Advice for skunked hunter

[IslandHunter]

Hunting is hard, even harder when you don't have a mentor to learn from. I took up hunting a few years ago with 2 friends who also had zero experience and no mentor. I got my first deer after talking with an old timer out in the woods and getting a few words of advice and a tip on an area that held some deer. Most people will be more helpful and want to help you succeed if you talk to them face to face, especially if you are a new hunter.

Find private land to hunt on. Its easier said than done but most people put little to no effort in to gain access to private lands. You may need to ask 100 people, but that one yes might give you a prime spot with much better opportunity than public.

Don't feel like you need to learn to hunt before you learn archery. You just need to know how to shoot the bow. There are significantly less people out during archery season. Early archery puts you in the woods first before the deer are spooked. There are some areas, East and West side that allow harvesting of an antlerless deer so you have more opportunity. If you get into archery its a good opportunity to learn to hunt, learn to find deer, learn to read the landscape. Then if you consistently see deer in rifle range but can't close the gap to get a shot, next year switch to rifle and use your experience to find deer.

Another word of advice that you will hear over and over again is there is no substitute for time in the woods and boots on the ground. It's annoying advice but it's true. If you are feeling discouraged and want to turn around make yourself get to the top of the next ridge, if you don't think there are any deer in that drainage, go check anyway. I got my second deer, and first buck after almost calling it a day, then deciding "what do I have to loose, lets see what's over that hill?" there way my deer.

Final piece of advice is make it fun. As long as you following the laws, being safe, and ethical there is no wrong way to hunt. If you are tired of still hunting, go take a hike to a viewpoint, maybe you will see something on the way, or maybe find a new area to explore. Try to be as slow and sneaky as you possibly can, try sneaking up on a small game animal.

Good luck

[buckfvr]

Join Tacoma Sportsmans Club, shoot there often on members only days/nights, make friends and go hunting.  Yes there was a time it was easy as that, may still be, worth a shot.     

[FrothyLlama]

I would also add that I'd choose an area and spend time there. Jumping around place to place chasing the dream isn't likely to yield success unless you stumble onto it. Getting to know an area intimately and how animals use it, even if there aren't many animals there, will yield far more success in the long run. That will also teach you how animals use the terrain and you can then apply that to new areas. I'd pick an area close to home that you can spend a lot of time in. For a person trying to get their first deer, a young blacktail is about as easy as it going to get.

Look for clearcuts that are 2-7 years old, and then get in them right now. Prowl the edges, look for sign, beds, trails, poop, antler rubs. Learn where you can approach these spots from based on different weather conditions, wind directions, etc.. and have good views of them. Find 2 or 3 spots like this, and then live in them during the season. If you can find a couple clearcuts that have a lot of sign and you can spend entire days just sitting and watching them, you absolutely will see deer and you are likely to see a buck, especially later in the season.

Also, especially if you are looking for blacktail, you should take a clearcut and break it down into small pieces. The entire thing is unlikely to be good habitat. The best stuff is usually within 50 yards of the edge, and often there are small pockets of the clearcut that get significantly more use than the rest of it. These pockets are usually difficult to see from the road. They're over a slight hill, or around a line of trees, screened from view. The deer know where they're visible and where they're not. The only way to find those spots is to go find them. Each of my best blacktail spots were found by working the edges of clearcuts and identifying the small pockets that had the most sign.

Last year I went with that idea of my best opportunity would be a young blacktail because of their closeness to my home, but I just consistently run crazy people no matter where I hunt on the wet side.
Last year, I was super intent on hunting this clear cut where I spotted a doe, I got there before sunrise. Then Elmer Fudd and his loud teenage son come up from above and behind me at 9 am and set up their stand, hooting and hollering, talking on their phones. That was extremely discouraging. I've had a really hard time finding many spots near home where I can get away from people AND find sign without paying big timber $300 to walk on their dirt.

[buckfvr]

I know its not an option for a lot of guys, but dont hunt weekends.  80%ish of the cork heads are weekend warriors.

[7mmfan]

I would also add that I'd choose an area and spend time there. Jumping around place to place chasing the dream isn't likely to yield success unless you stumble onto it. Getting to know an area intimately and how animals use it, even if there aren't many animals there, will yield far more success in the long run. That will also teach you how animals use the terrain and you can then apply that to new areas. I'd pick an area close to home that you can spend a lot of time in. For a person trying to get their first deer, a young blacktail is about as easy as it going to get.

Look for clearcuts that are 2-7 years old, and then get in them right now. Prowl the edges, look for sign, beds, trails, poop, antler rubs. Learn where you can approach these spots from based on different weather conditions, wind directions, etc.. and have good views of them. Find 2 or 3 spots like this, and then live in them during the season. If you can find a couple clearcuts that have a lot of sign and you can spend entire days just sitting and watching them, you absolutely will see deer and you are likely to see a buck, especially later in the season.

