OMG why am I cursed.

[greenhornhunter]

So had a week off work and decided that I was going out for a few days solo. Couple of friends wanted to join me, so sure no prob. (Was uneasy going alone anyway) get out and spent way too long for the guys to get their rifles sighted in and miss the first light on the 1st day. Started to feel gross and end up getting sick that night fever, head cold and the whole bit. After 4 days back at home. Saw about 12 does but no hint of a buck. Was around Paska Lake. Put boots to the ground and covered a lot of terrain, some beautiful spots and lots of cows, speaking of which why do ranchers have their herds out grazing on forestry roads in the middle of hunting season anyway??? Just venting my frustrations. Thanks for listening.

[sako79]

You're cursed my last three moose draws I haven't connected and cut a tag in fact I haven't even seen a moose while holding a draw in my hand. Total of 21 days of hunting hard and not seeing a single moose

[Big Lew]

Lol! Remember, you're the visitor. Having the ability to graze on government land for the fully allowed
time of their lease is very important for ranchers.

[walks with deer]

yup your cursed better self me your guns...

[greenhornhunter]

No disrespect to the ranchers it is just odd going up a game trail and then having a bull stare you down lol

[ncurrie]

No disrespect to the ranchers it is just odd going up a game trail and then having a bull stare you down lol

Ranchers lease crown land for summer grazing, you are seeing them start to come down the roads as they know it’s time to come home.

[northof49]

Yup...don’t care for cattle beating the crap out of Crown land.

[two-feet]

Gotta crawl before you walk. Keep at it and success will come

[blackbart]

The cattle are critical to supporting the predator density during the spring/summer/fall when the game are harder to hunt. That way come winter the game are still there for the preds to eat.....

[Cyrus]

Having hunted around there it's a tough area with a tons of pressure but they are around I am sure. It's getting to that point where the bucks are going to be a lot more nocturnal. Keep going and when you get to November something big might walk in front of you. I was 4 years skunked before I had 2 4 points walk right in front of me on Sept 11...

[walks with deer]

12 does is not bad...i normally see 2 bucks per 25 does...hunting is not shopping go again.

[RackStar]

you went hunting and didn’t get anything?

id call it quits myself... absolutely unacceptable...

[walks with deer]

yup i buy guns site unseen .50$ on the $

[twoSevenO]

If you thought you had a sh** weekend remember some of us have hiked 2-3 hrs into a spot and never seen even a single doe ..... now THAT makes for one confusing and disappointing trip! Lol

[Edzzed]

Just how long does it take to sight a rifle in and why was that not done last week or last month. When I bought my rifle and mounted the scope it took me all of 3 shots to sight it in. How I did it was to build my own lead sled out of wood. I set the rifle in it, Took a large piece of cardboard and taped a target to it in the center. Fired one shot and missed the target but hit the cardboard. Without moving lead sled I adjusted the the cross hairs onto where the bullet hit the cardboard and missed by inches. Further adjusted the cross hairs and took another shot. BULLS EYE. I can now hit a dime at 300 feet. That was 5 years ago and have never had to readjust it. Set and forget.....

[TreeStandMan]

For every big game animal harvested, I probably have 15 days in the field. Although I've connected the last 4 years, there were 4 years before that with nothing but learning experiences and tag soup.

This hunting thing, it isn't easy.

[Ron.C]

Keep at it. We've all been there when it seems like nothing goes your way. When ever I seem to hit a rut, I change things up and try something new. Hunt a different area, try a new tactic. I've shot my two biggest whitetails when it seemed like they had me beat and I changed my approach.

[RackStar]

Your better off solo if your hunting buddy’s don’t have their rifle “sighted in” well before hunting season

A serious WTF right there

[Frank grimes]

I was in 3-19 a yesterday. Got up at 330 am to get in my spot for about an hour before first light. After that explored abit. Saw nothing but fresh sign of deer. Then watched a herd of about 7 does. No bucks. I even got desperate enough to attempt bribing a chipmunk. Some trail mix for the location of a big buck sounded fair. But he declined. Lame.

[Salty]

Other than getting the plague I'd call the trip a success. You saw and learned some new country and you found does. In another month or so the bucks will be looking for those does. AFA range cattle go, it is what it is has been for years and … it sucks at times. LOL. I thought I had two epic trail cam sites figured out, through a lot of chest high blow down no way those bloated bovine bazdurds would get to them! Wrong. Can't believe what they made it through but after a few pics of does and fawns back in the spring it was just cows and not a hint of any deer once they showed up. Where the salt was, just a big gouged out hole. Chin up my friend beats being stuck in traffic ;)

[greenhornhunter]

My issue is because of my job I do not get many opportunities to string more than 2 days together for a hunt. Also the price of gas to get out of the LM is ridiculous. Enough to make one go broke

[walks with deer]

all joking aside...
join a gun club..find a mentour split the fuel costs and learn some tricks from a old boy who need some help in gas cost and muscle.

