Post by: BigGameSeeker on October 06, 2024, 10:50:01 AM
I’m 34 and Last year was my first year hunting. I did not grow up in a family that hunts and want to change that for my kids. My wife’s family hunted central Washington for decades but most of them are at an age that they can’t get out in The field much and nobody on this side of the state is keeping the sport alive in the family. I am a solo hunter for the most part due to lack of prospects willing or able to put in the work I want to put into hunting. I spent all last year putting many miles on my truck and boots. I did a lot of research but barely scratched the surface. I saw a few doe, a small Muley buck and a herd of elk with no legal bulls last year. I would always find this forum when I would research and thought I should join. I don’t have much experience. Just a lot of enthusiasm. My son is 8 and my daughter is 6. my goal is to spend the next few years becoming a good hunter so I can teach them when they are old enough to join me. I spent a lot of time around Chewelah last year and this year hope to cover even more ground and venture further out. If I get lucky I hope to submit harvest photos at some point in the next few years and hopefully this year if the effort pays off. Even if I harvest nothing but blisters I am always happy and grateful to be out in the field.
Post by: MeepDog on October 06, 2024, 11:22:31 AM
Persistence pays off, knowledge comes later... I hope. Still waiting.
:chuckle:
Post by: BigGameSeeker on October 06, 2024, 11:25:54 AM
Welcome to the forum!Thanks MeepDog. Glad to be here
Persistence pays off, knowledge comes later... I hope. Still waiting.
:chuckle:
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Post by: TeacherMan on October 06, 2024, 12:48:54 PM
Post by: BigGameSeeker on October 06, 2024, 01:04:24 PM
Welcome to the forum! It’s a great place with endless amounts of information. Thanks for not making your first post asking for someone’s honey hole. If you ever make it into north Idaho hunting shoot me a message. Best of luckThanks! I love north Idaho. If I ever get to the point where I can justify the price of the out of state tag I definitely will.
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Post by: chukardogs on October 06, 2024, 01:35:56 PM
The knowledge will come and keep coming every time you step foot in the hills. There will never be a day where you say to yourself, "well I guess that's it, nothing else to learn out here."
Over the years, I've learned that those beliefs I had when younger, don't apply anymore or if being honest, may not have been accurate and based in reality in the first place.
At 62, I walk into the hills every time with only a few basic things that I know for sure. One of which is, I wasn't going to see a nice buck while sitting on the couch watching football. Another, as stupid as it sounded the first time I heard it and every time I say it, "they're where you find them," is as true today as it was the first time my father said it in 1968. Next, getting locked in to a belief of where you're going to find an animal is one of the best ways to go hungry. Be vigilante at all times when in the hills. Another lesson that has been cemented over the years because it's just a fact, if you see them first, you have a chance, if they see you first, you might as well have stayed on the couch watching football. Always move slower than you think is possible and always have something against your back. If you need to cross a large opening, skirt the edge if possible. If not look the area over well before getting out into the middle of it. One I've learned here in the last several years, if by yourself, when the animal is down and the fun has begun, if possible, move him to a place with as much visibility as possible and never ignore your surroundings. Always keep a rifle or sidearm on your person or close enough to grab it if needed. Wolves have no reason to consider a gun shot a threat. Some might even consider it a dinner bell.
Then there's just the old basic life lessons that apply to the outdoors as well as the rest of life. If it seems to good to be true, it probably isnt, doing stupid stuff usually hurts and last but not least, just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should.
Just enjoy the outdoors and understand you'll learn, you'll change your mind and there ain't nobody that knows it all when it comes to being in the outdoors. Go have fun and be safe!
Post by: BigGameSeeker on October 06, 2024, 02:26:42 PM
A good hunter isn't gauged by knowledge. A good hunter is ethical and plays by the rules unless the rules would make him unethical. Fair chase is exactly that and each person will have a boundary or limit to what they believe is fair chase for them.Thanks so much for the words of wisdom. There’s a lot of truth to the things you said and I completely agree. I’m a firm believer that if my ideas or positions on a topic aren’t able to stand up to scrutiny or change then I probably need to reevaluate. If I were to think I know everything, then I probably know so little that I don’t know what I don’t know.I’m always learning, always listening and always evolving. Hopefully not in reverse!
