Disheartened

[Andy83]

I haven't shot a Mule deer since 2012, been 2 years since I got a whitetail. I shot one grouse last year and didn't fill my moose leh. I get out because I enjoy going out, shooting something is a bonus. Keep at it if you like doing it.

[deer nut]

Better to forget the ATV, hunt harder, hunt deeper, get out earlier and stay out later, move slowly and don't give up!

[Rattler]

Get away from roads and pressure and you will see more game. Move less and glass more. Find sign and try to pattern movements. If you can find major game trails where animals are moving from feeding to bedding suggest sitting on these with wind in your favour.
Hunting in snow: cover ground until you find sign. Try rattling to bring bucks to you. Keep at it, be patient and you will be successful.

[Darksith]

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.

What, where when why?

These are all important factors in success. What are you hunting, where are you hunting, when are you hunting and why aren't you being successful. Ask youself these questions and fix it. I have been on 6 elk hunts now, 4 in the EK and 2 in 7B. We have harvested 1 cow with an LEH. This year was my first hearing an elk bugle, my first communicating with a bull elk, and my first time looking up and seeing antlers sticking up over the bushes. Not my first successful bull hunt though as we setup wrong for the terrain, but we did learn a lot and had a ton of fun doing it.

Some of the things I have learned and am working on fixing are the "when"...going to hunt in the rut from now on, I keep saying that every year but for whatever reason it doesn't seem to happen, the "where" well I avoid 7B because it is such a gong show, but maybe I shouldn't on my next elk hunt, I do love the EK and have a pretty good area. We saw over 30 elk, several bulls that either were 5x5 or we couldn't get a count on and Im not really interested in harvesting a rag horn bull, so probably off to the EK again next elk adventure, but the "when" will change and the "where" will also change slightly as I believe I understand "where" to find the vocal elk in my area now as well.

Elk are fricken smart, and you can get lucky or you can get skilled. I feel like my 40+ days of elk hunting are teaching me a lot, and sure it sucks coming home with nothing but thats hunting. Ive spent a lot of time learning and eventually it will pay off to where I start coming home successful on more hunts than not.

Thats just my story about struggles, deer are easy, moose are easy if you can hunt in the right places at the right times. My struggles aren't the same as someoene elses, but we all have them. Keep it up, enjoy the hunt, never give up and have no regrets

[HarryToolips]

I haven't shot a Mule deer since 2012, been 2 years since I got a whitetail. I shot one grouse last year and didn't fill my moose leh. I get out because I enjoy going out, shooting something is a bonus. Keep at it if you like doing it.

This is the additude right here, keep at it OP....the last several posts take note..