[Rhyno]

Your better off solo if your hunting buddy’s don’t have their rifle “sighted in” well before hunting season

A serious WTF right there

yup, was thinking the same

[Boner]

My issue is because of my job I do not get many opportunities to string more than 2 days together for a hunt. Also the price of gas to get out of the LM is ridiculous. Enough to make one go broke

Might as well give it up. Cheaper in the short run to buy a half or quarter of beef from your local butcher.

[Rackmastr]

You aren't a millennial by chance?

Dude...its hunting. Two threads created years apart about how you're 'cursed' because you didn't have instant success. Uggh...

[RackStar]

You need to stop putting pressure on yourself for a kill. It’s the journey and the hunt that I’m in it for. Soon as i switched that switch in my head I started killing more game and having way more fun. Explore. Wander. Enjoy the land.

Better luck next time.

If your in it for cheap meat. Better to get a cow like said above. Unless your bagging game 10km from your house it will never be a more economical choice.

[triggerhappy]

Sounds like your trip was a great success. Last week I went Elk hunting for the week and saw 3 mule does and a cow moose(not counting what I saw on farmers fields). That's it. Would have loved to see as much game as you did.

[Dannybuoy]

No disrespect to the ranchers it is just odd going up a game trail and then having a bull stare you down lol
Use the cattle to your advantage .... the deer are not quite so edgy to noise, branches breaking etc . I don't mind when I find cattle in an area .

[twoSevenO]

My issue is because of my job I do not get many opportunities to string more than 2 days together for a hunt. Also the price of gas to get out of the LM is ridiculous. Enough to make one go broke

You gotta make time for the things you love. Everyone in this country is entitled to 2 weeks of paid vacation minimum .... the fact you refuse to take yours is on you, not your job.

:P

[Stumpy]

Talk about being cursed.....every fall a bunch of nerds from Vancouver come up hoping to shoot a deer and move everyone's cattle around, I agree you should just stay home and buy BC beef with your gas money.

[walks with deer]

speacial on soothers at the dollar store...!!!

[walks with deer]

waahh waahh wahhh

ah soother

[greenhornhunter]

Thanks gentlemen, and I use that term very loosely. Some of you maybe right in that I should just give up and give up my guns. I guess there are asshats in any forum. Sorry for making this thread, I will stop my bitching and complaining now and put my big boy underwear on and throw out the pullups. I am not a millenial, just someone who is hard up on cash because I work my ass off to barely survive. I do enjoy the outdoors, have a family that I dedicate 2 out of my 3 weeks holidays to. Yes I can't get out much, i looked to this forum for some wisdom and insight as i don't have a mentor really. I guess i should have expected that some of you are immature and should go back to preschool.

[walks with deer]

there you go moping again...it not a curse it takes time out there..

get back out there.

[emerson]

I have hunted hard the last few falls with no success. Tomorrow I go out for a week with my brother to a close area that’s brutal to climb out of. We have decided to enjoy camping and not set pass or fail goals. Hard to adjust, but stress kills as you age. We will see.

[greenhornhunter]

Thanks for the encouraging words. My mentality always seems to focus on the negatives and very rarely the positives in life. Need to figure out how to rewire my brain to focus on the good

[REMINGTON JIM]

You aren't a millennial by chance?

Dude...its hunting. Two threads created years apart about how you're 'cursed' because you didn't have instant success. Uggh...


LOL Pretty Funny for Sure ! Some guys seem to think you just drive out and shoot then down like the they did the Bison in the Old West ! :p RJ

[AgSilver]

There's actually some interesting literature out there on rewiring our brains...basically training ourselves to think new ways and to develop new habits because the brain is, apparently, a completely trainable muscle...you can train away bad habits and develop good ones (in much the same way as the opposite happens)....where it goes beyond just willpower to do good things - it actually becomes your nature. Kinda neat stuff.

Anyhow, there are some shoddy comments here. You expressed yourself as just venting and a bunch of guys jumped down your throat. It's alright to acknowledge that things didn't go well and a lot of guys forget what it's like to try really hard for a long time and not see success and how frustrating that is.

Additionally, unlike some, some of us don't have the freedom to spend as much time outside as we would like and that can be a real challenge. So, making the absolute most of your time while doing it is key to feeling good about what you're doing. Sometimes careers, families, and location can all have a negative impact on our ability to do what we want to be doing.

