Newbie questions: boot mileage vs ATVs, chickens, hares, game?

[RainyLaker]

I've spent a bunch of time hiking through cut blocks, timber, blow downs, lake sides this year. Even had my 7 year old boy out and he did his first 5 hour rounder (we camped in the snow down to -7 and during other weekends). He loved finding all the droppings, trails and learning how to route find back to the suv. I've hunted with him and alone. I love both. I have a great pair of boots now and don't fall every 30 steps so learning the lay of the land by hiking it is such a thrill.

I've seen some pretty great stuff. A huge bear bed, 8 foot in diameter in the wide open timber, 20 yards in from a lodgepole pine cut block. Cow vertebrae and a deer jawbone nearby. Deer and moose beds, trails full of droppings, a good sense of how they're moving from higher up down to the lakes and back through the day. Even had some luck with the young dog on a leash giving me heads up on an incoming doe/fawn. I've found beds in the wide open on top of the tallest hills or on top of blowdown saddles.

As thrilled as I am to be out there hiking around, exploring, I'm coming up dry most days on even seeing animals. I'm in the timber moving slow, in the blow downs making tonnes of noise, camped out still for hours, glassing, always aware of the wind. I'm moving real slow at times through 5-7ft tall blocks and somewhat dense though navigable live pine timber. I'm moving fast and loud at other times when I'm looking to cover ground and explore an area.

I was camped next to a group with a slew of quads. They saw lots through 100's of km but didn't get a shot on anything except 20-30 grouse between them. I didn't see one grouse despite packing two guns (rifle and broken down over under). I'm a fat *******, 340lbs but love being in the bush, though maybe not so nimble. I can't help but be jealous of the perceived success of the guys on quads. I'd prefer to keep hiking as long as I can.

How do I at least find grouse hiking around? It's supposed to be an up year and I haven't seen one bird. I would love to get my son into some bird success or hares for that matter. I am learning each time I'm out regarding big game but even still am discouraged there too.

Please give me tips what I ought to consider when I head back in November. I'm hunting lodgepole pine mostly, blocks and standing timber with some varying thicknesses of blow down and spruce groves in the wetter areas. There's a bit of douglas fir around but I didn't notice much. Also, there's not a lot of water except for a few lakes/dry marshes and there's about a 150m elevation change between the lakes and the high country about 1-2km away. I am targeting dawn/dusk +/- a few hours for peak activity on all targets but am in the field for all of daylight (12 hours+).

I started talking to the wife about getting a quad but also just bought a deer drag harness. I'd appreciate any suggestions you can lend me. I'm not in a position to buy a quad yet but is that really the way to go? I'd prefer right now to continue learning this spot where there's lots of the game I'm after.

Ok so this is such a weirdly phrased post. Being in the bush, if just for 1.5 days a weekend, it's all I look forward to through the week. That's why I'm on here and not working. Hah! I'd appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.

[wideopenthrottle]

sounds like you are doing everything right..just need some luck...keep at it....you know that expression some people whip out about the definition of insanity....expecting a different result when you do the same thing over and over getting the same result....I always laugh when I hear that cuz I know they are not hunters or fishermen....because that is what hunting and fishing is mostly...heheheh

[warnniklz]

Don't target them, go duck hunting or bear hunting and you'll come across chickens and deer.

https://scontent.fyvr4-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/250004751_10165985125140387_56361745646858145_n.jp g?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=0debeb&_nc_ohc=BDylDKXGJjgAX-N3vWN&tn=dht3QlhWuz5eCAbG&_nc_ht=scontent.fyvr4-1.fna&oh=483a4757edffcd91325a3d7d4c61f0bb&oe=617E1511

[RainyLaker]

Nice haul! I had 10 mallards fly into my feet 30 yards away as the dog and I took a break in the bush. They swam off when I was putting my gun together and flew off when I tried to stalk in on them.

