Well...it's just about my favorite time of year. Island BT's and good friends. I've been running my cams since the middle of the summer and like every year, we have another bumper crop of animals...including a couple of real bruisers. They went hard horned around the 3rd week of August - which is a bit earlier than normal. Lots and I mean LOTS of does around this year. They seem to be travelling in a larger herd than normal as well. Usually, it's just small family groups of no more than 3 does, but this year, I'm seeing gangs of 6 - 8 at a time...which is new.
We also bought a very nice camper trailer this offseason, so our digs will be better than ever before. Trails are looking great after some summer work and the stage is set for BOOM TOWN.
I am pretty stoked! The last week or so of heading to work in the dark and fog has got me hard horned for hunting season, too
They usually do a pretty good job of putting most of the rut during the closed period between general and late seasons...I think that it's going to be full swing for the entire second half of general season this year.
If ya happen to see any bare naked asses on your trail cams.....
blame Rico.
Uggh. Our first year on the island, we lived and died by our trailcams. Toff and I were sitting in the car overlooking our hunting grounds and flipping through cam pics. I come to this one pic and I don't see anything. No deer, squirrels or windy branches. Why did the cam trigger? Then I see it. At the very edge of the pic is a floating log. I look closer. Wait a minute! That's not a log! What is that? Is that? Oh...oh God. NOOOO! Fvck you Todd! He just laughs and laughs. So gross.
If we can't laff at ourself's, and all the [Bleeeeep!]-show's we get into then life is just too fukked up! Totally appreciate the honesty Parker! Sometime's I just wonder "who's controlling this outcome right now" , when a situation that should a P.o.C. (piece of cake) turns into an atomic CF of epic proportions! And I'm the one that's smack in charge, albeit work or fun related (shakin head)!
Where's Evo-juice to tell you what you've been doing wrong all this time?? LOL
Nice Buck War Paint, is that a little of your paint on the tip of his antler?
Deer camp 2020 is pretty plush... with one of the high points being that when I shot my deer at 645pm Sunday Night, I got a text saying who shot and where are ya. 10 minutes later it was in the bucket of a tractor headed for the shop.
Roughin it!
....Not!
Ill let the boys fill in with any other stories from opening weekend if they dare.
I guess that means deer camp stories stay at deer camp, ROFL.
Nick usually starts the Deer Camp thread, we provide no in-season updates, and then we promise an end of season wrap up that we typically fail to deliver on.
I think in the many years we have done this together Nick and I have posted a grand total of one single photo, and that was my super-Mondo buck from last year.
That's the process you have been adopted into, Sky-Guy
Todd and the Bronco Fan are pretty much worthless for vicarious buck adventure pixels & prose. Not as nearly as bad as Parker tho'.
Rut seems slow this year. Have stealthily shadowed a few does but have only seen a button buck hanging near 'em on one occasion rather than his testosterone-addled great grandpa....
Maybe we'll birth a few photos and/or words at the end of the season, come January...but we'll probably forget, or more to the point, for get to care to do so
I gave an entirely accurate report this morning, if not particularly satisfying for others
Helps if one were to go hunting, something I haven't done in over 2 years. We gave up the Tonasket Game Preserve land rights after the deer populations crashed a couple of years ago and had the wolves move in.
Can't say that I miss climbing Mount Mick at 2:00 am on opening morning, but I do miss that time of morning when the wind dies down, becomes earily calm, and one can just start to glass and see deer returning from feeding to their beds. The ghosts of the mountains.
I declined to hunt on the Toff Deer Game Farm and Preserve, as I'm still on the Island's Top 10 Most Wanted by PETA.
Next year......out of state.
Hunting Iderho.
May not kill anything and may not take any photos, but I'm sure I'll have stories to tell!
We rented a house in Gardner, MT for a few days last month. On the morning of the last day, as I was packing the car, a 5-point bull elk sauntered down the street past our driveway. I guess stuff like this is common there. The day we arrived there was a large pile of grizzly scat in the driveway.
Here on the home front, archery season began on Sept. 1. I haven't seen a BT buck since the 3rd week of August.
We rented a house in Gardner, MT for a few days last month. On the morning of the last day, as I was packing the car, a 5-point bull elk sauntered down the street past our driveway. I guess stuff like this is common there. The day we arrived there was a large pile of grizzly scat in the driveway.
Here on the home front, archery season began on Sept. 1. I haven't seen a BT buck since the 3rd week of August.
You know you are in a different area when you have to pack just to check the mail.
You'll start seeing those sneaky neighborhood bucks on does in the daytime anytime now. The pre-rut is firing up and they're starting to sniff butts. It won't be long and they'll get real stupid, which is what I'm counting on. I need their stupid to match my stupid or it doesn't work out very well.
Paker thinks Patchouli is a cover scent and kale smoothies count as trail food. He finds it adorable when chipmunks eat organic free range almonds outta his hand. He often tries baiting them up the inside of his pant legs into his warm & spacious chippy cave. That's the word on the streets.
The flute jokes just write themselves. I can totally see him skipping down the lane with small forest critters in tow. Zamfir ain't got chit on the Hammer.
“Why does my deer taste like lawn clippings and dog [Bleeeeep!]?” says the modern deer hunter.
“Well that’s because it spent all it’s waking hours grazing in the neighbors front yard, and they have a dog!” says the homeowner.
“But I killed it...in the woods!” says the modern deer hunter.
“That’s my backyard!” says the homeowner.
“I are Man, deer taste good ” grunts the modern deer hunter as he shakes his head and saunters back inside his camper trailer, to grab another Busch light from his knock of Yeti cooler. *loud techno music can be heard as he opens the door* “I....are....MAN” he says again, this time to Todd, as he Chuggs another beer and begins to dance.
“Fuckin Sky-Guy” the homeowner says to himself as he stands in his driveway, shaking his head.
“Why does my deer taste like lawn clippings and dog [Bleeeeep!]?” says the modern deer hunter.
“Well that’s because it spent all it’s waking hours grazing in the neighbors front yard, and they have a dog!” says the homeowner.
“But I killed it...in the woods!” says the modern deer hunter.
“That’s my backyard!” says the homeowner.
“I are Man, deer taste good ” grunts the modern deer hunter as he shakes his head and saunters back inside his camper trailer, to grab another Busch light from his knock of Yeti cooler. *loud techno music can be heard as he opens the door* “I....are....MAN” he says again, this time to Todd, as he Chuggs another beer and begins to dance.
“Fuckin Sky-Guy” the homeowner says to himself as he stands in his driveway, shaking his head.
Great buck WP! Congrats to the others who had success as well.
Honestly, "success" to me anymore is being able to actually get a week off from my hectic work schedule to be able to enjoy the camp life with my son and my friends. Harvesting critters just makes it even better. Our camp went 7 for 7 on mulies up in the Northern wheatfield country, with 6 bucks (5 being in the "mature" category), and a kicker doe.
The highlight for me was pulling a double with my son. He had spotted a healthy 3x3 he wanted, so he made a good spot-n-stalk and dropped the hammer at 297 yards. I was on an adjacent ridge about 150 yards away, and a larger 4x4 decided to head my direction after all the commotion. That proved to be a fatal mistake for the large buck, and within a minute there were 2 bucks on the ground. Neat father/son moment, for sure.
The highlight for me was pulling a double with my son. He had spotted a healthy 3x3 he wanted, so he made a good spot-n-stalk and dropped the hammer at 297 yards. I was on an adjacent ridge about 150 yards away, and a larger 4x4 decided to head my direction after all the commotion. That proved to be a fatal mistake for the large buck, and within a minute there were 2 bucks on the ground. Neat father/son moment, for sure.
Great job on a couple of nice bucks. Your big 4x4 is a dandy!
Thanks Nick! I was more excited for my son anchoring his 7th buck, plus later that day he filled his 2nd deer tag on his own. That gives him 10 deer now; dam good for a 16yo!
Great job on a couple of nice bucks. Your big 4x4 is a dandy!
Thanks Nick! I was more excited for my son anchoring his 7th buck, plus later that day he filled his 2nd deer tag on his own. That gives him 10 deer now; dam good for a 16yo!
10 deer for a 16 yo is stout. Good jorb dad!
I'm still holding out for a boss hog. I have 3 more days this coming weekend and then multiple late seasons. We shall see.
The rut is happening, at least in Olympia and Goldendale. My buddy got an extra stinky 3 pt Monday after work with extra wet and stinky glands. My dad shot a buck Sunday and had another buck horn the crap out of it after it dropped.
The rut is happening, at least in Olympia and Goldendale. My buddy got an extra stinky 3 pt Monday after work with extra wet and stinky glands. My dad shot a buck Sunday and had another buck horn the crap out of it after it dropped.
The clear, moonlit nights seem to have diminished early morning appearances as the boys are likely bedded or sequestered with does in quiet places well before first light. As slight confirmation, was just about to leave the stand yesterday evening when there were a couple of young bucks in a full out, knock down, turf tossing donnybrook so I stayed put to spectate. A forkie appeared to investigate the young gladiators and shake a few low fir boughs himself as darkness started to firmly enfold the remainder of the day. He turned abruptly and focused his attention that redirected the Leitz 10x light gathering view through the trees to a mature buck staring back at him but tending a doe. Too dark to count points as he again turned to the doe but they swept up well above and beyond his ears. Although nothing for the freezer from that encounter, a heart was quickened and more memories were made....
I'm a bit bummed I filled my tag. I always wait until the end to get serious and this year you get an extra day! The 1st should be the best day of the whole season.
Had another fun weekend out in the woods. The moon phase and weather was crap, but some animals were out and about moving around here and there.
I passed on an ancient, totally white faced old man buck that had a broken off antler on one side and a weird regress on the other. He was a big bodied animal, but he would have been a hamburger deer. I wouldn't doubt that he was 9 or 10 years old.
Still have late season modern Whitetails, Blacktails and late archery + muzzy, so I have a bit of time...
