Little advice on hunting the rut in new territory

[Lugg]

All,

We've been hunting for about 4 years, our normal week long trip is late October and we've had zero success that month. This year I was able to book off November for the first time. Our only successful hunt (for deer) has been on a one day trip that took place Nov 11th 2017. So hopefully that date can repeat itself for us this year.

We've scouted our normal area which is in region 3 a lot but have never seen any mature bucks, lots of does, any bucks we see are smaller and out of season. Never seen a WT there, only Mule. Love the area though.

We made a trip this year to region 8, saw some WT and Mules, no bucks but only spent one full day there. Saw our first Moose. The WT does provided us with no shots as they ran across the road at last, but still legal light, after we'd packed up as it was too dark for us to shoot comfortably.

At this point we're considering going back to the same area in region 8 as we've done a bit of exploring there already and have some way points. Region 4 is not out of the question we'll just be starting from scratch.

When we reach a new MU we typically spend the first day driving logging roads and learning the lay of the land to decide on an area we think looks reasonable to scout on foot. If weather gets too "out of control" for our gear we drive again.

Our main concern is staying warm while out. We both have outer rain gear and a layering system we've built up over the years but we're still getting used to what conditions we can handle.

All that said I understand that November is a great time to hunt. Any advice on hunting the rut would be appreciated, and of course any leads from people who have filled their tags already or don't mind sharing a good MU via PM is appreciated. Really trying to avoid explaining to the wife that I spent X dollars on fuel, food, and gear to come back empty handed again. :oops:

Thanks in advance.

[Rieber]

All,

... that said I understand that November is a great time to hunt. Any advice on hunting the rut would be appreciated, and of course any leads from people who have filled their tags already or don't mind sharing a good MU via PM is appreciated. Really trying to avoid explaining to the wife that I spent X dollars on fuel, food, and gear to come back empty handed again. :oops:

Thanks in advance.

You're seeing game, so that's a big part of the hunt. You're doing things right and keep at it, don't get discouraged - eventually you'll pull the trigger on one.

Please don't take this wrong but traveling from the LML to the Interior for deer will never recapture the dollars you've spent on hunting if you just compare it to the price of premium T-bone steak. For the dollars we spend on hunting, we couldn't eat that much store bought steak if we tried. You have to factor in this cost of outdoor entertainment and your recreation. Deer hunting is not cost effective unless you actually live within the area you're hunting. I live in Abbotsford and also drive to the Interior looking for game so I know how expensive putting venison in the freezer really is. Now if you have up to date intell on big game like Elk or Moose and go on this very specific, focused hunt you might do alright dollar wise if you score big.

So I have to say, if you hunt to save money on meat, you best stop now. If you hunt because you love it, then get out as much as you can, remember your experience and relate it to what you study and read about. Like I said earlier, you've found your areas, and now you need to find out what you have there and what time they move. Trail cameras are a really good way to do this. The other thing is you can stay in the bush/field longer than legal shooting times, you just can't shoot. But your binoculars will gather light and help you see. Staying out later will halp answer a few questions for you like what time your game is entering your area and where they are coming from. Also good to know is where they will go in the event they get spooked and scram off the field. They often take the same escape route they are familiar with.

In your areas, within the next few weeks you will see an increase of scrapes and rubs and this will give you an indication of where the buck was. That's a good start. The bucks are starting to move back in to entertain the ladies so since you already know where the ladies are, you will soon start seeing more signs of bucks in these areas.

If you can see the ladies in the bush or know where they enter the fields, set up a blind, or just sit quietly and comfortably in a spot with some concealment but good enough views/shooting lanes and hopefully somewhere where you know you can see a couple ground scrapes because the w/t bucks will be back to see who's been visiting those scrapes.

Good luck and stop worrying about what it's costing you because you really don't want to know the answer to that.

[Lugg]

Thanks for the advice Rieber. We're not in it to save money, that's for sure. But she would love to have some more venison on her plate. She never had it before she met me, was scared to try it, now she loves it.

To be honest I never thought about staying out after hunting light, that's good advice right there that I'll have to test out. Normally we just want to get warm. haha.

Thanks!

[twoSevenO]

Well said. If you're counting your dollars and wife expects meat you're doing it wrong. Move north and hunt only moose if you want a good return for your money :)

Staying warm is easy. Pick up a cheap down jacket as a midlayer if it's really frigid. Staying warm at night will be a challenge it you plan to spend the night away from the trucks.

My #1 tip is: dont keep going here and there every weekend. Princeton , cache creek ... wherever you hear od a buck shot.

Pick ONE spot that has deer and learn it. If theres good number of does a 4 point will move in sooner or later

[Lugg]

That's what we did for the past years without luck. Maybe we're doing it wrong.

I think we'll be moving from R3 to R4 or R8. Just seems to be much more there. Hell, there even seems to be more rabbits in R8.

I did pick up a moose tag on the off chance we see another spike / fork while we're out there.

Again, not in it to try and save money on meat, like I tell everyone... I've hiked and camped my entire life, it provides a mental wellness that i can't get anywhere else and hunting is an extension of that.

