3 months of game cameras, 11 days sitting in a rock blind, 8 nights in a tent, cold mornings and hot days, and a grueling 3 mile pack out on closing day.
I saw him on day 2 of the season for a half second at 300 yards...no shot. Got him on the game cameras 4-5 times at night and then last week, twice at 8 to 8:30 AM.
This morning, saw 3 doe at 200-250 yards. Then a little spike walked back and forth from 50 yards to 300 yards between 7-8AM. Then this 3x3 gave me a half second glimpse again, just like day 2...no shot. DARN!
Down on my scope, slowly checking all the gaps in the scrub and low and behold, there he is at 210 yards. Slow squeeze, before he disappears again. BOOM, then he's gone. Change to short pants, pack up the backpack and head down to look for blood. Walk around a manzanita shrub that he was standing by and there he is, see as he lay attachmet
Heart shot with a 7mm Remington Magnum and he didn't go 6 feet. 1 mile drag to the game cart that was staged at the bottom of the mountain. You know the deal, 100 yards dragging the deer....Back for the backpack, rifle, canteens. REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT...Then 2 more miles on a trail with the heavy game cart, loaded with both the deer and backpack. Hit the dirt road. Hike a mile to the truck. Load him up and at the butcher by 3PM.
2 quarts of water on the pack out. 3 Kern nectars while skinning him out and never took a leak. Sweated it all out I guess. Hoped on the scale after a shower tonight and I was 10 lbs lighter than normal. Who said SOCAL hunting is easy.
4 Deer in the last 4 years, all on public land. Now it's off to D16 to see if I can make it two this year, like 2013. Ate two tags in 2014 but not for lack of trying. Cameras in D16 have a nice big, old, grey buck with a huge forked rack, and a smaller forkie. I'll take either but the tender little forkie would be nice. If the big forked buck is as old as he looks, can't imagine he'd be the best tasting. Plan on spending 8 nights in the tent again.
Missed my WA State ellk hunt this year with other commitments, so have to stock up the freezer!
I saw him on day 2 of the season for a half second at 300 yards...no shot. Got him on the game cameras 4-5 times at night and then last week, twice at 8 to 8:30 AM.
This morning, saw 3 doe at 200-250 yards. Then a little spike walked back and forth from 50 yards to 300 yards between 7-8AM. Then this 3x3 gave me a half second glimpse again, just like day 2...no shot. DARN!
Down on my scope, slowly checking all the gaps in the scrub and low and behold, there he is at 210 yards. Slow squeeze, before he disappears again. BOOM, then he's gone. Change to short pants, pack up the backpack and head down to look for blood. Walk around a manzanita shrub that he was standing by and there he is, see as he lay attachmet
Heart shot with a 7mm Remington Magnum and he didn't go 6 feet. 1 mile drag to the game cart that was staged at the bottom of the mountain. You know the deal, 100 yards dragging the deer....Back for the backpack, rifle, canteens. REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT...Then 2 more miles on a trail with the heavy game cart, loaded with both the deer and backpack. Hit the dirt road. Hike a mile to the truck. Load him up and at the butcher by 3PM.
2 quarts of water on the pack out. 3 Kern nectars while skinning him out and never took a leak. Sweated it all out I guess. Hoped on the scale after a shower tonight and I was 10 lbs lighter than normal. Who said SOCAL hunting is easy.
4 Deer in the last 4 years, all on public land. Now it's off to D16 to see if I can make it two this year, like 2013. Ate two tags in 2014 but not for lack of trying. Cameras in D16 have a nice big, old, grey buck with a huge forked rack, and a smaller forkie. I'll take either but the tender little forkie would be nice. If the big forked buck is as old as he looks, can't imagine he'd be the best tasting. Plan on spending 8 nights in the tent again.
Missed my WA State ellk hunt this year with other commitments, so have to stock up the freezer!