The waxing moon and clear nights definitely messed with my mojo this year. T'other evening had a very tired doe troll a persistent forkie past the stand three times in her hopes of getting him permanently off her ass. Didn't work....
Middle of last week, saw a doe squat & pee for a flemming buck as objective proof to Romeo that she was not in estrus. He got a good sniff of her stuff and sure enough, walked off to find better options. Last Friday evening was the first time bucks were seen hard at it with does. That said, perhaps we'll have better luck in a couple weeks!
Sounds like you gave the Patriarch one more winter, eh Nick?
I guess I'm getting to be a bit of a big softy the older I get. That old Gladiator was a haggard, scarred up, battle tested beast who obviously lived a full life of fightin' & lovin'. He looked really content to just be enjoying some of his last apples during his last glimmer of his last warm fall sunshine. He earned it.
Our encounter made me wonder and ponder a bit about if'n I'll ever put my guns in the ground.
That's what I've enjoyed since the boy has started hunting that last 8 years; is focusing on getting him a deer (or 2). During this time I've only killed 3 bucks. Once we'd harvest a deer for the freezer, then I could enjoy "the hunt" for a bigger buck rather than just focus on killing any legal buck.
It's like when I morphed from "having" to kill a limit of steelhead/salmon to make the trip "successful", to enjoying the trip and IF we caught fish or if they were only wild it was still a great trip!
Way back in the early '80's, I was a young buck that deer hunted with a co-worker that had horses and a long time pard of his that was decades of seasons ahead of us both. After being out playing hide-n-seek with alpine mulies from can't see to can't see, I returned to the wall tent and a hissing Coleman lantern to share dinner and our stories of the day. When it was our camp patriarch's turn he recounted the number of bucks he'd seen and how close or off yonder they were. I inquired as to why we weren't packing meat in the morning and he told me "Why would I ruin a perfectly good hunt?" with a grin and a wink for emphasis. He'd been blessed with many good hunts, good company around many campfires, left countless boot tracks over the mountains of many states, and lived to his middle 90's before the Good Lord punched his tag. We should all be so lucky....
At 55 I can relate. Not sure how many miles I covered this year but it was many, many miles. Most between 7,000 and 10,000 feet. All the different weather experienced. Saw every four legged creature in the woods I traveled ....except a griz.
A truly great year spending time with loved ones younger than me.
I passed on that old buck for two reasons. #1 his meat would have been shite and #2 my season would be over.
Two weekends from now, Toof and I are breaking tradition and heading over to the far east side for some hot Whitetail & Turkey action for a couple of days. There are some very nice bucks on cam and the weather & moon is going to be perfect, perfect. 1" - 3" of snow each night; cold with little wind. Nothing too huge on cam (yet), but several VERY nice shooters. For several reasons, I'm convinced that this specific country holds a true toad and while we haven't seen him yet....he's in there.
I haven't hunted WT's since I left Michigan, so 20 years. I've been fortunate to have culled truck loads of WT's with our farm permit. Like 4 in five minutes type killin'. But now, I'm so used to sneaky arsehole BT's thieving in the night, that I've almost forgot how normal deer operate. Fookin' BT's man - true bastards. I love to hate em' and hate that I love em'.
Besides spot n' stalk & still hunting, we'll have a ground couple of blinds set up. The plan is too take the shotty and rifle and many sammies, plop my butt down and chill for whatever may happen by. I might even take a nap just for Jaek.
If that hunt doesn't work out, we'll turn around and go back to the island a couple of days later for late Modern over here. Then it's a couple of days off until Nov 25th and I'm going Elk hunting until I get my animal.
First, I FINALLY get to take my rebuilt Weatherby out after some animals. It's been a long time coming. It's a silky driver at the range and I expect no less in live action.
But more importantly, I get to break out my Gramps old 1894. 26" + iron sights. Much like the ol' Model 12 that slays island deer, this gun has killed more chit than small pox. 3 generations worth back to the late 30's. My dad took his first deer & elk with it, I took my first deer & elk with it. All those CO Mulies & Elk and MI WT's. Bart Starr dropped it on some rocks and gashed the stock (yes, that Bart Starr). So some history.
Old, cranky and VERY loose. Almost a mantle gun now, but still has a hunt or two left.
First, I FINALLY get to take my rebuilt Weatherby out after some animals. It's been a long time coming. It's a silky driver at the range and I expect no less in live action.
But more importantly, I get to break out my Gramps old 1894. 26" + iron sights. Much like the ol' Model 12 that slays island deer, this gun has killed more chit than small pox. 3 generations worth back to the late 30's. My dad took his first deer & elk with it, I took my first deer & elk with it. All those CO Mulies & Elk and MI WT's. Bart Starr dropped it on some rocks and gashed the stock (yes, that Bart Starr). So some history.
Old, cranky and VERY loose. Almost a mantle gun now, but still has a hunt or two left.
Stories like this are appreciated, get her back out and let her bark! Mantle biz, that's just silly talk.
Congrats to your son on a fine bull and exceptional shooting!
Probably not WA given it's not a spike. Have seen a goodly number of Clydesdale bulls up close with the ubiquitous WA spike only tag in the pack. Love MT and WY for better odds....
Todd and I had a great EA WA WT hunt. Tags are still unnotched. We passed on some dinks. Lots and lots of animals, but no hot does or swollen necks just yet....which was a bit frustrating. Not even a lone cruiser. We had a mix of weather from cold and snowy rain to warmer sunshine. The rut in there will probably start tomorrow morning.
Oh well. Its a neat area with lots of animals. I had a blast and I can't wait to get back there next year.
Now it's back to the Island for 4 final days next weekend to git' er done.
That's been the majority of my experiences with Wa St late rifle whitetail season in the NE as well, since the mid 90's. WDFW has adjusted the season's overall, so the rifle hunter just barely gets a glimpse of the rut (it appears to me at least). Sure, there are some "rutting bucks" but those dummies usually get wacked, toot-sweet. Mid to late 80's in the NE was fantastic hunting, as the season ran through T-day, and half of Spokane didn't head North to hunt as well.
If I want to hunt a late whitetail; ideally it's a special permit where the number of hunters are controlled, or I go to a neighboring state where the season runs to the end of November. Road trips are always fun regardless though! Glad you got to see some different scenery too.
I chased elk around the neighborhood this weekend, and the bulls are still chasing cows and bugling. Gotta be a couple of cows that they missed last month and that has these 2 big bulls pissed off! I keep finding cow/calfs pairs, rather than a barren cow for my tag but I have lots of time too.
I, too, expected a little more rut action, and was disappointed to see that it didn't happen...we had times with bucks and does both together in our area, and they mostly ignored each other.
Several opportunities for some really beautiful two points arose, but we weren't there for those, so passed...we sure saw a lot of deer, though, and that is a significant difference compared to our usual western Washington blacktail efforts!
We had a day of sideways 33 degree slushy rain with 5 or 6 inches of actual snow on the ground...lots of activity that day, to say the least, just not the shooters we were looking for.
The weather, unfortunately, got nicer and nicer over the trip, and though we saw many deer every day, we saw more in one afternoon on the crappy weather day than the entire rest of the time combined.
Nothing to be too disappointed about, it was great to get out of town and do something new and different, been a while since I was in the field with a rifle, which was cool, even if I didn't shoot it at anything
That's been the majority of my experiences with Wa St late rifle whitetail season in the NE as well, since the mid 90's. WDFW has adjusted the season's overall, so the rifle hunter just barely gets a glimpse of the rut (it appears to me at least). Sure, there are some "rutting bucks" but those dummies usually get wacked, toot-sweet. Mid to late 80's in the NE was fantastic hunting, as the season ran through T-day, and half of Spokane didn't head North to hunt as well.
If I want to hunt a late whitetail; ideally it's a special permit where the number of hunters are controlled, or I go to a neighboring state where the season runs to the end of November. Road trips are always fun regardless though! Glad you got to see some different scenery too.
I chased elk around the neighborhood this weekend, and the bulls are still chasing cows and bugling. Gotta be a couple of cows that they missed last month and that has these 2 big bulls pissed off! I keep finding cow/calfs pairs, rather than a barren cow for my tag but I have lots of time too.
Truth! The rut over there generally gets going right at the end of late rifle. So there are only maybe 2 - 3 good days before it shuts down on the 20th. The late muzzy season that starts on the 25th might be a good bet too.
I told Todd that next year, we need to take the last few days off and then, if unsuccessful, immediately drive back over here for the late BT season.
The good news is that the BT rut is still going strong, so there should be some good action these last 4 days. Our landowner notified me that there was a 5x4 standing in his driveway the other day. I'm thinking he's a new buck that we haven't got on camera before. Hope he's still around come Thursday.
Good luck filling your cow tag Snit. Dry cows can be a pain in the butt to find, but they're out there. Gotta keep after it my man!
Also, I didn't capture this in my trip report, but it was an awesome feeling to be carrying my old 1894 again. That gun is just money and feels so right in the hand. It's like carrying rarified air. They certainly don't make em' like that anymore.
Also, I didn't capture this in my trip report, but it was an awesome feeling to be carrying my old 1894 again. That gun is just money and feels so right in the hand. It's like carrying rarified air. They certainly don't make em' like that anymore.
I just recently caught the lever gun bug. Grabbed me a Marlin 1895 45-70 22" Pimped it with a big loop lever, Skinner Alaskan peep and a Montana sling.
Also, I didn't capture this in my trip report, but it was an awesome feeling to be carrying my old 1894 again. That gun is just money and feels so right in the hand. It's like carrying rarified air. They certainly don't make em' like that anymore.
I just recently caught the lever gun bug. Grabbed me a Marlin 1895 45-70 22" Pimped it with a big loop lever, Skinner Alaskan peep and a Montana sling.
Ooo...very nice! I was just chatting with Todd on our Sunday drive home about wanting a 45-70 lever gun for dark timber Elk and possibly maybe a bear one day. While not classic styling, this one has caught my eye. Marlin 1895 Dark Series. Slap a reflex on and it should be good to go. I do wish they made this model with a bit longer barrer though.