Let the crappy comments flow off like water on a duck's back and just focus on the good parts and what you may be able to do differently next time. You obviously know it's not always going to be perfect and go the way you want - but that doesn't mean that when it's crappy, you can't bemoan it a bit....just don't let it consume you or negatively impact your willingness to continue doing this - if you give up, you'll let the negativity beat you. It's definitely a war of attrition - you've gotta keep at it if you hoe to have a chance of success.

[HarryToolips]

Thanks for the encouraging words. My mentality always seems to focus on the negatives and very rarely the positives in life. Need to figure out how to rewire my brain to focus on the good
Some of my best learning experiences have been when I haven't harvested anything....hard work pays off..

[Wild one]

My issue is because of my job I do not get many opportunities to string more than 2 days together for a hunt. Also the price of gas to get out of the LM is ridiculous. Enough to make one go broke

Then learn how to hunt the blacktail near home if time/$ is the issue. If you’re determined and put in the effort it can be a high success rate hunt actually but it takes time and effort. Took my fare share when I lived there and have friends that still knocking them down

The catch is we all put in our time failing to learn them. Before you bring up only weekends and limited funds why do you think some of these guys got good at blacktail hunting? They could not afford to take time off work to go elsewhere

A tip for you a trait most good hunters have is being able to adjust and work with the hand they are dealt.

Stop complaining and making excuses. Want to figure it out research 1 or 2 species focus and except that in the end if a hunter falls there is no excuse only poor choices for the hunt. We all fail even the best hunters

If you think these guys are tough on you you’re skin is to thin to share a campfire with my crew.

[caddisguy]

Here's a story for you.

I have been hunting blacktails pretty much every weekend (2, 3, sometimes maybe 4 days/nights) in GOS for 6 or 7 years now (lost count). I am thinking and reading about BT's constantly all year long. I usually run around 5-7 trailcams and spent countless hours and calories hauling salt up the thickest, steepest places you can imagine and see bucks partying all the time until early season and then they start to change patterns. Still, the odd one shows up, so I hunt these areas from opening day until Dec 15 when the season closes, whether it is scorching hot, 2 degrees and dumping 70mm of rain or it means sleeping my car at night in -15 to -20C, or sliding down icy hills, putting the jeep in the ditch, etc.

I learned some areas so well that I notice right away if a stick moved or snapped, or if there is a track in the moss that wasn't there before. For years, I have been trying to figure out where they go so I can increase my odds. Finally, last year while scouting for a new spring bear spot, I found an area that has more BT sign than I have seen anywhere in my life (more sign that I see in mule deer hot spots in other Regions) So, I am quite confident I found where my BT's go. However, that turned out to be ground zero for a 60ha forest fire, now burned up along with some of my cams. That on top of heavy logging in the valley bottom, the whole area is pretty much dead. We have hiked well over 100km since the season opened, looking for new area with good sign, hanging cameras, etc. The most sign we have come across predator kill sites and scat with hooves in it. The most promising spot I have come across is a patch of fairly open old growth 3km's into the timber that has quite a few tracks. The salt I left was hit a little but the camera malfunctioned. I had a spare camera to swap, but no extra batteries, so only 2/4 bars on that cam... who knows if it will film anything before it dies or not.

The most action I had all year was a 70 yard play on a grouse that flushed at 60 yards. Owls, ravens, hawks, etc, appear to be picking them off. And for the first time in 20 years of frequenting that valley we heard wolves howling... great.

To add to all this excitement, my knee is having some issues. I have been feeling a lot of grinding and clicking in there. After a few hours of hiking and climbing, the pain is intense and by the end of the day I'm pretty much limping.

Am I cursed? Not the slightest chance what so ever. I love and embrace every minute of this sh*t. I'd rather be out limping around in pain getting soaked in the cold rain and getting thoroughly skunked and outsmarted by blacktails that might or might not even be there than staying home. And if I find myself face to face with a doe in the timber (especially if I spot her before she knows I'm there) that is pretty much a trip highlight. Some neat trailcam or other video footage, any sort of memorable experience, any piece of knowledge gained are all victories and make it worth while.

It's all about perspective. Bear in mind this story isn't to further discourage. I am insanely stubborn when it comes to my goal of hunting one of the toughest animals in an area that is probably one of the more difficult places to hunt them, but I do it without feeling discouraged or cursed. If you take this mindset and put yourself in an area with lots of deer (like you mentioned) every trip will be a success at some level and you will definitely whack a buck before you know it.

[okas]

WEll:lol: I went to a old spot as been down for 8 years over workplace accident . had a great camping trip could not put the miles on . But came home with a buck and a dry doe . Let them hang for a few days shot some chickens sat by the fire AUWSUME trip

[okas]

HA HA last OCTOBER

[walks with deer]

hell once a guy harvest's a couple blacktails all other hunting is easy..
i love those plus 1 and raining days as your entire attire is a glaze of ice by mid morning you hunker around a candle in a space tarp from your tarp laughing at your stupidity to wolf down a tea or half cooked noodles and than push on...
then once you do harvest a blacktail normally the haul out is its own beast.
like wild one said thicker skin required...

