The I'm discouraged thread

[Humptulips]

I wonder if other hunters will relate.
I've hunted 6 days and saw 4 deer. 4 days were zilch. I know I'm getting older and don't cover as much ground, but this is ridiculous. Have not seen one buck rub yet, very few tracks but yea, rain so maybe that is to be expected but when you look at cut banks that don't even have an old impression you get discouraged.
North GH County so I hope the rest of the State is better. I have seen fresh cougar tracks though. Different sizes so I assume a female with yearlings. Neighbor came over and was telling a similar story, so I know I'm not alone.

[Mfowl]

Keep after it! Usually about the time I am getting discouraged in hunting is when things do a 180 and opportunity presents itself.
I only hunted 2 days of this rifle season so far but yielded about the same results. The area I shot a nice buck last year was devoid of sign and life. Adjacent areas were basically the same. I have to wait until Sunday to try again but I am looking forward to it! Good luck out there!

[Boss .300 winmag]

I only saw 6 does and fawns in the early archer season, no bucks. Had a doe and fawn in my pasture which would have been easy. But I have my scruples, two weeks later the doe got smashed on the HWY, the fawn is still hanging out in the woods.🤯

Hopefully late season will be kinder to me.

From the posts on here the Blacktail herd in the south sound area is way better off than up here, but we have at least one wolf pack in our area, but I think more because the deer just aren’t here like they used to be.

[wolfbait]

Twenty years ago, opening morning we could hear gunshots off an on all morning long, opening morning this year we heard one shot. Talked with a guy who came over two weeks ahead of opening day, he said the blue grouse hunting was great, but in those two weeks he had seen no mule deer. He said he did find a little group of white tail. Him and his wife had those electric bikes that get 70 miles to the charge. He said they rode a lot of county.

You can thank those running WDFW and you're governor.

[buglebuster]

So far it seems like a great year on the eastside. Plenty of mule deer bucks running around and seems like the whitetail are already making a rebound from the blue tongue

[hunter399]

It's pretty bad.
I'm sure weather play a role.
But ya no buck sighted yet for me.
Hopefully something turns around,but I'm not counting on it.
Tracks very little,some doe,and baby is all I've seen.
Can't put a horn on much these days.
Public ground just sucks.
Most of the deer in my area with population so low,they can scratch out a living on private land very easily.
Carrying capacity is not even a thing anymore,we are way below that.

[Sundance]

I went out for an hour this afternoon, saw fresh tracking on the way into my spot. Got in my tree and didn’t hear or see a thing. No pictures on my cameras the past 36 hours, when I got back to my car the outside temp was 65 degrees. Rain and some cold weather would really help in the next 10 days. I still haven’t seen a buck since the season started.

[hunter399]

Ya I'm so discouraged, disappointed, and just overall bummed out about it. I may start slowing down my hunting activity next year.
Or might not hunt at all. Haven't decided yet.
I'm gonna spend every second out hunting this year that I have available. Which is probably about the same as last.

Maybe it's what the department wants,maybe it's what the commission wants. I'm not sure.
But lack of game animals to hunt plus tag soup, isn't giving me much incentive to purchase tags next year.
Most likely why hunting is on the decline anyway.
Lord knows I have gave the commission/department suggestions over the years.
I'm just a nobody that keeps buying tags for animals that don't exist on public land during the season.

[MADMAX]

I see more deer in the yard than I do in the woods anymore
and way to many pay to play areas nowadays

[bear]

Saw 6 blacktail does in my front field last night. That’s more deer than I saw last weekend in the Methow.  We packed a camp in 6 miles and spent 2 nights in it.  Were able to glass over a mile and never even saw a doe till we were almost back to the truck.  Never saw a horn.  It was a new spot that looked great but may not hold deer. Just when you get discouraged you see a pic of a 36” buck shot last weekend. 

[C-Money]

I sure found a dandy last night. Watched him till dark but he never came close enough to get him. I have been seeing an above average number of coyotes this year, and honestly, fewer deer. I'm not sure if its a population issue or me the hunter just not seeing them issue.

[bearhunter99]

Our area we have been seeing a lot fewer deer than last year.   We were seeing a few small bucks and 10-20 does a day last year.   Didn’t even see a for the first couple of days of the season (except the ones that hang out by our house and try to eat the garden)


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[Billy74]

I’m always discouraged.  This is my sixth year hunting and still nothing.  I’ll be out late season in the NE again.  Spent opening Saturday hunting and saw does bit heard a lot f shots close by.  More shots than I can imagine bucks n a small area.  Can’t imagine  many would be left lol. Just hope snow doesn’t keep me from getting to where I am planning my Nov hunt like last year.  At this point I have my grind it out until it happens attitude.  My stubbornness drives me now more than my enjoyment


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[Boss .300 winmag]

So far it seems like a great year on the eastside. Plenty of mule deer bucks running around and seems like the whitetail are already making a rebound from the blue tongue

You must be on private property?🤔

[wolfbait]

So far it seems like a great year on the eastside. Plenty of mule deer bucks running around and seems like the whitetail are already making a rebound from the blue tongue

You must be on private property?🤔

Or Lala land...