Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: steeliedrew on September 02, 2013, 06:57:26 PM

Title: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: steeliedrew on September 02, 2013, 06:57:26 PM: Well, I've been hunting hard yesterday and today in 460, 448, and as we speak 407. While in these units I've been in the foothills around Monroe, and sultan. Yesterday I put an easy 10+ miles on my mountain bike and hunted some good looking trails through various timber stands. I've seen one deer all weekend and that was this morning, while driving to the woods. Haha.

I feel like with the amount of ground I've covered I should have at least bumped a few. Maybe I'm in the wrong places due to the hot weather? I know some great areas that hold deer consistently in units further from home. I'm just trying to learn 460, 448, and 407 because I can easily hunt them on weekdays after work. I even had a trail cam baited with apples and a molasses and corn block. The last soak was about 25 days and only had one doe come in. I did however have a bear come in and visit quite a few times. I got over 900 pics of just the bear.

I pulled the camera yesterday due to the low deer action on it and since we can't bait bear it does me no good to keep feeding it. he's a big boar though. I hope to run into him while not around that bait site.

Those who know these units, do you feel like they get poached a bunch or something? Or are all the deer, city deer living around all the houses? for the amount of deer crossing signs there are also I'd expect to see more on the roads too. If you wouldn't mind helping a guy get on some local deer send me a PM and I'll tell you where I've been focusing.

maybe the hot weather has them locked down?

Drew
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: steeliedrew on September 02, 2013, 07:03:45 PM: I did flush 6 grouse today and one rabbit. Non of which presented a shot with the bow. seen a couple grouse yesterday too.
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: furiouzgeorge on September 02, 2013, 07:45:06 PM: I hunted 437 and 407 this weekend. Saw one deer...while driving to the woods! Tempted to ask the land-owner for permission but I didn't want to make a bad impression dressed in camo with a bow in hand and ask if I could 'kill that thur danged deer over thur!' so I didn't. I also wanted to work for it! I saw plenty of tracks, spooked two Bear (never saw them but they made sure I heard them!) and managed to practice sitting still for hours...dang I'm getting good at that!!! I don't know if it's the heat but I know where I was hunting the wind was REALLY unpredictable. I guess they don't like moving around too much when they can't rely on their sense of smell. Might be an uneducated guess, but it's a guess none the less.
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: Stickerbush on September 02, 2013, 08:00:31 PM: I also live close to those areas, but have never really deer hunted them. Went out today for grouse though up farther down hwy 2. Best I can figure is get your spot chosen with plenty of sign and sit it out, cant really expect to hike around too much in those areas as they are super thickly vegetated
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: JWhite22 on September 02, 2013, 08:43:08 PM: Keep hitting it hard. It will pay off and when it does it will be worth it!
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: bankwalker on September 02, 2013, 09:25:26 PM: 460 has plenty of deer. Back before Hancock bought the snoqualmie tree farm, we use to go in at the Griffen creek gate and kill a lot of deer off the J-line.
I haven't been back in there since 2010, but its not a bad mountain bike ride :tup: lots of bear too.
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: MLhunter1 on September 02, 2013, 09:45:41 PM: Look for christmas tree kinda stuff. A clear cut just old enough to provide good cover but still you can see and shoot 20yds ish. If you find that in an area that has good deer sign they will be there.
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: _TONY_ on September 02, 2013, 10:04:10 PM: I'd give it a couple more days... It is, after all, only the day after the opening...
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: lagnar on September 02, 2013, 10:42:12 PM: I finally realized I don't see deer as often as I did before because my hearing is fading.
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: hoyt5199 on September 02, 2013, 10:56:16 PM: I feel your frustration. I to hunt the sultan and Monroe area. A lot of trail cam picts of nice bucks but as soon as the season begins they go nocturnal it seems to me. There are deer around the area but they are in thick cover, cover not easily accessible. I did see a nice 2 pt tonight between gold bar and index, he cam out at dusk but couldn't get a shot. Keep at it. Walk down trails where people more than likely wont travel. Also get go farther in and just pick a spot with sign and just sit.
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: steeliedrew on September 02, 2013, 10:58:09 PM: thanks everybody. I'll keep hammering. I did manage to harvest a nice rabbit while walking back to my bike tonight. It was 8:05 and was walking down the road with my bow already on my pack. I spotted the rabbit and was able to take my pack off, grab the bow, nock a grouse arrow (not my FMJ's) and draw on him. I let my 20 yard pin settle on him and touched off the release. With a head shot it was a bunny in the bag! :)

