The I'm discouraged thread

[Sitka_Blacktail]

After the big one you got last year, there is gonna be a let down. Didn't you get him opening day? 

But I think part of the problem in Grays Harbor County is the way forests are managed, not the deer. For starters, when I hunted up the East Hump in the 70s, the forests were different. Was a good mix of hardwoods and conifers.  Now we have industrial mono culture forests for the most part.  Plus the forests aren't being harvested at the rate they were back then so there aren't as many open areas or as much feed.  Helicopter spraying of generic roundup doesn't help either. Then there is access. In the 70s I could drive/hunt pretty much every logging road on the harbor. That has definitely been curtailed. 

If it gives you any hope, I saw a nice fork horn up Donkey creek yesterday, but didn't get a shot at him.

[Humptulips]

After the big one you got last year, there is gonna be a let down. Didn't you get him opening day? 

But I think part of the problem in Grays Harbor County is the way forests are managed, not the deer. For starters, when I hunted up the East Hump in the 70s, the forests were different. Was a good mix of hardwoods and conifers.  Now we have industrial mono culture forests for the most part.  Plus the forests aren't being harvested at the rate they were back then so there aren't as many open areas or as much feed.  Helicopter spraying of generic roundup doesn't help either. Then there is access. In the 70s I could drive/hunt pretty much every logging road on the harbor. That has definitely been curtailed. 

If it gives you any hope, I saw a nice fork horn up Donkey creek yesterday, but didn't get a shot at him.

All of that is true but a far bigger factor is what happened on election day in 1996 IMO.

[craigapphunt]

For blacktail im excited the last couple days of October everything before that us just bonus scouting time

 

[Special T]

After the big one you got last year, there is gonna be a let down. Didn't you get him opening day? 

But I think part of the problem in Grays Harbor County is the way forests are managed, not the deer. For starters, when I hunted up the East Hump in the 70s, the forests were different. Was a good mix of hardwoods and conifers.  Now we have industrial mono culture forests for the most part.  Plus the forests aren't being harvested at the rate they were back then so there aren't as many open areas or as much feed.  Helicopter spraying of generic roundup doesn't help either. Then there is access. In the 70s I could drive/hunt pretty much every logging road on the harbor. That has definitely been curtailed. 

If it gives you any hope, I saw a nice fork horn up Donkey creek yesterday, but didn't get a shot at him.

All of that is true but a far bigger factor is what happened on election day in 1996 IMO.

Bruce you are the man in every definition of the hunter. I feel your displeasure.  We always have a way to push back against this dystopian commission.  Take your skills, push back even if it means you have to do so in a way you don't prefer. Your not the kind of guy to cut and run. We are in a fight so take that fight to where the antis dont want it. I am discouraged about the state of hunting but rest assured it doesnt mean I wont fight back. You have the skills that can be employed by tribes, and while I prefer they can be employed by all We can fight against anti hunters in a realm they cannot compete. Dont loose faith,  our army is bigger that the 3% in the state!

[dilleytech]

So far the season has been pretty good. Goin some really nice mushrooms. I don’t expect to see a buck until the end of October. Anything before then is just exercise in preparation for the actual hunting season.

[goldenhtr]

For those of you that are frustrated I get it, but if ungulates numbers are low that means plenty of predators. Try shifting focus to bears and ccats that are plentiful. Rumors are elk will go draw only and they will reduce opportunities for predators so start sharpening your predator skills before the rush.

Everyone wants to bring some meat home but usually it's the views, friends, and clean air.

I think within the next 5yrs. So I ask, how many from eastside that don't get drawn will hunt the west side for elk?

[Boss .300 winmag]

For those of you that are frustrated I get it, but if ungulates numbers are low that means plenty of predators. Try shifting focus to bears and ccats that are plentiful. Rumors are elk will go draw only and they will reduce opportunities for predators so start sharpening your predator skills before the rush.

Everyone wants to bring some meat home but usually it's the views, friends, and clean air.

I think within the next 5yrs. So I ask, how many from eastside that don't get drawn will hunt the west side for elk?

What makes you think that won’t be state wide?

[goldenhtr]

Son say's he has a buddy that has ears on the inside.

