Disheartened

[horshur]

Can't seem to find the game. Hunting areas with good sign, I've tried calling, gassing, still hunting. After three years and a few worn out boots I can't seem to even find something let alone shoot it and fill the freezer. It's seems like every truck coming home has antlers mounted to the atv. I start to feel like the quad hunters are pushing game back further than I can hike. Unfortunately spending thousands on a quad is not an option for me. It seems like hunting is becoming more suited for the boys with all the toys.

How many days of the year are you in the field? Success will come when you are spending the time year round and filling what you have seen away whether in your memory or in a notebook. If you do not have the experience not much is left but to depend on luck...there is a good chance you already know a fair bit if you give it a thought like possibly where not to hunt. Just by statistics the 40 hunter days per deer is probably bang on..spend 40 field days your success will be inevitable.

[DarekG]

Went out every single weekend in September and came out completely empty handed, same with my dad, I was beginning to think with the strange weather and fires that this year would be a pretty shit season.

Now come October, a bit of wind and rain, I got a buck last weekend and my dad got one this morning with me.
If there's anything I learned about being successful with hunting (though I'm still a novice for sure), is that you just have to keep going.

Then again, it all depends how picky you are. I'm hunting for meat.

[Drewtini]

I'm onto year 3 going deerless and had similar frustrations at the end of last year. I spent more time on the range to build better confidence, checked more summer spots to see what was happening, and now I also carry my .22 for grouse. They're tasty and dead easy to butcher.

Use glass, eyes, and ears more than your feet, try counting to ten between footsteps - every step is a new window on the world, and a new window for the world to see you.

And don't let the hecklers get at ya, it seems that some hunters want to protect some super exclusive club that they think the world hates, while doing their best to alienate the new people who would bring another voice to the team.

#HUNTINGincapsoneverythread

[The Hermit]

I'm onto year 3 going deerless and had similar frustrations at the end of last year. I spent more time on the range to build better confidence, checked more summer spots to see what was happening, and now I also carry my .22 for grouse. They're tasty and dead easy to butcher.

Use glass, eyes, and ears more than your feet, try counting to ten between footsteps - every step is a new window on the world, and a new window for the world to see you.

And don't let the hecklers get at ya, it seems that some hunters want to protect some super exclusive club that they think the world hates, while doing their best to alienate the new people who would bring another voice to the team.

#HUNTINGincapsoneverythread

Good post, that is what I was about to say only you said it much nicer than I would have. Ha

I have a friend that has been hunting elk for twenty+ years with his bow without killing a bull. He is one of the best hunters I know. Moral of the story is: the more you hunt the more you learn, and killing takes about a second or two out of the entire experience.

[twoSevenO]

From someone who went a few seasons deer less and learned from his mistakes..... there ain't no point in hunting an area that has no deer!

If you're not seeing deer and your trail cams aren't picking up deer you gotta move on! I don't care how nice the area looks or how easy it is to hike in. If there's no game you're not gonna get a deer in there.

If you ARE seeing deer then you might just be doing something wrong.

[Ohwildwon]

Anyone wearing out boots trying to hunt deer need a set of these!

ACME Deer Hunting Trainers. They weigh in @ 10lbs...

In other words, best make like a tree!..

[Rupert Retired]

Don't get disheartened. I think all of us old-timers have went through the same early years experience. Hang in there, keep frequenting the spots you have seen all the sign, learn about your quarry (ie best day times, rutting times, feeding habits etc). The big archilles heel in all of our prey is, they gotta eat! (well, and they gotta breed as well of course, a bigger archilles heel if the season stays open through the rut). So, this is a big enough tip to get you a look at something, for sure. Oh, and make sure you can hit something when it does show up! I used to joke with my wife, after a full season of hunting and seeing nothing, that all I needed was two bullets, the first one would either kill the animal or I would miss, in which case the second one was for me!!

[Quince]

Used my quad once so far this year.... got nothing.
punched moose tag and wt tag walking....

[KBC]

I'm in a similar spot. This is my third year and still no success bigger than a grouse. I'm not sure how much longer my wife will keep letting me out without rubbing it in...hahaha

Stay positive and learn every time you get out.

This morning I was out in a new spot (they are all new so far) and found what I thought would be a likely travel corridor and slowly snuck in. 20 minutes later 2 does were 15 yards from me. Sure they weren't legal for me to shoot but at least I'm starting to get close to them.

Keep at it.

[BRrooster]

Walk little , look lots. Build a ground blind . Movement is probably the biggest thing that gives hunters away. Sit for awhile and watch for movement, and you will be
amazed at what you will see. Of course scent is a biggy too. In your blind have something behind you that breaks up you image, like a bush or something, and like
I said keep movement to a minimum.
Have fun out there. Its great to watch game animals that don't even know you are there. Great way to learn more about them too.