[Downwindtracker2]

The best grouse habitat is mixed, poplar , willow, etc. Being early in the season and first on the that logging road sure helps, as they do learn. They come out to warm or feed. I don't bother hunting grouse. The few blues I have seen make me regret that. On foot I've not seen as many, but they do surprise you when you blunder into a flock. Some years are good, some are not.

I miss hiking down old logging roads in crisp fall air. Not the greatest way to hunt but certainly the most pleasurable . Worn out knees prevent that pleasure.

[albravo2]

Here is a guaranteed method:
Be very quiet. Think about grizzly bears as you tiptoe through the woods. At the moment you are truly lost in your thoughts one or more grouse will take flight from right under your feet and will scare the living crap out of you. Shoot those grouse. Please.

[RainyLaker]

Here is a guaranteed method:
Be very quiet. Think about grizzly bears as you tiptoe through the woods. At the moment you are truly lost in your thoughts one or more grouse will take flight from right under your feet and will scare the living crap out of you. Shoot those grouse. Please.

Hahaha! Had a few blues do that to me this spring. Never got old even when I thought I was prepared. Not hunting them of course but in the process of a spring bear season.

[brian]

Getting a quad doesn't mean you have to give up hiking, quads just let you get out farther on the roads than a lot of trucks can. Which means you can start hiking further in than a lot of guys. But you still have to boots on the ground to do this. The question you may be asking should I start road hunting on a quad rather than hike? If you love hiking, then hike! But hiking in and hunting takes a lot of skill. You will develop this skill over time. The good news is you're already developing it. You learn the land more intimately. As you do so this you will start to zero in on the spots of more likely activity and see more animals. This is a necessary part of hiking because you simply cannot cover as much ground, and you need to be able pinpoint your efforts. Road hunting is a different gamble, you are relying less on hunting skill and intimate knowledge of the area. You are essentially hedging your bets by covering lots of ground and hoping to bump into something. Both methods get you game, so it just depends on how you want to get it. See lots of ground with a vehicle or less ground more intimately on foot. Now for the record I don't road hunt, I hike. It can be so frustrating to come home empty handed, drained, defeated, soaked, and sore. It does get better and you will become a better hunter!

[brian]

Here is a guaranteed method:
Be very quiet. Think about grizzly bears as you tiptoe through the woods. At the moment you are truly lost in your thoughts one or more grouse will take flight from right under your feet and will scare the living crap out of you. Shoot those grouse. Please.

I cannot begin to tell you how many grouse did that to me up in the Chilliwack Valley. I remember one of them flushed so close I could almost just bop it over its head with my rifle barrel. After cleaning out my undies that is!

[Bustercluck]

If u want grouse, I’d say buy a pointer, not a quad. You will definitely see more grouse on a quad, but I think you’re on the right path to becoming a “hunter”. I find the grouse tend to hang out just off of the road in the mixed evergreens/aspens and you can get pretty close to them without even knowing it, especially if you’re tiptoeing around. You’ve probably walked by plenty and didn’t even know.

It really comes down to how you want to hunt. I own a quad, but hate sitting on it all day. It’s more of a tool to get to where I’m going so I can hike around. When you’re quad hunting it mostly comes down to luck and the amount of time/gas you spend getting out there. When you learn how to hunt your targeted species on foot you’ll learn how they work and how to be productive. You sound like you want to learn about the animals and how they work, which is good, you just need to sharpen your skills and spend more time out there. Maybe try reading more blogs and watch more YouTube videos. There’s plenty of guys on here willing to lend out all kinds of tips and tricks to find whitetail, all you have to do is ask, or use the search feature.

[Eva_Hunts]

You've got the right mindset! What region(s) are you hunting? Have you tried hunting sage country, grasslands, burns or more open and/or edge habitat? If not, give region 3 and/or 8 a shot. Find a perch over (or under) some open or broken country and glass away... If you're seeing does you're learning! In certain areas of those regions I'm seeing anywhere from 3 to 30 does and up to a few bucks a day.

