Totally stumped!

[Schmalzfam]

So, my hubby and I headed to Whidbey this morning. We have some private property there. We hunted it for maybe 4 years now. The first year my hubby got a spike on the last day of modern. We have hunted it a little as a last resort on the late hunts. Tons of sign, rubs..etc!! But, haven't seen a deer since. We sat tonight before dark for 3 hours watching a long road with trails crossing through nothing. We earlier walked looking over edges, down small canyons..nothing. There is a TON of sign and heavily used trails. Would a buck make a rub in areas he isn't living? Apparently we are the only one's hunting it. There isn't a house it's just vacant land. We always say every year after being stumped..we aren't coming back..lol. But, we always do. Anyone have any ideas? It's a LONG drive for us and so, we can't hunt it everyday..

[shoot-em-dead]

I bet if you let somebody else hunt it they would kill a big one. Best advise is to set out some blinds and a bait pile with a trail cam well before season. You will begin to learn their patterns and know when to be in the stand.

[bow4elk]

yes, a buck will make rubs in an area he isn't living...during the rut.  Deer wander in search of does.  Not sure of the topography in question here but if there are does still in the area, there will be bucks too.  If there are no does around, you won't find any bucks aside from a spike or yearling.

Find does.  Still hunt rather than sit, in this case.  You need to find live deer and adapt to the situation at hand.

[Schmalzfam]

What do you mean by still hunt? We started out the day walking very slowly and quietly stopping at the edges and looking over. I just can't figure out where they are bedding. My hubby almost thinks it's a crossing point, like the come from the other side of the road..eat, go to the beach..where there is MASSIVE tracks! (?) and go back by early morning. We were sitting and we both heard a Ma..Ma..and one longer Maaaaa. But, never any cracking branches..foot steps. We also never saw anything.

[longstevo]

What do you mean by still hunt? We started out the day walking very slowly and quietly stopping at the edges and looking over. I just can't figure out where they are bedding. My hubby almost thinks it's a crossing point, like the come from the other side of the road..eat, go to the beach..where there is MASSIVE tracks! (?) and go back by early morning. We were sitting and we both heard a Ma..Ma..and one longer Maaaaa. But, never any cracking branches..foot steps. We also never saw anything.

Still hunt.  What that means, is usually you find a well worn game trail and sneak along it.  That way, you're covering a lot of ground, and with the game trail, it's relatively easy.  And with all the game sign you're seeing, there's surely game trails around there. 

Still hunt usually involves going reall slow, walking for fifty yards, then stopping.  Another fifty (or however long you want to make it) and then stopping.  Or just walking slowly.  Its how I hunt, and I always see bucks.  Sometimes they're running away, but I still get to see them!

Haha, one time I was cruising through the woods and nearly stumbled over another hunter who was all camo'd up and was taking 'still hunting' to a T.  I don't think he appreciated me going through his hunting zone.