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi630.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu22%2F206turboballs%2Fnull_zpsb463a7fd.jpg&hash=ddc8c55adbbc90f30d85d87298131f3c50cee7d4)

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi630.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu22%2F206turboballs%2Fnull_zpsc2e12957.jpg&hash=1db661e46206f43dd0230ed08d7c17d75743c639)
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: steeliedrew on September 03, 2013, 05:21:33 AM: hopefully this rain will get em moving.
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: reagansquad on September 04, 2013, 03:32:53 PM: I spent all day up there yesterday and barely even saw any sign let alone deer. I heard few grunting from not far away though, but no way am I going to walk 50 yards into 6' blackberry bushes.
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: Bullets_n_Octane on September 04, 2013, 06:11:07 PM: We're supposed to get 4 inches of rain in the foothills/mountains this friday. I bet they ALL move around! Bears too... I'll wait a bit. Nothin worse than a Wetside induced cold from soaked vegetation!
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: DoubleJ on September 05, 2013, 06:46:18 AM: Quote from: Bullets_n_Octane on September 04, 2013, 06:11:07 PM
We're supposed to get 4 inches of rain in the foothills/mountains this friday. I bet they ALL move around! Bears too... I'll wait a bit. Nothin worse than a Wetside induced cold from soaked vegetation!

:yeah:

Hate hunting in the rain.
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: Rooster1981 on September 05, 2013, 07:00:07 AM: In my experience when the deer aren't moving, and you know there are animals in an area. Instead of covering tons of ground, it sometimes is better to think small. Blacktails don't go that far from day to day. Hunt one area very thoroughly, stick with it and keep hitting the same spot every day. Make an area of about one square mile and keep hunting it, take a differant path each day in and out so not to make a pattern of pressure.
That's what I do when the animals aren't moving.
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: Bullets_n_Octane on September 05, 2013, 08:36:19 AM: I don't think anyone enjoys the rain during a hunt, but it will be nice this weekend, just enough rain to get em movin...
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: Southpole on September 05, 2013, 08:54:02 AM: I think they're in people's back yards, unfortunately. I don't know if it's just coincidental or maybe predators are pushing them into residential areas and or the vegetation that they prefer are in the pastures and yards. Either way, I don't see much of anything in the hills except predators. :dunno: That's my observation of unit 448.
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: Bullets_n_Octane on September 10, 2013, 08:47:18 AM: After two FULL days of boot work in the 437 and 448, it is all but confirmed, all Deer must be in between highway 9 and the sound... and Bear have all but vanished as well...
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: hntrspud on September 10, 2013, 08:57:11 AM: Did you find no sign at all? With the amount of area you say that you have covered, you have either walked or riden by deer already. As rooster said, think smaller areas.
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: Bullets_n_Octane on September 10, 2013, 09:12:05 AM: My last spot I found a TON of fresh sign with food shelter and cover... so I know where to hit next time.

But overall, until I by chance hit this spot, not a single sign of life. Honestly I utterly HATE hunting Western wa... unless I am simply after Grouse... came across 43 GROUSE YESTERDAY... could have limited by 6:40 if I'd have brought my Shotty...
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: Evoac05 on September 10, 2013, 10:33:30 AM: I haven't seen any blacktail yet, not even a doe. I'm hoping I can tag out soon though. Do you westside hunters usually have better luck early or late archery?
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: Bullets_n_Octane on September 10, 2013, 11:04:55 AM: Yearly I tend to see a MONSTER buck in late season, never fails... however I can never get the crosshairs on it in time. So this year, doing archery, I assume it will be alot different.
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: DoubleJ on September 10, 2013, 11:34:34 AM: Moon phase has them almost completely nocturnal right now and it's been that way about a week. Next week promises to be better with Tue, Wed, Thur being the best days. Should be a lot of dawn-8am and 6pm-dusk deer taken next week.
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: steeliedrew on September 10, 2013, 09:26:37 PM: can you explain the moon phase thing? I always thought a full moon is the worst. It's not real full right now so I was thinking it was the heat being the reason they're doing most or all of their feeding at night?
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: Turner89 on September 10, 2013, 09:53:20 PM: Quote from: Rooster1981 on September 05, 2013, 07:00:07 AM

