Dealing with deer frustration...

[RogerRamjet]

Hi all,
Back to hunting a second time. Used to hunt deer and moose in Northern Ontario as a lad with my granddad. Just got back into it this year here (25 years later!). I have spent the last five weekends scouring the Chilliwack Lake areas for Black Tails. Saw a ginourmous buck on top of Mount Laughington, at 1700 metres but there was no way I was going to get up there and I'm not interested in long distance shooting anyways. One buck early in the morning is all. And I've been all up the Nesakwacth FSR and Chipmunk Creek FSR, Bench Road and up Ford Mountain. Tried to get to Foley Lake but it's treed in.
So this weekend I decided to roam a little farther and head up the Coquihalla to Juliet Creek area, a little frozen lake just west of Michael Lake Recreation Area. A beautiful day today, -21 degrees, very sunny, and dry. Just gorgeous...but absolutley no deer sign, no tracks, no rubs nothing. I called with my deer calls for 4 hours, scanned the treelines of many clearcuts. I could only get to 1500 metres but I scoped further up the top of Mount Maka and saw nothing. Ran down to Carolin Mines and tried there a bit late in the day. But no go there.
Question: what the *$%*%$#*^$% am I doing wrong? I really hoped the service roads off Murray Lake FSR would be a gold mine for Mule deer but I didn't see one deer track all day.
Anyone out there who might be able to offer some critique, advice, words of encouragement?
Thanks,
Rog

[wingmaster]

i woulnt be giving away the location of that ginormous buck and would be after him, if hes sticking in that area you may run into him in a better location for a shot if you focussed your time there

[RogerRamjet]

wingmaster, yes, I know it's very tempting. I'd have to spend a whole day snoeshoeing up the mountain, camp overnight and find him early the next morning. Does anyone ever go that far for a buck?

[~T-BONE~]

i woulnt be giving away the location of that ginormous buck and would be after him, if hes sticking in that area you may run into him in a better location for a shot if you focussed your time there

X2 man get it done!

[tinhorse]

Heck yes go that far! Big blacktails are gems. If you find one don't let it get away!

[RogerRamjet]

Hmmm, I think I need to buy a winter sleeping bag.:smile:

[hunter1947]

Hi all,
Back to hunting a second time. Used to hunt deer and moose in Northern Ontario as a lad with my granddad. Just got back into it this year here (25 years later!). I have spent the last five weekends scouring the Chilliwack Lake areas for Black Tails. Saw a ginourmous buck on top of Mount Laughington, at 1700 metres but there was no way I was going to get up there and I'm not interested in long distance shooting anyways. One buck early in the morning is all. And I've been all up the Nesakwacth FSR and Chipmunk Creek FSR, Bench Road and up Ford Mountain. Tried to get to Foley Lake but it's treed in.
So this weekend I decided to roam a little farther and head up the Coquihalla to Juliet Creek area, a little frozen lake just west of Michael Lake Recreation Area. A beautiful day today, -21 degrees, very sunny, and dry. Just gorgeous...but absolutley no deer sign, no tracks, no rubs nothing. I called with my deer calls for 4 hours, scanned the treelines of many clearcuts. I could only get to 1500 metres but I scoped further up the top of Mount Maka and saw nothing. Ran down to Carolin Mines and tried there a bit late in the day. But no go there.
Question: what the *$%*%$#*^$% am I doing wrong? I really hoped the service roads off Murray Lake FSR would be a gold mine for Mule deer but I didn't see one deer track all day.
Anyone out there who might be able to offer some critique, advice, words of encouragement?
Thanks,
Rog

Just keep doing the things you are doing you did see a hummer head of a big buck the time will come soon or later that you will tag your deer.

One thing that I would if I was you is get out during the months of July Aug to scout out different areas this helps big time when the GOS rolls around..

Doing this scouting during late spring summer months and after the season has closed tells you what is within these areas if you don't see much in one area then just keep going to different
areas until you find a decent number of deer ,,glassing theses slashes early morning and late evening tell you what is in the areas,,

Pre scouting is a must.......
In order to know where deer are putting out a few trail cams with some salt will help big time to tell you what is within the areas,,many of times
over my hunting years I have been frustrated..

I went 3 years without tagging a bull elk did this get me down yes it did ,,I just said to myself there will be next year and if not the next year good
does come your way,,never say die just keep on trucking you will find if not this year the next year or the next..

[RogerRamjet]

Thanks hunter1947. I can see now the importance of summer scouting. I can also see how fortunate we were in Ontario when the deer were so thick you had to beat them off with a stick.