First rifle hunt

Well then, the last time I wrote here was on the 10th...and that was just covering hunts from the days prior to the 10th! What's going on? Things just seem to be coming up that cannot be ignored or avoided and I simply must deal with them. Of course, I'm not saying the situation that came up between the 19th and the 24th was something that was HARD for me to deal with...hunting just had to take a back burner. It's good to know your priorities.

BUT, from what I've heard of opening day (the 23rd) it was a good thing I missed it. Sounds like every parking spot along highway 12 was occupied by vehicles which disgorged it's orange contents across the hillsides. I'm not one for crowds...especially crowds of hunters. I then found out that the following FRIDAY morning of all times had the same (or similar) levels of people out looking for game. So I decided to go later in the day on Saturday, to give some folks a chance to get up early, herd all the critters into hiding, then leave. I figured I could sneak into those nasty, steep, thick holes and find some deer at least. I didn't go for elk, just because I didn't want to do that much sweating.

I found a spot that had some nice rolling hills and took off. I actually was just there thinking I'd walk a road and take it easy. You know? I was RIFLE hunting, it was going to be my break from bowhunting. Usually, you can spook a deer with a rifle and it'll stop well within range, which typically gives you a shot. This is providing that the cover isn't too thick. I'll tell you what though, I passed the gate and walked up the road a little ways...seriously, like 100 yards if that...and already I was off the road. Then I started REALLY listening to squirrels, and started walking slower, paying attention to the wind, then I sat down! It obviously doesn't take very long to get back into hunting-mode. It was nice though, I sat under this huge larch tree when the wind kicked up, it was almost like winter with all the little yellow needles raining down around me. By the end of the hunt I had larch needles entwined in my hair, down my shirt, and I'm pretty sure I had some down my shorts. Literally covered in them.

Anywho, I walked real slow up to the top of this ridge and didn't see anything and started roaming around the mountain. I tried to stay about mid-slope and near the thick cover, and boy was it thick! I don't really know what I'm thinking when I get into places like that, there's no way to do it quietly and even if something WAS in there, would it really wait for me to kick it up like a pheasant? Probably not. But, I'm kind of a curious guy and I go bombing in there anyways...if nothing else, to just see what's on the other side. I did this for a couple hours...without cutting a single track, seeing any fresh droppings, no new rubs on the trees...nothing. I did eat my first kinnikinik berries while I was up there. I can't believe that anyone could make a real good meal out of those...they have an interesting taste after they get frosted, but the texture is definitely something you have to get used to...it's kind of "crumbly" and dry inside around these small hard seeds. You have to essentially play with these berries in your mouth and separate the decent tasting stuff with your tongue and spit the seeds out. Hey, it gives you something to do when you're not seeing anything at all. I kept my eye out for grouse and didn't see any of them either...they love those berries.

Well, like I said, I walked around in these types of areas for a couple hours and finally topped another ridge so I could walk at least a little ways without having to push my way through (that gets frustrating after awhile.) I cut a trail and not 20 seconds went by before I heard voices coming up the trail. I hotfooted it off the trail and couldn't get out of site by the time they came into view. It was a gal and a guy with a dog. It was funny, I was only like 30 yards off the trail...wearing carharts, a flannel shirt, and an orange vest...it still took them a while before they saw me. The gal glanced over at me, did a double-take, jumped, then laughed saying, "sorry!" "No problem!" I said while waving. It was a bummer, I was going to cruise on the trail back to the truck. Instead, I went down the OTHER side of the ridge and hoped they'd bump something to me. Nope. Nothing. All it did was make me side-hill a little more. I DID cut some tracks at the very end though, and they looked fresh! They were little deer prints in the newly fallen larch needles. They were headed across the highway, so I didn't follow. I just made it to the truck and was done.

I've got some ideas of where to look for elk...but I'm going to wait a little on that. And usually I don't kill deer until it's around the rut...so no worries. I like hunting in snow anyways.

Being sick kinda layed me up

Yep, kind of makes it hard to write about hunting when you don't get out. Plus the weather wasn't cooperating...plus I really wanted to get a little bit of wood put up. It's all good, I'd rather cut wood in the rain than hunt in the rain.

Okay, this'll be short and sweet. Definitely found the honey hole of deer hunting on FWP land. Every time I've been in that spot I've seen / been close to deer. I'll get a stand set up and come the rut, I should be good to go for hopefully, a nice buck. A couple days ago I went down there and found a good tree for a stand. The only problem will be shooting a deer, and having it run onto private land. The tree is essentially at the fence...just have to make sure the deer is pointed in the right direction. Two years ago I shot a doe down there with the .44 and it took off toward private land. It must have been dead on it's feet because it plowed into the fencepost next to an opening. I kinda lucked out on that one. Anywho, when I was down there a couple days ago I was watching this other bowhunter sneak around near me. He spooked one deer, then snuck around some more, then spooked three more that I was watching. Finally he mosied off, but I was so preoccupied with watching him that I was surprised when behind me a pinecone crunched. I sloooowly turned around and this doe was right where I HAD been looking...and had closed to within 10 yards. She moved to within 7 (I paced it off later) and her internal alarm sensed me or she got a whiff somehow. She high-footed off, not real spooked, but definitely wary.