I like dark colored, coated metal & synthetic stocks for the wet side. Less to worry about as I like to hunt my guns instead of having safe queens. Meaning I could care less about aesthetic and nicely grained wood that swells or metal that can rust over night. Timbered Elk is a contact sport, so if'n it can take a beating from the elements (and me) and still get the job done, I'm all in.
You'll have to let me know how yours shoots and works out for ya'... pretty please.
Rarefied air is air that does not contain much oxygen, for example in mountain areas. ... living at very high altitudes where the atmosphere is rarefied.
Were I so inclined, it'd be a '94 in 45 Colt or 44 mag. Much more fun to repeatedly pop a primer on that than the -70 with same-same external/terminal performance.
Seemed to be a recurring idea as I played hide-n-seek with heavily-timbered creek bottom bulls in WY and WA, sans horse.
Have a 5-digit serial number '86 in 45-70 with peep and adj vert site.
Neat old gun. Haven't poked a hole in a critter yet, but we're threatening to make deer camp a "levers-only" weapon for a season. I know another outfit that does it, and they have a hoot!
First time afield as a ruddy-faced boy, I toted a weathered 336 my father had borrowed for me to use. Subsequent paper route money went to a 99EG in 300 Savage with stories to tell....
Marlin 336/1895...what a great design. I'm going to try the Skinner Alaskan peep and see how that goes. The Skinner is beautifully made and it fits the big Marlin receiver perfectly.
Hard not to think about Custer's troopers trying to fend off that overwhelming force while single-loading those 45-70 rounds. At 405 grains, the round could most likely bang-flop a horse as intended.
Always wanted a '94. Sold off some other guns to get one. Wanted a carbine but what they had was a rifle (longer barrel). Made in 1900, a .30-30. Don't know the history but it will be my preferred hunting rifle for modest range animals. Open sights and age help to make it that way. The backups are a .243 and .30-06 that my Dad made. Sporterized an Enfield and purchased the .243 action from Herters. Did all the stock work, bluing, and such. Have taken two deer with the little one.
Love me some SA's but the .243 is a personal fav. If one has a quality barrel twisted faster than the SAAMI 10, she really shines. Barnes now has a 95 grain LRX that elevates that little pill to +P. Easy-peasy recoil in an easy to tote flyweight package, flatter that a pancake external ballistics and with 80, 85 or 95 grain X's for flawless terminal performance, she's a slayer.
Also, I didn't capture this in my trip report, but it was an awesome feeling to be carrying my old 1894 again. That gun is just money and feels so right in the hand. It's like carrying rarified air. They certainly don't make em' like that anymore.
I just recently caught the lever gun bug. Grabbed me a Marlin 1895 45-70 22" Pimped it with a big loop lever, Skinner Alaskan peep and a Montana sling.
Ooo...very nice! I was just chatting with Todd on our Sunday drive home about wanting a 45-70 lever gun for dark timber Elk and possibly maybe a bear one day. While not classic styling, this one has caught my eye. Marlin 1895 Dark Series. Slap a reflex on and it should be good to go. I do wish they made this model with a bit longer barrer though.
I like dark colored, coated metal & synthetic stocks for the wet side. Less to worry about as I like to hunt my guns instead of having safe queens. Meaning I could care less about aesthetic and nicely grained wood that swells or metal that can rust over night. Timbered Elk is a contact sport, so if'n it can take a beating from the elements (and me) and still get the job done, I'm all in.
You'll have to let me know how yours shoots and works out for ya'... pretty please.
Just got an email from Henry. They are adding side loading gates to several popular models. This is good news, Henry has been criticized for their tube-fed lever guns. Nice-looking rifles they are. https://view.email.henryusa.com/?qs=c730...4691dfeb7be6cdf
Here's my completely not in-depth wrap up for Deer Camp 2020.
It's not a 100% given, but nearly so, that you get two tags where we hunt...the "second deer - antlerless" is almost a sure thing.
Plan was to shoot an antlerless deer, and unless a masher walked out, sit on my buck tag and take a trip over to eastern Washington to my turkey grounds, which also happen to be good whitetail grounds, and see about a big WT for the other half of the take.
Took care of the antlerless deer easily enough, sat on the buck tag, and took a trip east.
Nick and I saw a metric shitton of deer over there, and plenty of legal bucks, but none of the mashers we were hoping for...so didn't fill the buck tag on that trip.
Whidbey was kind enough to provide a big bodied 3x4 for me, and while he wasn't as big as a few of the deer I passed on in eastern Washington, he was a good one for a blacktail!
FWIW, my third biggest blacktail since hunting on Whidbey commenced seven years ago now...
He and I spent about 15 minutes together waiting for hunting hours to commence, and about 15 seconds into legal time he was down...
...and then a bit later when Nick arrived, pic #2...
The other fellas can fill in their stories...or not...as they see fit
My multi-season tag remains open. 2nd Doe tag has been filled. Spent 3 days over Thanksgiving with the muzzy, but no shots fired. I have another 8 or so days going after late Archery Elks and Deers. Time is starting to run out a bit, but more to follow...
[Bleeeeep!] Parker, LOL....I specifically remember in 6th grade, thinking to myself "I will NEVER need to know WTF or HTF to write a phuggin' haiku once I'm an adult"! Almost made it to 50yo, and then "Smarty Pants Parker" pulls one out from the Way-Back-Time-Machine, Noice'!!
Those Blackies are sure neat lookin' swamp rats! Another fine specimen for the freezer/wall Todd! Appears "The Island" has furnished "The Crew" with a decent amount of venison for the winter.
The boy's N.M. buck was deer #4 for the larder. Just me and my wife here for T-day, but socked in with fog for 3 of 4 days so the elk (if they were here) were safe. The weather has been pretty mild the last week, and by all indications, the local elk boogied out. Had a chance a week ago, and didn't pull the trigger...Regerts! 1 month count down offically starts now for the end of cow season.
Those Blackies are sure neat lookin' swamp rats! Another fine specimen for the freezer/wall Todd! Appears "The Island" has furnished "The Crew" with a decent amount of venison for the winter.
Thanks, Snit.
It really is a labor of love to consistently harvest mature blacktails on the island...there are a ton of deer, of course, but seeing as how they are about 99% nocturnal, even during the rut, getting one roused is a trick.
Getting in the bushes with them with a shotgun and being within 30 yards of them to get a shot, another trick, the trickiest one.
If you are a trophy hunter, it's a tough sell...they do not get "big", though we have shot several that actually are big...and their racks are not going to impress mule deer hunters or those who hunt Cascade blacktails all up and down the coast; the island deer are a breed all unto themselves.
The difficulty of the hunt, both the critters and the terrain, is what makes it special to me...and there is no tastier deer in the woods, period.
Hey Nick, I still have the 2x3 buck here in the hood, along with a couple spikes and a hunerd does if yer in stick-bow mode. At least I think they're all still here; I heard 2 shots ring out just after daylight this morning down the hill.
Hey Nick, I still have the 2x3 buck here in the hood, along with a couple spikes and a hunerd does if yer in stick-bow mode. At least I think they're all still here; I heard 2 shots ring out just after daylight this morning down the hill.
Thanks Salmo! I may just take you up on that offer depending on how my next hunt goes. Archery closes on 12/31, so there's a few days left.
It really is a labor of love to consistently harvest mature blacktails... but seeing as how they are about 99% nocturnal, even during the rut, getting one roused is a trick.
Managed to stealthily shadow does almost every day I had opportunity. As unsuspecting bait, they yielded romantic spikes, forks and one trey letting an unsuspecting fork horn lead the charge that were all left for future opportunities. One can afford to be a tad particular when there's still bounty in the freezer. Regardless, bearing witness to Ma Nature's delicate dance as performed by her wondrous creatures, many memories were made....
Congrats on a fine BT buck Todd. Are you finally using slugs?
Nah, 00 for the win. Shot the very first Whidbey BT with a slug, right in noggin, but all the rest have been with buckshot.
Buckshot has better range and knock down...but since this is more like grouse hunting than deer hunting, being able to snap one off at the chest and feel good about a hit works better with the 00.
I've passed on a couple of shots at unsuspecting bucks that were a bit too far to throw shot at, when I may have taken a poke with a slug, but I know I've hit a couple on the hop that would have been far less likely kills with a slug, including the biggest island BT that I've seen in person, the one I shot last year.
Haiku's and the need for a thesaurus takes me out of the running to be a blacktail hunter it appears. Plus, I don't even own a cowboy hat...but that's because the horses went away when the first wife did too!
I will say though Mr. Todd, that the size of the horns are relative to the species (as you know) and I definitely respect the coastal blacktail. Having spent 1 late rifle season a few years ago chasing them with a "local buddy" who has a wall filled with large ones, yet we never saw a buck in 4 days. I can honestly say they surely earned my respect! We had snow and wind, just nasty weather overall. And every morning we jumped the same big buck (so we think, by the track) in this gnarly thick timbered draw, that is choked with vine maple, and each day we hunted him a different way and he gave us the slip over and over. Never even getting a glimpse of him! RESPECT!
Same as the Couse Whitetail the boy and I hunted in New Mexico for the tag he won last month. The N.M. seasons are only 5 days, and by day 3 I felt we had a legitimate chance to waylay a buck. We were seeing does/fawns, and in an area with lots of sign as well. Those grey-ghosts would glide through the junipers and pin oaks, and then just disappear. Super steep terrain in canyons, so it was alot of spotting from the canyon rims. As a side note, we'd met 2 other hunters who'd scored on "trophy-sized" Coues the day before. I'm telling ya, I'm glad I got to actually put my hands on a couple of keeper Coues, otherwise, if I had seen those bucks on the hoof I would have advised my son to let them go. Not much bone on a 95" Couse, but everything is relative. As it turns out, the first buck we encountered was a mule deer that made the kids mind up for him, and we then loaded up and made the 25hr trip home (driving straight through, just like the way down..was a kick in the pants!).
