What am I doing wrong?

[FFCharlieP]

Man, having a heck of a time getting eyes on anything at all. Been out early every day since season opened and I've seen one doe! I've tried stalking, blind, tree stand - can't seem to find anything. I'm hunting mostly the state land in 660. Tried grunt calls and bleat can but haven't tried scent yet. Been out before sunrise and out after dusk, nothing!

Any pointers or is this just the name of the game? It's my first year hunting, so I'm sure I'm making some mistakes.

Thanks in advance!

[Buzzsaw461]

Just keep at it. If you can get out for the 4 day late hunt in November. The place I hunt always is tough hunting during general season but come late season the Bucks seem to come out of nowhere.

[johnr060]

I like to find an area that has lots of sign, say maybe a 1 square mile zone. Then I play the wind and walk circles. Sometimes I will walk through the same area 4 times in a day. Still hunting, So I walk slowly and glass my surroundings every 10-15ft. 90% of the deer I see I dont spot with the naked eye. Glassing is key, Even in the thick stuff. The buck I shot a couple days ago I spotted in an area I had walked through 30 minutes before. And all I saw at first, was antler tips sticking up over the grass. Good luck!

[hunthard]

Keep at it, the best hunting is just getting started, I would be hunting this weekend if at all possible and know late buck is just around the corner, good luck.

[Wendego716]

Welcome to hunting! Sometimes that's just the way it goes, especially with blacktails (at least in my brief experience with them). Keep at it, they're so nocturnal sometimes you just gotta wait for one to slip up and show himself during shooting hours.

Also, get out of my hunting spot! (Just kidding)

[FFCharlieP]

Thanks for the feedback and encouragement, folks. I'm having fun out there, really - just hard to remember that when I'm cold and wet haha.

[WapitiTalk1]

FF, keep at it. Remember, it’s all about the does. If you’re seeing sign/tracks, you’re in a decent area. We’re still in the pre-rut. I was out tonight and saw three groups of does and no bucks. It’s coming. If u don’t connect in the pre-rut, get after them in the late rifle season. Stay the course, you’ll bump into one.

[PolarBear]

With this weather bucks are hunkered down. Using scent and calling (how I get most of my blacktail bucks) is useless in these high winds and rains. All the bucks my daughter and I saw yesterday were bedded in heavy brush, away from timber and on the lee side of small ridges and no does around. After this storm blows through, Friday-Sunday calling and scent will be the ticket.

[spoonman]

PM incoming.

[GASoline71]

If it were easy, everyone would be doing it, and it would be called "catching" instead of "hunting".

Nothing to do but just keep at it like everyone else has said above.  It's not a  "you gotta put your time in kid." type of deal, but you have to be willing to accept that you might not be successful every single year.  I am mentoring my Brother-in-law (53 years old and first time hunting), and my Son-in-law (28 years old and first time hunting) this year.  Was just explaining to them as they think they are making all these mistakes. I told them, you have to make mistakes to learn from them.  There is no 100% correct way to hunt.  Everyone has their own style and abilities to legally harvest game.  So we all make mistakes and learn.

My BIL missed a really nice 3x4 Blacktail 2 days ago, and all he focused on was what he had done wrong.  I explained to him that I have missed bucks and bulls in the past and to not dwell on it negatively.  Think about what else was going on at the time and to focus on doing things differently.  But I also told him that as soon as buck fever kicks in, we become relatively stupid in our quest to shoulder a rifle. So to be prepared for that too.  He was shaking so badly after the shot and his heart was pounding so hard we could barely have a conversation he had buck fever so bad.   

Again, keep at it.

Gary

[Seabass]

Hunting is hard...keep at it! You're first encounters or kill's are likely to be shear luck but that can't happen unless you're out there. Eventually you will learn a few things from those "lucky" encounters.

[fishngamereaper]

2 things your doing wrong.

#1 Your blacktail hunting

#2 Your expecting to see something. 35 year's chasing blacktail, 34 deer and I will tell you ...you will kill most blacktail when you least expect it .. your energy is a huge part of success. 

[Griiz]

1st- Try not to get frustrated. They are unpredictable and challenging to harvest in the thick habitat. There is no comparison how challenging they are to harvest compared to a Mule deer. Can't compare to whitetails, as I've never hunted them.
2nd- Make sure you are sitting and still hunting where you are seeing rubs and buck sign.
3rd- Keep putting your time in and you will most likely be presented an opportunity.

I usually target a certain or a few mature bucks. I sit, usually in a tree, and put in as much time as possible in that core area. I don't know when he will show up, but I know he will and I need to put in as much time as I can so I am sitting there when he does slip up. This includes mid day.

I used to keep a notebook and each day I would write down moon phase, weather, wind, etc. and then I would check cameras and write down the deer that appeared in the cameras and when. I was hoping to find a pattern to their behavior. They show up at random times, sometimes a bunch of days in a row at all time periods and then I don't get pictures for a week. I stand hunt to try and beat there #1 smell, #2 hearing and #3 sight. Plus I get more opportunities at mature bucks sitting. Good Luck, keep at it.

[Sandberm]

Always something to learn. Thats why I joined this board.

I appreciate the responses also 

[FFCharlieP]

I appreciate all the solid advice, I am headed out right now to try some more!