Am I on the right track...?

[joshbazz]

Rookie here, 1st hunting season, been out for one week hunt, and a handful of sporadic day hunts around MU8 region. I'm super pumped to hunt, wish I started sooner (and younger), and trying to do my best, time permitting, to fill the freezer.

In MU8, I'm trying to get a WT buck, so I tried a spot with a ton of cut block and lakes with moderate elevation, - enough that I know I need to get new snow tires for the more off-road spots. All dirt/forest roads, multiple cutblocks of different ages.

I went out late this morning around 9-10am with my 5 year old daughter, not expecting to bag a buck, but at least take her out and try to find sign. And sign we did find! Seemed like a deer superhighway with on and off road ramps to boot.

https://imgur.com/WW363fF
https://imgur.com/a/GklyPrL
https://imgur.com/b6wDPiT

We followed a trail through the woods to a clearing of very young trees, and there were tracks everywhere! I dropped pins into my huntbuddy app for every natural blind and turned on tracking as we followed a bunch of deer tracks around the clearing.

We even found a deer bed, complete with skat, which was super cool to for my daughter to find! She had learned about deer skat last year in preschool - she had a great teacher who would take her class into the woods.

Among a few natural blinds with great views of different areas of the clearing, there was a little hill that gave a 360 view of the clearing, young trees, forest trail entrances, and some upper treeline and ridges...

My initial thought is to come back in a couple days, as we disturbed the area quite a bit with human tracks in the crunchy snow. Maybe come just before first light and try to set up at the 360 spot I pinned? It seemed the tracks led down to a nearby lake, so maybe I should try an ambush spot closer to the lake and ope they run into me? But doesn't the wind blow up in the morning, better be up high to start?

Or should I try to setup early in the woods by the clearing and try to catch them on their trial walk.

Trouble is I'm not sure if they are MD or WT tracks or both, as there are supposed to be both in this region - as per my reading of HBC posts. Also, it is pretty close to the dirt roads, and there was a bit of activity - but maybe not bad for a Sunday come to think of it. Maybe mid-week it will be less busy.

I know we weren't there at an optimal time, just did the best we could with the time we had, and spent a few hours following deer trails, practicing the slow hunter walk, break up walk patterns to emulate deer (or attempt to) and glass different areas that looked advantageous.

I would love and appreciate any guidance or advice if my description offers any. I don't expect to bag anything my first season, especially since I haven't had the time off to do so, but I'll still try my nest with what I have to work with.

Thank you!

[Thunderstix]

Your thoughts about coming in early and setting up somewhere with good vantage point are on the right track for sure. Deer can hear crunchy snow from a couple hundred yards away so "still hunting" (or the slow hunter walk as you called it) like you were doing probably wont be too effective right now.

[joshbazz]

I hear you, yes 'still' hunting was what I was referring to.

I was listening to a podcast today where they were saying WT bucks in the rut will wander looking about for doe sometimes around 10am to noon, so maybe the move is to get planted early then sit and glass, hopefully catch a wanderer...

Also, is it the WT rut right now, in MU8?

[Seeker]

WT rut is definitely still on, I just pulled a camera card on the weekend and bucks are on their feet during day light hours. Not likely you will find a buck walking in crunchy snow. Too hard to sneak up on any whitetail buck in the late season, rut or no rut. With out a doubt, the best way to kill a buck is to get in early(15-30 min before first light) or 2-3 hours before last light and sit(minimize any motion) in the appropriate spot that will work with the wind. I try to find a spot that prevents the wind from blowing into adjacent cover yet still allows you a window to watch. That age of regrowth you are in is pretty good, The deer will tend to avoid the open, especially bucks. If you can get a vantage point slightly elevated above such cuts or even cuts a few years older, that would be great. Remember, if there appears to be no wind, plan for thermals. Wind will rise in the morning as it is heated by the sun, and then in the evening it will fall or drop as it cools. ALWAYS worry about your scent. You WILL NOT fool a deer's nose. Those tracks you observed were likely night time tracks, but ya never know. Don't be afraid to try and find heavy traffic areas, just on the edge of clear cuts. I have had good luck going in 100- 200 yards into heavy cover and finding areas where there are a few site lines. I have noticed that deer are more comfortable in those areas due to the cover and will stay up later in morning and rise earlier in the evening. I have recent trail cam pictures in Reg 8 with bucks up in such areas at noon. Take a read at Oureas "Some big Whities..." thread. Lots of good stuff in there. Good luck and its great to see you taking out the youngster, hopefully she'll carry on your passion. Bare minimum, she will respect hunting and the food on your table.