Also, especially if you are looking for blacktail, you should take a clearcut and break it down into small pieces. The entire thing is unlikely to be good habitat. The best stuff is usually within 50 yards of the edge, and often there are small pockets of the clearcut that get significantly more use than the rest of it. These pockets are usually difficult to see from the road. They're over a slight hill, or around a line of trees, screened from view. The deer know where they're visible and where they're not. The only way to find those spots is to go find them. Each of my best blacktail spots were found by working the edges of clearcuts and identifying the small pockets that had the most sign.

Last year I went with that idea of my best opportunity would be a young blacktail because of their closeness to my home, but I just consistently run crazy people no matter where I hunt on the wet side.
Last year, I was super intent on hunting this clear cut where I spotted a doe, I got there before sunrise. Then Elmer Fudd and his loud teenage son come up from above and behind me at 9 am and set up their stand, hooting and hollering, talking on their phones. That was extremely discouraging. I've had a really hard time finding many spots near home where I can get away from people AND find sign without paying big timber $300 to walk on their dirt.

I hear ya. It's tough. It took me time to find my spots. I frequently walk or ride my bike 3-5 miles behind closed gates to get to spots where I rarely see people. The plus to getting that far back is that when you do run into people, they are usually as diligent and motivated as you are, not Elmer Fuds.

Also, when it comes to hunting managed timber land on the westside, it's an ever changing landscape. Places that were good a year or two ago are now grown up and difficult or impossible to hunt. However, there are always new cuts. Spending time riding your bike way behind gates in the summer time is a great way to get exercise and see the new cuts and have a leg up on most people come season because you know which cuts are good and which aren't now. Google Earth and OnX won't show you those new cuts, you have to go find them most of the time.

[timberfaller]

Keep at it!  Your luck will change some day!  Best advise though, try out of state!   At the age of 66 now, the opportunity's to hunt are greater but the wildlife numbers are not.

[Farmer72]

I would also recommend maybe looking into Muzzleloader hunting. It might not have as many areas to hunt as the state hates muzzleloaders for some reason (my opinion), but there is less people out and you also have a early and late season.

I will say that if you need an extra set of eyes in the woods with you during rifle deer I might be able to go on a weekend and help you glass or impart some of my knowledge. I don't hunt rifle deer so my weekends during that time may be open. I haven't hunted the areas that you listed but I don't have a problem checking out new areas.

[FrothyLlama]

I would also add that I'd choose an area and spend time there. Jumping around place to place chasing the dream isn't likely to yield success unless you stumble onto it. Getting to know an area intimately and how animals use it, even if there aren't many animals there, will yield far more success in the long run. That will also teach you how animals use the terrain and you can then apply that to new areas. I'd pick an area close to home that you can spend a lot of time in. For a person trying to get their first deer, a young blacktail is about as easy as it going to get.

Look for clearcuts that are 2-7 years old, and then get in them right now. Prowl the edges, look for sign, beds, trails, poop, antler rubs. Learn where you can approach these spots from based on different weather conditions, wind directions, etc.. and have good views of them. Find 2 or 3 spots like this, and then live in them during the season. If you can find a couple clearcuts that have a lot of sign and you can spend entire days just sitting and watching them, you absolutely will see deer and you are likely to see a buck, especially later in the season.

Also, especially if you are looking for blacktail, you should take a clearcut and break it down into small pieces. The entire thing is unlikely to be good habitat. The best stuff is usually within 50 yards of the edge, and often there are small pockets of the clearcut that get significantly more use than the rest of it. These pockets are usually difficult to see from the road. They're over a slight hill, or around a line of trees, screened from view. The deer know where they're visible and where they're not. The only way to find those spots is to go find them. Each of my best blacktail spots were found by working the edges of clearcuts and identifying the small pockets that had the most sign.

Last year I went with that idea of my best opportunity would be a young blacktail because of their closeness to my home, but I just consistently run crazy people no matter where I hunt on the wet side.
Last year, I was super intent on hunting this clear cut where I spotted a doe, I got there before sunrise. Then Elmer Fudd and his loud teenage son come up from above and behind me at 9 am and set up their stand, hooting and hollering, talking on their phones. That was extremely discouraging. I've had a really hard time finding many spots near home where I can get away from people AND find sign without paying big timber $300 to walk on their dirt.

I hear ya. It's tough. It took me time to find my spots. I frequently walk or ride my bike 3-5 miles behind closed gates to get to spots where I rarely see people. The plus to getting that far back is that when you do run into people, they are usually as diligent and motivated as you are, not Elmer Fuds.

Also, when it comes to hunting managed timber land on the westside, it's an ever changing landscape. Places that were good a year or two ago are now grown up and difficult or impossible to hunt. However, there are always new cuts. Spending time riding your bike way behind gates in the summer time is a great way to get exercise and see the new cuts and have a leg up on most people come season because you know which cuts are good and which aren't now. Google Earth and OnX won't show you those new cuts, you have to go find them most of the time.

I think you've given me the motivation to hunt the west side again. After looking at the numbers, it's almost a no brainer to hunt an area 30 minutes from home with 20% success than a place 3-4 hours from home with >10% success.
I've got some spots to check out, this time I might try some firearm restricted areas. Time to polish up my shotgun and send some slugs through it.

