Road hunt or hike in?

[Evoac05]

So I'm here in Winthrop and I am having no luck. I have hiked about 20 miles and have seen lots of sign (poop and tracks), but have yet to see a shooter. I have seen two bucks so far (not legal) and multiple doe each day. I'm seeing alot of people hunting from the road and I am wondering if that is what I should be doing. I am new to deer hunting and was curious if you had any tips on what to do or if somewhere else might be a better way to go. I am camping in Winthrop, but wouldn't mind driving somewhere that I might have better odds. Feel free to PM me, any help is appreciated. Thanks

[pianoman9701]

Are you trying to kill any legal buck? Do you need the meat? Do you want a hunting experience? Road hunting is a viable hunting method if you need to fill the freezer and your purpose is to kill something, as long as you follow the rules. Hiking back in and looking for something special - that's different. Only you know what your impetus is for the hunt.

[vandeman17]

Sounds to me that if you are seeing deer that you are on the right track. Just keep after them and hopefully you will come across a shooter. For me, I enjoy much more to be out hiking, even if I don't get a buck. 

[Cascade_fisher]

Since your walking you could try Buckskin Ridge out of Slate Pass since most horse folks will be below you to either side.  I've also seen some good size deer off the PCT about 5 miles in very late in the day.
Road hunting off of Gun Ranch Road must be productive as there are lots of people that do it but it isn't my thing.

good luck,

[deerslyr]

If your seeing deer your going about it right its just a matter of time before you see a legal one if your seeing that many animals. I road hunt when im hunting a new area and trying to locate a good number of animals. Once I find the animals is when I put the boot leather down.

[LincolnTWilliams]

I think my  father engrained in my head from an early age that road hunters were "the scum of the earth"..... Although I have seen way more game from the seat of my truck than anywhere else. On the west side the woods is so thick i dont know how many people see game next to the logging roads.. I guess I'm not that skilled at road hunting.

[jackmaster]

a bad day huntn on foot is better than a good day ridin in the pick up.... , but ya know what it doesnt really matter, if i was you and your in good shape i would stick to hiking, one day it wont be as easy anymore so dont waste the chance to hunt on foot, i only say this cause my legs are pretty busted up from the military and life, and i am a boot hunter to the core but after a hard weekend of hiking my ankles are swelled up so bad that it doesnt take much to keep my butt in bed, i personally and this is JUST ME FELLAS, i would rather quit huntn if i cant hike anymore

[longknife]

If your seeing deer your going about it right its just a matter of time before you see a legal one if your seeing that many animals. I road hunt when im hunting a new area and trying to locate a good number of animals. Once I find the animals is when I put the boot leather down.

That what works for me as well. I will look for good sign along the slopes, along the road. This gives you a general area where they are traveling. Once you spot where they are, keep hitting that same area walking/hiking, just keep hitting the same spot. there will be a shooter traveling with the does at some point.

[medic6]

Road hunt to learn an area or locate sign,  then it is hit the woods and wait.  With all the people driving around and stomping through the woods you should just wait for them to come to you.  Get out early and stay out until you cannot see the bushes next to you.  With pressure the key is to know not where they are going,  but how they are getting there.  If you are seeing sign keep at it.  If you find a good trail sit on it and listen. 

[WildBear]

Persistance.... If your seeing deer after deer, one will eventually be a legal one. Keep hiking. Road hunting is by chance....   

[Arteman]

Keep hiking, where there is does there will be bucks, find areas to glass, and keep glassing tell your dizzy from it.  Good luck.

[PlateauNDN]

Good responses from everyone.   Personally I drive around and learn the road system and see where I can and can't go.  Then after driving around I look at as many maps as I can to see if they all have the same info. and see what roads I have driven and didn't drive.  Once I have a good idea of the road system from driving and identifying them on maps I start looking at the least accessible portions of the area by vehicle and where the trees are dark and thick. 

If I happen to come across game while driving I make a mental note of it and try to review maps and get an idea of where they're going or coming from.  Throughout the spring and summer I'm usually gathering traditional foods and this allows me to also get an idea of where the animals are and what they are starting to look like.  I know if they're there in the early spring they're more than likely going to make their way west as the season gets warmer so I have an idea of where their going to be traveling and where they are going to be coming to when the snow hits.

This year was pretty easy as far as locating something.  I went to an area I was sort of familiar with and started scouting and about an hour into it I started seeing animals.  I went back a couple weeks later and bright and early in the morning I was done and back home by early afternoon de-boning and storing.

What you put into it is what you'll get out of it.  If you want memories and a lasting experience hike if not waste gas driving around hoping to shoot something.

Oh yes forgot to mention,  I filled my truck above the full line and it was just getting to the full line when I got back.  Didn't waste any gas road hunting and had a full tank for the work week.

[Helix]

I was starting to wonder if anybody else hunts as hard as I do and strikes out.  I guess some of you hunt harder. 

This weekend I hiked in 2 miles and camped out Friday night up on the South fork of the Cascade River hoping to get a jump on the season Saturday morning.  I saw Nothing, not a track or a pellet of Deer poop, and only 2 dried up bear turds.  Bailed on that spot.  Then I went down on the Suiattle river and camped out along the river for Saturday night and Sunday Night.  I scouted for sign during the day and saw very little deer sign (plenty of coyote, bobcat, Elk and a little bear sign but no berries left for them to be eating) but where I did see deer sign, I parked my bu# before dawn and until dark and didn't see a single deer.  At about 11:00PM a big deer crashed it's way up the river bank and woke me from a dead sleep kicking rocks everywhere.  When I got up in the AM I saw his tracks going right past my camp.   

Then on Monday I broke camp and hiked back out to my car and went up in the hills outside of Darrington.  I saw mountains of poop and in one cut area I hiked into, you can't go two steps without stepping in poop or crossing a track.  It's just a bear to get in and out of those cuts due to all the slash they leave.  Never did see a deer on the hoof there either.  After sitting in that cut for a while (hours) glassing I hiked back in the woods where there is a creek and followed deer tracks for about 2 hours.  I got busted by one that took off (never saw him just heared him).  In 4 solid days of busting bu# the closest I got to a deer was a chewed up scapula I found on the edge of that cut.  I'm not sure what I'm dong wrong,  I'm conscious of the wind, quiet, I'm wearing camo except for my required hunter orange, I know I stank pretty good by day 4 but you would think hiking into the wind would mitigate that to a degree.  I can't figure why I'm not seeing deer.  I am getting plenty of excersize, I guess that's something.   

[huntkah]

Nothing wrong with road hunting. Ive always seen more deer road hunting then hiking in. You can waste a lot of time hiking especially if you havent scouted the area beforehand.

Another thing I never understood is the guys who sit there on their farms ragging on road hunters. That always really bugged me.

[jackmaster]

HELIX, just keep doing what your doing and dont give up, you will start seeing alot more deer by the end of the 3rd weekend, when friday or saturday gets here of the 3rd weekend have your butt back in that cut that you found mountains of crap and sighn, blacktails are the hardest deer in the world to hunt, and trust me you dont see alot during the first 2 weeks, but when it turns on out there your gonna want to be where you saw all that sign, matter a fact if it doesnt look like there is a bunch of people huntn it i would get a self climber in there this coming weekend and get it in place for the 3rd weekend, and another huge piece of advise when you do get in there stay awake between 10 and 2 if you dont have a climber then i will let you borrow mine, i dont know why but i like the way you go after it and you sound like a fairly new hunter to this blacktail game, dont let yourself get discouraged when it comes to huntn blacktail.