Who's Hunting Tomorrow??

[NEhomer]

Birds #16 & #17 fell to the gun yesterday~

 

[DHoey]

If any of you guys need to stock up on some shells, Rogers is running a pretty good deal on Nitro-Steel. 169.99/Case but Remington has a $100/case rebate. Free shipping as well.

$70/case of 3" mag steel is a pretty screaming deal.

 

[Dusty]

I will be deer hunting in about a week, plus a few days, in this territory. Not as many deer there as years ago, but to me it is just good to still be able to get there and see old friends.

 

[NEhomer]

Nice, good luck. One of my students skipped school this week. His buddy got a text in class with a photo of the 7 pointer he had just knocked down!

Whip pointed up # 18, 19 & 20 yesterday~

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Got back home on Saturday evening. Long story short, the trip wasn't very fruitful.

Had full intentions of bagging the best buck I could find, but little did I know the animals were going to be so scarce. Year after year the whitetail are thicker than shit up in Clearwater Country. I couldn't turn a bend or pass through a draw or ridge without scaring up something. This year was much, much different. The area we hunted didn't deliver. We spent 3 days hiking in & out, and in & out of this 500 acre well-forested private lot. Only got my crosshairs on 1 decent buck (looked like a 4 point) but he didn't give me a clear shot at around 180yds in a tight window. He was moving up the hill towards me. Gave him about 10-20mins before I decided to try and flush him out. He was long gone. My uncle who owns the property said the rut hadn't started yet but was expecting it any day. We had 2 days of perfect clear-sky weather. Not sure if the harsh winter or predatory issues played a factor, but for whatever reason it was an off year.

My brother & I put down a couple doe to make sure we didn't leave empty handed though. Meat in the freezer! Took the straps & roasts off and plan to make hamburger & breakfast sausage with the rest.

 

[DHoey]

Got back home on Saturday evening. Long story short, the trip wasn't very fruitful.

Had full intentions of bagging the best buck I could find, but little did I know the animals were going to be so scarce. Year after year the whitetail are thicker than shit up in Clearwater Country. I couldn't turn a bend or pass through a draw or ridge without scaring up something. This year was much, much different. The area we hunted didn't deliver. We spent 3 days hiking in & out, and in & out of this 500 acre well-forested private lot. Only got my crosshairs on 1 decent buck (looked like a 4 point) but he didn't give me a clear shot at around 180yds in a tight window. He was moving up the hill towards me. Gave him about 10-20mins before I decided to try and flush him out. He was long gone. My uncle who owns the property said the rut hadn't started yet but was expecting it any day. We had 2 days of perfect clear-sky weather. Not sure if the harsh winter or predatory issues played a factor, but for whatever reason it was an off year.

My brother & I put down a couple doe to make sure we didn't leave empty handed though. Meat in the freezer! Took the straps & roasts off and plan to make hamburger & breakfast sausage with the rest.

Sounds like a tough but successful hunt!! Can't argue with full freezers, and you can't eat them antlers anyway

 

[Dusty]

Yes, glad you got some meat, congratulations on that. The coyotes around the mountains where I have hunted since 1969 account for many young deer fatalities and some of the reason for less deer being seen there. Also, too many days to hunt doe being allowed by the state game commission for years. Now they have reduced that number of days, but it may take a long time for the herd to recover. I just like to be in the woods in the Fall.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Yes, glad you got some meat, congratulations on that. The coyotes around the mountains where I have hunted since 1969 account for many young deer fatalities and some of the reason for less deer being seen there. Also, too many days to hunt doe being allowed by the state game commission for years. Now they have reduced that number of days, but it may take a long time for the herd to recover. I just like to be in the woods in the Fall.

