Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: mendozer on April 24, 2015, 12:41:00 PM

Title: Resources on big game
Post by: mendozer on April 24, 2015, 12:41:00 PM: Anyone know of a book that has lots of good information on understanding big game? I'm still a noob and I've done research online but never come across any definitive hard facts like "In Sept the deer like to go *** and eat *** if it's ** temperature". There's gotta be some biologist or even wildlife observational books out there that cover this.

Or does anyone want to spill all their secrets? haha
Title: Re: Resources on big game
Post by: Buzz2401 on April 24, 2015, 12:55:30 PM: I feel you cant learn how to hunt from a book. You need to get out and make mistakes. The more mistakes you make the better you will become. Get out in the woods and start checking things out.
Title: Re: Resources on big game
Post by: Jonathan_S on April 24, 2015, 12:58:58 PM: You can learn a lot from books but it will never replace time in the woods. Get out there and make observations and then seek confirmation in books and forums...not the other way around.

Good luck.
Title: Re: Resources on big game
Post by: fishnfur on April 24, 2015, 11:41:26 PM: I completely agree with the others. Time in the field is required to make sense of what you've read and likely more important. I think it is very worthwhile to understand your quarry, but it is important to understand that the animals don't necessarily follow what researchers have written. Perhaps they don't read well.

I belong to hunting forums in BC, WA and OR. Reading posts by other hunters will give you more information than you will find in most books, but there are exceptions as well. Try searching hunting forums for threads along the lines of "Blacktail Help" or "Elk tactics". You will be reading for weeks.

Once you've read a bunch, go out in the field and try to make sense of it. Have fun!

PM sent.
Title: Re: Resources on big game
Post by: GBoyd on April 25, 2015, 08:23:59 AM: :yeah:

This forum is the best book I've found on the forum. I've read through large portions of the deer, elk, and bear threads. The bear thread especially is a really great resource. I would recommend spending a lot of time there.

I also haven't found any books that are particularly useful.
Title: Re: Resources on big game
Post by: Tbar on April 25, 2015, 09:31:13 AM: Mendozer there are several great resources available that will shorten your learning curve when afield. Your question is actually broad and somewhat difficult but I'll give you a few of my reads. Some reads are quite dry while others are very engaging.
O'Conner- The art of hunting big game in North America
Boyd Iverson- blacktail trophy tactics
Cam Hanes-bowhunting trophy blacktails
Eastman-elk hunting the West
David long-public land mule deer
North American elk-ecology and management
Mastering mule deer- Wayne van zwoll
Trophy blacktails-Scott Haugen
That's a start if you need more shoot me a pm and could think of others. I'm sure I've missed several great resources.
P.s. I almost forgot one of the best resources out there, elknut. He is elknut1 here on the forum. I would (did) call him and order as much of his material as he will sell. His focus is on calling elk for the most part but there is as much info as you can absorb in his products.
Good luck and stay positive.