Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: cagifford on November 10, 2008, 12:05:22 PM

Title: thick or thin?
Post by: cagifford on November 10, 2008, 12:05:22 PM: Ive been hunting for a while now with limited success.
During the general season i hunted in goldendale and noticed that i could find deer but they were in very thick trees and brush. I tried pushing the brush with about 20 yards of visability and could hear the deer exploding out of the area and every once in a while id even see an ear or a tail. In the more open areas with 100 or so yards of visibility i never saw a deer.
So now im hunting up around collville for the late season and it seems i cant find anywhere that has any visibility that isn't private property. So either i don't hunt or i hunt the thick stuff.
so i guess my question is do you guys hunt areas with very little visibility and if so how are you identifying game and taking shots? Maybe i am the only one with this problem?
Title: Re: thick or thin?
Post by: PWN Kurt on November 10, 2008, 12:20:15 PM: That's the story of my life! Most of them that I see mid day are in cover and 2 jumps and they are gone...that's why they hang out there.

I recommend hunting the edges of the cover and maybe you'll jump them into an open area and they'll stop long enough you can ID your target and take the shot.

GOOD LUCK!

Kurt
Title: Re: thick or thin?
Post by: klikboom on November 10, 2008, 12:22:36 PM: hunt with 2 people, and spook them into each other, just be careful where you're shootin.
Title: Re: thick or thin?
Post by: 300rum on November 10, 2008, 12:30:13 PM: I think a big thing is how old you are. I swear there is a direct correlation to being older and having more success in tight brush. My grandfather, 80+ and father 50+ are perfect examples. You know what? I am getting better in the brush, what does that tell you? :chuckle: I watched my Grandpa in a spotting scope walk the side of a hill one time and he came within 50 yards of 7 bucks. The only problem was that his eyesight was gone and he couldn't see them. :chuckle: He didn't even believe me, or maybe didn't want to believe me, when I told him. I love watching folks walk through the brush with a spotting scope. The animals are long gone and bucks literally run circles around them. Brush busting and walking isn't what you want to do. Watch a buck, if you can, outside of the rut, in August or early October. Sometimes it will take them a half hour to walk 20 feet! Simply, that is what you have to do to be successful.

Go slow and even that is too fast. The trick that I use, that came from an uncle, is to walk the width of a road in 15 minutes. If you can do that you will start seeing deer. Believe me, it is tough to stay that focused when you want to look into the next draw or you see a "good spot" or you are entirely sure that there are no deer in the area but you have to do it and you have to stay with it.

I like hitting the brush in a big wind storm after a good rain. Usually after a cold front comes through and it rains a wind storm is on the tail end. When the wind is blowing 20+ mph I love it. Now, the deer are spooky and they are holed up in the tight brush but things are falling off the trees, the trees are moving and there is a whole lot of movement and sound in the forest and that covers me up and it also makes scent a non-issue because after a cold front it doesn't swirl. It evens the score, their ears are as good as mine and there nose is taken away, that only leaves sight to their advantage (which is still a big advantage). You have to move like I said above, 15 minuets for 30 feet and use your glass and you will still spoke them every-once-in-awhile but it sure is fun.
Title: Re: thick or thin?
Post by: Colville on November 10, 2008, 12:30:36 PM: unless you have a doe pmt, thick.

Most of the places I pick for a stand are covering sign/game trail/scrape etc on a travel route. Often my shooting window is no more than 8 or 10 yards by 20. People have a poor bias toward visibility when it comes to whitetails. Find current sign on a ridge, saddle or bench near a clear cut and you'll find sign. Then pay attention to the wind and try to set up to cover the travel path. Often you can hear them but not see them and you just have to hope they'll cross your lane.

I don't really care how thick it is I care about the quality of the sign and the stand location. A tiny little hole of visibility in the right place is far better than hundreds of yards of open cuts, again, unless you have doe tags.