The knowledge will come and keep coming every time you step foot in the hills. There will never be a day where you say to yourself, "well I guess that's it, nothing else to learn out here."
Over the years, I've learned that those beliefs I had when younger, don't apply anymore or if being honest, may not have been accurate and based in reality in the first place.
At 62, I walk into the hills every time with only a few basic things that I know for sure. One of which is, I wasn't going to see a nice buck while sitting on the couch watching football. Another, as stupid as it sounded the first time I heard it and every time I say it, "they're where you find them," is as true today as it was the first time my father said it in 1968. Next, getting locked in to a belief of where you're going to find an animal is one of the best ways to go hungry. Be vigilante at all times when in the hills. Another lesson that has been cemented over the years because it's just a fact, if you see them first, you have a chance, if they see you first, you might as well have stayed on the couch watching football. Always move slower than you think is possible and always have something against your back. If you need to cross a large opening, skirt the edge if possible. If not look the area over well before getting out into the middle of it. One I've learned here in the last several years, if by yourself, when the animal is down and the fun has begun, if possible, move him to a place with as much visibility as possible and never ignore your surroundings. Always keep a rifle or sidearm on your person or close enough to grab it if needed. Wolves have no reason to consider a gun shot a threat. Some might even consider it a dinner bell.
Then there's just the old basic life lessons that apply to the outdoors as well as the rest of life. If it seems to good to be true, it probably isnt, doing stupid stuff usually hurts and last but not least, just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should.
Just enjoy the outdoors and understand you'll learn, you'll change your mind and there ain't nobody that knows it all when it comes to being in the outdoors. Go have fun and be safe!
Post by: chukardogs on October 06, 2024, 03:43:34 PM
Recently I had to accept something that was probably obvious but it hadn't yet been cemented to my psyche and or I'm just to stubborn to believe my bird dog is just smarter than I am. When my bird dog says there's a bird in there and he finally sits down and won't budge, there's a bird in there. I can only imagine what he thinks when the bird finally flushes and I'm not in position to get a shot. When both dogs avert their eyes, bow and shake their head, all I can do is tell them, don't get uppity, I know where your food is.
Post by: pianoman9701 on October 07, 2024, 08:39:35 AM
Post by: BigGameSeeker on October 07, 2024, 10:25:20 AM
Welcome to the forum and good for you to become a hunter for your family. You and your kids will learn far more than hunting from the pursuit of wild game.Thanks! I look forward to what the sport will teach me and hopefully I don’t have to learn too much of it the hard way with the help I can get here.
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Post by: GASoline71 on October 07, 2024, 10:53:08 AM
Gary
Post by: BigGameSeeker on October 07, 2024, 11:03:29 AM
Welcome aboard! Just remember, that having patience will teach you more than anything while out in the woods.Very true. Thanks Gary
Gary
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Post by: Billy74 on October 07, 2024, 11:03:43 AM
Post by: BigGameSeeker on October 07, 2024, 02:00:35 PM
Welcome, I started a few years ago too and mostly hunt solo. A lot of tag soup but i can look back and am amazed what I have learned and so many good memories. First time I finally had a shooter in front of me I was not ready, did not react the way I rehearsed in my head and the second time too! Lol. I hunt modern in the NE units. Our Camps always open to fellow novice hunters to stop by and chat if your in 105I definitely hear you there. I got hit with buck fever pretty hard even just seeing the little one I saw and my whole plan went out the window. Luckily I was able to realize it and just let him walk and not make a mistake I’d regret more than missing the opportunity. I’ll keep you in mind if I make my way to 105. I only do modern as well but one day hope to do archery in addition.
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Post by: pianoman9701 on October 07, 2024, 02:05:45 PM
Post by: BigGameSeeker on October 07, 2024, 02:36:35 PM
Mike Tyson once said "everyone has a plan until they getI’ve always loved that quote.punched in the facebuck fever!". Hunt elk with archery. Once you've been close to and kill elk, you'll never get buck fever again. You might get bull fever, but...