And what better way to get rid of those limp footed animals then to have 3/4 of the states elk hunters on the west side.

[wolfbait]

Not discouraged, just smart!   First time since 1972, I've didn't purchase a hunting license or tags.

All my former hunting grounds have gone sour, by way of wolves and at times fires.  Fire areas used to rebound after a year or two and some areas during active fires going on(controlled burns).

Have heard from friends who have been successful this season, 95% of them were taken on private property.  I have hunted public lands most of my life, the areas have plenty of water and food and wolf tracks but no deer.

Money I've saved on gas and tags will go to buying beef this year!!

16 wolves in the Benson cr pack....

[boneaddict]

THis is the least amount of excitement I have ever had for the upcoming fall season.  Part of it is my Dad being gone and my terrible job atmosphere, but a lot of it is the realistic outlook of what I might find.    16 wolves, wow!   It was bad when there were 5 of them.   

[timberfaller]

   Last time I was up there wolfbait  , heard maybe two shots opening day and seen no fresh tracks even around a cattle watering hole.  The year before, saw two small herds of doe's and over a dozen shots opening day.

The year before that I went up into that area the day after season close, saw a very nice 4 point, always the day after!!!

[Twispriver]

I wonder what the 16 wolves in that pack are eating. Clearly there aren't enough deer left to sustain a pack of that size. They would burn more calories looking for deer than they could replace by sharing one. The occasional moose maybe?
As for my deer season I am seeing does every day. I expect the younger bucks will become more visible in the next few days and hopefully the older class will kick it in sometime just before the last Couple of days of the season.

[boneaddict]

There was a pretty decent elk herd established there, but not likely now.

[timberfaller]

Yep THERE was!   Had a DOT supervisor stop on day and ask me if I knew any thing about their disappearance.   Beings I was into cattle and had two nice 6x6's on the ranch I controlled. 

DOT guy said they knew of a person of interest because of a helicopter flying around where the herd was last know to be.  The DOT guy was a local hunter.

Had a friend tell me one day that they counted 29 head across the river from the ranch.  Not to long after that, they were never seen again except for one cow who stayed on the ranch for a long time afterwards.  But then we are talking the 90's.

[GameHunter1959]

I use to hunt the same canyon year after year opening morning, and got a Deer every opening morning. The area started changing from way too many doe and youth permits being filled. Along with too many hunters, and many shooting illegal Deer. Our camp went from having 6-8 Deer hanging in camp opening day each opening day, to 1-2 bucks at best. Many years one deer, which was shot by me, as I hunt all over and know where to go to fill my tag from scouting year round. Despite the decline in Deer and massive increase in hunters, I found a way to get a nice buck each season, so we kept the family tradition in the same general area. I started feeling like, if I didn’t have a buck down by 9:30am it became a 2 point hunt looking for an eye guard. In 2013 I shot 1 of 4 legal bucks in my canyon. I was in the bottom gutting my Deer, while the 3 remaining legal bucks were running back and fourth into a hunter on every fence line shooting downhill towards me. I had my little boy with me while bullets flying by. That was it for me. I came back to camp and told my dad I’m door knocking all next year until I find us a new spot on private ground. Despite getting a Deer I was very disappointed to have to race across the field at dark to get to my annual spot, and outshoot all the other hunters. Switching areas to private ground has worked out great for 10 seasons and counting. We continue to checkin each season with our longtime camp to see if they had any luck. The last several years they seemed very discouraged, as they have only killed a few bucks over the past 10+ years. It’s become more of an annual guys trip. I talked to the guys about switching spots, which is hard to do, when you’ve hunted the same canyons for 35+ years.

My suggestion is to switch areas and scout over the Summer door knocking. It made a huge difference in the quality of bucks we kill each season. We’ve been passing on bucks we would have never passed on prior. Now I won’t shoot a 3 point unless it’s a monster. I’ve pretty much killed nothing but 5-6 point bucks since making the move. Way safer, no discouragement, plenty of shot opportunities, and we don’t have to race 30-40 other hunters to the canyon. I miss my old spot, but when you shoot a 5-6 point monster each season it’s easy put the past behind us and create new memories in a new area. 59 cents