[twoSevenO]

hell once a guy harvest's a couple blacktails all other hunting is easy..
i love those plus 1 and raining days as your entire attire is a glaze of ice by mid morning you hunker around a candle in a space tarp from your tarp laughing at your stupidity to wolf down a tea or half cooked noodles and than push on...
then once you do harvest a blacktail normally the haul out is its own beast.
like wild one said thicker skin required...

Where do you hunt your blacktails? In the tundra of NWT?

Seriously, you're making it sound waaaaay more difficult than it really is.

[Wild one]

Here's a story for you.

I have been hunting blacktails pretty much every weekend (2, 3, sometimes maybe 4 days/nights) in GOS for 6 or 7 years now (lost count). I am thinking and reading about BT's constantly all year long. I usually run around 5-7 trailcams and spent countless hours and calories hauling salt up the thickest, steepest places you can imagine and see bucks partying all the time until early season and then they start to change patterns. Still, the odd one shows up, so I hunt these areas from opening day until Dec 15 when the season closes, whether it is scorching hot, 2 degrees and dumping 70mm of rain or it means sleeping my car at night in -15 to -20C, or sliding down icy hills, putting the jeep in the ditch, etc.

I learned some areas so well that I notice right away if a stick moved or snapped, or if there is a track in the moss that wasn't there before. For years, I have been trying to figure out where they go so I can increase my odds. Finally, last year while scouting for a new spring bear spot, I found an area that has more BT sign than I have seen anywhere in my life (more sign that I see in mule deer hot spots in other Regions) So, I am quite confident I found where my BT's go. However, that turned out to be ground zero for a 60ha forest fire, now burned up along with some of my cams. That on top of heavy logging in the valley bottom, the whole area is pretty much dead. We have hiked well over 100km since the season opened, looking for new area with good sign, hanging cameras, etc. The most sign we have come across predator kill sites and scat with hooves in it. The most promising spot I have come across is a patch of fairly open old growth 3km's into the timber that has quite a few tracks. The salt I left was hit a little but the camera malfunctioned. I had a spare camera to swap, but no extra batteries, so only 2/4 bars on that cam... who knows if it will film anything before it dies or not.

The most action I had all year was a 70 yard play on a grouse that flushed at 60 yards. Owls, ravens, hawks, etc, appear to be picking them off. And for the first time in 20 years of frequenting that valley we heard wolves howling... great.

To add to all this excitement, my knee is having some issues. I have been feeling a lot of grinding and clicking in there. After a few hours of hiking and climbing, the pain is intense and by the end of the day I'm pretty much limping.

Am I cursed? Not the slightest chance what so ever. I love and embrace every minute of this sh*t. I'd rather be out limping around in pain getting soaked in the cold rain and getting thoroughly skunked and outsmarted by blacktails that might or might not even be there than staying home. And if I find myself face to face with a doe in the timber (especially if I spot her before she knows I'm there) that is pretty much a trip highlight. Some neat trailcam or other video footage, any sort of memorable experience, any piece of knowledge gained are all victories and make it worth while.

It's all about perspective. Bear in mind this story isn't to further discourage. I am insanely stubborn when it comes to my goal of hunting one of the toughest animals in an area that is probably one of the more difficult places to hunt them, but I do it without feeling discouraged or cursed. If you take this mindset and put yourself in an area with lots of deer (like you mentioned) every trip will be a success at some level and you will definitely whack a buck before you know it.

You have drive that I can respect and have faith you will figure out your own tactics

See this kind of attitude I am always willing to help

Was never good with mt blacktail but lowland blacktail is another story

[Wild one]

Where do you hunt your blacktails? In the tundra of NWT?

Seriously, you're making it sound waaaaay more difficult than it really is.

Some hunters do think they are impossible mythical creatures like unicorns lol

[twoSevenO]

Some hunters do think they are impossible mythical creatures like unicorns lol

Most hunters also rarely get off the roads ... and if they do, their idea of getting off the road is hiking 300 yards, Sitting and waiting for an hour then hiking back.

Add to this the fact that blacktail hunting often takes place around HIGHLY populated places, where deer numbers are a lot lower, it is not surprising that many can go many seasons without even seeing one.

[walks with deer]

i hunted blacktails in november and december...

and hike in..

lol

but than again i must be cursed.

[Wild one]

i hunted blacktails in november and december...

and hike in..

lol

but than again i must be cursed.

Thick lowland hell holes produced all season for me and are still producing for friends lol

Boats, chest waders, and hike from there. Hunting the deer no one else hunted