Welcome back to the most boring book you'll read all week!
This past Tuesday, back at it looking for animals. Look, at this point, I just want to catch a glimpse of a deer. Ill save you the time, I didnt see any. However, what I did find this time compared to the last outings, was good, fresh, identifiable sign, and one hell of a nature spot.
I headed back out to the ol' '15' this week in search of 'yotes to shoot, and deer to look at. Up early, and out to my "e scouting" spots about 20 minutes before the sun peeked up over the horizon. I set off down an unmaintained trail that I had not expected to see, but it was headed in the direction that I wanted to go, so why not. There was a high spot that I wanted to get up to and sit and glass for a while, but alas, the chaparral was too thick and the hill top was inaccessible. I made my way to the end of the trail, finding fresh coyote tracks and scat the whole way (along with some broken beer bottles and spent shotgun shells). As I made my way to the end of the line, I was disappointed I couldnt make it up to the high point that I wanted to, turned around, and headed back to the trailhead.
Now, heres where my day deviated from what I had originally planned...
I wanted to walk the trail down into another spot that I felt would be good to look around, but the sun was getting higher and the weather warmer, no way was I going to find anything to hunt. So, I got to the split of the trail, and went right (when I meant to go left...I ended up having to backtrack about half a mile). This would take me up in elevation rather than down.
Now heres the thing...this half mile stretch (followed by the half mile back, and about another mile or so along the proper trail) showed me just exactly why backpackers, campers, hikers, and hunters love being out there so much. The landscape was incredibly different from where I started the morning, and to me, felt like true forest wilderness. I walked so incredibly slow through the area because I wanted to soak it all in, it reminded me of scenes I had only seen on TV/YouTube.
Now, as I made my way closer to the sun, the scenery changed back to what I was accustomed to seeing, and was more of what I complained about in my first outing. Along this trail, since it is very popular with recreational hikers (and apparently meth users...as I ran into one...in flip flops and shorts, no water, a stick, and about 14 missing teeth about 4 miles along a trail that I was struggling with wearing solid boots and having a ton of water with me) I encountered significantly less sign, but still some coyote scat here and there, usually near some domestic canine poop as well.
At the end of the trail, I sat, enjoyed some great views, took some pictures for my GF, called everyones favorite sprig lover Steve, and began the hike back to my car.
Ill attach some pictures, but since I liked this spot and found good sign, there wont be too many wide shots. I need help on IDing one of the tracks, as I feel it is 100% deer, but also quite small, without any larger ones near it, like I would expect with a fawn and adult doe.
Overall, an excellent day, definitely beat sitting on the couch. Hunting this area would be interesting with the complete lack of visibility past about 20-30 yards, but if I were to get it done, I would feel like a badass (which means I likely will NOT get it done). Next stop...the 16 to visit Steve (I'll be there the day after the Turkey Tune Up) and see if I can be pointed in the direction of some spots where I can sit and glass for hours on end.
This past Tuesday, back at it looking for animals. Look, at this point, I just want to catch a glimpse of a deer. Ill save you the time, I didnt see any. However, what I did find this time compared to the last outings, was good, fresh, identifiable sign, and one hell of a nature spot.
I headed back out to the ol' '15' this week in search of 'yotes to shoot, and deer to look at. Up early, and out to my "e scouting" spots about 20 minutes before the sun peeked up over the horizon. I set off down an unmaintained trail that I had not expected to see, but it was headed in the direction that I wanted to go, so why not. There was a high spot that I wanted to get up to and sit and glass for a while, but alas, the chaparral was too thick and the hill top was inaccessible. I made my way to the end of the trail, finding fresh coyote tracks and scat the whole way (along with some broken beer bottles and spent shotgun shells). As I made my way to the end of the line, I was disappointed I couldnt make it up to the high point that I wanted to, turned around, and headed back to the trailhead.
Now, heres where my day deviated from what I had originally planned...
I wanted to walk the trail down into another spot that I felt would be good to look around, but the sun was getting higher and the weather warmer, no way was I going to find anything to hunt. So, I got to the split of the trail, and went right (when I meant to go left...I ended up having to backtrack about half a mile). This would take me up in elevation rather than down.
Now heres the thing...this half mile stretch (followed by the half mile back, and about another mile or so along the proper trail) showed me just exactly why backpackers, campers, hikers, and hunters love being out there so much. The landscape was incredibly different from where I started the morning, and to me, felt like true forest wilderness. I walked so incredibly slow through the area because I wanted to soak it all in, it reminded me of scenes I had only seen on TV/YouTube.
Now, as I made my way closer to the sun, the scenery changed back to what I was accustomed to seeing, and was more of what I complained about in my first outing. Along this trail, since it is very popular with recreational hikers (and apparently meth users...as I ran into one...in flip flops and shorts, no water, a stick, and about 14 missing teeth about 4 miles along a trail that I was struggling with wearing solid boots and having a ton of water with me) I encountered significantly less sign, but still some coyote scat here and there, usually near some domestic canine poop as well.
At the end of the trail, I sat, enjoyed some great views, took some pictures for my GF, called everyones favorite sprig lover Steve, and began the hike back to my car.
Ill attach some pictures, but since I liked this spot and found good sign, there wont be too many wide shots. I need help on IDing one of the tracks, as I feel it is 100% deer, but also quite small, without any larger ones near it, like I would expect with a fawn and adult doe.
Overall, an excellent day, definitely beat sitting on the couch. Hunting this area would be interesting with the complete lack of visibility past about 20-30 yards, but if I were to get it done, I would feel like a badass (which means I likely will NOT get it done). Next stop...the 16 to visit Steve (I'll be there the day after the Turkey Tune Up) and see if I can be pointed in the direction of some spots where I can sit and glass for hours on end.
