it’s comes in time, i’m only a handful of years into the big game thing. start by frequenting the bush/places you know best. i’m a long time angler/forager/grousehunter and i went to my “comfort” zone areas first trying to reflect on where i think i seen deer/elk. branch out from there. time in the bush is everything this year i really felt like i learned to swim. previous years more so get wet and try not to drown. this is not a instant gratification pastime.
i hunt a lot of birds this time of year post rifle and mainly just “look” at stuff and poke around. it’s less about the birds now more about next big game season. but it gives me a bigger reason to go look/scout. sheds and shroom seasons i find myself doing the same in the next few months. animals every everywhere and knowwhere. guys mention this a lot. it is true food and shelter i am learning more and more about.
ihunter is a great app the maps for my areas have helped me learn who might own what land public/private. the contact info is nice to for grazing leases. but i cross reference this with google earth 626315731 times a season. learning the terrain from a e-scout and boots on the ground are key.
give up on hoping to find your own mountain or meadow knowone else hunts, it’s not practical. having a few small “zones” you feel confident in are nice within a 10-30 minute drive for each other, have bin my biggest asset now. some days another hunter is in “our” spot, not getting to worried and moving to my plan b is helpful. stop and talk to people to, lots of decent people around. same can be said fishing and foraging. same with guys giving you a “spot” hunters and foragers are “funny” “secretive” mainly because once something is harvested it is now GONE the more people remove animals from a spot the less there are. it took me a while to truly understand this from a foraging perspective and hunting is the same. in time you will meet people willing to share a little or a lot.
personally i enjoy the solo struggle rather than having someone do it all for me. even the days i’m ready to give up and burn it all.
enjoy the process i’ve only gotten birds and deer so far, elk will happen and i’m more surprised on where moose live “now” . best of luck!
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