Another tip is glassing farms adjacent to public land. Watch where they enter and exit, see if you can pattern them, and make a play.

For grouse and rabbits, instead of a quad, adventure around the FSR's in your car/truck, you'll most certainly cross paths sooner or later.

Good luck!

[wideopenthrottle]

as far as grouse go they are usually picking gravel off the roads first and last part of the day so those have generally been most productive times for road hunting grouse

[Linksman313]

Sounds like you are making a mistake we have all made when new to hunting - hiking too much when we should be hiding and watching. Next time out spend more time behind the

Binoc's instead of walking, surprising what you may see that you would have walked by.

Cheers and wishing you and the little one the greatest success
Links

[wideopenthrottle]

I trick I used when new (and even now) is I always count paces (every 2nd step)...I constantly assess the area I am in and assign it a max number of paces..the ultimate max is 30 if it is still light enough to shoot (I don't bother if I am walking back in the dark)..after hitting the number I stop and do a full look around (binos usually)...)...it is very surprising how that makes you spot game before they see you instead of bumping them...
also it helps you to not over heat or get out of breath...it also allows you to have a better balance of watching where you step and looking around

[RainyLaker]

Hey thanks everyone for the tips! This past weekend I found a couple of neat spots.

One is a glassing spot (200m wide) in a huge open draw, behind a big set of boulders, over several sparsely regrown clean cut blocks (out to 600m) and I can see the corner of a several acre swamp. ihunterapp shows it as dense timber but it's not. There was no game there mid morning when I arrived and hung out for a bit. I can get to this anytime of the day and it's usually set up well in the wind. I have to hike through some good game holding country to get there though. Do you think I should I bomb in there predawn and set up for a half / full day? What time of day would you target this? Still hunt in for the afternoon and camp out on the edge looking for game heading down to the water?

Another spot is in fairly dense spruce timber with significant blow down. There's a very well worn trail (bare earth) from the lake into 12' replanted trees into another stand of timber. It's the best trail that I've found. I can probably get in there from a downwind, though perhaps swirling, wind position. Would you bother getting in there predawn or mid afternoon for a set? It's a tight area (30 yard max shot) so an all eggs in one basket kind of spot. A huge tree blew down close to me last time I was in there though so also a bit eerie.

An elder friend of mine said game usually heads up hill in the morning from water and down to the water in the afternoon/evening. Would you tend to agree? 45 minutes after I got out of the wind in a spot on Saturday, a doe/fawn came downhill from behind me headed to the water so that time it seemed to hold true.

[wideopenthrottle]

I always post up before light and am only patient enough to sit until I can see farther than deer will hear me...
Hey thanks everyone for the tips! This past weekend I found a couple of neat spots.

One is a glassing spot (200m wide) in a huge open draw, behind a big set of boulders, over several sparsely regrown clean cut blocks (out to 600m) and I can see the corner of a several acre swamp. ihunterapp shows it as dense timber but it's not. There was no game there mid morning when I arrived and hung out for a bit. I can get to this anytime of the day and it's usually set up well in the wind. I have to hike through some good game holding country to get there though. Do you think I should I bomb in there predawn and set up for a half / full day? What time of day would you target this? Still hunt in for the afternoon and camp out on the edge looking for game heading down to the water?

Another spot is in fairly dense spruce timber with significant blow down. There's a very well worn trail (bare earth) from the lake into 12' replanted trees into another stand of timber. It's the best trail that I've found. I can probably get in there from a downwind, though perhaps swirling, wind position. Would you bother getting in there predawn or mid afternoon for a set? It's a tight area (30 yard max shot) so an all eggs in one basket kind of spot. A huge tree blew down close to me last time I was in there though so also a bit eerie.

