Wet and Freezing, but overall a good day in D15!

[TheGDog]

So there's this knoll/hill I noticed last time I was out there and saw a Mama Doe, a Doe and a Spike eventually cross a road. Thought to myself it'd probably be good idea to try going up it a bit, then take a sit and do some glassing, and/or attempt to do some calling for Predators, as well.

Had put out the motion decoy and returned to my sit. Figured before blowing the mouth calls I'd try to glass around a bit. See what I can see.

Put the Vultures up to my eyes by hand, took a look a few fingers over (318yds), scanning the top of that ridge and I'm like "What the?...Hold Up! That's a Buck!"

Two-points beginning in velvet. Decent amount of weight to him as well. His head was just barely skylined is why I noticed him over there. Must've watched him for a good two hours.

Didn't have my phone skope thing with me so just held my cellphone up to the 15's by hand.

Had planned to stay til sundown but my gloves and boots weren't doing so great at keeping the wet out. And I only had a Hoodie underneath the rain gear and outside of the camo gear.

I should also probably remember to get a rain-cover for my pack. The pack didn't do too bad though.

Strange thing is... the boots are GTX and I also recently Scotchguard'd them as well. Does Scotchguard also work decent on gloves?

QUESTION: Who makes a colder weather gauntlet glove that you like in the rain?

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[Bowman]

Well done..

 

[ilovesprig]

Very cool, 'Dog....They're out there....

ps....Scotchgard in IMO is just OK at best....I have waterfowler gloves that are pretty darn water proof....Just don't know where I bought them or what brand they are....Just says Gore-Tex.

 

[TheGDog]

The cool part... is that this location is just off a road! Took a page out of the HATCHET-101 play-book
And there's also a high spot near where I'd park on the other side of the road.
I already have the plan of attack laid out in my mind.
Park, slink up that high spot on other side of road, glass, locate, then descend in a wide loop so they don't spook. And since it's close to road, would only need maybe a liter of water in the pack to be light. And shooting sticks, Definitely shooting sticks!

 

[TRICER]

I reccomend practicing with shooting sticks. It can be very humbling. Anything over 200yds for me standing off sticks is kind of embarrassing.

 

[msailor]

Great report and I am getting the itch to get out there and scout for deer. I too have a few spots that are close to the road aka Hatchet spots! Hunt smarter not harder in my old age.


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[chessie]

I have a pair of Hanz Waterproof gloves. Great when putting out decoys on the cold mornings.

 

[TheGDog]

I reccomend practicing with shooting sticks. It can be very humbling. Anything over 200yds for me standing off sticks is kind of embarrassing.

That's where Popping Squeeks comes in handy!

EDIT: I just noticed you said "Standing" off sticks. No, this would be sitting shooting off sticks. I could totally see standing shooting off sticks being significantly harder.

 

[HATCHET1]

yep fellas..#111 is up next for the wall of shame.. he,s already dead..just has no idea yet....the road and I have a strong working relationship!

 

[Bowman]

Lol, I think I am joining the Hatchet club this year.. knees are over well done cooked. Lol.

 

[Bowman]

But I will give it the heave ho again this year. I have younger guys to help this year lol.
Dawn&Dusk we need to hike..

 

[TRICER]

Go in deep come out heavy!!!!

 

[Dawnandusk]

But I will give it the heave ho again this year. I have younger guys to help this year lol.
Dawn&Dusk we need to hike..

Been doing it Lee!!
Now you will have weekends off again!!!

 

[Aeon]

Don't walk over deer to get to deer.

why use sticks when the side mirror works just fine.

always shoot up hill. that way the drag back to the truck is all down.

D15 is a bitch. The deer are all spread out right now but come summer the water go away and they will be concentrated on the private dirt. Make sure you have your ONX maps handy and know your area. A lot of the good dirt in the north end is county park land now not Irvine company and the ranger there is a OCSD in a marked unit.

 

[TheGDog]

Can't shoot from a vehicle, especially not across a road, (especially a road that actually gets some cars, but I think that's why these deer are kickin' it here, cars mostly don't/can't stop there, just keep on going by).

RE: uphill shooting. Good idea in theory, just never seems to present itself that way so far.

Yeah... that physical part, though it sucks and you pay for it later, that part doesn't bug me so much while I'm in it and dealing with it. I mean, as long as the equipment is good and you're not getting heinous pack-rashes from poor products, but even then... a buck is a buck, and I'm thrilled to get one... so I hurry and press-on and get it to the cooler as fast as I can.

I always figured once I've got the animal down, I can sorta take as long as I'd like from that point forward (at least, as far as the heat of the day will allow me, anyway).

I *may*have to start looking at knee-wraps/supports before too long. Biggest thing is I need to get my butt in gear and start going back to the gym to do elliptical to help loosen up all my lower-back stuff. Man I make some hellafied noises these days from my spine some times, HaHA! The sound of stuff popping back into place and what not, hehe.

BTW I found a new way to get in shape in a big ol' hurry! At the wife's company-picnic they had Bubble-Soccer! That was fun, but Wooo Child!! talk about heat and sucking wind!!! Apparently the newer models of those "Bubbles" have a window and more vents in them. I barely fit inside the one they gave me. You build up soo much heat in there and all the air around your head is all heated up from your exhalations already, so no cooling. I'm just glad we were in the first game of the day, so didn't have to put it on after somebody else sweatin'. It was fun messin' with the opponent teams heads! A couple times I came runnin' up on'em talkin' 'bout "London Bridge Is Falling Down!!... Falling Down!!...Falling Down!!!!!" (Like in that scene from the Movie Army of Darkness!) and their eyes were buggin'-out seeing me run up on 'em! I took it easy on'em though, kept the collisions mild and scaled0-down so nobody would get hurt. Figured they *could* mess around and take it out on my boy if I got a little heavy-handed.

And speaking of the collisions... when you go down.. it's a real good workout trying to get back onto your feet! Works your core real good!

 

[TheGDog]

Go in deep come out heavy!!!!

Indeed! Just remember to slow the bleep down when coming out heavy on a downhill trail, especially when there's a buncha rocks too. Or you'll learn real damn quick how your lower leg and foot can go one direction, and your upper leg can go another, and your knee reports an "Oh Sh!t" moment to your brain! I learned real dang quick to take short choppy steps instead. Keep them nicely planted, don't stretch it out just because it's downhill and your natural inclination is to make longer steps and make use of that gravity. Don't Do It! One little slide of your stepping foot on some slidy hardpack stuff it gets scary and interesting real damn quick! Oh yeah, and that's what taught me to at least bring 1 trekking pole too. Coulda been real bad if my leg strength didn't kick in and my foot twisted any more in different directions like that! Coulda been real bad!