Huntnchick

Thanks guys! Two weekends ago I went for my first ever archery deer hunt and hiked from 545 to 3. I had a lot of encounters with a variety of animals. Just before 2 I saw a black bear and it freaked me out. It was going away from me but it reminded me of my first encounter so I was shaken. I rushed to the road I was trying to get to and walked up to two bedded spike bulls and a cow. I stopped at 55 yards and sat down and they didn't mind me. I love walking slow in hopes I step on them since I love hiking. but I was scaring birds 100 yards away being as quiet as I could. I am amazed when a hunter has pictures of animals from glassing, or says they have been watching a certain one for years. Hunting seems like it is so random for me, and I want to find that consistency! I really want to understand how animals are and how routines work and where they go for seasonal changes. I have seen 1 4 point buck in 6 years of hiking and hunting. Except the strip, they are all over up there!

So I married my husband and then got into hunting. He has hunted most his life and so this is all new to me. He hasn't been overly successful as far as big animals, which is fine, we have always had meat between us. He hasn't taken time to educate me since he says it has just been luck. I won't ask where the animals are, or even for you to share hard earned secrets. What I want to know are things that can help me be more successful... My first hunt I walked into cow elk and dropped one in front of me. Second hunt I hiked day after day and seriously got a deer as we were driving out that night. 3rd was a spike bull muzzleloader and we saw them driving after long hikes. Last two years were early bull archery and I just missed the ones I happened to get close to. Two weeks ago I missed a spike using my wrong pin. This was my first archery deer hunt and I hiked a ton these past two weekends. I did jump one buck but I didn't even know he was a buck until he turned to walk away. Never had a shot anyways on him. So what is the best method? Spot and stalk, just stepping on them, tree stands, sitting water, feeding the mule deer and having a stand, do cameras make a difference, how do you scout, what are some things to look for to find places they might be hanging out... Walking and glassing, how early do you get to a spot to scout and what do you look for, are bigger (like 2 points and up) ever within a mile of doe during archery season, so if I see doe do I just skip that area?????? Please don't be offended of all my questions, if any of them are rude to ask to those who have worked hard to discover them for themselves, then don't be upset and just let me know. Janell

These are great. Sometimes it is hard being a mom and a hunter. My husband is with the kids and I go alone. I don't know any girl hunter and it would just look wrong to have a guy take me. Although I wouldn't care if it was a guy because hunting is hunting. My husband is great but he hunts different than me. He has hunted majority of his life and I have for 6 years. Lol. I walk super slow and he walks fast. I love to hike and for me it is fun regardless if I only see a squirrel or even nothing. He gets frustrated when he doesn't see anything or get anything. We are just different. Last weekend I went camping alone in a wilderness area with no cell reception. Turns out I am really afraid of bears and after hiking all day, I just couldn't do it alone. Granted the weekend before I saw a bear in a different area, and that was tough too.

Honestly I never wanted to hunt. I never wanted to touch a dead animal or kill an animal. But I got hooked after I found an antler. It just built and I realized that if I want to spend time with my husband, I should hunt. Now he wants to be with me hunting. It has made us stronger because I have a love for what he loves.

Thanks for all the replies! These are amazing stories! I will look at doing the camps or group things to meet more hunters. I got hooked really quickly with my husband. I had shot a gun one time before I met my husband, but I was an indoor city girl. The second year we were married and I got a cow left over tag and a mule deer tag. I had never even accompanied a hunt and got my cow while my husband slept "glassing." A month later I got my muley. Then came our kids. I got drawn for late muzzleloader bull and we took our 5 month old. She had acid reflux and cried the entire time. The next tag I drew was early archery bull and we took our then two year old girl and our 1 month old son. He cried all the time so I had to "figure out" how to hunt in the rut with a bow all by myself. I did not get one, missed 3, but absolutely loved it. The next year I drew early archery bull again (different unit) with my husband. He hunted first and I got to hunt 2 days since my son was so little and the hunt sucked. The first bull saw me shaking so bad and the second one I missed. So now comes archery deer and my husband will stay home with the kids and I will go by myself. Basically right now, I do it alone or I don't get to go at all. My husband drew a deer tag in November so we might get to tag along and hang out in the camper or truck while he hunts. (More fun if I could go with him.) Anyways. If you have Instagram you can check my life out. Aguasfamilyoutdoors

I am a girl new-hunter, wife of a raised hunter, and mom of two young kids. I have only been hunting for 6 years and grew up an indoor city girl. I have no friends that hunt. This town the men hunt and the girls have babies. Everyone thinks I am weird that I like this stuff. My kids are 4 and almost 2. So in the 6 years I have hunted... I have been pregnant or young babies majority of it. how does the girl hunter you know, hunt? Alone, husband, friends, with kids or other family members? Do they ever camp alone to hunt or how do they do it? Any stories or pictures! I just need ideas.

