Well it is shaping up to be a busy few days around here.
First, my buddy Doug from Alaska will be arriving with his daughter to pursue the turkeys that have skunked me so far.

Then we head to Redding the Mecca of target archers for the Western Classic Trail Shoot.  Thursday is the Blind Draw event, and then the Trail shoot Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Doug was my wingman last year and this year he will have backup. So as things develop, I will report ‘em. but ’til then I’ll be pretty low profile.   this year at Redding the focus is on fun shooting.  I haven’t been to an archery shoot in 2009, so I’m just trying to enjoy the company of friends and archery.

I’ll be in the Freestyle division this year since I now have a 7 pin sight.  My bow is my hunting rig and I will enjoy being able to devote 3 full days to shooting it.

My Sage Creek buddy Canyon Runner made a comment

John, is there anywhere you have not lived, worked? You and POPS could publish your own series of books on life in these United States! I hope someday to be able to see half the country you guys have…

CR I don’t feel that well travelled, But I have had a chance to check out a lot of country that is between North Idaho and CA.  There ARE places that are still a mystery to me though, Like the SouthWest, Central plains, Mid West, etc. 

Career and Family has certainly cut back on my travels in the West.  My college years were the height of my Western Exploration since I seemed to have a biannual trip between home and school.  I miss the windshield time. 
You know there are a lot of routes to try out in that 800 mile stretch. 

So it got me thinking about where I have been.  Most of the places I remember the most are on a narrow highway or gravel road…

Places I have Been (Blue), Lived(Red) and Want to go (Green).

 This handy little application on Facebook doesn’t have all the little communities and such, but imagine the highways and roads that connect the pins on the map.

Now I’m not much of a “modern Country” fan, but I do appreciate it when artists sing songs about the Outdoors. in this Video Rhett akins sings about a “hung up” gobbler on the Tommy Wilcox outdoors show.

i gotta give him credit, he really captured the essence of the frustration when a big ol’ tom won’t come in. I’ve been feeling plenty of that lately.

California hunters who want to know about the 2009 big game seasons and tags can now find it online at the California Department of Fish and Game Department Publications Page.  The Big Game Digest has application and hunt information for Deer, Elk Pronghorn, and Bighorn Sheep.  There is also harvest data for black bear and feral pig as well. 

The 64 page PDF document is the electronic version of the printed one that we await each April by mail.  You will have to get a printed application and have a valid 2009 Hunting license to apply for limited entry hunts.  California does not have an electronic application system.

A little bit about the California  big game drawings

All premium deer hunt tags and elk, antelope and bighorn sheep tags are distributed through the DFG Big Game Drawing.
Under a Modified Preference Point System drawing, tag quotas for each hunt are split into two portions: one portion awarded by preference point drawings; the other portion
awarded in Draw-By-Choice drawings. Quota splits vary, depending on the species, total number of available tags, or other special criteria (such as those for Apprentice Hunts).
Instructions for completing elk, antelope and bighorn sheep applications can be found on page 34, and deer tag application instructions begin on page 13.
All Big Game Tag Applications for the annual Big Game Drawing must be received at the DFG’s License and Revenue Branch, in Sacramento, by 5:00 p.m. on June 2, 2009.

Good luck in the draws.

Cal hit a new ranch in the afternoon after a morning hunt didn’t produce. He had a coyote come in and spook off two toms he called in, but still managed to keep his composure and still hunted his way into bow range on this nice tom.

His gobbler’s beard measured 10 1/4 inches.   The spurs were 1 1/4 inch each.  Truly a remarkable bird. 
It just goes to show that afternoon hunts can produce. Sometimes you just have to adjust your tactics.  Cal did and it paid off.

Collin Cotrell just sent me an update on the Outback Outdoors second Webisode.  If you liked the first installment I mentioned in an earlier column, you are sure to enjoy this feature;

We welcome you back to www.outbackoutdoors.net as we have launched our 2nd Webisode – which is a great Mountain Lion hunt in Colorado. This is not your average lion hunt either, you will see what other shows miss . In this months webisode we will show you the whole journey, as Outback Outdoors team members Adam Wells and Trevon Stoltzfus, “find the track, trail the dogs, and tree the cat!”