I saw the pics of your your son's NM mule deer...hard one to pass up!
Contrasting eastern Washington whitetails with our island blacktails...in one whitetail afternoon, in one area not bigger than 30 acres, we had more deer in our sights than we see in five years of island blacktail hunting.
I'll admit that we generally harvest a good mature blacktail a time or three each season now...but it took us three years to get our first one, and that was three years of many hunting days from dawn til dusk...the learning curve out there was long, and flat, for a long time.
Every mature buck we shoot is a satisfying critter, to say the least.
When I was a kid I did the traditional western Washington blacktail hunt...sit on a clearcut and wait for one to walk out. It worked, but it sure didn't feel much like hunting to me...after taking 20 years off and starting anew with hand to hand combat in the bushes with a shotgun, it sure feels a lot like hunting again!
Just seeing one feels like a win, and if you aren't ready to shoot, that's all the win you might get.
Nah, 00 for the win. Shot the very first Whidbey BT with a slug, right in noggin, but all the rest have been with buckshot.
Buckshot has better range and knock down...but since this is more like grouse hunting than deer hunting, being able to snap one off at the chest and feel good about a hit works better with the 00.
I've passed on a couple of shots at unsuspecting bucks that were a bit too far to throw shot at, when I may have taken a poke with a slug, but I know I've hit a couple on the hop that would have been far less likely kills with a slug, including the biggest island BT that I've seen in person, the one I shot last year.
Fish on...
Todd
Been running the 00 Buck as well in area's the long gun can't come out of the case. Did step up to the HEVI-Shot Dead Coyote load 5-6 years ago. It's hard to come by in the 3.5" but I have a few of those Roman Candles left. It literally hit's like a ton of bricks. Last one I shot did a triple axle ending in a cartwheel. I'd have scored it a 9.8/10 had I had a score sheet on me at the time... Only reason I didn't score it 10/10 was it landed on it's belly, had it landed on it's back ready to be gutted it would have got the 10 mark...
I have always wanted to shoot a deer with a shotgun! Being raised a wing shooter, it just seemed like a natural fit...it would be a hoot to watch one just flat-out come undone when a cloud of 00's do their job!
I can tell you this, Snit...at close range, a bang in the head with buckshot makes for a deer that is literally dead before it hits the ground. Best way ever to put zero holes in your food.
Nick shot a spike a few years ago and we couldn't even find one of its antlers
Usually a good shot to the lungs that hits well results in the now familiar and expected back flop...they tip up on their hind legs, and go over backwards...they may kick a bit, but they are dead dead dead.
The knock down power of 00 buckshot from 15 to 30 yards is crazy heavy...nine .32 caliber BBs traveling at high speed can do some damage...and if you shoot Nick's gun, that shoots 3 1/2 inch magnums, you get 12 of those BBs.
I can tell you this, Snit...at close range, a bang in the head with buckshot makes for a deer that is literally dead before it hits the ground. Best way ever to put zero holes in your food.
Nick shot a spike a few years ago and we couldn't even find one of its antlers
Usually a good shot to the lungs that hits well results in the now familiar and expected back flop...they tip up on their hind legs, and go over backwards...they may kick a bit, but they are dead dead dead.
The knock down power of 00 buckshot from 15 to 30 yards is crazy heavy...nine .32 caliber BBs traveling at high speed can do some damage...and if you shoot Nick's gun, that shoots 3 1/2 inch magnums, you get 12 of those BBs.
Keith, I'ma go look up that shell right now!
Fish on...
Todd
I ordered a couple boxes this year of the 3" HEVI shot 00 Buck from Optics Planet or something like that. They ain't cheap, but I'm telling you that nothing I mean nothing hit's harder than these things... That one that did the triple axle for me was about 40 yards and I put the bead right at the base of her neck as she was 45 degree angle walking from me, caught her with 4 or 5 of the pellets neck to head...
It isn't cheap but worth every penny in entertainment when you pull the trigger...
My gun(s) only shoot 2 3/4" shells, and it looks like those loads only come in 3 and 3 1/2s, unfortunately.
Fish on...
Todd
Yeah I think you're right. They're near impossible to find in stock. I ordered mine in July and got them in September. Now I have 2 boxes on the shelf again. Might be digging a couple sticks out this weekend and go fill my multi-season tag on a big fat doe!...
I shoot two...a full choke, and a modified, and the patterns on the two are not all that different at 30 yards with buckshot.
Broadside at 30 yards, aiming at the chest, you should be able to put five or so of the nine pellets in the kill zone...and that's a lot of .32 caliber bullets Unlike rifle bullets, of course, they do not blow out the backside, many end up stopping in the hide on the backside, and rarely do they make it all the way thru.
On headshots I find a few rattling around in the brain box if I euro mount them.
Nicest deer I saw all season was the good ol Chit buck. I was poopin away in the woods mid morning, and hadnt seen a mature buck all season until I had my pants around my ankles and my gun 6 feet away.
As I finished, It was like we both looked at my shotgun at the same time, and as soon as I made a move (not movement) on it, he took 2 steps and was 30 yards away in the bushes.
Never poop without your shotgun!
Snit, I use a Kicks Industries Buck Kicker choke and like the pattern it shoots.
Thifteenfiddy is smokin' along for 1-3/8oz payload. I've neve shot Hevi anything before.
So...what "chokes" do you run for these marbles that you're tossing at the unsuspecting deere's ?
Sounds so fun to play "Tonya Harding" to the Nancy Kerrigan's of the deere's woods! (Well...I guess you're all really being Gilooly's LOL)
No special choke for me, just the factory Mod and it seems to hold 4-5 pellets on a deer at 40. No point it checking the pattern at $8 a stick shipped to your doorstep.. Just point and send it, turns into a flop show!
Here's my completely not in-depth wrap up for Deer Camp 2020.
It's not a 100% given, but nearly so, that you get two tags where we hunt...the "second deer - antlerless" is almost a sure thing.
Plan was to shoot an antlerless deer, and unless a masher walked out, sit on my buck tag and take a trip over to eastern Washington to my turkey grounds, which also happen to be good whitetail grounds, and see about a big WT for the other half of the take.
Took care of the antlerless deer easily enough, sat on the buck tag, and took a trip east.
Nick and I saw a metric shitton of deer over there, and plenty of legal bucks, but none of the mashers we were hoping for...so didn't fill the buck tag on that trip.
Whidbey was kind enough to provide a big bodied 3x4 for me, and while he wasn't as big as a few of the deer I passed on in eastern Washington, he was a good one for a blacktail!
FWIW, my third biggest blacktail since hunting on Whidbey commenced seven years ago now...
He and I spent about 15 minutes together waiting for hunting hours to commence, and about 15 seconds into legal time he was down...
...and then a bit later when Nick arrived, pic #2...
The other fellas can fill in their stories...or not...as they see fit
Spreads about 10" at 40 yards and about fist at 15 yards. The hard coated copper pellets helps the lead retain weight. We usually find a couple in every deer and they are pretty mashed up, but nothing compared to regular lead. I save them all in an old shot glass.
I bought an extended Carlson buckshot optimizer choke that works amazingly well with standard 2 3/4" shells, but not as good with the 3.0" shells for some reason. So I just run my factory full and 3 inchers. If someone wants it, they can have it. It works GREAT with 2 3/4" shells.
I shot this year's doe twice in the head from 15 yards. First shot dropped her, but didn't finish her. Second shot while she was on the ground blew a 2 foot wide circle out of the dirt like a mini mortar round. Her head actually bounced up off the turf a bit. Suffice to say, there wasn't much left of her noggin'.
I still got muzzy and archery for my buck. I could've ended the season long ago, but then I wouldn't get to hunt. That'll probably come back to bite me...but whatever.
Another note on the difference between the shells Nick shoots and regular buckshot...because they are copper coated, they are actually round, and tend to fly more true...the lead BBs in mine are imperfectly round, and occasionally you'll put five pellets in the chest and then one will graze the back leg 20 inches away...you get some fliers!
...and the main reason why is that back in March when I was shopping, I was unable to get buckshot anywhere, from anyone, due to Zombie Invasion Pandemic Concerns.
Even though these, too, were out of stock everywhere, I made a few phone calls and was able to locate a case in a back room
...that had softer brass, and they jammed consistently...loading and unloading the same shells a few times per day would really mark up the brass and the burrs would get stuck in the works.
No problems at all with these Remingtons, and they killed things pretty damn dead.
I'm kinda surprised the full choke gives the better pattern, as I figured a loose modified would be better for trying to jam those marbles down the pipe? But what do I know?!?!?
Todd, when you mentioned your shells..have you cut open one of the shells and noticed the 00 deformed before firing? Is there an actual wad cup surrounding the shot, or just an over-the-powder wad?
I'd wager Knick's pellets have some/more % antimony in them (premium shell), which makes them "harder", but a tad bit lighter. Copper coating is supposed to be slicker in transit down the pipe, less deformation through the choke as well. I'm a believer in buffered loads, especially if they're HOT as the buffer mitigates deformation on ignition.
Copper-I always thought was a sales pitch. As long as I had a high antimony content shot (like 5%+) that made the shot "hard", way harder than "chilled" lead shot. Easily distinguished by the "crush-test" with needle-nose pliers. When shooting trap at night, if one really paid attention, you could tell who was shooting copper shot (and on the rare occasion, who was shooting nickel plated shot) by the reflection. Kinda cool useless info..
On the two guns I shoot, one has an extra long barrel and a full choke, and it shoots virtually the identical pattern as the regular barrel with a modified choke.
I haven't cut apart any of the shells, I am going by the ones I find in the deer while cleaning them! If they hit bone, of course, they are blown up...but if they end up in soft tissue then you can see that they aren't perfectly round.
Not sure if it makes all that big of a difference, honestly, and the fliers are out of the ordinary, but it happens enough that I know something is going on in there.
It's no big deal, unless one ends up in the belly...which it hasn't, not yet.
