wheres all the dead deer ??? .... pics ?? ... no one hunting this year ? ... I have yet to connect, had chances on a few real nice bucks, was at full draw twice on a big 10pt under 30 yds, could not get a shot cause of brush/limbs, etc ...... 2 - 9 day rutcations and zilch ... that warm weather hurt, slowed day time movement big time, I hunted mornings only when it was colder .... .... passed on various does waiting for the buck to follow, didnt work out or it was a dink doing the chasing ... best morning was the Halloween Am, had that big 10 and 4 other bucks and 7 does come by thru the morning, chasing, grunting, etc... and Nov. 15th had a HUGE buck come by 15 min. before shooting light/time, huge rack and body, he walked off before light ... had 7 other bucks and various does come by that morning .... I'm waiting till gun is over before I go back out, I will NOT hunt public during gun waaaay to many idiots on public nowadays .... good luck to all ....
My guess is that Facebook & Instagram is what happened to most bulletin board style sites like this one. People have chosen to spend their time elsewhere. I continue to keep HH going for the time being. For those of you who continue to make your rounds here, feel free to post more.
As far as Jeff's original question....I had a decent season....passed up several bucks that needed another year or two. About half of them have survived the subsequent firearm seasons. These still gotta make it through the smoke-pole season. I'll be praying for that. I'm about done with local deer hunting for the year, just too much work right now, and then heading to Sonora a little later for Coues Deer.
Meantime, I made the second trip this year to California for Tule Elk and succeeded finally in getting an archery bull. Nov 30th kill date, making it the latest in the year, by far, that I've ever hunted elk. PIC HERE
was back out Friday ..... sat for 5 hours till dark, didnt see squat for deer, not surprising after gun ended.. plenty of goony birds(sandhills), squirrels and two large flocks of Speckled Geese ... stuck now to hunting only days off .... could do the ML thing, but I still prefer BOWhunting ... this late in the season odds are stacked for the deer or what is left of 'em ... a lot less deer walking around statewide right now ... 109,717 so far killed .... 71 killed as of Fri. on the state land I hunt/6 short of last year at this time ...
I'm mostly just running trail cams now, trying to keep an eye on what deer might have made it through the seasons. Have been seeing this little buck who has a hole clean through the back strap, visible on both sides. Hard to say what happened, but possible a poor rifle shot was taken on him at long distance, mistaking him for a doe. He licks at it a lot, but the wound seems to be healing up.
Saw this today on camera, a buck with both sides shed off. I've seen bucks shed in December here only two other times over the past 10 years or so. Both of those bucks ended up as winter kill, apparently sick or injured in some way. Hopefully this one will live through the winter. He looks healthy in his outward appearance.