[monasheemountainman]

I hear you, yes 'still' hunting was what I was referring to.

I was listening to a podcast today where they were saying WT bucks in the rut will wander looking about for doe sometimes around 10am to noon, so maybe the move is to get planted early then sit and glass, hopefully catch a wanderer...

Also, is it the WT rut right now, in MU8?

where abouts in region 8 were you? id say park yourself in the spot with the good vantage point before first light and sit. make sure you dress warm and bring a pad to sit on. stay still and wait it out for the first few hours. if there is that much sign you will probably see a deer which then you will know what species it is. maybe youll get lucky and a WT buck will walk out. cheers

[joshbazz]

where abouts in region 8 were you? id say park yourself in the spot with the good vantage point before first light and sit. make sure you dress warm and bring a pad to sit on. stay still and wait it out for the first few hours. if there is that much sign you will probably see a deer which then you will know what species it is. maybe youll get lucky and a WT buck will walk out. cheers

I'm out between Winfield and Lavington.

[monasheemountainman]

I'm out between Winfield and Lavington.
lots of wt

[Tuffcity]

One of my best whitetail spots is now a log sort yard... but before that it was in a small clearing 100 yards off a main logging road. If you can find a place where numerous deer trails come together, especially in a small clearing, you'll probably find scrapes and rubs, more so at this time of year. If you have a tree stand this is an ideal location to set up where you can watch it, ground blinds work too. Be prepared to get in before first light and to stay the day. My wife and I have killed good bucks in the middle of the day but if you're not there you won't see them.

All my Wt hunting was in the Monashee's so pretty similar environment as the area you're hunting.

RC

[Kill-da-wabbit]

You can stillhunt in crunchy snow - just throw out some bleats and make uneven steps like a deer. A few buck grunts and raking some bushes will also draw them out. Give a bleat can to your daughter to play with while you explore. Her light footsteps and your heavy ones will make the resident buck think another buck is moving in on one of his ladies...and yes, I have seen this exact scenario work with my own eyes.

[Jagermeister]

Whitetail are sneaky. I swear that they will belly crawl to stay out of sight. You mention a knoll or knob with a good vantage in 360 degree view. Good place I think. And if you have a doe bleat, take it an give a infrequent blow on it. And even if it is a mule deer doe bleat it matters not. WT buck will jump mule deer does, they will drive a mule deer buck away from a mule deer doe in estrus. That’s why there are hybrids. Not the other way around though. When WT does are in estrus mule deer bucks don’t stand a chance

[HarryToolips]

All good advice above, also if you can find fresh scrapes sit on those, and rattle...as stated above, a good chance your seeing wt sign in the area your hunting..

[HappyJack]

You could get a vantage point with a tree stand...and it helps with scent control if you are over 12 feet off the ground.

[joshbazz]

lots of wt
That's good news!

[joshbazz]

Wow, thanks for the advice!!! Very much appreciate the suggestions. I'll be out here alone, or with my brother in law if he can get time off. Trying to squeeze it in; the end (for wt) is coming!

Super pumped, will grab a bleat tomorrow, and try to get out a couple more times. I just read up about scrape, I'll have a look out for it now that I have an idea of what it is. The challenge will now to be to get out before first light...

Cheers!!!

[Jagermeister]

The other thing Josh. Ir you are shooting downhill, or uphill for that matter, remember to hold under as the bullet does not drop like it does on a horizontal shot. The steeper the angle, the lower you hold for the shot.

[joshbazz]

The other thing Josh. Ir you are shooting downhill, or uphill for that matter, remember to hold under as the bullet does not drop like it does on a horizontal shot. The steeper the angle, the lower you hold for the shot.
OK, this is new to me, I'll look this up, the slope is mild, unless I go up the ridge by the treeline. I have a 30-06, hornady WT 150 grain bullets, zeroed at 200, hopefully flat enough, it's 100 a 250 yard shots roughly in the area, surrounded by trees...

Thanks Jagermeister!

[Tuffcity]

I wouldn't get too hung up on low hold at those distances. There really isn't a huge effect even at a 30 degree angle (which is pretty steep) and if you start holding at the bottom of the chest because you think the bullet will hit high you will miss. Hold centre of lung and good to go!

RC