I haven't seen a big buck yet in my area. The camera's have yielded a couple of photos of some dandy bucks. Haven't had the opportunity to encounter them yet as they have been mostly nocturnal. Still a little over a week left.
I haven't seen a big buck yet in my area. The camera's have yielded a couple of photos of some dandy bucks. Haven't had the opportunity to encounter them yet as they have been mostly nocturnal. Still a little over a week left.
Snit - all I know is that my shells are a couple hundred FPS faster than normal shells and the copper is hard, hard under pliers. The pellets blow / crush thru everything and we often find them on the back side hide (or blown clean thru). Heavy damage. It's frickin' fun gettin' BT's with a shotty.
So...I'm actually off to chase Elk at 0'dark tomorrow morning for 3 days and then 4 days next weekend. Seriously - this Elk season has been such cluster fvck of epic proportions. First the September fires shut me down and now late archery season has been unbelievably hard to pull off and make happen. Every plan has been shot to shreds with 00 buck. I'm not on plan b, c, or d.....I'm on plan p. Cluster fvck! I haven't spent 1 minute in the Elk woods all season and that changes tomorrow.
But here's the deal...I'mma shoot myself a nice bull or a big fat cow. Come hell or high water, something is going to get some fletching.
PS...I'mma be on the Elk tomorrow and whatnot, but just in case plan P goes sideways...I'd like to ask for anyone that reads this...whom happens to have any wet side cows located...let me know!
Heavy steep timber and swampy bottom lands, so quads & knees are toast. Lots of does, grouse and chanterelles. Picked 5 gallons of freshies. Zero Elk and zero fresh sign. Bummer.
But, I got to do 3 days worth of those "armed nature hikes" Paker is always raving about. That was cool enough I guess. Got to see a big fat frog hop about and do his frog things. GO NATURE!
It wouldn't have mattered if he was. Todd can't shoot a bow for [Bleeeeep!]. He's taken exactly one shot with a compound and absolutely slayed his entire forearm from his elbow to his wrist. One and done.
I like to bow hunt solo if I can. I like my peace & quiet and if anyone steps on a branch, it's me so I only yell at myself internally instead of somebody else. None of island crew has the right gear anyway. Steep timber is a whole other ball of wax and those guys are pretty lazy.
This past hunt was my first time in this area and I learned a lot over 2.5 days. There are some animals around including a 6x5, but finding them is hell. The good news is the new 600 acres of private land I got access to is LOADED with deer and nobody hunts it. It backs up to 35K acres of timber company. There's a book buck in there 100% guaranteed.
I did test out a new 40L waterproof day pack that I picked up specifically for the rain forest. It's basically a heavy vinyl roll top dry bag with external Molle webbing on all panels for attaching whatever. It's not a big load hauler or meat pack, but it did it's job perfectly and appears to be bomb and rain proof.
But, I got to do 3 days worth of those "armed nature hikes" Paker is always raving about.!
I said armed. That does not include items that fling things with string.
Damn fly hunters!
Armed enough! I mean...do you want to get shot with a broadhead?
I didn't carry my side arm this trip and I probably should have. Holy tweakerville! I thwarted a little punk from breaking into my truck Sunday morning at 4 am. He wasn't planning on anyone being up and active and I caught him by surprise. He took off like a rocket once I popped my head up and bellowed that the arse beatings will now commence. Gotta be smarter than that bud! It's Elk season and we get up early. Dumbass.
But, I got to do 3 days worth of those "armed nature hikes" Paker is always raving about.!
I said armed. That does not include items that fling things with string.
Damn fly hunters!
Paker is funny. True that. He thinks spin fishers who use bobbers are using training wheels. All the while he doesn't see that his entire fishing and hunting universe, choosing the most efficient drift fishing gear and boom sticks and lazy methods, are all about training wheels.
But, I got to do 3 days worth of those "armed nature hikes" Paker is always raving about.!
I said armed. That does not include items that fling things with string.
Damn fly hunters!
Paker is funny. True that. He thinks spin fishers who use bobbers are using training wheels. All the while he doesn't see that his entire fishing and hunting universe, choosing the most efficient drift fishing gear and boom sticks and lazy methods, are all about training wheels.
Every now and again during the dead of full moon nights, he takes that Kimber Mountain Ascent 300wsm out of the safe, caresses it softly while lovingly whispering sweat nothings. One day that 300wsm will speak, but today is not the day. He should probably sell it, so the new owner can unmute it.
Like most things in life and with elk, what you sow is oft what you reap....
Since the '80's, I have enjoyed 3-season backpacking, day hiking, bug-rodding and untold hours 4-wheeling a significant amount of WA real estate east of the PCT. In more recent times, Google Earth is invaluable. In due course, one can get eyes on migration corridors betwixt confirmed alpine summer/early fall breeding areas to sage flat wintering grounds so options are available depending upon weather and snow levels. It is quite something to be kept up all night by screaming bulls clunking hooves on rocks mere feet from your tent. The old steelhead adage that 10% of the water holds 90% of the fish also applies to elk. Have had the good fortune to see/hear/smell elk almost daily when far removed from FS roads and the ubiquitous fall pumpkin patches. They are remarkably gracious professors for those so inclined to enroll in Elk U. For the astute, you may even learn a thing or two about yourself in the process....
Agree Driftin! I should say and be more clear that it was my first time actively hunting in this area. I've been scouting a couple of times and have a land owner and a couple of local boys filling me in on the hidden hidey hole hot spots and all of the homework I always do.
These are places that are pretty devoid of other hunters except for very few locals, even though there's hunters everywhere. For example, there is one spot that's "supposedly" holding a big bull and some nearby cows, but the trailhead less than a 1/4 mile away is loaded with 50 trucks and some stock trailers. That bull is just right there, off the side of the road in a little hidden hollow and nobody is the wiser.
Of course I didn't learn this info until noon yesterday and it came with the expense of 1 gallon of fresh Chanterelles as a tasty bribe. Deal. Those local boys sure do drive a hard bargain!
But, I got to do 3 days worth of those "armed nature hikes" Paker is always raving about.!
I said armed. That does not include items that fling things with string.
Damn fly hunters!
Armed enough! I mean...do you want to get shot with a broadhead?
I didn't carry my side arm this trip and I probably should have. Holy tweakerville! I thwarted a little punk from breaking into my truck Sunday morning at 4 am. He wasn't planning on anyone being up and active and I caught him by surprise. He took off like a rocket once I popped my head up and bellowed that the arse beatings will now commence. Gotta be smarter than that bud! It's Elk season and we get up early. Dumbass.
Out in the boonies, a guy could probably get away with putting a load of birdshot or rubber shot into a tweaker's arse. A sort of Public Service Announcement.
But, I got to do 3 days worth of those "armed nature hikes" Paker is always raving about.!
I said armed. That does not include items that fling things with string.
Damn fly hunters!
Paker is funny. True that. He thinks spin fishers who use bobbers are using training wheels. All the while he doesn't see that his entire fishing and hunting universe, choosing the most efficient drift fishing gear and boom sticks and lazy methods, are all about training wheels.
Every now and again during the dead of full moon nights, he takes that Kimber Mountain Ascent 300wsm out of the safe, caresses it softly while lovingly whispering sweat nothings. One day that 300wsm will speak, but today is not the day. He should probably sell it, so the new owner can unmute it.
I think we have a copyright infringement here. Hey Driftin'...
It was barking last week. So was the M1 Garand. The steel pate at 200 yards now has severe PTSD. Also burned off 500 or so lead .45 ACP's through the other Kimber and the 1911 carbine. Have another 1500 or so lead boolits to get rid of. Hate shooting lead.
Made me wonder if the noise of a 30-06 hitting steel at 200 yards was the same as hitting a helmet at 200 yards. Either way, that had to have seriously rattled some noggin's back in the day.
Keith - we need to go hit some "long" steel. I want to see if I can hit anything at 400-500 yards. Figure that's probably the max range for me with the Kimber. Damn spaghetti thin barrel is unforgiving to those who do not know how to shoot an ultra lightweight mountain gun.
Critters be dead at 200 yards. Want to see what it can do at 300....400...and 500.
PS. Good freakin' luck finding ammo for it. I'm putting factory 180 grain Nosler Trophy Grade AccuBond's through it.
Keith - we need to go hit some "long" steel. I want to see if I can hit anything at 400-500 yards. Figure that's probably the max range for me with the Kimber. Damn spaghetti thin barrel is unforgiving to those who do not know how to shoot an ultra lightweight mountain gun.
Critters be dead at 200 yards. Want to see what it can do at 300....400...and 500.
Absolutely and I'll let you shoot the 6.5-284 out to 1000 or 1100 yards. Last day of late buck this year I was burnt out from not seeing bucks and made $10 shooting a 3 shot 2" tall by 7" wide group on a rock at 1005 yards.
This time of year we see our share of calm days but all too often that means fog too, so we'd have to pick a good clear day! I just picked up a spotting scope and the phone skope adapter so I can record some vapor trails and hits. I'd much rather pound some steel at long range than chase Chamber Creek turds!
What kind of glass do you have on that Kimber Parker?
I need to push my Weatherby short barrel .308 out a bit further as well...but within the capabilities of my simple 3x9. I only care about hunting scenarios, so a max of 400 - 500 and in from multiple angles and positions. A .308 at 500 is really pushing it for my ethics on live animals. Not a fan of ultra long range shots on critters. Too many variables and things can go wrong + most hunters don't have the skills to get it done at those longer ranges. It's dialed in for 200 or less, but I haven't had the chance to push it further than that and see what it can do or most importantly, what I can do with it.
I'm torn on my next gun. It'll either be a 45-70 lever gun or a long range stick. Keith - I'll definitely be seeking you out if I decide to go with the later.
What kind of glass do you have on that Kimber Parker?
