Newbie "206-er" doesn't know how to get started deer hunting

[johng]

 

Hello all,

I am a new hunter and live in the Seattle area.  Was hoping people on the forum could provide some tips on the best way to get started for a new hunter looking to snag his first deer.  My buddy and I have both passed our hunter's ed course and I have been out hunting turkey one time (guided) but have no clue really on how to get me a nice buck come deer season.

Some questions that come to mind are:

1) What would be some of your guys' recommendations on good public land to hunt on the west side of the State?  From going through the forums it sounds like NE WA is good for white tail and Chelan offers some good hunting but what about GMU's say within 2-2.5 hours of Seattle?  The area around Darrington is beautiful- I have fished the Sauk for steelhead.  Any deer around there?

2) How should we hunt them?  From a tree stand or stalk them?  Should we scout out the areas and if so, when should we be out there putting out mineral lick and a trail camera?

3) Do you guys go out for the day or go out like for 2-3 days at a time and camp and stuff?

4) How far in do people go into the wilderness they are hunting?  Is it park and hike in 1-2 miles?  5-6?  Just trying to get a sense for that.

5) From talking to different people it sounds like they will drive down Forest Service Roads or some dirt road on a GMU, spot a buck, hop out and take the shot.  Does this happen a lot?  Do people hunt like this?

Thanks much,

John G.

p.s. I really want to learn how to hunt and become a good outdoorsman so I admit my total ignorance!!!   

[littlebuf]

you've got a lot of questions there. what area do you live in and how much time are you willing to put into the sport would be my first question to you. you need to dedicate time to scouting, and the more the better. sounds like you don't really have a idea where to start so first of all decide where you want to hunt. east or west side, north or south of where you live. im sorry to hear you live in Seattle, that wont help  theres a lot of public land around, go on fish and games web site and check out the go hunt feature ( i think thats what its called) it will help you get an idea of areas around you

[blacktail luv]

A lot of guys will give you a hard time on here, but it is great that new guys are getting into the sport, especially since you are from Seattle. ( hopefully you can persuade 2000 others to start).  It is gonna take you a lot of years to get the hang of it, most of the guys on here, myself included, have been hunting since they were kids, so they have gained all of there knowledge over those years.  I would start with taking summer drives on the weekends to different areas that you think might have deer.  Deer are way more visible during the summer so you will be able to see more of them.  Take some walks and look for old rubs, tracks and just general deer sign.  this will give you a good idea where to start.  Remember our deer on the westside don't have the abundant ag. fields that others do so they feed a lot in clearcuts and under power lines, etc, anywhere the forest has been opened up.  Once season starts just put some miles on your boots.  The last week of the rifle season is usually better than the first IMO.  the bucks are wanting to start rutting which makes them more vulnerable also IMO.  Also, when it is raining get out there, those are my favorite days, a rainy afternoon...doesn't get much better than that.  Good luck, and be PATIENT.

[johng]

Thanks for the replies so far dudes!

I would say we want to concentrate on the West side of Washington and would be willing to go either North or South as long as it was on this side of the Cascades.

Cheers,

John G.

[Huntbear]

First, contact the WDFW preferably in person, and talk to someone about what game units in your area produce bucks.  Then get maps of those areas and study them, then get out and pound the ground with shoe leather.   

Yes, a lot of guys are road hunters, and you can fill your tag that way, however, with the price of gas right now, I hope you have lots of money. 

That said, big blacktail like big thick dark holes that are a b!tch to get into and out of for hunters, and most leave it alone.  They do now want to work that hard. 

Good luck and keep asking questions, but also do your research and you will be much better informed.

[zackmioli]

how old are you and what kind of physical shape are you in? that will help determine what kind of hunting you can do and how far back you can go, etc.

there are a ton of areas to hunt within 2.5 hours of seattle north or south. download google earth and start doing some scouting that way. decide on an area you want to check out one weekend, find some roads you want to drive to get a lay of the land, get out and hike, and do some camping.

remember, the further off the road you get, the less hunters there will be, the better quality of bucks you will find, and your time will be more enjoyable!

[Alchase]

Some questions that come to mind are:

1) What would be some of your guys' recommendations on good public land to hunt on the west side of the State?  From going through the forums it sounds like NE WA is good for white tail and Chelan offers some good hunting but what about GMU's say within 2-2.5 hours of Seattle?  The area around Darrington is beautiful- I have fished the Sauk for steelhead.  Any deer around there?

2) How should we hunt them?  From a tree stand or stalk them?  Should we scout out the areas and if so, when should we be out there putting out mineral lick and a trail camera?

3) Do you guys go out for the day or go out like for 2-3 days at a time and camp and stuff?

4) How far in do people go into the wilderness they are hunting?  Is it park and hike in 1-2 miles?  5-6?  Just trying to get a sense for that.

5) From talking to different people it sounds like they will drive down Forest Service Roads or some dirt road on a GMU, spot a buck, hop out and take the shot.  Does this happen a lot?  Do people hunt like this?

Thanks much,

John G.

p.s. I really want to learn how to hunt and become a good outdoorsman so I admit my total ignorance!!!   

