back from 8-05 (no kills)

[twoSevenO]

What a great day to be out there. Pelting rain down here, nice fluffy snow up there. It was a good scouting day for this new to me area, but i got some questions ... and remember, i'm just a newbie here :D

1. Where are the grouse? Has the snow made them nest under a tree somewhere for a while, or is this area too high elevation wise for them? shouldn't be...

2. If you follow a set of tracks, to what looks like a bedding spot under a tree, then even fresher tracks leading from it, you've most likely spooked yourself a deer (doh!) What do you do? Do you follow the tracks in hopes of getting a good look eventually? Or do you stop, circle around to where you think the deer might be headed?

Thanks guys

[BCJunior]

#1 - I'm not too sure I have not really hunted grouse in the snow before.

#2 - This could be a hard one, I decided to follow the tracks of a huge white tail buck for about an hour and I thought the tracks were perfectly fresh but I guess I was wrong, I honestly would follow for a good 10 minutes or until you can see a good 100-200 ft infront of you rather if its down a mountain or an open field if you cannot see any life after 10 minutes way in front of you the chances are it was spooked or they are old tracks in that case I would circle around.

[twoSevenO]

cool, thanks for your input ... anyone else got pointers? :grin:

[NightOwl74]

What a great day to be out there. Pelting rain down here, nice fluffy snow up there. It was a good scouting day for this new to me area, but i got some questions ... and remember, i'm just a newbie here :D

1. Where are the grouse? Has the snow made them nest under a tree somewhere for a while, or is this area too high elevation wise for them? shouldn't be...

2. If you follow a set of tracks, to what looks like a bedding spot under a tree, then even fresher tracks leading from it, you've most likely spooked yourself a deer (doh!) What do you do? Do you follow the tracks in hopes of getting a good look eventually? Or do you stop, circle around to where you think the deer might be headed?

Thanks guysYour instincts should tell you how fresh the tracks are. It's important to know how fresh the snow is i.e. 2, 3, 6 hours......2 minutes!? I suggest parking the truck and walking in to the woods when you see fresh tracks crossing the road. Last year I did this and found a honey hole of scrapes and rubs. While following the tracks ....Slowly....I literally met face to face with a young forkhorn whitey, heading towards me on the same trail! He jumped backwards and ran but I new his plan......So I backed up. You wanna backtrack because he wanted to get downwind of me. I couldn't see anything through the 20 foot pines but I new he'd come out. So 100 yards back I crouched and looked under the trees, and sure enough there he was sneakin behind me. He looked up, I focused on his forehead and .......Bang!:eek: No, actually you'll be glad to know I let him go. I felt I had accomplished my goal, beat him in his own neighbourhood, and he was so young. The weather was so miserable that day, I actually felt sorry for him as I headed back to my heated truck. Normally hitting the 20 foot lodgepoles in an old cut this time of year will yield both deer and grouse action during the day as animals seek cover. Walk the overgrown roads among these pines in the morning and evening on foot as the grouse can be seen rummaging in the gravel. I think it helps with their digestion, but i'm not 100%.;)

[Steeleco]

We had a grand day on this reg too. Lots of fresh snow, tracks everywhere.
Having a little snow throughout the day helps to teach you the age.

[boxhitch]

#2 - Good on ya for following up a track. All the tracks I follow are of huge bucks, too ! Well, until proven otherwise.
IME, a muley will line out and travel further when bumped. A whitetail will move but may sneak around to see what the trouble is, usually turning downwind. I fyou follow for ten minutes, you should get an idea of its intentions. Then, intimate knowledge of the local area may tell you where a good bedding spot is, where they fel safe and can see the surroundings. approach from downwind, ssssllllloooowwwllllyyy.
good luck

[twoSevenO]

thanks a lot with the advice, will keep that in mind for next time.

I never heard or saw the deer, but these tracks were pretty darn fresh. Like i said i followed them up to where he was bedded under a tree and they were morning tracks, but covered with a bit of powder that fell afterwards. the tracks on the other side of the tree couldn't have been more then a few minutes old.

I followed for 20 minutes, hoping it would take me to where i could get a look at the animal, but the tracks just kept going and going. They crossed a set of smaller tracks eventually, which i'm guessing was a doe and he was a buck?

Back on the road, i noticed several other (but much older) tracks leading up in the same direction so next time at least i'll have an idea of where they're headed early in the AM.

thanks again for the pointers. No kills that day, but a great day to get out and focus on the tracks, see where they are moving around, and see what other animals are in the area.

[showoff]

I shot a 3x2 mulie about .5 km up the hope pass trail just past the skagit river trail(wipsaw) on wensday 17. We were coming down about 3:30 when my buddy told me to get ready cause there was a buck standing no more then 20 feet from the truck. So i slowly opened the truck door(verified the points, put a round into my 7mm wsm crosshairs into the mouth and wham-mo that guy buckled never to get up again.