I need to push my Weatherby short barrel .308 out a bit further as well...but within the capabilities of my simple 3x9. I only care about hunting scenarios, so a max of 400 - 500 and in from multiple angles and positions. A .308 at 500 is really pushing it for my ethics on live animals. Not a fan of ultra long range shots on critters. Too many variables and things can go wrong + most hunters don't have the skills to get it done at those longer ranges. It's dialed in for 200 or less, but I haven't had the chance to push it further than that and see what it can do or most importantly, what I can do with it.
I'm torn on my next gun. It'll either be a 45-70 lever gun or a long range stick. Keith - I'll definitely be seeking you out if I decide to go with the later.
Let me know, I've spent too much time in the world of long range and more importantly the time in reloading and mastering that aspect of it. Truthfully, imho the precision in reloading is more important that an expensive long range gun. It's being able to load to Extreme Spreads (velocity max/min) under 10fps in consistency. That allows you to find the harmonic node of the barrel and gives you the abililty to repeat in precision.
I personally haven't harvested an animal past 550 yards, but my intent is to do so. More of a bucket list thing. I've made ethical shots with a bow at 4 yards out to 72 yards. I've made ethical shots with a smoke pole out to 186 yards and now intent to make an ethical shot out to 900 or 1000 yards with the long gun.
The Kimber is sporting a VX-6 4-24x52. It as the CDS reticle system on that supposedly will let me dial it out to 600 yards or so. It's sighted in at 200. I'm guessing one of Keith's Klangers is gonna seem awfully damn small at the distances he's talking about!
I would prefer to shoot an animal in the 200-300 yard range. In actuality, every animal I have either shot at, or killed has been less than 200 yards.
My other two Rem Mod 700's (7mmMag and .270) are sporting BigStick Industries recommended FX 6x42's fitted with an M1 elevation turret. They have the MOA info taped on the stocks to theoretically reach out to 500+ yards, but I've yet to sling boolits out of them past 200. They are both reallygood shooters, but the scopes are just not up to snuff for long distances.
I have a Vortex Viper 2.5-10x44 on my ArmaLite Ar-10 .308. No MOA turrets and I've checked with Vortex on upgrades - there are none. I won this scope in a SRC and it's been a good fit on that rifle. Sighted out to 200. I did shoot this rifle at a human sized klanger at 1,000 yards and hit the frame. I was using some random military ball ammo and was all over the place at those long yards. Rifle was suppressed as well. The trigger on this rifle sucks ass and I just haven't bothered upgrading it.
I do love the glass of the FX's on a hunt where I'm moving, in trees, etc. The VX will be fine situated on a mountain side zeroing in on BuckZilla that I glassed from a mile away and put a stalk on it to where I'm within shooting range.
I purchased a new Marlin 1895 Guide Model 45-70 for a supposed tribal land bear hunt that never happened. Beautiful gun and was really damn accurate with open sights at 0-50 yards. Like really damn accurate. I stupidly traded it for a handgun a few years back and I'm pretty sure I lost on that deal. Wish I still had it.....although I never did shoot it when I had it as ammo is expensive for it, I hadn't standardized on a factory load for it, and it's a bit on the harsh side as a general plinking gun.
I don't think I'd recommend a Kimber Mountain Ascent to anyone. While it does shoot well, it's a fickle pickle to shoot properly. There's no room for errors...which can and does happen while on the hunt. I'll be surprised if I can hit the long targets with this rifle.
I should have saved my pennies and had a custom rifle built, per the recommendation of WDFW. He's got some sweet sticks that I'd seriously look in too if I was in the market for a long fun.
I don't recall who makes them, but if WDFW is reading this, maybe he can chime in.
Anyone want to buy a mostly-new Kimber Mountain Ascent in .300 WSM and fitted with the above mentioned scope? Has less than 54 rounds through it, presuming the factory put 4 test fire rounds through it. I'm about $2,500 in to this rifle and scope and that is what I'd let it go for. It's super light and shoots as advertised by Kimber. Feels great on the shoulder, on the pack, or in the hands and shoulder. If there's a miss or the boolit didn't go where you wanted it too, it's a shooter or ammo issue, not a rifle issue.
JOB #1-------------------------------------- Need to get a trigger in your Kimber if you haven't already. 1.5 lbs with no creep. Best investment for that gun.
Some additional feedback--------- No gripping the fore stock/barrel area. Left hand back under right armpit.
No holding gun with trigger hand thumb over the top as you will torque the gun by gripping it.
Gun must be level when shooting or gravity will drop the bullet one side of the target or the other.
I prefer a short legged bipod from a prone position as long as you can trust your shooting partners.
I like a good quality 3-18 44 mm scope and low to medium rings so the front lens is just above the barrel a tad and not too high.
If your scope is sitting higher due to 52 mm then you will most likely need some soft shimming to elevate your mug constantly higher than the top of the stock.
Have your partner load your gun/or NOT a few times to see if you are jerking the trigger. Not knowing when it won't go off will reveal how you are getting off the trigger.
Reloading is a whole different chapter.
My everyday long range gun is an 300 WM RBROS light weight hunter shooting handloads built to the exact tolerances that Travis told me to shoot. If I do all of the above it drives tacks.
The Kimber is sporting a VX-6 4-24x52. It as the CDS reticle system on that supposedly will let me dial it out to 600 yards or so. It's sighted in at 200. I'm guessing one of Keith's Klangers is gonna seem awfully damn small at the distances he's talking about!
That's the scope I have on my 300 Ultra mag and 6.5-284. You will be pleasantly surprised at 24x how well you can hold on a 4" square at 1000 yards.
On another note, you will have roughly 33 MOA of travel in the scope which should get you out to 7-800 yards with a 200 zero. If you have the 20 MOA rail you will easily have enough travel for 1000 yards, but the concern you'll contend with is velocity consistency from factory loads. For the lack of better words factory loads tend to spray a little because they're not tuned to the harmonic velocity your barrel likely prefers. The vertical dispersion will likely be pretty radical (roughly 2.5-3.5ft) at a 1000 yards as well due to the inconsistencies in velocities..
Hence the reason I'm a freak about precise handloading...
Fire up that magic softwares of yours and tell me what I should be reloading for my Kimber!
....not that I own any reloading stuff, or would have a clue how to reload.
What "base" would you start with if you owned that Kimber?
A curious mind wants to know.
Even better, just make up some loads for me for when I get there. You should have worked your magic by that time.
It's not quite that easy. We would want to go through a few steps to determine the harmonic node / velocity node your barrel likes. We'd start with a ladder test that you load in .5 grain increments. This accomplishes finding how hot you can load to (eventually showing pressure signs) and also will tell us how it's vertically dispersing.
Believe it or not this test is ran as far out as the weather conditions will allow, and if a calm day we'd test it at 800-1000 yards as it amplifies the evidence of vertical dispersion. In that ladder test, we'd load 2 of each bullet charge and sharpie the bullet a specific color for each .5 grain increment. Example, 65.0 grains red, 65.5 blue, 66.0 green, etc. We'd set up a 5x5' target and cover it with white butcher paper and draw a verticle line down the center with a bullseye in the middle. First we'd shoot a couple dummy loads from powder charges at the beginning of the ladder test to get you vertically near bullseye, then start on a clean slate target. We'd start sending the color coded bullets from above, the color coding helps us keep track of the powder charge on the white butcher paper.
As we shoot and allow the barrel to cool between shots, we watch impacts and the only thing we pay attention to is the vertical disperson. 99 out of 100 times you will find in that ladder test 1 grain of powder charge this shows roughly 1/2 MOA vertical disperson, then we'd shoot the 2nd ladder test loaded identical to the first to verify the evidence. For example if we were shooting 800 yards, you'd see roughly 4" of vertical disperson which is 1/2 MOA. If it's a great shooting gun and the barrel loved the bullet of choice, we could even see 1/4 MOA. Most factory guns will produce 1/2 MOA imho, at least those that I've loaded for so far.
After the ladder test is done, and we found that powder charge that has the least vertical dispersion then we'd go back and load in that powder charge and run a seating depth test. Seating depth is how close we seat the bullet to the lands. We'd load 3 bullets .005" off the lands, 3 at .030" off, 3 at .055" off and 3 at .080" off and shoot those at 200 yards to look for the tightest groups. Somewhere in that seating depth test we'd see grouping tighten up left to right. We'd do this while measuring velocities with my Lab Radar to get an idea of the Extreme spread (ES) and Standard deviation (SD) of that powder charge. We'd likely see velocities with an extreme spread less than 15fps and SD around 5fps. A SD of 5fps or less will affect the vertical dispersion rough 1/2 MOA at 1000 or 1.25", if the SD was 10fps it would be 1 MOA at 1000 which is 2.5". The scope you have is a .25" click scope so when we start shooting 1000 yards 1 click is 2.5" left, right up or down so it's super super important that we have all the above data done first...
Then you'd have a gun that can shoot some distance with accuracy.. Last would be to download Ballistic AE on your phone and we'd set that up to the gun/load so it would give you the correct adjustments in MOA for the distance of choice.
Fire up that magic softwares of yours and tell me what I should be reloading for my Kimber!
....not that I own any reloading stuff, or would have a clue how to reload.
What "base" would you start with if you owned that Kimber?
A curious mind wants to know.
Even better, just make up some loads for me for when I get there. You should have worked your magic by that time.
It's not quite that easy. We would want to go through a few steps to determine the harmonic node / velocity node your barrel likes. We'd start with a ladder test that you load in .5 grain increments. This accomplishes finding how hot you can load to (eventually showing pressure signs) and also will tell us how it's vertically dispersing.
Believe it or not this test is ran as far out as the weather conditions will allow, and if a calm day we'd test it at 800-1000 yards as it amplifies the evidence of vertical dispersion. In that ladder test, we'd load 2 of each bullet charge and sharpie the bullet a specific color for each .5 grain increment. Example, 65.0 grains red, 65.5 blue, 66.0 green, etc. We'd set up a 5x5' target and cover it with white butcher paper and draw a verticle line down the center with a bullseye in the middle. First we'd shoot a couple dummy loads from powder charges at the beginning of the ladder test to get you vertically near bullseye, then start on a clean slate target. We'd start sending the color coded bullets from above, the color coding helps us keep track of the powder charge on the white butcher paper.
