New hunter, went out alone, a couple of questions.

[DeepJeep]

Hello all, new hunter here and finally have everything sorted out: pick up, gear, firearms, sighting in, etc.
I went out alone this past weekend a couple times. On Monday, it was the entire day. I found a good spot and sat there from 3pm to legal shooting time. I saw a bunch of tracks (some fresh ones, mostly elk), fresh poop (maybe from the morning) but didnt see any deer anywhere. That got me a bit confused and I have some questions now:

- I was at about 5500 ft of elevation. Do does hang out at a lower level? is this the right elevation right now? I did see more elk tracks than deer which is why I am wondering.
- Second, my truck burns oil a bit and it smells when its running and until it cools down a bit. I parked my truck on the logging road and hiked up about 300 yards. Would that smell deter deer? has anyone else experienced anything like that?

Pics keep things more interesting so here's what the scene looked like. Peaceful was an understatement.

http://i67.tinypic.com/qsv2te.jpg

http://i63.tinypic.com/10gchmp.jpg
thanks
DJ

[Vladimir Poutine]

Keep at it. Don't get too focused on tracks. They are an indicator but they can sidetrack from the overall picture. It will happen, and when you least expect it. Tracks or not. Let your eyes go. Look to the timber lines, but look close as well. Always check behind you when you are walking or sitting. The best tracks are the ones where the prey is standing in them. Good luck.

[TPK]

Keep it up, you're doing the right things, just need the deer to appear now! lol As for your smelly truck, not an issue at all. As mentioned, check behind you! I've been snucked up on by an animal or two and didn't know until retracing my steps back out and seeing their tracks DOH!!

[Steeleco]

Don't get in the habit of looking for whole animals. Look long and slow and look for movement of the slightest bit. An ear flick or tail wag can sometimes help you see who's been looking at you for longer than you know.

[finngun]

Take care of ya truck,,,,,ya dont wanna get stuck when evening comes,,it is not fun to wait daylight in ya non moving truck alone in back country...at least make sure you have needed stuff for camping..good hunting..f...G:confused:

[Bugle M In]

try and walk the edge of the cutblocks.
also, as stated, don't look for entire animal.
Ears, nose, white patch, flicker, or horizontal lines, or harder....tines.
Use you bino's.....a lot!
And can be hard to do, but some guys take 3 or 4 slow steps, and than scan with bino all around....
and not just scanning way out there....but also close by.
take 3 to 4 steps (quietly)....and repeat.
Makes for a long day, but you can assure that you have hunted the area fully.
Don't get caught up in sitting in the middle of a cut block all day ( I grew up doing that)
Now, I go in and hunt them....much more success and I see way more now.
As snow hits, drive around.
You will find areas that have deer tracks, but they are "straight line movements"....
Than other areas will have no sign.
But when you come across an area, that has tracks all over, going this direction and that direction, old and fresh....
This is what you are looking for, and than you go from there.
The deer can move around inside timber, and maybe close by in the vicinity, or up to 1 km away.
But it gives you and idea of what to look for.
Don't forget, bucks travel a lot in a day, from one place to the next.
But I find does tend to stay in an area, so that is the best place to hang out.
Also, if the snow is really crunchy, and not fresh....either stay put in a spot....
or, road hunt that day....
Sometimes hunting smarter, not harder is the way to go.
Deer use their hearing to maximum effect and protection.
Sense of smell is right up there as well.
Just keep going out, seems like a nice area, and as the snow starts coming, it will give you some more insight
on that area.
Look for rubs from bucks, should be happening now.
Best of luck to you.
Fix your truck though, and a handheld gps, can be a great asset, when plotting areas for sign etc.

[Vladimir Poutine]

try and walk the edge of the cutblocks.
also, as stated, don't look for entire animal.
Ears, nose, white patch, flicker, or horizontal lines, or harder....tines.
Use you bino's.....a lot!
And can be hard to do, but some guys take 3 or 4 slow steps, and than scan with bino all around....
and not just scanning way out there....but also close by.
take 3 to 4 steps (quietly)....and repeat.
Makes for a long day, but you can assure that you have hunted the area fully.
Don't get caught up in sitting in the middle of a cut block all day ( I grew up doing that)
Now, I go in and hunt them....much more success and I see way more now.
As snow hits, drive around.
You will find areas that have deer tracks, but they are "straight line movements"....
Than other areas will have no sign.
But when you come across an area, that has tracks all over, going this direction and that direction, old and fresh....
This is what you are looking for, and than you go from there.
The deer can move around inside timber, and maybe close by in the vicinity, or up to 1 km away.
But it gives you and idea of what to look for.
Don't forget, bucks travel a lot in a day, from one place to the next.
But I find does tend to stay in an area, so that is the best place to hang out.
Also, if the snow is really crunchy, and not fresh....either stay put in a spot....
or, road hunt that day....
Sometimes hunting smarter, not harder is the way to go.
Deer use their hearing to maximum effect and protection.
Sense of smell is right up there as well.
Just keep going out, seems like a nice area, and as the snow starts coming, it will give you some more insight
on that area.
Look for rubs from bucks, should be happening now.
Best of luck to you.
Fix your truck though, and a handheld gps, can be a great asset, when plotting areas for sign etc.

Can't agree more with the few steps. Just a few changes the entire view.

[Eva_Hunts]

One thing I've found is that an area can be used by animals at different times of the day. For example you might see deer there in the morning but never in the evening.

[Brian011]

Don't expect to see something every time, be consistent with one area and something is bound to turn up. Some area you won't see a thing for a few day, then all of a sudden you will see deer everywhere. Just be patient and learn that area, there will be deer around for sure

[DeepJeep]

thanks for the tips guys...
I was creeped out by the silence of the place. And i did look behind me a lot. Critters are silent and I was nervous about a bear or cougar showing up behind me.
Truck is dependable other than the oil smell. I did road hunt for the first couple hours basically trying to find a spot. Found one, sat for an hour, didnt like the vibe there so I moved to another one as shown in the pic.
I didn't go in very silently. I definitely could have been quieter.
Is a bigger cut considered a better hunting ground? My cut was about 250 square yards big.

[Bugle M In]

I spent a week up in the EK just a few weeks back.
All week....hardly a whitetail to be seen......spooky quiet all week.
1 huge rainstorm the night before leaving...next morning, pack up and on the drive out.....
Whitetails everywhere!!!
It changes.....if fresh sign is there.....the deer who made them will be too....
Just a matter of timing it right.

[MOWITCH SLAYER]

Patience and persistence ! If the tracks are there the game well be sooner or later . Trust your feelings, they have guided me through lots of experiences " good and bad "

[dog812]

I also suggest not sitting in the cut blocks. Hike the timbers edge. Sit, hike some more, once you get more comfortable, go deeper in the timber, and deeper. The further your away from others the better.
Good luck.