Last night I went to a new area up Highway 12 to look for elk. My Dad has been there and seen a lot of tracks where the elk and deer have been in the clearcut, moving toward a "shin-tangle" for the day. I started at the bottom for some weird reason and made my way up this other road...figuring I'd go to the top of the hill and see what I could see. Well, I ended up leaving the road and my troubles began. I was in this basin that had a southeast (general) aspect and it was thicker than anything I've been in for awhile. I was joking with my folks later and said, "I could hold my hand up at arms length and not see it." It was the kind of place I had to put my head down and PUSH through brush...there was no being quiet in there. I finally broke out onto a small ridge and thought the walking would be easier, nope, almost worse. Up there, for some odd reason, it was just jackstrawed timber. I got to a point where I wanted to do some bugling and found out that I had left my diaphragms in the truck! That was the end of that, I bombed down the hill until I was close to the highway and then contoured back to the truck. I'm positive that's where the critters go during periods of heavy pressure, but it's essentially impenetrable...so they've got a good thing going. They can have it as far as I'm concerned. We'll see. I tried to mentally think of the lines to "An Ode to my Rifle"...a poem I was going to write when I got home. That was fun for a bit, but then somehow it turned political...luckily by that time I was at the truck and could stop thinking about it. I am looking forward to rifle season though, it'll be kinda nice to not have to get within 25 yards with the wind perfect, then try to move and get a shot. Shoot, with a rifle they can even run a ways...but I know something that can catch up to them pretty quick.

Anywho, so then I figured I'd go back down to FWP land this morning. But last night turned into an adventure in itself. My mind was thinking about something and I simply couldn't sleep! I finally drifted off at 4:30...then promptly got up at 5:30. It was alright though, I made some seriously strong coffee, made a hot breakfast and headed out. I was late, and it definitely wasn't light, but it wasn't dark anymore when I finally got to the parking area. I was the first in there though, so others had a problem this morning too. So, I was in a rush and spooked some deer on the way in. I snuck around a bit and kept getting busted by deer. It wasn't until a couple duck/pheasant hunters started moving inland that the deer started moving to ME. I had one opportunity to draw with a spooked doe and yearling, but the doe moved out of sight to quick and when I tried to draw on the yearling, it saw me and bolted. They were at about 25 yards...the edge of my comfort zone, but I was ready to arrow a deer. I figure I'm going to have to trust all my practice sometime. Really, I'm almost nervous to take a shot...something I must get over if this bowhunting thing is going to work...but I'm really worried about wounding something with an arrow. I'm trying to get too close or something so it's a dead-easy shot. When I walk around though, sometimes I'll shoot at pinecones or whatever with the judo-pointed arrow. I'll even take shots that I probably wouldn't take at deer and still hit where I'm aiming...just need some confidence. Anywho, so I moved along and did some more sneaking. I heard a squirrel start up on the other side of some brush and figured the deer would come straight to me. It'd be a close shot, but I was willing to try. After awhile I figured it was just a delirious squirrel that didn't know what it was chattering at...I got up and started just ambling back toward the truck...when I saw the two small bucks headed away! They had gone AROUND the bushes and were grazing their way onto private land. I tried to close in on them when they went behind a large clump of brush, but when I rounded it, they were already pretty far into the field and long gone as far as I was concerned.

Some things I've noticed though are interesting. The other night, I got to see four Great-Horned Owls hooting and fighting with each other...territorial? Interesting. Last night I saw an ermine running along a log...that was fun...looked like a skinny squirrel hopping along a log toward me. Boy, the squirrels don't like those things! They ALL lit up, chattering and carrying on...and it's a more urgent warning call then they use on big game or people. Speaking of squirrels and chattering, it's funny how some areas have honest squirrels and some have dishonest squirrels. On this place in the riverbottom, it is definitely a deer or a person if a squirrel starts chattering. This is extremely handy, because then you know when to hunker and get ready. However, where I was last night, the squirrels all over the hill were just going nuts for no reason. I imagined them all saying, "Waaazzz Upp" to each other. It was as ridiculous as that commercial. Totally unreliable...just talking to hear their little lips flap. I noticed that after a heavy frost, leaves will drop off trees at an alarming rate. I sat and watched one tree that looked like it was just raining leaves. Again, I stared at one leaf long enough and it broke off. I wonder what it takes for leaves to give up the ghost? That was pretty neat to watch though. Ummm, I think deer do have a sixth sense with things within 20 yards of them. I think they just FEEL something wrong somehow. You can be totally motionless, the wind can be perfect, and they'll still hone in on you when you're that close. Perhaps it's that whole UV radiation thing that they can see some kind of glow...who knows. It's fun to try and NOT blink...some of these deer have been so close that I know they can see me do that. Amazing. Another thing, I wonder if there is a way to keep your breath from fogging. I know if there is snow on the ground, if you put some in your mouth, that'll alleviate that problem for a bit. But I had some deer staring at me today and I wondered about my breath. Can they see that? I also noticed a deer this morning paying attention to a squirrel that finally figured out it didn't want me there. Every time that squirrel would light up on me, she'd look at ME not at the squirrel. And I think they'll try to catch you moving...she'd look away for a second then SNAP her head back to look at me. Of course, when she did this the first couple times, I tried to move into a better position to shoot. After that I didn't move, just gave up on nocking an arrow and watched her. She'd pretend to have an itch on her ass, then snap her head back to see if I'd moved. Funny.

It's peculiar that I've had so many opportunities that I couldn't bring together and get a shot off. When I was hunting with that pistol, I didn't have NEAR this many chances. I wonder if it has something to do with the early season vs. late season or if it's just my skill level with sneaking? Again, interesting. Anyways, I'm done writing for now. It's too nice out and I have a lot of wood to stack.