As we shoot and allow the barrel to cool between shots, we watch impacts and the only thing we pay attention to is the vertical disperson. 99 out of 100 times you will find in that ladder test 1 grain of powder charge this shows roughly 1/2 MOA vertical disperson, then we'd shoot the 2nd ladder test loaded identical to the first to verify the evidence. For example if we were shooting 800 yards, you'd see roughly 4" of vertical disperson which is 1/2 MOA. If it's a great shooting gun and the barrel loved the bullet of choice, we could even see 1/4 MOA. Most factory guns will produce 1/2 MOA imho, at least those that I've loaded for so far.
After the ladder test is done, and we found that powder charge that has the least vertical dispersion then we'd go back and load in that powder charge and run a seating depth test. Seating depth is how close we seat the bullet to the lands. We'd load 3 bullets .005" off the lands, 3 at .030" off, 3 at .055" off and 3 at .080" off and shoot those at 200 yards to look for the tightest groups. Somewhere in that seating depth test we'd see grouping tighten up left to right. We'd do this while measuring velocities with my Lab Radar to get an idea of the Extreme spread (ES) and Standard deviation (SD) of that powder charge. We'd likely see velocities with an extreme spread less than 15fps and SD around 5fps. A SD of 5fps or less will affect the vertical dispersion rough 1/2 MOA at 1000 or 1.25", if the SD was 10fps it would be 1 MOA at 1000 which is 2.5". The scope you have is a .25" click scope so when we start shooting 1000 yards 1 click is 2.5" left, right up or down so it's super super important that we have all the above data done first...
Then you'd have a gun that can shoot some distance with accuracy.. Last would be to download Ballistic AE on your phone and we'd set that up to the gun/load so it would give you the correct adjustments in MOA for the distance of choice.
SD chart for reference...
Keith
Nice write up. I actually learned something for a change. Check your PM.
Yeah Keith, thanks for taking the time to write that up!
I have always wanted to get better at LR shooting; well I should say learn real LR shooting. I have the Leica HD-B's and don't utilize them to their potential. Where I hunt, if a deer is within 450 yards it's definitely in trouble. But beyond being dead on at 300 yards, knowing where my gun shoots at 450 yards (B&C reticle), having a great load for my rifle (well, I will repo MY rifle back after X-mas, as the boy is getting a pretty darn good present) plus having good glass, I haven't progressed very far in many years.
Tons to learn on this subject, but I understand the concept more. BTW..I hate pulling the trigger on a rifle! Always have, so I can vouch with Too-Many on the topic of trigger pull and muzzle brake too. I want the trigger pull below 2# with no creep. I have a couple of L579's that fit the bill nicely in that dept, and even my single barrel trap guns are set at 24oz. Added a brake to my short mag and it really reduced the jump/slap. Kids 300WM (Xmas present) has a brake as well.
Speaking of triggers, I fell in love with the Timney Calvin elite 2 stage trigger. It’s 8 ounces on the first stage then there’s a wall and it’s a 1 pound second stage. In other words, I’d be scared to death of a one stage one pound trigger. But having it as two stage makes sense. You wanna talk about adding to the ability in precision, it makes a huge difference in how you can shoot. No squeeze, squeeze and squeeze them boom as your wandering all over the bullseye anymore. I have them in my long range guns.
The discussion of recoil is an important one, if its a gun that kicks and a person is a flincher they'll never be able to accomplish long range shooting. It takes the calmest and most relaxed motions. This is part of the reason I stepped down to a 6.5-284. A high Ballistic Coefficient bullet (I shoot the Berger 156 EOL with a G1 BC of .679 and G7 BC of .347) will hold velocity and energy further out. For example, one might compare the 6.5-284 to a 7MM. At closer ranges the 7MM holds more velocity and energy but with the average bullet BC that's factory loaded will end up having less velocity/energy at say 600 yards than the high BC bullet I shoot out of the 6.5-284. The drag of the bullet in flight is what's mainly affected.
When it comes to recoil, I shoot the 6.5-284 without a break and there's minimal if any kick, if I put the break on a 8 year old can shoot it. My 300 RUM requires at minimum a break and with that you can't be ANYWHERE near this gun when it goes off without hearing protection. So I opted to put a 30 caliber suppressor on it. It now kicks like a 243 and sounds like a balloon popping at best. It's actually the perfect combo other than the barrel length is obnoxious with the suppressor, 26" barrel and 10" suppressor makes it a pain in the ass to pack in the woods. But the whole set up is at 9 pounds with a bipod so I've defied the heavy ass magnum gun.
I'm contemplating rebarreling the RUM and putting a 28 nosler barrel on it, add the freebore and set myself up to shoot the 195 Berger EOL's. This combination would make a solid 1200-1300 yard gun and no doubt a gun that could ring steel at a mile...
The kimber has a break on it, but I'd love to put a suppressor on it, but that would be like putting a 2lb dumbbell on a spaghetti noodle. The barrel is so damn thin that any weight on the front of it would have to make it wobble. No way it wouldn't.
Here's Kimber's very own take on how to shoot their rifle:
The rifle weighs 4 pounds. With a scope, it's not hitting 6.
It has an adjustable trigger and I've got it set as light as it will go without the trigger slipping/firing when butt-stocked slammed. There's not a whole of metal on metal contact! I have no idea what the weight is, but it's close to 2 or less.
I really want a suppressed hunting rifle. No idea what I'd get...but I know that I like the custom guns and I don't like the idea of spending 4-5 thousand on a rifle and another grand on the suppressor and another grand on a scope. I'd be $7,000 in on this stick. Ouch. I don't hunt that much to warrant that.
Both my Rem 700's had trigger work done on them and I'd probably have a new shooter to the rifle take a test run on the trigger before firing it. You look at these triggers wrong and they want to fire.
I'm not a flincher, but even with a break, the Kimber wears on you after a few rounds.
The Rem 7mm Mag has no break and it's a fvcking thumper. The .270 also has no break, but isn't bad with recoil.
I'd get both or either barrels threaded...but only specialty suppressors exist for these high-pressure calibers....are are SUPER expensive and SUPER hard to get.
The kimber has a break on it, but I'd love to put a suppressor on it, but that would be like putting a 2lb dumbbell on a spaghetti noodle. The barrel is so damn thin that any weight on the front of it would have to make it wobble. No way it wouldn't.
Here's Kimber's very own take on how to shoot their rifle:
The rifle weighs 4 pounds. With a scope, it's not hitting 6.
It has an adjustable trigger and I've got it set as light as it will go without the trigger slipping/firing when butt-stocked slammed. There's not a whole of metal on metal contact! I have no idea what the weight is, but it's close to 2 or less.
I really want a suppressed hunting rifle. No idea what I'd get...but I know that I like the custom guns and I don't like the idea of spending 4-5 thousand on a rifle and another grand on the suppressor and another grand on a scope. I'd be $7,000 in on this stick. Ouch. I don't hunt that much to warrant that.
Both my Rem 700's had trigger work done on them and I'd probably have a new shooter to the rifle take a test run on the trigger before firing it. You look at these triggers wrong and they want to fire.
I'm not a flincher, but even with a break, the Kimber wears on you after a few rounds.
The Rem 7mm Mag has no break and it's a fvcking thumper. The .270 also has no break, but isn't bad with recoil.
I'd get both or either barrels threaded...but only specialty suppressors exist for these high-pressure calibers....are are SUPER expensive and SUPER hard to get.
I did the titanium 10" break for my RUM, only weighs 14 ounces. Just the length that's a bit obnoxious... But in most cases a suppressor will assist with accuracy more than not as it helps tame the harmonics of the barrel. Take your noodle barrel, it actually would show more help with it than a standard to bull barrel. So it helps in more than one way. My barrel on my rum is carbon fiber wrapped so it's on the light side as well, adding the suppressor assisted in tightening the groups.
Here's an example of a 4 shot group at 200 yards from the 300 RUM with suppressor shooting 208 grain Hornady ELD-M's at 3005fps.
I could really turn that 7 mag into a thumper if I loaded it like I did Craigs gun, that caliber loves it some Retumbo. His gun eats up 70.0 grains of Retumbo with a 168 Berger VLD and makes roughly 3066fps. It's a smasher/ripper/thumper but one heck of an accurate rifle too. He had it custom built on a defiance action and Benchmark barrel. Spits darts!
As Parker was informed previously, physics applies when chambering milk bottle volumes of powder into flyweight rifles. Unlearning the resultant flinching can be a challenge. That .270 Mountain Rifle + Fixed 6X + M1 will fill your freezer with anything treading upon the continent if you can arrange the party. Seen it. Repeatedly. *grin*
Have a personal preference for SA chamberings under 30 cal for numerous reasons previously stated. Chunk match grade rifles with Howitzer barrels are not fun to tote from the truck to the bench rest much less all day through creek bottoms and timberline at 6-10k above MSL in up-close hide-n-seek. Those that do choose to generally don't get very far from their ride. Apples/oranges.
Reloading isn't complicated (unless you've recently had the inkling to look for components), particularly for hunting fodder. The rifle will quickly tell you what it likes... and what it don't. Ladders not required. Have never seen a concrete-topped bench rest in the mountains. Have used Barnes X's since their inception for stellar terminal performance in the field. LRX's made 'em even more better. I'll only push Scenars and their svelte CnC kin at paper for fun. YMMV.
Glass just needs to steer the bullet to a target with repeatable results. Depending upon one's budget, a fixed 6X SWFA with mil-quad reticle purchased on Black Friday or 34mm Schmidt & Bender on a mortgage will fill the bill with the latter impressing your pards and the elk even more. JBM Ballistics solves the mysterious physics of external ballistics when coupled with such optics/reticles. Actually pushing pills down range in field conditions will learn ya on confirming JBM and driftin' atmospherics.
