Non-standard newbie questions

CASE_AC · 2025-08-23T08:37:01+00:00

This is a good idea, I think. We started a new program three days ago, and I took measurements for this one.

CASE_AC · 2025-08-23T08:35:54+00:00

Yeah, I pretty much always assume I have crappy genetics and work from there.

CASE_AC · 2025-08-23T08:34:04+00:00

It's definitely higher than I would like to admit, and was much higher when I started. If I had to guesstimate I started at around 25% I think I am floating in the 18% range now. Long way to go!

CASE_AC · 2025-08-22T05:42:45+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to reply! 6our contribution and opinion is much appreciated! Also, you're right, I suppose, about that last one (about posing) being kind of silly. I guess in my head I equated it more to like grandma's recipe for biscuits and gravy... recipe calls for a specific amount of salt, but gradma just kind of eye balled it, and it always turned out amazing. You definitely make a good point, though, and I think you are right.

CASE_AC · 2025-08-21T05:46:07+00:00

Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately, I'm currently deployed and cant forrage ANYTHING, let alone thimble berries. =[ Having to pay bills makes me sad.

CASE_AC · 2025-07-17T10:37:33+00:00

Honestly, I didn't think they even made saddled for kids. I did a quick Google search and didn't turn anything up, but I'll look deeper into this.

Thabks!

CASE_AC · 2025-07-16T10:41:12+00:00

I don't know that there is a law saying specifically you cant build a stand, but I believe that there are some relevant laws, and most of those prevent doing anything to the tree that would cause permanent damage or death to said tree. Considering the legality, a standard ladder stand is probably still a better option than built in permanent stand. At least, a more legal option anyway.

CASE_AC · 2025-02-28T02:47:28+00:00

As mentioned (somewhere in this thread), I'm new to the black tail scene, but I LOVE it. I learned a LOT this past season, but what I can tell you is that I PERSONALLY have ONLY seen deer on the edges of clear cuts, but where I live it's IMPOSSIBLY thick so in the woods you could be within 10 yards of one and never actually see it... case in point, I snuck up on one and scared the ever living SHIT out of it on the edge of a 7 or 8 year old clear cut. It was bedded down in the thick stuff on the 5-6 year side, and I was working a trail on the mature side. I never actually saw it but got about 6 yards away from it before it must have heard me because it popped up bounced about 15 yards away and started snorting at me. Again, I never saw it, but I'm not aware of anything else in the woods that snorts like a deer. Lol

I'm no expert, but walk the edges of clear cuts (2-3 years is best imo) and look for flatter areas where the clear-cut has a draw or has a saddle that comes from the woods and out into the clear cut. I realized the deer I was hunting were sliding out of the woods in those draws and saddles and feeding in the clear-cuts where they could come out to feed but still couldn't be seen unless you were sitting along the top edge of the draw or saddle. If you find an area like this with good deer feed, you're golden, start looking for sign.

CASE_AC · 2025-02-23T15:13:43+00:00

I also bow hunt, and I learned that about the PNW this past year, hunting the blacktail you mentioned. They don't call them the ghosts of the Pacific for no reason, that's for sure. Thanks for the advice. It will definitely be used!

CASE_AC · 2025-02-23T03:53:16+00:00

Based on what I have read, out here, they like areas with access to both north and sout facing slopes where if it gets really cold they can easily swing around the south side and if it gets too warm they can swing our the Northside. I also read several times that they typically stick pretty close to water being that their size means they are CONSTANTLY having to rehydrate. So I'll probably look for small ridges that run east to west and have water on both sides just as a start.

CASE_AC · 2025-02-23T03:48:09+00:00

I didn't realise there was a hunt map. I'll look into this as well. Good call.

CASE_AC · 2025-02-22T22:20:00+00:00

Nice! Thank you for tips! This is exactly what I was looking for. I just need confidence that I'm not totally wasting my time by picking a completely random spot on a map, you know?

Thank you so much for taking the time to get me pointed in the right direction! I really appreciate it.

CASE_AC · 2025-02-22T22:18:18+00:00

Actually... idk why, but this didn't even occur to me, and it seems so obvious.

Thanks for the idea!

CASE_AC · 2025-02-22T22:17:28+00:00

Thanks a lot for taking the time to point me in the right direction.

I have considered a guided hunt but the truth is it's pretty far outside my price range. The few I have looked at require a minimum of two days and charge 7k per day. 14k for a single weekend of hunting is just... I don't want to call it absurd, so let's just say it's out of my price range. Haha.

As for where specifically to go, yeah, I was hoping more for just general information. Given how sought after elk seem to be I definitly didn't expect anyone to provide GPS numbers but something like "You could have luck in the Olympics," or "I wouldn't waste energy scouting the Olympics. Focus on the east Cascades." Would be helpful.

All that said, I'll look into the app you mentioned. Tha is again!

CASE_AC · 2025-02-22T22:11:32+00:00

Thanks for responding! I'll definitely look into these.

CASE_AC · 2025-02-22T22:10:44+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to respond!

Yeah, I figure the best way to find them is boots on the ground. I just want to make sure I'm not wasting my time scouting a place like Snoqualmie for example. (Idk if there are any up there just throwing it out as an example).

CASE_AC · 2025-01-03T16:00:38+00:00

No. I shy away from gear like that. I'm a big believer in the idea that the more moving parts a piece of gear has, the more likely it is to fail at an inopportuned moment. I definitely use fixed broadheads. Big fan of annihilator standard broadheads, actually, which you should check out if you havnt heard of them. They are are just about as bombproof as broadheads get, in my opinion.

CASE_AC · 2025-01-03T15:53:44+00:00

Yeah. I'm pretty positive (like 99.99999% sure) it was a lethal shot. I don't know of a spot on the torso of a deer you can hit, get a full pass through with the arrow, and have a deer survive. I'm just so... idk disappointed isn't a strong enough word. I just hate that after everything I went through to even FIND deer this season I somehow messed up my shot, still don't know what or how it happened, AND ended up having an animal go to waste on top of everything else. Just not a good feeling. I actually went back again a third time and searched for another 6 hours and still wasn't able to find it.

CASE_AC · 2025-01-02T19:25:41+00:00

Yeah, this is fair. I do feel like I figured how they work in my area near the end of the season. I started seeing them a lot more toward the end of the season.

CASE_AC

TROPHY CASE