Also, please do not hesitate to message the OO Team and let them know what you think about the show. Send an email to collin@outbackoutdoors.net and we will put your comments on the website, if you would like!

This Sunday I met up with my buddy Rich, known by many as Monsterbull from Sage Creek Forums for a Turkey hunt. 

We met at 5:45 am at my house and hustled to our setup as the eastern horizon became grey

We got situated along a disked up area that had been planted recently and had a gobbler sounding off from his roost before daylight just 200 yards away.   Who could ask for anything more? 

About 30 minutes after shooting light, the Tom flew down with a couple of hens. Problem was they fed to the West instead of coming directly to us. About a half hour later both hens came by separately, but no Tom followed.

We left our setup to see if we could locate the birds again. When we crested the ridge we could see not one but  THREE toms strutting down on a farm road leading to another field. We lost no time in trying to get around them about 270 degrees and 300 yards  from our current position.

As soon as we dropped down below the crest of the hill we heard a tractor start coming chugging down the road.

In the hopes that the turkeys might just hunker down in the willows we continued on our end around as the tractor got closer and closer. When we peeked around the trees, the three gobblers had gone the OTHER way and were working up the ridge to the East, gobbling the whole way.  The tractor just kept on going. 
Once they crested the ridge we followed them and dropped down into the tree line to try and position ourselves to call them in.

Along that ridge we worked our way with several calling setups. We would get answers and catch visions of the blue and red heads bobbing just out of range. Each setup was met with either the gobblers hanging up out of range, or the excited “PUT_PUT_PUT” as they saw something they didn’t like and scurried away.

The whole ordeal was very similar to dogging a herd of elk where the bull keeps a herd of cows between you and him. Bump and move bump and move…We worked our way along the edge of the treeline, calling before we crested the next little rise on the ridge top

Finally we caught view of two jakes with short 4 inch beards in the brush and trees at the head of a draw. I knew the draw was choked with blackberries and I had a hunch that they were looking for a place to cross the draw and wer going to head back down the draw. We hustled to a lower crossing and worked our way up toward where we last saw the jakes. Sure enough, two heads poked up over the horizon coming our direction. there was no time for a calling setup, we had been busted. The birds warily circled our position 35 yards away. Rich tried a shot but the bird stpped just as he released and the arrow whistled just over his back. We had been foiled again. This time by a couple of adolescent gobblers who have now been educated about bowhunters.

But it was a nice half-day afield in beautiful spring weather. We talked about our future hunting plans and made arrangements for applying together for a late season deer hunt.  But soon enough I had chores awaiting on the ranch and we parted ways, vowing vengence onthe Turkeys that ran us around the hills.

Are you gettin’ the itch to be out in the mountains chasing elk? 

 Well you aren’t alone.

Join Brandon and Brad as they prepare for their pilgrimage to western Idaho for

Operation Idaho 2009
Nine days, five tags, two buddies, no roads…priceless!

This blog will serve as record of 6 months of planning and preparation: exercise, diet, archery practice, equipment research, purchase and review, as well as any other aspects backcountry bowhunting.

You gotta give these guys credit, they aren’t afraid to admit their mistakes.  I think my fellow Western hunters  can understand what these guys will encounter as they prepare.

You can follow their preparations at:
http://operation-idaho.blogspot.com

Well we are creeping up on Application deadlines for two Western Meccas for Big Game Hunting.

Nevada has a deadline of April 20th at 5:00 pm for online applications. If it is your first year applying though you will need to do a mail application to get ON FILE with your Hunter Education Requirement if born after 1949. So allow plenty of time for your application to be processed.

Previous applicants may already know about the online procedure at www.huntnevada.com. I’ve already recieved my paperwork from Nevada with my information on file so all I have to do is provide my Sportsman ID number and the tags I want to apply for and I am good to go.

Don’t forget, if you want to accrue bonus points, you MUST BUY a Nevada Hunting license. I made a mistake and missed a couple years and lost points. It won’t happen again.

