What to do?

[Muleyfanatic]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-18-10 AT 06:44PM (MST)[p]Hello everyone, next year I plan on going bow hunting for the first time. But I have no idea where to go or what to look for. I live in Idaho and am 15 years old. My uncle has a spot that we go to every year. But we really don't see much for deer. The elk is good there but no deer. It is my dream to kill a somewhat decent buck. The last 2 years I have killed does on the last weekend to get some meat in the freezer and 3 years ago I shot a little forky. I have never seen a buck bigger than a 2 point while hunting and I would like to find my own spot that at least would have a shot at a decent buck. I have my license and am willing to scout over the summer and such. But I just don't know where to start, do I look at topo maps in different units? If so where? Do I look at harvest reports and stats? I honestly don't know where to start to find an area that has bucks in it. I don't want anyone's "honey holes" or anything, I just want to know what to do to even get on the right track at finding an area and spots that I could do some scouting in. Thanks for any help

 

[msy]

go to where the elk aren't so good and where you can't drive a truck or 4 wheeler to. Get away from the roads and you'll usually start seeing better bucks. Focus on food, shelter, and water.

 

[bucklover]

It sounds like you have some background as far as being in the outdoors. If you are anything like I was at 15, you live breathe and eat hunting and fishing. You can learn a lot about hunting by reading outdoor hunting magazines. You can pick up a lot of tips right here on this site. I've hunted "all" my life. I started hunting birds with a BB gun at age four,alone. And I'm a little embarrassed to say I just learned on this site that you can burp in a mulie buck. Talk to people in your circle of family and friends to see if any of them are hunting savy. If you know any ranchers in the area you live, offer to trade summer work for a place to hunt. (if their ranch holds decent bucks). Talk to the local game warden. I know very few people that wouldn't try to help a young kid with the burning desire to "HUNT!" If you have access to transportation, get out as often as you can way early in the morning so you're ready to look, look, look, from high vantage points. Work for and buy the best binos and spotting scope you can afford. Many of us own multiple of both and I bet someone out here will make you a great deal. Listen to other people tell hunting stories and pick their brains. Don't be afraid to get back on this site and ask if anyone out there in your area would mind if you tagged along and learned from them. Of course you and your parents would need to get to know them. Good Luck and never let that hunting fire burning in your gut die out.

 

[Muleyfanatic]

Thanks guys, both of you! but i don't have a clue of where to even go? I went up to arrowrock this year the last weekend, started hiking an hour before light and went up the steepest, deepest canyon i could, I would hike anywhere for a buck. But arrowrock's buck:doe ratio is terrible, I saw about 60 does and a spike. I wanna try and do most of my research before I go out blindly looking for somewhere. Do you know of anywhere that I could download topo maps or anything? I really appreciate the help guys. Most of my family loves to hunt, but NOTHING like I do. They don't wanna hike 5 miles from the road for a chance at a good buck, which I did this year and ended up shooting a doe on my way back. So luckily it wasn't that far from where I parked. There aren't really much ranches so to speak around where I am at. At least not that I see or know about. The ones I do know about are on draw units only, and I dunno if I'd wanna work on a ranch just to hunt it. I'm hopefully gonna get a real job this summer that I could generate some hunting money with. Thanks for all the help guys!