1 cow 1 mule deer 1 bull 1 coyote dove And only one rabbit with my bow. Been hunting 6 years

I did it for 2 months and saw no results except I was able to do all of the workouts. So I think it has far more to do with the diet too. We were and are way too poor to buy those foods. And Pam couldn't kick through a wall, lol. She has no real form or force. Just impressive workout skills!

I agree with this to an extent. The better you eat I believe the faster the results and the further you can go. But I would rather eat normal food, just smaller portions, eat healthier options where I can, and exercise as my life, instead of cutting out so much that I want to cheat and give up. Maybe that will change once I see my results in 3 weeks. I just started running every day now and made it to 3 miles today. Tomorrow will be a walk with a child on my back and Friday will be miles of hiking to scout for archery deer. But what everyone has said, their best results have come from cardio with weight lifting. So I will probably add weights to my routine at some point.

So far I missed one bull and the other one didn't give me a shot before he saw me shaking. Lol. Super slow rut to get started and it rained us out the last night I had kids free. Super sad but still have a couple evenings left.

Until this moment I was sitting at home with my kids while my husband and 2 buddies who drew the same tag as Us is up hiking countless miles and driving to new areas to hike in 3 times a day. So no they are not sitting at camp. But they have hunted archery bull now for the 4 year in a row and this one is the slowest to get going. I just wondered if 2012 was so unique with them seeing close to a hundred Bulls the first weekend to this year of a couple spikes in over a week.

I should add that in 2012 it was a great time for archery. My husband said in the first weekend they called in close to 100 bulls. Even with not being mobsters but still exciting. Hope to go out today! And test to see how my son handles it all!

Thanks everyone for more advice and information. I really do appreciate the willingness of sharing ideas. My husband was deer hunting in unit one the night before our hunt started and did a call just to see if they were talking and got 3 immediate responses. So he was super excited and hopeful. Then it was silent in 27. A few random bugles but nothing responding to their calls, and they are pretty good at the reed calls and mouth diaphragms. My husband put up our tree stand and 2 cameras and someone came in and stole every single step to our tree stand and a memory card, as well as deleted our other one. Super frustrating!!! so now we can't use our own tree stand until we get more steps. My son just turned a year old, separation anxiety full force, teething, and tummy issues is why I am trying to stay home as long as I can. I want a good chance to kill when I decide to leave him and my daughter with their grandparents. We only see them about once a year so it isn't like they even know them very well. Anyways if I get one day or one night away I hope I will have better odds. The weather makes sense and the over load of hunters. They did huge hikes in and got up super early and hit up a lot of different areas. The Bulls just aren't making themselves located or responding to calls in the areas they were. still interesting that 3 times when they crossed into the other units they had several responses and then jump the line into 27 and nothing. Just strange. We will be patient and my husband said he thought the day that the "weather" changed was yesterday. So we hope that tomorrow they get to the areas where the elk are bugling and responding to their calls. Thanks again for all your help and advice. I Hope to post a picture soon of my first archery bull. 😏

Thanks for all your advice guys! We were just confused as to why it was so different in 27 vs the surrounding areas. This is going to be the first time in 3 years that we are away from our kids together... So you can see why I was hoping to be up hunting and not at home. My parents are leaving Tuesday morning so if the rut doesn't get started by then... Well then we take our kids and don't get to hunt together. Anyways my husband had put in for 11 years before he and his buddy got the 27 tag. The next year his buddy got 3b, the next year I drew 3b, and then this year all 3 of us put in separate and drew 27. I have no idea why it worked out like this. I gave birth to our son a month exactly before my hunt last year so it was very difficult to have a newborn and hunt. Well I hope my husband and I get to hunt together this year! So I do hope this rut picks up so we can.