Originally Posted by
Wild one
I don’t hunt Merritt but know people who do that are consistently successful. They are not relying on early season alpine or private land. Some are mule deer guys others hunt whitetail more so. All hunt public land but have invested effort into learning their spots.
I don’t hunt the area and don’t think any othe the guys I know would be up for taking out someone they don’t know. Most of them are tight lipped and anti social lol
Sorry I can’t be much help other then tell you the deer are there. Pick the species you have most interest in research the proffered habitat of that species and seek it out and scout.
If you can find a mentor to help you out it’s valuable but don’t let it hold you back from scouting. The best spots are usually the ones you find yourself. In my opinion rookies have an advantage in ways do to an open mind that can cause them to stumble on overlooked locations. Look for places others don’t go, don’t get caught up on large tracks of land, You don’t need FSR access everywhere, think small pockets, sightings are nice but at time good sign is all you need to find a good pocket and often it’s not about how far you hike
I wish you luck and advise mentor or not get out and explore