Saw both 'yote & bear signs all around the area. My uncle hadn't seen the bears in months so those signs were fairly old. Coyotes were definitely in the area so if predators were the issue it would have been them. Biggest problem with the property that we hunt is there is no active water source. Essentially this is just a transition area for the animals coming down off the plain regions above to get to the Clearwater River or Big Canyon Creek below. So predators inhabiting or frequenting the area can definitely change the ecosystem in a hurry. We didn't cross paths with any on the property but the area is too thick to ever notice them. We went road hunting on our way out Saturday morning and saw a couple. Took a poke at one around 400yds but didn't drop it.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Sounds like a tough but successful hunt!! Can't argue with full freezers, and you can't eat them antlers anyway

True that. But its all about bragging rights when it comes to hunting with my brother & father. The 6 hour drive home feels a lot shorter when you got a big head on your shoulders if ya know what I mean!

 

[NEhomer]

This afternoon....number 21:

 

[mrwallace2ku]

this quarry is always tough to find…haven't hunted them since the 80s.


"...but i got this bad feeling bob, we should go back and try."

 

[mrwallace2ku]

forgots the quarry pic…

 

[DHoey]

this quarry is always tough to find…haven't hunted them since the 80s.


"...but i got this bad feeling bob, we should go back and try."




View attachment 169841

Good luck man. We have a season for them up here but I've never seen one. My dad has once in his 40+ years of hunting.

 

[mrwallace2ku]

I've never seen one. My dad has once in his 40+ years of hunting.

HARD TO FIND…they love sun exposed sides with brush cover. I have taken maybe 15 in my day. Mountain quail are about twice the size of California Valley quail. If found, they are quick and disappear back into brush like ghosts. Probably the toughest upland game bird to hunt due to their scarcity and cover habits.

btw…


definitely the finest eating bird as well, next to valley quail i would say.

 

[mrwallace2ku]

out of all the upland game birds i have hunted, these are the most evasive. Hungarian partridge. Small numbers can be found only in near perfect habitat. Delicate flowers i spose…

i have killed about 5 or so in my life…same size as a Cal valley quail.

 

[DHoey]

out of all the upland game birds i have hunted, these are the most evasive. Hungarian partridge. Small numbers can be found only in near perfect habitat. Delicate flowers i spose…

i have killed about 5 or so in my life…same size as a Cal valley quail.


View attachment 169854

Ahh Huns. I've ran into coveys of Huns 3 times and picked up 2 out of each one. Really neat bird.

Side note: I've tied multiple dry flies with their feathers that I saved and caught fish on them.

 

[mrwallace2ku]

CONFIRMED SIGHTING…



1) MOVING BETWEEN THE NEIGHBORS ON BOTH SIDES OF MY HOUSE:

...idiots are feeding the squirrels en sech…seen it before.


2) REQUIRED ARMENIANS TO DO THE JOB-3 MEN

3) WEAPONS NEEDED:

- hand grenades…no job is to small
- .223 AR colt assault rifle w/ 75 round magazine and bump stock to boot…why let a fly get away here.
- body bags
- victory cigar/lighter

 

[NEhomer]

Well the bird season's ended in MA and CT has stopped stocking. There's one farm that my gun club stocks that holds birds. Went yesterday and we got one rooster pointed that flushed out of the other side of a hedgerow offering no shot.

Then Whip pinned a hen down in the thick stuff. I made a good shot through the brush and he found it in the thickest reeds. So ended the quest for 24 birds this year! (Between three hunters/licenses)

Add in about 10 misses and a dozen points/flushes that offered no shot and he got us on near a half a hundred birds this year.

 

[DHoey]

Took Boom out on Sunday for a little bird action but it came to a premature end. About an hour into the hunt he got hung up in some loose barbed wire. I got him calmed down pretty quick and got his leg unhooked but he ended with about a two inch gash on his leg. So took him home and got it cleaned out and bandaged up and since it's Sunday, I have to wait till the morning to get him stitched up. So anyways, he's gonna be out of commission for two weeks but our season runs till mid January.

 

[Dusty]

Sorry to see this, hope he heals up soon.