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Post by: chukardogs on October 07, 2024, 03:04:07 PM
Post by: BigGameSeeker on October 07, 2024, 04:18:24 PM
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Post by: Pacific Ghost on October 08, 2024, 11:35:58 AM
Post by: BigGameSeeker on October 08, 2024, 01:11:19 PM
Here is some advice you have probably already heard. Don't focus on fully visible animals in open terrain; those are not difficult to see. Train your eyes to focus on the harder to see aspects. A lighter or darker patch, a contour line, an ear, a face, part of an antler, a small movement. Then, unless you are a super long range shooter, keep the wind in your face.I hope there’s not an obvious animal in that picture or I need a lot of practice spotting animals. As far as long range shooter, I don’t know if I will ever go that route out of fear I would just hurt something enough for it to suffer for days and die for no reason.
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Post by: chukardogs on October 08, 2024, 01:21:28 PM
Post by: chukardogs on October 08, 2024, 01:22:55 PM
Post by: Pacific Ghost on October 08, 2024, 01:35:24 PM
Post by: BigGameSeeker on October 08, 2024, 01:44:22 PM
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Post by: Pacific Ghost on October 08, 2024, 01:50:22 PM
Post by: BigGameSeeker on October 08, 2024, 01:54:34 PM
In that pic we were fortunate enough to be blessed with a lighter patch, a contour line and part of an antler. Bedded bull elk in lower right quadrant. Just a big 6 point is all. Here he is in the center of this second pic.That was tough. I definitely see the antler now but I wouldn’t have noticed that in the first picture.
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Post by: Pacific Ghost on October 08, 2024, 01:59:13 PM
Cheers
Post by: Pacific Ghost on October 08, 2024, 02:06:04 PM
Post by: BigGameSeeker on October 08, 2024, 02:11:42 PM
Here is a lot easier one.Ok that got my confidence a little higher than the first one. I’m not completely oblivious.
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Post by: chukardogs on October 08, 2024, 02:13:53 PM
Post by: Pacific Ghost on October 08, 2024, 02:32:18 PM
What was the range on the elk in the first picture?
Around 575 yds
Post by: chukardogs on October 08, 2024, 03:31:11 PM
The only lesson or lessons I learned from that episode are first, deer are smart, next, when hunting, never get fixated on anything and then last, hunting is the most fun a person can have legally. The few times in my life when I've been up close and personal with a really big deer, there is nothing else in life that is more exciting than that to me. Good luck out there!
And yes, the spindly three point was legal and had my goal been to bring home a deer, I could have shot him. I guess my goal is to spend and enjoy my time in the outdoors and if the right situation presents itself, maybe I bring home a deer or a bear.
Post by: BigGameSeeker on October 08, 2024, 04:03:09 PM
Mule Deer are specialist at concealment. A few years ago, I started down a ridge I hunt all the time. Fog thick enough that 50 to 75 yards was as far as you could see and between the rain and the fog blowing through, the visibility was going from 10 to 15 yards to 50 to 75 and back to 10 to 15 every 30 seconds or so. I stepped away from a sapling just far enough to get a view of the crest of the ridge because I'd found bucks laying there before when it was raining. There was a spindly 3 point standing up next to a large Ponderosa pine about 70 yards below me. The buck didn't know I was there so I just figured I'd have some fun and see just how close I could get. With my back to the saplings, I stayed as tight to the cover as I could without brushing up against it and slowly cut the distance in half. At this point, to get closer, I was going to have to step away from the cover behind me. When the buck turned it's head and looked directly down the ridge, I figured with the noise of the rain and the fact that I was above the deer and my scent should be going up hill away from the animal, I started to slowly step away from the cover. I was able to cover 10 to 15 feet. The deer was still oblivious to my presence and I figured that was close enough and stopped and stood still. I had spent the last 15 minutes focused on my feet, the deer and whether I would brush up against anything. At this point as I started to take in all of my surroundings and as I pivoted my head, I saw movement behind and over my left shoulder as a monster mule deer buck stood up at about 10 yards away from behind a dead fall with branches sticking in all directions. He'd actually been laying amongst all of the dead limbs on the uphill side of the deadfall trunk. I realized afterwards, as I stepped away from the saplings, if I had turned my head and looked to my left, I'd have been looking right at him. Had the buck jumped at that point, I may have gotten a shot. With the buck waiting until I was below him, his second or third jump put him over an edge and going into thick timber above me.Thats an awesome experience. The mule deer I saw last year stood on a basically bare hillside and it took me 10 minutes of looking right at him before I realized he was there. He blended in so well and I only spotted him when he moved. By the time I decided to move to the next ridge to get within a comfortable range he was gone and I never saw him again. Of course that’s excluding the big muley buck that walked right across the road in front of me as I was after elk. Also saw 3 big whitetail bucks as I was looking for elk. It’s like they knew I couldn’t shoot them and taunted me. Only saw the one buck actually during the season.
