tracking vs waiting

[humanure]

Ok, here's something non-wolf related for once.

So since I'm still learning the skill's of hunting, here's my issue. I'm a good sized guy with alittle extra weight. My friends told me to just set up somewhere and wait with the 30-06 I borrowed from a buddy of mine while they went on foot with 30-30's. And i hated it. I couldn't stand just sitting there waiting for something to come by. By the time i saw a doe(it was buck season only), I was losing my mind from just sitting there. Not long after the doe passed, I saw a black bear in the high grass. I could not get a good shot, unfortunately, but the bear must have caught my scent and it took off. I said *censored* it and followed. i couldn't stand sitting there anymore and left the clearing and went tracking through the woods. I followed the bear down an embankment to a service road and lost it from there. A woman on a bike pedaled by(how she was out that deep in the woods with a bike, I'll never know) and I asked if she'd seen anything. She said she had seen a doe and a bear cross the road a ways back. I tracked some more but had no luck. I ran into someone from my hunting party and together we tried to find where it could have gone, but still no dice.

Anyways, so even though I'm new to the tradition, I'm still thinking that I want to get a 30-30 for this season and track on foot. I just absolutely can't stand to sit in the brush or up in a stand. Its just too much for me to deal with. I'd rather work on my lightfootedness and and aim though an iron sight over a scope. Your thought's/suggestions?

[hirshey]

Depends on where you're hunting... west or east side? You can probably get away with iron sights in a rifle season in western washington... if you're in open terrain or in any of the premiere mule deer areas in eastern washington you'd be hard-pressed to a) get close enough to make an ethical shot or b) get close enough before some crazy loon would shoot the deer you're after from 600 yards. 

On a more serious note, if you go iron sights you need to do a lot of target shooting prior to the season at variable yardage to make sure you understand your sight picture. Still-hunting can be a good option to work on your light-footedness and still maintain an awareness of your surroundings. That is, walking very slow; take a few steps, look and listen... take a few steps, look and listen. Repeat. Best of luck!

[BOWHUNTER45]

WHEN ( STILL HUNTING ) walking- sneaking what have ya ,it does not matter what caliper gun your packing ...maybe they just felt they needed 30-30s but an 06 is going to have the same report ...

[JimmyHoffa]

Might want to look into putting a peep/aperture sight on if using something like a .30-30 on the wetside, Seems to allow for a little more light during the early/mid fall days.  Trying to shoot things with regular buckhorn style ironsights can be a challenge when it is almost 'dark' out (for me anyways).

[humanure]

My primary grounds have been on the other side of the Nisqually here under Mt. Rainier. Seriously, its a 30 minute walk through the woods behind my house to the river, cross it, and then its vast open country.

To be honest, i can carry the 06 all day, but damn it I don't have to switch holding positions all the time. It's a heavy cannon. I'm looking at the 30-30's for lighter weight, swift hold-to-aim motion, and I also don't want to use a scope. I wear glasses so holding the scope to my eye is impossible, plus I prefer to hunt as early as possible, so scopes are useless when it's fairly dark in the morning. i will look into a peep/aperture sight.

While tracking, we do our best to walk like the deer. Lift lightly, don't drag, step softly. Very slow. I actually enjoyed this movement very much. Tracking, watching, surveying... we were miles into the brush in no time.

[Tbar]

I used the 30 30 when hound hunting the west side for bear before idiots voted it out. It worked great.

[humanure]

To me, i like the feel of the 30-30. There's just something about it when you hold it.

[Johnb317]

Sounds more like a gun choice ie. bolt action vs a lever action?   
I bow hunt and I find a combination of still hunting and waiting works.... just waiting any old place can be a waste of time.

At the same time I've gotten within feet of all sorts of animals, and watched nature in action.... a side benefit of hunting.
Also have been close enough to hear the Elk chewing, and one Bull (never saw him) pop his teeth.   So you need to teach yourself to sit still at times. 

[Skyvalhunter]

Little extra weight? 20-30 lbs? Best to sit and wait.

[elksnout]

Optics gather light so I do not see where iron sights are a better choice if that's your argument. I've been in many a dark hole on a dreay day here on the west side and never had any issues with seeing in legal daylight with a quality scope. Perhaps personel choice if that's what your after by going old school. Up to you. Have you given thought to a pump gun? You can get the good old Remington 760 in the 30-06 which is a good choice. You could easily mount a peep on one of those. Good luck and have fun.

[humanure]

The 30-06 was bolt. I'm looking at a 30-30 thats lever.

It is personal choice, I must admit.

Yeah, I'm alittle heavy, but even my skinny friends said they've tracked with lighter people that made more noise than I did. I think I will continue losing weight and get better at tracking. I know the benefits of waiting, but I just can't do it. I do like that old indian criticism: Why you dress like a tree and wait? I'm in a flannel and I give chase with better results. Hahaha.

My friends longbow as well, but I don't see me getting within the range that you need to do that, an I'm a bit racist against compound bows(thanks to longbow friends).

[WA hunter14]

if you prefer walking a bit well hats off to ya there needs to be more people willing to work for their deer than just drive logging roads or sit in stand(not trying to stir anyone up i understasnd that hunting out of a stand produces game and is another strategie to use) im no expert but if i was you i would still hunt game trails an when you see a promising clearing or bedding area sit an glass for awhile, being out in the woods is supposed to be a good time an its hard to be happy if your not doing what you want, if you like lever guns buy one if you dont want to sit all day while your buddies cover ground an honestly probaly have a higher chance of harvesting game then walk around and, get out an explore a bit(especially if you want to lose some weight,better than a tredmil)   

[humanure]

All good suggestions I will take into account.

I do enjoy being out in the woods having grown up under this mountain my whole life. But I can sit and think when I'm just out there on leasure. But when hunting, my mind is different and my patience is diminished. Maybe it's because I'm still new.

[humanure]

And yes, i do need to practice my 30-30 shots. My 30-06 shots are near dead on at 100 yards with a scope, but I did not think of the difference with iron sights.

[bobcat]

For me to sit for long, I have to have a spot that I've put a lot of time into scouting it, and learning it well enough to know that deer are sooner or later going to be walking down this particular trail, and hopefully I also have a general idea of the most likely time they will do so. If it's just a random spot in the woods, I will lost patience real quick. If you haven't put the time in scouting then you're probably better off still hunting, and possibly you could take a break every once in a while in a clearcut or other potential feeding area, find a nice stump, or sit up on a high vantage point for a while and glass what you can with a quality binocular. If you only sit for 30 minutes that may be long enough to spot a deer moving through, or there may even be a buck bedded, that may stand up and just the right time.

If there are any clearcut areas or powerline/gas line right of ways in your area where you could possibly get a shot opportunity beyond 100 yards, then you really might be better off with a bolt action and a good scope. If you're thinking the open sights are working better for you in low light situations, then my guess is that the scopes you have experience with are low priced, and low quality optics. If you have a decent scope you will see much better through the scope than not. And a relatively good scope can be bought for just a little more than $200.