[FrothyLlama]

I would also recommend maybe looking into Muzzleloader hunting. It might not have as many areas to hunt as the state hates muzzleloaders for some reason (my opinion), but there is less people out and you also have a early and late season.

I will say that if you need an extra set of eyes in the woods with you during rifle deer I might be able to go on a weekend and help you glass or impart some of my knowledge. I don't hunt rifle deer so my weekends during that time may be open. I haven't hunted the areas that you listed but I don't have a problem checking out new areas.

Muzzleloader has always been something I want to pursue, but for some reason I'm stuck in the idea that I should just pursue them with the rifle I have rather than branching out and dropping more $$$. I really appreciate the offer, I'm gonna try to get some good scouting in this week. I'll keep you in mind, but in the meantime I'll go alone to save you the gas money!

[FrothyLlama]

Keep at it!  Your luck will change some day!  Best advise though, try out of state!   At the age of 66 now, the opportunity's to hunt are greater but the wildlife numbers are not.

I will start going out of state when my family gets older. I dream of taking my daughter pronghorn hunting when she is older.
Right now, I have a hard time leaving my wife and 18 m/o at home for more than a few days, that's why I'm ditching the Army!

[Rob]

A few years back I saw that the average tag fill rate for deer during rifle seasons was 25% give or take.  That means that the average hunter fills a tag every 4 years.  (obviously some never hunt, some hunt and never fill a tag, and some fill every year, some fill a tag but do not report - but to set a broad expectation, Wa rifle hunters on average fill a tag every 4 years).

Early in my days I found that modifying my glassing technique helped me see more animals.

I sit in an area where I can see pretty well.  I set up my spotting scope (just a Leupold compact 15-30 set on 15X) and starting at the closest range (because that is what will spook first), I scan from far left to far right.  Then I move the scope up one sight picture, and move back right to left.  Then up one sight picture and go left to right again.  Repeat until all viewable locations have been looked at. In this way I can cover an entire large hillside in a grid like pattern.  Then I do rescan the entire hillside a second or even third time.  Any time I see something suspicious, I zoom in and watch for a while.  If a deer does not materialize, I make a mental note and re-check that spot every 1-2 cycles of my scan.

Once I started this disciplined scanning method my sightings increased 10x. After a few years of scanning you start to get an eye for it.  Odd shape here that turns out to be an ear.  An area that looks a little too tan, a fleck of white.  I am far from good, but I get better every year.

Deer hide in plain sight - its like their lives depend on it. 

 

[Rob]

Also, I use a 15-30 spotting scope bcs if I need more than 30x to identify it, I don't want to know it is there!  That is going to be a looooooong stalk!

[Rob]

Speaking of practicing getting your Rifle mounted for a shot quickly.  Some other tips:
-If you have scope covers on your scope, keep them open if possible (nothing worse than having a deer pop up at 30 yards and only see black when you mount the gun!)
-walk around with your scope dialed to the lowest magnification.  Makes finding your target much easier - especially in a quick shot situation, and if you need high magnification you will likely have time to dial it up (but often no time to dial it down)
-If you come to a meadow/opening and you want to glass it, start close and work your way out to far.  Most folks tend to do the opposite but if a deer is close, it will bug out much faster than the ones at the far side of the opening. You may never even see the close ones leave.


Don't become so obsessed with getting a deer that you skip safety steps!  know your target, and backstop.  Firearm pointed in a safe direction, treat the gun as if it was loaded at all times, finger off the trigger till you are ready to shoot.  It is so easy to become focused on your target, that if it pops up 20 yards out and you snap the gun up to shoot, you may not even think about your backstop.  I watched my dad kill two impala with one shot as the bullet passed thru and hit a hidden one behind his target (not a game violation because it was Africa - you just pay for what you hit, but it was a reminder of how easy it is to focus on the target when things happen quickly).

[FrothyLlama]

Speaking of practicing getting your Rifle mounted for a shot quickly.  Some other tips:
-If you have scope covers on your scope, keep them open if possible (nothing worse than having a deer pop up at 30 yards and only see black when you mount the gun!)
-walk around with your scope dialed to the lowest magnification.  Makes finding your target much easier - especially in a quick shot situation, and if you need high magnification you will likely have time to dial it up (but often no time to dial it down)
-If you come to a meadow/opening and you want to glass it, start close and work your way out to far.  Most folks tend to do the opposite but if a deer is close, it will bug out much faster than the ones at the far side of the opening. You may never even see the close ones leave.


Don't become so obsessed with getting a deer that you skip safety steps!  know your target, and backstop.  Firearm pointed in a safe direction, treat the gun as if it was loaded at all times, finger off the trigger till you are ready to shoot.  It is so easy to become focused on your target, that if it pops up 20 yards out and you snap the gun up to shoot, you may not even think about your backstop.  I watched my dad kill two impala with one shot as the bullet passed thru and hit a hidden one behind his target (not a game violation because it was Africa - you just pay for what you hit, but it was a reminder of how easy it is to focus on the target when things happen quickly).

Absolutely, firearm safety is always number one. I'm a life long trap shooter and worked many years as a range officer.

[Fidelk]

I've seen some spectacular mule deer bucks in GMU 340.......during elk season.