An elder friend of mine said game usually heads up hill in the morning from water and down to the water in the afternoon/evening. Would you tend to agree? 45 minutes after I got out of the wind in a spot on Saturday, a doe/fawn came downhill from behind me headed to the water so that time it seemed to hold true.

[RainyLaker]

I trick I used when new (and even now) is I always count paces (every 2nd step)...I constantly assess the area I am in and assign it a max number of paces..the ultimate max is 30 if it is still light enough to shoot (I don't bother if I am walking back in the dark)..after hitting the number I stop and do a full look around (binos usually)...)...it is very surprising how that makes you spot game before they see you instead of bumping them...
also it helps you to not over heat or get out of breath...it also allows you to have a better balance of watching where you step and looking around


Sounds like you are making a mistake we have all made when new to hunting - hiking too much when we should be hiding and watching. Next time out spend more time behind the Binoc's instead of walking, surprising what you may see that you would have walked by.
Links

Each of these tips are giving me a lot of context how to go back in there. Thanks!

[brian]

I hike fast in low odds areas, and slow right down in high odds areas. But learning which is which and when takes time, knowing habitat, and the land I am hunting. I would be less cavalier when hunting new to me areas. Part of this learning is making the mistake of going too fast in the wrong places.

[brian]

Another spot is in fairly dense spruce timber with significant blow down. There's a very well worn trail (bare earth) from the lake into 12' replanted trees into another stand of timber. It's the best trail that I've found. I can probably get in there from a downwind, though perhaps swirling, wind position. Would you bother getting in there predawn or mid afternoon for a set? It's a tight area (30 yard max shot) so an all eggs in one basket kind of spot. A huge tree blew down close to me last time I was in there though so also a bit eerie.Sitting/entering in swirling winds is not a great idea especially if you think it is a hot spot. To me swirling winds means still hunting and to keep moving. Otherwise if you can get in there with good winds then why not give it a try? That also sounds like a great spot to put up a trail cam. They can be great tools to learn what is moving when… and what kinds of odds you’ll be facing if you choose to sit there.

[brian]

One is a glassing spot (200m wide) in a huge open draw, behind a big set of boulders, over several sparsely regrown clean cut blocks (out to 600m) and I can see the corner of a several acre swamp. ihunterapp shows it as dense timber but it's not. There was no game there mid morning when I arrived and hung out for a bit. I can get to this anytime of the day and it's usually set up well in the wind. I have to hike through some good game holding country to get there though. Do you think I should I bomb in there predawn and set up for a half / full day? What time of day would you target this? Still hunt in for the afternoon and camp out on the edge looking for game heading down to the water?
it’s really hard to say without knowing the land and seeing the country first hand. But from what you have described I would say why not still hunt through the game holding country during first light early morning, then make way to your vantage point for mid afternoon and glass until dark. See what peaks it’s head out and when. If you have enough daylight to set up a stalk then do so, otherwise glass and learn.

[RainyLaker]

Sitting/entering in swirling winds is not a great idea especially if you think it is a hot spot. To me swirling winds means still hunting and to keep moving. Otherwise if you can get in there with good winds then why not give it a try? That also sounds like a great spot to put up a trail cam. They can be great tools to learn what is moving when… and what kinds of odds you’ll be facing if you choose to sit there.

I like the trail cam idea. I've been looking at them all day. No good sales on right now though. :( Maybe next flyer

[Bustercluck]

The fecal fishing guide sent me a link for these. $65 ish on Amazon. His pics look pretty decent.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B099RQJHBF/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_glt_i_9RC6YQ9XMMZSPAHMMZHR

[The Hermit]

Once you identify an active trail between feeding and bedding grounds pick a good straight tree that is 10 - 20 yards off the trail. Put a treestand up about 15 feet off the ground (helps with your scent) be sure to buy one that will carry your weight or buy a ground blind. Get into your stand/blind at least 45 min before dawn and stay as long as you can. I usually get out of the tree around 11am and get back in around 2pm for the afternoon sit. Treestand = Killing Machine.