Welcome,
the answer to 1-4 would be research various forums like this one, get some good maps, and get out in the field and look for sign. You could hook up with someone who hunts regularly, that would be your best bet. As for distances, everyone is different, but generally the further you get away from roads and others the more game you will see. It takes practice seeing game and reading sign then use it to your advantage.
The answer to 5. is yes, some people hunt this way, it is called road hunting.

In my opinion if you want to learn to hunt, get out of the vehicle and start hiking. Take note of what you see, what animals you encounter in what kind of terrain you see them in and how they behave. We could tell you that a chipmunk or ground squirrel are considered natures tattle tales for example, but until you have had one blow a stock on a nice buck you would not get the full meaning, lol. Then you would learn that they can also be an asset when you start looking for what they are screaming about. It could be the buck of a life time.
Nothing replaces time in the field, researching the area can save you lots of wasted time. Their are allot of good hunters on this site, and a ton of information.
Good luck

[johng]

Howdy!

Thanks guys for the good info.  I am 36 years old and in above average condition.  Hiking 10 miles in a day wouldn't be a problem for instance.

Will start doing some research and will report back as I gather more info.  Also, I will be doing some scouting once I get an idea of where to go.

- John G.

[longstevo]

 Some questions that come to mind are:

1) What would be some of your guys' recommendations on good public land to hunt on the west side of the State?  From going through the forums it sounds like NE WA is good for white tail and Chelan offers some good hunting but what about GMU's say within 2-2.5 hours of Seattle?  The area around Darrington is beautiful- I have fished the Sauk for steelhead.  Any deer around there?

2) How should we hunt them?  From a tree stand or stalk them?  Should we scout out the areas and if so, when should we be out there putting out mineral lick and a trail camera?

3) Do you guys go out for the day or go out like for 2-3 days at a time and camp and stuff?

4) How far in do people go into the wilderness they are hunting?  Is it park and hike in 1-2 miles?  5-6?  Just trying to get a sense for that.

5) From talking to different people it sounds like they will drive down Forest Service Roads or some dirt road on a GMU, spot a buck, hop out and take the shot.  Does this happen a lot?  Do people hunt like this?

First off John, welcome to the site and welcome to the lifestyle that is hunting. 

Most of your questions can be answered with one simple phrase.  "You get out of it what you put into it."  You can park in and hike one mile, or you can drive the forest service roads and shoot a deer from that road, ect.  Or you can set up a camp five miles in on a horse only path and hunt from there for two weeks. 

The fact is, many times, deer are simply where you find them.  I, personally, am staunchly against road hunting and prefer instead of beat my head against a tree when all odds are against me, but on a day precisely like that, I shot my biggest buck ever from a road on the way out.  So, sometimes you can take all the advice that people give you and throw it out the window.

The biggest thing that will get you deer is time.  The guys above me are right.  Do some research and find a unit you're interested in hunting.  Then, once you find that, get in there!  Drive the roads, hike the trails, take your family camping up there instead of the state park just up the highway.  Time spent in woods is your biggest key. 

Take the advice of everyone on here, as most are good guys, but then take that advice and simply get out there. 

[huntnphool]

Well said longstevo

[BoomWhop]

It would help if we knew the weapon, and type of deer you are after.  NE washington has Huge Whitetails, and Big Mulies.  Lots of public land, but I would go for a week, or a long weekend.  Get off the roads if you want to see the big ones.  The Pennisula has some big blacktails in the clear cuts, but that is some thick stuff.  Get a good spotting scope, eastern washington has a 3-point min. rule.  If you like hiking look into the high buck hunts, not as many deer but there are some of the biggest public land deer taken on this hunt.  It is in Sept. @15th.  You can park at a trailhead and pack in, it is hunting at is best.  Lots of great deer country, use that spotting scope, not too many other hunters.

[macruls]

I know this is a very old thread but after reading it, I learned few stuff about deer hunting. I'm interested in deer hunting myself but I don't know where to start after getting a license, a rifle and hunter education.I'll keep on searching other threads to learn more. Thanks

[h20hunter]

All good points. You can get a lot from the seach tool, boot leather, decent maps, and maybe some Google Earth time.

[leed]

Welcome! Join a local Sportsmens Club and get to know a few of them. See if one or more are willing to mentor you on your first hunt. A lot of us would be willing if asked.  I might suggest you go camp or recreate near the hunting area during the summer. Talk long and slow hikes and visualize everything around you. You will start seeing the patterns of not only deer but other wildlife. You'll find hunting rewarding and as others stated you get out what you put into it. Be an ethical and responsible hunter and enjoy it.

[wapiti hunter2]

Well, nobody has told you my first recommendation is to READ, READ, READ!!!!!  I would go to your local library and check out every book they have or can order in from other libraries in their network and READ.  Read all summer.  You might start with Blacktail books and move to whitetails and mulies but get all you can.  I found over 50 in the Olympia system so there are a lot out there.

Decide on weapon choice and start practicing.  practice lots.  Shoot from different positions etc. 

Buy your boots NOW and break them in NOW!!! 
Buy a good pair of Binoculars and get used to them. 
Get into shape starting now.  Build up to a reasonably good level of fitness. 

Read everything on this site about advice for the new elk hunter and do that too......

Develop and keep a positive attitude.  Especially when soaked to the skin and freezing cold.

Good luck and have fun....