hard.  Beautiful country for a walk though.

Well it’s all I know I’ve lived on this side of the state for about 20 years and grew up central Washington always hunted deer near home and elk around Mt Adams. Last year took my son back home to hunt mule deer with what seemed like half the state. I’ve normally bowhunted.. my son was 11 last year unable to pull the minimum 40 lbs to bow hunt. So to be a good dad I put the bow down and rifle hunted. Well that was a experience to say the least. So this year figured I’d go the other areas I’ve been in before and have seen deer again during sept. Chasing elk. I try not hunt on top of people if can be avoided. I guess that is why I’ve stayed away from this side of the state. Seems like people tend to just hunt areas where others are without regard. I wasn’t raised that way. If you plan on hunting spot A and get there and find a car you go to b,c,d,e, whatever.  Just part of the process I have to figure out it just sucks that my kids are getting the frustration of no game seeing as well. My son gets it my daughter I’m trying to get her into it since she is in her mentor year but won’t blame her if this will be it for her. Hard to enjoy mountain hikes with dad at 5 am for miles to only loose sleep and have sore feet to show for it..

[RadSav]

Yeah, that's why we rarely venture to the eastside anymore.  We move to the next spot if we don't get there first.  Sometimes when hunting the eastside it will be afternoon before we find a spot during rifle season.  And getting to the spots early doesn't help much either.  Wife and I slept at a spot to make sure we were first.  As we are getting our packs on guys pull up jump out as fast as they can and run ahead of us. 

Past few years the Weyco pass was pretty sweet.  But this year I think everyone got over their "Stick it to the Man" attitude and bought the pass.  We've started half our days at spot "C" or "D" after getting there an hour before daylight.  We rarely ever head in without at least a five hunt plan for the day. 

And elk - it is about 20x worse.  We've actually decided that after the wife kills her next big bull we will probably quit hunting elk in Washington.

[fishnfur]

There's still bulls in Washington??

[jnordwell]

There's still bulls in Washington??

Nope look elsewhere.. or so I’ve been told. I haven’t hunted elk in a few years though..

[jnordwell]

Well Thursday I will be working nights scheduled to be working Friday night as well but if I can hustle and finish on Thursday I might have to pound some coffee and head up in the hills on Friday with all this talk about rain and pre rut. Might be worth a little sleep loss. Still working on the were but I’ve looked over maps most of the evening and then there is tomorrow night as well.. time will tell..sounds like it might be like the late buck hunt excitement when I was a kid. Always would see bucks moving all day noses to the ground or up a does butt.. not a care in the world. Fun few years before the wdfw took that one away for sure.