Still, there's something to be said for coming home empty handed. Though I don't see it as a failure as I've learned a lot, spent time with my son, mental wellness, etc. It's easy to see how others view it as we "failed" and trying to explain that away is not as fun as saying we bagged one!

PS. My wife is pretty awesome and never complains, I just feel guilt. That's my own issue.

Oh, and is it worth getting any kind of doe estrus scents, or anything else?

We do have a rattle bag and a true caller that we were given for xmass one year, no idea how to use the call correctly so we don't bother as we'd likely just scare something away. Thought about picking up a doe bleat though, one of the ones in a can. Thoughts?

[Wild one]

The advice of pick an area and learn it is solid advice. Most of the guys who are successful beyond others is knowledge of the area and species. I say it all the time when it comes to hunting spots stop thinking miles and think yards. So many hunters drive or walk by awesome hunting spots because they are thinking too big. This plays into the whole getting to truly know an area

Pick a species of deer to target because all 3 are very different. This includes where and how to hunt them. A deer is not just a deer

As for region 3 it is my number 1 choice for MD in BC and even though I don’t hunt there now friends are still taking bucks out of the locations I like. This is including this fall. So I can promise you the region is not the issue. So the region is not the issue how and where you hunt it may be.

Now if I was targeting WT I would choose region 8. There is also nothing wrong with region 2 once you figure out an area and how to hunt it. Taken lots of blacktail in region 2 and 3 out of 4 of my old hunting partners have a blacktail buck down this fall.

There is no magic MU or region it’s a matter of knowing your pockets and the species you hunt

As for rut advice WT and blacktail I like to call rattling and doe bleat is what I prefer but the true talker grunt don’t push down on the band when you blow works for blacktail. I don’t like a grunt for WT. The real key to calling is to do it over rut sign rubs/scrapes so locate this first

MD I pay attention to sign and just know my areas for the time of year. Focus on does and a buck will show in time. Out of the 3 species of deer this is the one I am weakest at so hopefully a better MD hunter can help

Honestly don’t go chasing around the province it’s not worth it in the end

[Fella]

Yeah stay put in one general area and start making notes of where you see deer at which time of year. Get out of your truck and start hiking ridges and stuff too

[Bugle M In]

The biggest advice over many years of hunting Mule Deer, is to hunt where you see plenty of sign.
Not just some, especially the b-line sign, imo.
When you find active areas, you will see tracks go this way and that way etc.
Sometimes you will see that sign while driving on the roads, and from there, you have to go in and hunt them, in the "Surrounding areas".

Also, luck and timing play a huge role too.
If the Does are in heat that day, and the full rut is on, the bucks will be out during daylight hours, and you will just know it!.
And that is a very fun time.
But miss it by a day or so, before or after, and you have to hunt hard.

Hardest thing I see now days is, there is very little if any snow come the nov rut, thus making it a lot harder to see the sign of MD.
And the deer are less concentrated into smaller areas, because they haven't been pushed all the way down by snow etc.
That along with some Regions being shut down for 10 days, makes some other areas still open "Really busy" with hunters.

As for keeping costs down, hunting is not a cheap way of getting meat, unless it is in your back yard!
But it is a great way to interact with nature and be a part of it, something many never experience or even want to understand.
Good luck.

[Ltbullken]

Follow your nose! You'll smell estrus in the woods. If you smell it, you're in good rut country!

[albravo2]

Lots of good advice above. I wasted a few years when I started out, hunting areas that didn't hold deer. It looked like good habitat so I kept going back but eventually I realized if I wasn't seeing sign I was wasting my time. To be honest, I don't really regret those years. Each year I learned a few more things and eventually they add up and you start shooting animals. A little luck doesn't hurt either and there is a ton of truth to the old adage that luck favours the prepared.

Do it because you love it and because you love the time in the woods alone or with your son. I bet your wife gets it. Don't beat yourself up for going home empty handed, there aren't many sports or hobbies that the person that partakes actually gets to take something of worth home at the end of the day.

[twoSevenO]

Another big mistake I used to make is

1.not realizing that animals move. Just cause there is sign in the area and even if its reasonably fresh it doesnt mean the animals are there. The animals have staging points and sometimes they just pass through. Try and learn where they are at any given month of the year. Some areas are only good in September. Some areas are good only in November. Some areas are good all season long.

2.pockets. it's easy to give up on an area when you aren't seeing much, but know that sometimes a BIG area can only hold a population of deer in a small pocket, especially bucks. So you might be 2km away from a group of nice bucks and not even know it because you didnt see any following the does yet. A lot of guys who have taken MONSTER muleys out of reg 3 say the same thing.
3. Learning an area takes a while. If you dont have a mentor, its gonna take some time ;)

Most people who start hunting and have immediate success, especially GOOD success are people who are lucky to have someone mentor them and give them a few spots to start out with. If you're doing it all on your own like I did, its gonna take some time.