Colorado’s Deadline of April 7th is not far off either. I just put in my pronghorn application. If you are serious about hunting some premier units you willneed to understand the Preference point system there as well, The following release by the Colorado Division of Wildlife explains it well.

To manage big game animals to assure sustainable hunting opportunities and resource preservation, the Colorado Division of Wildlife issues a limited number of licenses through a drawing process for most species.

For big game, over-the-counter licenses are available only for bull elk during the second and third seasons.

Hunters who want licenses for deer and other big game – including elk in some game management units and seasons – must apply annually.

Here’s how the application and draw system works:

Hunters apply for licenses and submit up to four choices for the game management units desired. Applicants who don’t get their first choice get a preference point for that unit. An applicant can also purchase one point each year for $25. However, no more than one preference point can be awarded in a year. Points are awarded for each individual species.

The number of preference points needed to draw a license depends on the species, season, and the particular game management unit. For the most coveted units, hunters must accumulate numerous preference points to have a chance to obtain a license in the draw.

An example: To obtain an either sex elk license during the first rifle season in GMU 1, Colorado residents need 10 preference points and a non-resident must accumulate 16 preference points. In that unit more than 1,100 people apply, but only 26 licenses are issued.

If you want to accumulate points for a preferred unit, but you still want to hunt for that season, apply to a coveted unit but pick units with zero point requirements for your subsequent choices. Preference points continue to accumulate until you receive a first-choice license.

For cow elk, the majority of game management units require no preference points, so everyone who applies has a similar chance of drawing a license. For buck deer, many units require 1-2 points, and for limited bull elk most units require even more points.

The DOW maintains a permanent preference point record for everyone who applies. The record is automatically referenced when a hunter applies for a unit that requires points.

Most big game licenses are reserved for Colorado residents. For units and species that require five or more preference points, 80 percent of the licenses are allocated to residents, the remainder to non-residents. If fewer than five preference points are needed, 65 percent of the licenses are allocated for state residents and the remainder for non-residents.

A complete explanation for all species and a list of preference-point requirements for the upcoming season is published each year in the March/April edition of Colorado Outdoors, the DOW’s magazine. The information is also published on the DOW’s web site, www.wildlife.state.co.us.

The drawing for licenses is always held on the first Tuesday in April. Results are posted on the web site. Leftover licenses go on sale the second Tuesday in August and are available until they are sold out.

April is not just tax month; it’s also the month to apply for moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat hunts.

Applications for these controlled hunts will be accepted from April 1 through April 30. Hunters may apply at Fish and Game offices, license vendors, and with a credit card by telephone or over the Internet. Telephone applications may be made at 1-800-554-8685; Internet users may apply at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/.

Telephone and Internet applications are subject to additional service charges.

Each applicant must possess an Idaho hunting or combination license to apply for a controlled hunt. License fees will not be refunded.

For moose, goat and sheep hunt applications only; the tag, permit and application fees must be paid with the application. All but the $6.25 application fee will be refunded to those who do not draw. The resident application, including permit fee, costs $180.75; nonresidents pay $1,765.75.

Unsuccessful resident applicants will receive a refund of $174.50; unsuccessful nonresident applicants will receive a refund of $1,759.50.

Mailed applications must be postmarked no later than April 30.

Hunters who apply for moose, goat and sheep may not apply for any other controlled hunt in the same year except for unlimited controlled hunts, extra deer, elk or pronghorn hunts, controlled bear hunts or depredation hunts.

Those who draw a moose, goat or sheep permit and do not kill an animal may not apply to hunt the same species for two years.

Any person who has harvested an antlered moose in Idaho may not apply for any moose permit except an antlerless moose permit. Any person who has harvested an antlerless moose in Idaho may not apply for any moose permit except an antlered moose permit.

Any person who has killed a mountain goat in Idaho since 1977 may not apply for a mountain goat permit. Anyone who has killed a California bighorn or a Rocky Mountain bighorn may not apply again for the same type of sheep but may apply for the other subspecies.