The only lesson or lessons I learned from that episode are first, deer are smart, next, when hunting, never get fixated on anything and then last, hunting is the most fun a person can have legally. The few times in my life when I've been up close and personal with a really big deer, there is nothing else in life that is more exciting than that to me. Good luck out there!
And yes, the spindly three point was legal and had my goal been to bring home a deer, I could have shot him. I guess my goal is to spend and enjoy my time in the outdoors and if the right situation presents itself, maybe I bring home a deer or a bear.
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Post by: Drewrich on October 08, 2024, 08:18:55 PM
Post by: BigGameSeeker on October 08, 2024, 08:27:41 PM
Hey all, I'm in a similar boat myself. Didn't grow up with guns at all, so no hunting in the family. I started whitetail hunting in 2021 in the NE corner. Got lucky with a buck the first year, but skunked the last two seasons. I keep trying to find a good "how to" podcast for basic hunting strategy but can't seem to find one specific to whitetails in the PNW. Have you found anything good along those lines?I watch a lot of samong outdoors but it’s not really a how to. He has some “how to” content but it’s limited. He’s in our area and I really enjoy him and his content. I’m sure there are people here with much better recommendations but I find myself watching “the hunting public”. they’re in completely different areas than we are but it’s nice to see content that talks about hunting with more public land hunting information. I really like a bunch of other channels but it’s hard to relate when they’re not on public.
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Post by: addicted1 on October 08, 2024, 10:28:23 PM
Hey all, I'm in a similar boat myself. Didn't grow up with guns at all, so no hunting in the family. I started whitetail hunting in 2021 in the NE corner. Got lucky with a buck the first year, but skunked the last two seasons. I keep trying to find a good "how to" podcast for basic hunting strategy but can't seem to find one specific to whitetails in the PNW. Have you found anything good along those lines?
There’s not many, if any directly how to. Search for Troy Pottinger as guest on podcast (I think that’s the spelling) he hunts Wa and North ID WT. I’d recommend getting old WT hunting books and apply those tactics to our region. Deer are still deer and they all need the basic things.
Also big woods tactics are some what similar to our area and there are tons of how to videos for hunting the big woods, and you can also apply Midwest tactics to a degree. Instead of fields it’s reprod and edge habit is the forest cover, you have inside corners, funnels it’s just different stuff make that up and it’s usually on a mountain instead of flat land.
Post by: BigGameSeeker on October 10, 2024, 04:47:08 AM
Hey all, I'm in a similar boat myself. Didn't grow up with guns at all, so no hunting in the family. I started whitetail hunting in 2021 in the NE corner. Got lucky with a buck the first year, but skunked the last two seasons. I keep trying to find a good "how to" podcast for basic hunting strategy but can't seem to find one specific to whitetails in the PNW. Have you found anything good along those lines?I found one episode of a podcast called cutting the distance that has a guest on who hunts our area for whitetail. it’s episode 21 called mountain whitetails and how to hunt them with John Gabrio. The host is Jason Phelps and they’re with meateater.
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Post by: Drewrich on October 11, 2024, 11:02:51 AM
I should have also prefaced my first post- I passed on four small bucks last year so I think I'm in a great spot. I had listened to too many pros that were hunting for monster bucks and I thought I would do the same. But then it bit me and I went home empty handed... that was a bummer.