Old Remington triggers clean up nicely. Drop-in aftermarket options are even better.
The rifle will quickly tell you what it likes... and what it don't. Ladders not required.
I disagree with this statement, guns like all the pills you put through them and most work perfectly inside 350 yards. Precision sadly isn't that easy but never true'r words from a 3-400 yard shooter...
That's a lot of scope for the skinny Kimber. Why not put that scope on a fat-barreled range gun ? Sell Nick the Kimber so he'll stop with the poems.
I shot Black Bart's JP Rifles large frame AR in 6.5CM a few weeks ago. Fun cartridge and that rifle shoots bugholes if you can hold it there.
I've since bought a Remington 700 Long Range 26" in 6.5CM. The only one I could find was bead-blasted stainless, which I thought would be gawdy. It's actually a great looking rifle in the Bell & Carlson black with gray webbing stock. Should make a nice entry-level range gun.
Still working on getting glass and rings sorted out.
This part of this thread goes right over my head. The only hunting rifle I have ever used was a carbine really, Winchester lever action 30-30. No scope. Have never hunted with a scope. Never used a scope until I bought a new pellet rifle a couple years ago. Nice for my eyes that are no longer 20:20.
Shooting with iron sights is good clean fun and all shooters should be proficient with them. Wait 'til you try a red dot on a pistol. It's like cheating.
Never knew you'd started chasing warm blooded stuff around Matt, guess it's been way too damned long since we've talked. I took my first whitetail this year, a little 3 point. Usually chase blacktails out toward the coast, but got invited out to a public land deer camp north of Spokane with some extended family this year and got to try something new.
Definitely got a crash course on whitetail behavior, and learned that my slow creeping through the woods doesn't work so well. I was used to blacktails that run 20 feet and stop to look back; these things just run like hell for the next county. After busting 3 my first day (1 of which a family member that was posted up in the meadow below me shot), I decided that the next day I would find a place and just stay put as long as I could stand. I actually found an old ground blind that someone had built out of logs years back, and assumed that it was there for a good reason. After only about 20 minutes of waiting, a buck come through and stuck his neck out a little too far, and the rest was history.
Never knew you'd started chasing warm blooded stuff around Matt, guess it's been way too damned long since we've talked. I took my first whitetail this year, a little 3 point. Usually chase blacktails out toward the coast, but got invited out to a public land deer camp north of Spokane with some extended family this year and got to try something new.
Definitely got a crash course on whitetail behavior, and learned that my slow creeping through the woods doesn't work so well. I was used to blacktails that run 20 feet and stop to look back; these things just run like hell for the next county. After busting 3 my first day (1 of which a family member that was posted up in the meadow below me shot), I decided that the next day I would find a place and just stay put as long as I could stand. I actually found an old ground blind that someone had built out of logs years back, and assumed that it was there for a good reason. After only about 20 minutes of waiting, a buck come through and stuck his neck out a little too far, and the rest was history.
Hey Kyle... it has been a while. Congrats on getting a buck!
I’ve only been deer hunting the last few years really. Been expanding things a bit beyond the bird hunting I’ve grown up with. I’ve had plenty of opportunities for tagging a doe, just no masher King Kong bucks yet. It’s been fun learning about deer and I’m confident with the skills I’ve developed so far. It’s only a matter of time for me now. I’ve learned quite a bit about blacktail but I may have to head East and pop the cherry with a whitetail.
Thankfully it was a pretty solid year chinook fishing for me... so at least the freezer is stocked with plenty of fish.
I’ve never shot a bow before. One step at a time for me.
It would be like going from steelhead fishing barrier dam in the winter time then being handed a spey rod and ascot to fish a new river on the coast... except that you still haven’t actually caught a fish with traditional means... yet.
Good luck, Nick. I’m checking every day hoping to see pics of a massive King Kong in your hands.
I’ve never shot a bow before. One step at a time for me.
It would be like going from steelhead fishing barrier dam in the winter time then being handed a spey rod and ascot to fish a new river on the coast... except that you still haven’t actually caught a fish with traditional means... yet.
Good luck, Nick. I’m checking every day hoping to see pics of a massive King Kong in your hands.
I doubt I'll be able to get out again this year, but we'll see. Got any recipes for tag soup?
I passed on several bucks young to very old, looking for the right one. I don't have anyone to blame except myself and my doe will eat good this winter.
The elk showed back with the snow Thursday. Tried to keep it quiet around the neighborhood, but word got out. I ran into a family I knew who was trying to get their dad onto a cow, so we went together and each wacked one Friday night. Let him shoot first at about 320 yards. He tanked her good, 2nd shot tipped her over.
The herd really started moving quicker than I thought, they surprised me. Then they settled down so my first shot was 492 on a boss cow and I rang her bell. She was pretty sick, but kept moving...slowly. I was losing daylight, but I didn't want to spook the elk out (up over the ridge towards the refuge), as we have more peeps coming tomorrow (today). So I sent another one at 586 and that did the job. Got done about 11pm. One big azz biatch! Weighed one bullet, 122gr that started life at 140gr's. Those Accubond's have always killed.
The elk showed back with the snow Thursday. Tried to keep it quiet around the neighborhood, but word got out. I ran into a family I knew who was trying to get their dad onto a cow, so we went together and each wacked one Friday night. Let him shoot first at about 320 yards. He tanked her good, 2nd shot tipped her over.
The herd really started moving quicker than I thought, they surprised me. Then they settled down so my first shot was 492 on a boss cow and I rang her bell. She was pretty sick, but kept moving...slowly. I was losing daylight, but I didn't want to spook the elk out (up over the ridge towards the refuge), as we have more peeps coming tomorrow (today). So I sent another one at 586 and that did the job. Got done about 11pm. One big azz biatch! Weighed one bullet, 122gr that started life at 140gr's. Those Accubond's have always killed.
Sounds fun and great work! Love killing and eating the cows, my fave by a long shot.
+1 points to the line up for the 2021 applications, this state is sort of a bunk deal in how they draw without much weighted preference.
What are some of your favorite east side hunts to put in for?
Plans for 2021 is to cancel for the annual Eastern Oregon Archery Elk hunt and do the WA Westside smoke pole for elk. Seems to see the least amount of pressure and still have bulls to work..
But for the deer, what hunts?? Hunted washtukna OTC last year on some private propertry and it was fun but didn't get the chance at a good buck as we expected..
+1 points to the line up for the 2021 applications, this state is sort of a bunk deal in how they draw without much weighted preference.
What are some of your favorite east side hunts to put in for?
Plans for 2021 is to cancel for the annual Eastern Oregon Archery Elk hunt and do the WA Westside smoke pole for elk. Seems to see the least amount of pressure and still have bulls to work..
But for the deer, what hunts?? Hunted washtukna OTC last year on some private propertry and it was fun but didn't get the chance at a good buck as we expected..
Keith
Preference points are weighted by squaring your points. I.e. a hunter with 10 points has a 100 times greater chance of drawing over another hunter with only 1 point. The problem isn't so much the system as it is the reduction of available permits. There are a LOT of guys sitting on 20+ pts fighting for a handful of tags. Something like 800+ moose hunters have 20+ points, but they give out very few tags. AKA point creep.
It's only going to get worse as more people move into the state and more people adopt the sport. This past year with Covid has seen a huge increase in hunting interest across the country. Folks want to be able to provide for themselves. Thanks Joe Rogan
Thanks guys! We got another cow out of the herd this morning, and that pressure blew them out of the country for a while, (and I'm glad). I'm d-u-n with big game hunting for 2020 unless another friend stops by the house and needs help on a local tag.
Knick-D is spot on about the whole "survive off the land chit", and unfortunately WA is the 2nd smallest Western State, with the 2nd Most Population! All of our/my complaints of "too many people", "not enough area", "not from around here", yadda/etc, is expounding exponentially! I've really been working on my normal "prick-ness", as even my kid asked me how long does it take to turn into an outright a-hole, like I am? I told him that people and life just wear you out in the const world, and I've just decided that it's better to just be that way 24-7! Well...prob not the best way to live and keep friends/family, so I've been working on not being a total prick...
Dam near every time I'm in town (Wenatchee) I meet someone new who has "just moved here from_____" and better than 50% it's not West of the Mtns either, which really surprises me. A lot of folks from Ca, but most from the Midwest or even further East. SO (I'm working on not being a prick, right) I'm very friendly, and ask them what brought them here while making a joke that it was probably a car, as that lightens the mood! But I am sincerely interested in people's stories, and why they decided to move 500-2500 miles to where I've lived my entire life? Plus, I may connect a name to someone they might work with, as quite a few folks move here for work opportunities as well as retirement.
"Quality of life, the outdoor opportunities, the ability to own our own property, great place to raise my family, just look around-who wouldn't want to live here..." are the main reasons that I hear why folks move to where I live. So...after I get their stories and it's obvious they're settled and very happy with their new life decisions, they generally ask about my history. This is neither here/there now, but I will emphasize ONE THING to everyone I meet; which is that before you form an opinion of hunters and folks who target shoot...please remember that you chose to move into this area, which has a rich history of Outdoor Sports including shooting and hunting. So please, don't form an opinion before you have the proper information, as most of these sportsmen will be the same folks you will be seeing on the hiking trails, kayaking, skiing, gym, local sporting events, school functions, pubs, etc. Maybe it's my prickness attitude thinking I can even mention that in a first-time conversation (?), but I've yet to have anyone tell me to F.O. I just care too much for what we as hunters have already lost; which is access and critters. Maybe these folks are just polite too. LOL
Anyway, back on track for current preference points, I won't list the doe/cow etc: Quality Deer -1 Buck Deer -2 Quality Elk -13 Bull Elk -12 Goat (somehow missed a year?)-21 Sheep -22
The boy is sitting at 7pts across the board for the majors: Bull Moose-7 Quality Deer -7 Buck Deer -2 Quality Elk -7 Bull Elk -7 Goat -7 Sheep -7
