Thread: What am I doing wrong???

Everywhere I look, I see people posing with the animal they've successfully taken down, but every one of the last 7 trips Ive made to the bush, have only resulted in scenes like this:

Tilt your head a little bit higher so you see the 4 legged creatures, not the trash left behind by the two legged variety.

I know the feeling though, it can be a long time between drinks. I'm envious of the fact you've been out and about at least looking for deer recently!

Doige looks unimpressed with rubbish bastards

I think the first 10 or so trips i went out, i came out with nothing but rubbish as well. I only got my first deer this year. I guess the motto is patience, persistence, and learning to deal with disappointment. And then I learned more about wind, going slower than I think slow is, and paying attention at all times (which can be very mentally tiring). I only started seeing and spooking more deer when I went painfully slow, and looked for small bits of movement between the trees rather than scanning for whole deer. Getting out there very early in the morning before the sun makes an appearance has helped as well.
Ive also found that areas close to big cities are much more difficult in terms of finding animals due to hunting pressure. I get maybe 50% success rate at areas 2 hours drive from my house, but about 10% success rate 30 mins drive from my house.

Also people who fail don't end up posing with no animals and dont post those photos online, so the successes naturally stand out. Doesn't mean that they get deer every time they go into DOC bush Keep it up, be patient and quiet, and eventually the magic will happen.

Love the dog. He looked peeved as well.

i dont get a deer very often but enjoy the bush, thats what its about

Originally Posted by Martin358

i dont get a deer very often but enjoy the bush, thats what its about

I agree. Getting into nature is 95% of the fun. Filling the freezer is a bonus.
But filling my passenger footwell with rubbish purposely left behind by others, sours my day a bit

I hate seeing rubbish as well, but this tends to be in the carparks where the track begins!
It took me a while to get my first... Clearings/bush edge at first light. Wind right on your nose and for me, up the tops in the foothills so be prepared to walk for 2hrs uphill! Stick at it but increase your chances by heading to where they feed at the change of light.

Originally Posted by Scott29er

I hate seeing rubbish as well, but this tends to be in the carparks where the track begins!
It took me a while to get my first... Clearings/bush edge at first light. Wind right on your nose and for me, up the tops in the foothills so be prepared to walk for 2hrs uphill! Stick at it but increase your chances by heading to where they feed at the change of light.

This was all shoved into tree hollows and root balls 2m or so in from the clearings edge, of one of many clearings. Most certainly by other hunters.

And it doesn't include the 17 beer cans and bottles i picked up off the side of the main track.

But that aside, thanks for the advice. Ive been scoping out river flats and clearings at the change of light, as youve suggested, but i still need to learn read wind, and to be quiet, and so does my dog! But its still more about getting out, than getting deer

The streams were proving difficult to cross in places, and with more rain predicted, i thought it best to take my anger, and other peoples rubbish and head home. I can spend my last days off more productively at home!

Originally Posted by JessicaChen

I think the first 10 or so trips i went out, i came out with nothing but rubbish as well. I only got my first deer this year. I guess the motto is patience, persistence, and learning to deal with disappointment. And then I learned more about wind, going slower than I think slow is, and paying attention at all times (which can be very mentally tiring). I only started seeing and spooking more deer when I went painfully slow, and looked for small bits of movement between the trees rather than scanning for whole deer. Getting out there very early in the morning before the sun makes an appearance has helped as well.
Ive also found that areas close to big cities are much more difficult in terms of finding animals due to hunting pressure. I get maybe 50% success rate at areas 2 hours drive from my house, but about 10% success rate 30 mins drive from my house.

Also people who fail don't end up posing with no animals and dont post those photos online, so the successes naturally stand out. Doesn't mean that they get deer every time they go into DOC bush Keep it up, be patient and quiet, and eventually the magic will happen.

Love the dog. He looked peeved as well.

The more I get out, the more confident i get with heading further off the beaten track, and the fitter I become. I think Ive been smelling and hearing animals more often, but i do have the handicap of having my dog with me, and big game indicator, she certainly is NOT.

My first and only successful trip out was with an older fella named Pete who bounced up knife edges and climbed vertical cliffs while I clung to scrub wishing my mommy was with me. So, no deer aside, I think I have improved somewhat!

Leave the camera at home......It increases your chance by about 55% of getting a deer if you cant take a pic of your first one........
( Personal experience)

If your finding rubbish like that your not walking far enough. Get well away from roadends i.e 5-6 hours . Then if you cant find a deer take up something else. Especially at the moment . Use Binoculars and hunt first and last light. By last light i mean have the wind in your face and hunt until you can no longer see without a torch.

I've got feral deer on my farm, rarely see them, but quite often I'll be moving into a new spot to do some job or other and hear that distinctive warning stamp they make, or hear or see them moving off through the trees. So they can be pretty hard to see unless you're really looking hard.

The most annoying thing is when you hear the warning stamp after spending 5 hours moving slowly through the bush with a rifle!

Originally Posted by Ben Waimata

I've got feral deer on my farm, rarely see them, but quite often I'll be moving into a new spot to do some job or other and hear that distinctive warning stamp they make, or hear or see them moving off through the trees. So they can be pretty hard to see unless you're really looking hard.

The most annoying thing is when you hear the warning stamp after spending 5 hours moving slowly through the bush with a rifle!

Have you ever thought of utilising a feeder on your place?
Bait the deer more onto your terms of engagement or maybe in conjunction with a pen trap.
Assuming of course we’re talking more pest control than hunting in your situation.

Wind. And once you're on good fresh sign. Slow down to nearly nothing.

Watched a good youtube from the woodsman i think it was. Sika stag roaring so he knew it was there. 6 hour stalk from the spur he was on to the spur the stag was on. Like a few hundred metres as far as the crow flies.

The older and slower I get the more deer I seem to get.

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Originally Posted by Nathan F

If your finding rubbish like that your not walking far enough. Get well away from roadends i.e 5-6 hours . Then if you cant find a deer take up something else. Especially at the moment . Use Binoculars and hunt first and last light. By last light i mean have the wind in your face and hunt until you can no longer see without a torch.

The farther in you go, the less rubbish there is, no question about it. But id prefer if there was no rubbish at all. Especially seeing as that area is visited almost exclusively by hunters.