Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: AKBowman on November 19, 2012, 06:12:09 PM

Title: Archery During Modern
Post by: AKBowman on November 19, 2012, 06:12:09 PM: Well I tried it this yr, mostly b/c I wanted to hunt more during the rut and b/c I am recently married with a new very demanding job so my days in the field would be minimal. My thought process behind it was I wanted fewer, more high quality days in the field and if I didn't tag out in Oct with my bow I could grab the rifle for late modern.
I know Blacktails will do it to you but it seems that all I did this year was hunt sign, hell thats all i seem to do every year. Lots of beautiful fresh rubs and tracks but not a single sighting of a buck. I wasn't going to go out yesterday but decided to Saturday night and I had a good day in the field and finished the season strong...creaping through the timber down in a draw that seperated three nice cuts, soaking wet all day.Spent saturday down in a hell hole and found some monster rubs...lots of good sign, judging by the size of the trees rubbed it looks like there could be several nice size bucks in the area.
Is funny to hear the polar opposites of the outcomes of people's experiences hunting bt's especially in the late modern season. Everything from "there's two points standing broadside in every clear cut" to guys like myself who push bikes in miles and thousands of vertical feet only to see very little...actually deer that is, crap loads of sign. I hunted for two years archery before I killed a button buck, second deer I saw that yr during the season and hunted about 5 days. Yr after in 2010 I hunted about 5 days and killed the first and only deer I saw. Last yr hunted 15 days in the field and missed a nice buck. Those were all late archery seasons.
I scouted my a$$ off this yr, all last winter this spring and summer only to have more of the same. I know I'm doing the right things but not getting the results, I know the deer are there but I'm not seeing them.

Next yr I'm back to late archery and will not even think about scouting again until middle of October, nothing matters until then. Here I sit STILL without a decent Blacktails...I'm the hardest working, best, worst hunter I know!
Title: Re: Archery During Modern
Post by: deerhunter_98520 on November 19, 2012, 06:16:25 PM: keep at it...dont get discouraged...they are hard to hunt....i was holding out fo a good buck and passed on 15 spiked throughout the season to get a big fork horn on the last day....it will happen if you keep putting your time in...scout in july/august so you know what bucks are in your area...there out in the cuts in the middle of the day and sometimes all day...that way you know what caliber of bucks are in your area :tup:
Title: Re: Archery During Modern
Post by: AKBowman on November 19, 2012, 06:23:40 PM: Definitely, I saw your post that's another nice buck. So much of it has to do with confidence (knowing what you are doing is right) it takes a lot of confidence to sit and stare at the same patch of timber or small openings in the reprod when it's pissing down rain and your not seeing anything. Success makes confidence possible and confidence is what it takes to be patient and I think that patience seems to be the difference between success and failure. The guys who can sit still and wait seem to be the most successful, then there's the guys who luck box into them...and then there's me. LOL.
Title: Re: Archery During Modern
Post by: Lcl 66 Tinner on November 19, 2012, 07:46:53 PM: It sounds like your not to comfortable (soaked). Go in there in the summer and build a little shelter/blind. Use natural twine to lash sticks and what not together. Pack in a piece of plastic for a roof. Then when it gets closer to season, maybe scouting, pack in a couple of small propane bottles and a burner/heater. You could use it till the clearcut gets to grown up and you have very little to pack out when your done with it (plastic/propane bottles)
Title: Re: Archery During Modern
Post by: billythekidrock on November 19, 2012, 07:59:12 PM: Quote from: deerhunter_98520 on November 19, 2012, 06:16:25 PM
scout in july/august so you know what bucks are in your area...there out in the cuts in the middle of the day and sometimes all day...that way you know what caliber of bucks are in your area :tup:

Absolutely!
It is hard to stay motivated if you don't know what is around.
Title: Re: Archery During Modern
Post by: carpsniperg2 on November 19, 2012, 08:13:21 PM: I did it this year. Not to many bucks around but did fill my 2nd deer tag with my bow in modern :IBCOOL:
Title: Re: Archery During Modern
Post by: coastie hunter on November 19, 2012, 08:16:54 PM: tuff deer to hunt some times it's good to take a break and hunt some muleys our whiteys it's nice to actually see some deer. that being said I am stoked for wensday. :)
Title: Re: Archery During Modern
Post by: bwhntr350 on November 20, 2012, 05:18:34 AM: Quote from: AKBowman on November 19, 2012, 06:12:09 PM
. Here I sit STILL without a decent Blacktails...I'm the hardest working, best, worst hunter I know!

Not so sure on that last part:)

I have hunted 6 years with my bow for Blackies. I hunt timber and reprod and hunt it hard. I would estimate between 60 to 100 hours in the woods a year, walking,sitting, tree stand, rattling, etc.

In 6 years I have taken one shot at a dink little forked horn that I did not even want. I have seen a few dandy big bucks, a bunch of spikes and 5 or 6 two points. I have tried just about everything.

I do not give up, though. From my days back in Forks, I know I can kill deer, I just have to figure out how to do it with a bow. But even then, I had the multi season tag the last two years and hunted with a rifle, as well, and still no buck, but I am pretty picky though, I have seen them.

Thinking I am a lot like you, wanting a nice buck with a bow. I look forward to the late archery hunt on Hancock this year. Seen 6 or possibly 7 bucks during the late rifle hunt and maybe, just maybe I have something dialed in. Then again, I think that every year.

Good luck and hang in there! I always figure that if enough time was spent out there then good things are bound to happen.