Folks,
I am still new to big-game hunting - started just last year. I've gotten lucky here and there, but after some reflection I think that I am a total novice at hunting efficiently. By that, I mean that I have spent too much of my hunting hours not being in a position where I am likely to encounter game - either because I am driving, covering ground on trails either to or from the truck, or spending time at camp. I thought I'd share an example of what I mean, based on a hunt from this year. Would love to hear what others have learned about efficient hunting. Would also love to hear if anyone disagrees with the lessons I have gleaned from my failures!
A friend (first time hunter) and I did a 2nd season CO rifle buck hunt. Late October. The unit had a ton of public land, ranging form about 7k to 10k feet, but also a ton of hunters, both for deer and for OTC bull. We did not fill our tags, and actually never even saw a buck on public land. Our failure could be chalked up to general inexperience, but looking back on it I think that out biggest failure was an inefficient use of time. Here's a list of ways:
First, we were camped relatively far from all the areas we wanted to hunt, which meant 30+ minute drives every morning and evening. That was partly dictated by the lack of available camping spots - nearly every flat spot seemed to have a camp - but still we probably could have sought out a spot closer to the action. 30 minutes driving isn't so bad, but it does feel like a waste after so many days. In the future, I think putting in the effort to find a camping spot closer to the areas we intend to hunt will be worth it. Or, hike in a few miles and set up a spike camp. You lose the immediate mobility of a truck, but at least you are that much closer to the action. If after 1-2 days the action is poor, pack up and move.
Second, we didn't use mornings and evenings efficiently. We got up before sunrise, sure, but after getting ready in the morning, driving to our hunt, and hiking out to where we really wanted to be, there was probably a good hour of hunting time that we weren't hunting optimally. Given that deer move most near the twilight hours, that's a real missed opportunity. Also, there were many days where we would start hiking out well before sunset, simply so that we wouldn't have to hike so much in the dark. That's just laziness. Again, lots of time spent covering miles and not hunting during prime hunting time. It's no surprise that our only encounter with deer on public land (turned out to be a group of does) happened when we parked our asses on a ridge overlooking a quality draw, and glassed until sunset. Lesson learned!
Third, we moved too much in the middle of day, largely because of bad planning on my part. Our typical daily routine was this: drive to a spot, hike out maybe a mile to some decent but not very big glassing country. The problem here was that, given the number of hunters, the proximity to the road, and relative ease of the country, there were usually multiple other hunters working the same area. I also didn't pick out very large areas, which meant that after a few hours, it seemed like we had exhausted the area. At that point, we'd hike back to the truck, drive to a new area, and repeat in a new area. The result of all of this was spending many legal hunting hours *moving between hunting areas* instead of *actually hunting*. The lesson I've gained from this is to have a full day of hunting planned out, every day. That generally means picking an area that (1) has enough country to spend an entire day at and (2) probably will involve a solid hike at the beginning and end of each day, to get away from the road (unless you're already camped out in the backcountry). You can always elect to move mid-day if the area is no good, but at least you're not *forced* to move because of having a poor plan.
I'm not saying a person needs to hunt hard every hour of every day. Seems to me that a mid-day nap for a bit can be very wise, if energy or morale is waning. And I'm sure moving once to a new hunting area in the middle of the day is fine. But moving 2-3 times a day seems excessive to me. But that's what we did. I'd love to hear more of what deer and elk hunters do in the mid-day doldrums. Would also like to hear more about the pros and cons of camping at a truck vs heading into backcountry. If any of the lessons I've learned are way off base, let me know!
I am still new to big-game hunting - started just last year. I've gotten lucky here and there, but after some reflection I think that I am a total novice at hunting efficiently. By that, I mean that I have spent too much of my hunting hours not being in a position where I am likely to encounter game - either because I am driving, covering ground on trails either to or from the truck, or spending time at camp. I thought I'd share an example of what I mean, based on a hunt from this year. Would love to hear what others have learned about efficient hunting. Would also love to hear if anyone disagrees with the lessons I have gleaned from my failures!
A friend (first time hunter) and I did a 2nd season CO rifle buck hunt. Late October. The unit had a ton of public land, ranging form about 7k to 10k feet, but also a ton of hunters, both for deer and for OTC bull. We did not fill our tags, and actually never even saw a buck on public land. Our failure could be chalked up to general inexperience, but looking back on it I think that out biggest failure was an inefficient use of time. Here's a list of ways:
First, we were camped relatively far from all the areas we wanted to hunt, which meant 30+ minute drives every morning and evening. That was partly dictated by the lack of available camping spots - nearly every flat spot seemed to have a camp - but still we probably could have sought out a spot closer to the action. 30 minutes driving isn't so bad, but it does feel like a waste after so many days. In the future, I think putting in the effort to find a camping spot closer to the areas we intend to hunt will be worth it. Or, hike in a few miles and set up a spike camp. You lose the immediate mobility of a truck, but at least you are that much closer to the action. If after 1-2 days the action is poor, pack up and move.
Second, we didn't use mornings and evenings efficiently. We got up before sunrise, sure, but after getting ready in the morning, driving to our hunt, and hiking out to where we really wanted to be, there was probably a good hour of hunting time that we weren't hunting optimally. Given that deer move most near the twilight hours, that's a real missed opportunity. Also, there were many days where we would start hiking out well before sunset, simply so that we wouldn't have to hike so much in the dark. That's just laziness. Again, lots of time spent covering miles and not hunting during prime hunting time. It's no surprise that our only encounter with deer on public land (turned out to be a group of does) happened when we parked our asses on a ridge overlooking a quality draw, and glassed until sunset. Lesson learned!
Third, we moved too much in the middle of day, largely because of bad planning on my part. Our typical daily routine was this: drive to a spot, hike out maybe a mile to some decent but not very big glassing country. The problem here was that, given the number of hunters, the proximity to the road, and relative ease of the country, there were usually multiple other hunters working the same area. I also didn't pick out very large areas, which meant that after a few hours, it seemed like we had exhausted the area. At that point, we'd hike back to the truck, drive to a new area, and repeat in a new area. The result of all of this was spending many legal hunting hours *moving between hunting areas* instead of *actually hunting*. The lesson I've gained from this is to have a full day of hunting planned out, every day. That generally means picking an area that (1) has enough country to spend an entire day at and (2) probably will involve a solid hike at the beginning and end of each day, to get away from the road (unless you're already camped out in the backcountry). You can always elect to move mid-day if the area is no good, but at least you're not *forced* to move because of having a poor plan.
I'm not saying a person needs to hunt hard every hour of every day. Seems to me that a mid-day nap for a bit can be very wise, if energy or morale is waning. And I'm sure moving once to a new hunting area in the middle of the day is fine. But moving 2-3 times a day seems excessive to me. But that's what we did. I'd love to hear more of what deer and elk hunters do in the mid-day doldrums. Would also like to hear more about the pros and cons of camping at a truck vs heading into backcountry. If any of the lessons I've learned are way off base, let me know!