[rageous]

Take everything said above with a grain of salt.;)

[ghost]

in the timbered ridges use binos to find deer.try to walk into wind or perpendicular to it move real slow.if you see a deer start scanning the area.most likely there will be others,hopefully a legal buck.in my area of reg 3 most of the deer i have seen have been on the east side of north south ridges

[Aaron600]

Another big mistake I used to make is

1.not realizing that animals move. Just cause there is sign in the area and even if its reasonably fresh it doesnt mean the animals are there. The animals have staging points and sometimes they just pass through. Try and learn where they are at any given month of the year. Some areas are only good in September. Some areas are good only in November. Some areas are good all season long.

2.pockets. it's easy to give up on an area when you aren't seeing much, but know that sometimes a BIG area can only hold a population of deer in a small pocket, especially bucks. So you might be 2km away from a group of nice bucks and not even know it because you didnt see any following the does yet. A lot of guys who have taken MONSTER muleys out of reg 3 say the same thing.
3. Learning an area takes a while. If you dont have a mentor, its gonna take some time ;)

Most people who start hunting and have immediate success, especially GOOD success are people who are lucky to have someone mentor them and give them a few spots to start out with. If you're doing it all on your own like I did, its gonna take some time.

This is very correct imo. I've been hunting for only 5 years and all self taught. I've been studying my one hunt spot for about 4 years now and have only recently been putting up trail cams. I would have bet all my savings$$ that the deer would have all left after the 2.5ft of snow dump we got in early Oct. My cams showed in 1 small pocket, 2 huge 4x4 bucks, four 2 point bucks and one 3x2 buck in that 2.5ft of snow. Every hunter in the area had only seen a couple doe's. They were all of 1000 yards from this little honey hole.

Set up some cams and study the area. Before I knew how to hunt this spot I would have sworn it was void of life.

[moosinaround]

Boy deer are looking for girl deer! If you find girl deer, so will the boy deer! Moosin

[Bugle M In]

Boy deer are looking for girl deer! If you find girl deer, so will the boy deer! Moosin

Simple and to the point!!!
Come rut time, this is the full and only truth you need to know.

Bucks will move in and out of an area, but always from one group of does to the next during the rut.
That's when you catch them.
IF you find dirty brown pee, then stick to that area, as you have a Doe in heat!
And if a Doe is in heat, a buck will find her, tail her, and be absolutely stupid at that time.

Again, finding and area that holds a lot of deer sign on say a hillside, all over, criss crossing, right at the height of the rut, usually is a
sign that deer are there.

Just too things:
They do move around all day, and can be on the next hillside over that day.
And,
They can be grouped up pretty tight, so you can feel like there are tracks all over, but no deer around physically, because they are in one
small spot, in groups (sort of like elk during the rut), and you have to hit that "spot" (thus the "hunting" part).
And also, you can be only 30 yards from them, with some evergreens in between you and them, and never see them!! and they will just wait
it out till you move on.

One thing, fresh snow, and a fresh rub with debris on top of snow, is a dead give away you are in the right area.....
Then it is worth following those tracks!!!

[xlcc]

Mulies have favoured areas they like to frequent year after year during the rut.If you can locate fresh tracks in the snow you can back track to find their bedding areas.These are good spots to hunt in the middle of the day.Try some grunting with a deer call preferably below a known bedding site.I have done this a number of times with good success.Bucks will get out of their bed and slowly come down to investigate.It will take patience.Easier to kill one when they are hunting you.
If you can find an area that no motor vehicles are allowed means less hunters.I like to hunt ridges and steep side hills.The bucks like to cruise the ridges and the does like the steep side hills as they get less disturbance from hunters.

[Lugg]

Everyone, thank you. Lots and lots of good advice here.

I know how much harder it is to learn to hunt when you don't have a mentor, and some of the information here is what I'd expect a mentor to teach us. Some advanced techniques and some simple observations. Now I need to put some of it to use and try to retain it.

Thank you,

[todbartell]

Lots of good information posted. Have patience, sit on good spots if the sign is hot. Don't go back to camp mid day for lunch. Pack enough food and water so you don't have to go back to camp until dark. Don't sleep in, and don't go home early because you haven't found success yet. Stick to it

[Bugle M In]

Everyone, thank you. Lots and lots of good advice here.

I know how much harder it is to learn to hunt when you don't have a mentor, and some of the information here is what I'd expect a mentor to teach us. Some advanced techniques and some simple observations. Now I need to put some of it to use and try to retain it.

Thank you,

I wish you well out there, as I know/understand that it is hard for some folks to get into hunting if they never had people around to take them.

Also, try not to hunt too much around places like Princeton where there is lots of weekend traffic due to proximity to LM.
Get up past Cache Creek, and actually even past that to get away from folks.
Or east of Kammy and beyond.

Very hard to hone your skills and stay focused when an area is pounded continuously and you never see much game.
Also, I think there is a Hunter looking for another "hunter to buddy up with thread" on HBC.
Try posting in there, you may find someone who wants to share expenses and also has some knowledge.

Good luck