In my experience when the deer aren't moving, and you know there are animals in an area. Instead of covering tons of ground, it sometimes is better to think small. Blacktails don't go that far from day to day. Hunt one area very thoroughly, stick with it and keep hitting the same spot every day. Make an area of about one square mile and keep hunting it, take a differant path each day in and out so not to make a pattern of pressure.
That's what I do when the animals aren't moving.
X2
Blacktail don't move around alot.
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: Forrestrover.02 on September 15, 2013, 03:43:27 PM: Quote from: Bullets_n_Octane on September 10, 2013, 09:12:05 AM
My last spot I found a TON of fresh sign with food shelter and cover... so I know where to hit next time.

But overall, until I by chance hit this spot, not a single sign of life. Honestly I utterly HATE hunting Western wa... unless I am simply after Grouse... came across 43 GROUSE YESTERDAY... could have limited by 6:40 if I'd have brought my Shotty...
43 grouse!!! That's amazing. I'd love to see that many grouse in one day!
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: Forrestrover.02 on September 15, 2013, 03:49:07 PM: Over the last two years I've been concentrating on a specific area in
Unit 460. After hunting the area for a while, I started seeing animals.
Ended up with a nice buck last year. I hadn't really thought of that spot
As a serious deer hunting area before that. I agree with working a smaller area, & being patient.
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: furiouzgeorge on September 15, 2013, 06:16:59 PM: I've been hunting the same spot for two years now. I've just been trying different approaches, times of day, hunt methods (i.e. still, blind, stand.) and have to agree that it takes time to get to know an area, understand it's wildlife, and inevitably put meat on the table. I hunted this spot for Bear all year last year and got nothing. This year I've spooked bear, and today came across super fresh scat and bear tracks in a creek bed. Found one of Momma and Cubbies bedding spots and high-tailed it out of there. I'd hazard to guess that you're covering too much ground. Slow down, find a patch of DNR land that you can come back to time and time again and invest the time. I'm sure it'll pay off!
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: Kc_Kracker on September 15, 2013, 10:11:42 PM: as i was told. they smell and especially hear you and your bike long before you see them. park, get off, sit sit sit sit all day.. its a waiting game if you know they are in the area. if you hapen to just see one wander in the bike path it will be by accident not normal. :tup:
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: DoubleJ on September 15, 2013, 10:16:06 PM: Quote from: steeliedrew on September 10, 2013, 09:26:37 PM
can you explain the moon phase thing? I always thought a full moon is the worst. It's not real full right now so I was thinking it was the heat being the reason they're doing most or all of their feeding at night?

http://besttimestohunt.net/default.aspx (http://besttimestohunt.net/default.aspx)

Change the zip code. Today I drove past some private property that holds a lot of deer and for the first time in a few weeks, they were out and feeding in the middle of the field, not on the edges, at 7pm. That tells me they worked the edges and out into the middle of the field between 5:30-6:30pm, just in line with what the moon phase chart shows.

If you read blacktail tactics 2, it explains that it's not really the full moon or not full moon, it has more to do with the moon rise and moon set, whether it's full or not. A moon, actually the fuller the better, that rises within an hour of sunset, i.e. this week, means a LOT of deer movement the last 2-3 hours of daylight.
Title: Re: Why can't I find deer!?
Post by: Bullets_n_Octane on September 17, 2013, 11:45:14 PM: Quote from: Forrestrover.02 on September 15, 2013, 03:43:27 PM
Quote from: Bullets_n_Octane on September 10, 2013, 09:12:05 AM
My last spot I found a TON of fresh sign with food shelter and cover... so I know where to hit next time.

But overall, until I by chance hit this spot, not a single sign of life. Honestly I utterly HATE hunting Western wa... unless I am simply after Grouse... came across 43 GROUSE YESTERDAY... could have limited by 6:40 if I'd have brought my Shotty...
43 grouse!!! That's amazing. I'd love to see that many grouse in one day!

Ridiculous amount. Like I said, if I would have had my Shotgun, I would have limited out on grouse easily, Rabbits too! Lovin this new area I found. Now if I could only know for sure if there is Bears in there...