The grass on the hills is all a golden tan, and only the faintest traces of green grass remains around hillside springs and low lying valleys, in the North Bay Area.  Deer are being concentrated in the evening and mornings on the few places where green feed is still abundant.  In the rural/suburban interface, these are usually lawns and golf courses that are kept green with sprinklers.  Since the Blacktail bucks are still grouped up in bachelor bands, it can make for some great wildlife watching.

At first glance, you might think that the high fence is part of a deer farm, but that is NOT THE CASE.  One of my friends was kind enough to send me these photos of some bucks who were in the city limits at a manufacturing facility.  Goes to show what kind of blacktail genetics are in Sonoma and Marin County. 

The National Interagency Fire Center has issued the following report:

June 24, 2008

A critical wildland fire situation continues to develop in northern California. Firefighters are battling 32 large fires in California that have burned more than 180,000 acres. New large fires were also reported in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

Here in California, the Weekend of June 21/22 had a large number of lightning strike fires. At one time on Sunday it was reported that there were over 600 fires burning in Northern California. Here in the North Bay area, the smell of smoke permeates everything, and visibility is severely limited.

The summer wildfire season certainly affects Western hunters. While periodic wildfire is a good thing for many big game species habitat, it may affect access to historic hunting areas. That is why part of my pre season “remote scouting’ involves monitoring wild fire reports such as the NIFC, (for large incidents) and state wild fire agencies such as CAL FIRE

The Cal Fire northern California Status Report as of Tuesday morning, was:

Northern California

The Wild Fire incident, located in the Green Valley area of Napa-Solano Counties, has burned 3,750 acres and is 40 percent contained. There is one residence and one outbuilding destroyed.
The Walker Fire is located near Indian Valley Reservoir in Lake County. This fire is 3,500 acres and zero percent contained with 35 residences threatened.
The Lime Complex Fire is located in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Trinity County-five miles south of Hyampom. The fire is currently at 4,000 acres and is zero percent contained. There are 1,200 residences, two commercial buildings and 300 outbuildings threatened. One commercial property has been destroyed.
In the Shasta-Trinity counties, over 130 fires are burning at a total of 5,000 acres, threatening 13 communities. Eastbound Highway 299 may be impacted by these fires.
The Quarry Fire is located near the base of San Bruno Mountain in Brisbane, San Mateo County. This fire is 300 acres and 100 percent contained.
Fires are burning in various locations throughout Humboldt County. The fires are currently at over 900 acres, including four new fires that started today. Five residences are threatened.
In Butte County, fires burning near the communities of Concow, Magalia and Paradise total 1,397 acres and are five percent contained. 200 residences are threatened.
110 fires, including 20 new fires discovered yesterday, are burning in Mendocino County, totaling 7,625 acres. 17 of these fires are contained. Four of the fires are greater than 1,000 acres. Over 525 homes are threatened

This will affect my scouting trip into the Wilderness on the 4th of July weekend, I’m sure.  The wilderness area I frequent had 12 active fires as of Monday.  It will be interesting to see how many continue to burn, since there are fires that threaten homes, and property in other areas. 

California Hunt applicants, your draw results are available.  My results were not what I had hoped,but I have a B zone Deer Tag coming so you may see me in the wilderness. 

The following results were found:

ANTELOPE: Not Drawn random # .907588 
DEER: Drawn for B On App 50803309 
ELK: Not Drawn random # .802760 
SHEEP: Not Drawn random # .813241 

You may find out YOUR Results at : https://biggame.dfg.ca.gov/biggame/

The American Sporting Dog Alliance has brought to my attention a California Assembly bill which will severely impact owners of dogs, especially those of us with hunting or working dogs.  Since this revised bill has removed the previous mandatory spay-neuter wording, it gives any citizen the ability to report a violation of any local ordinance.  The accused offender would have no right to appeal or review, but the choice between paying a high fine or spaying or neutering their dog.  That’s EXTORTION in my book.

I’ve included the ASDA release and contact info below.  Please help California’s responsible dog owners avoid another attempt by Animal Rights organizations to infringe on the rights of thousands of hunting dog and working dog owners.

Revised California AB1634 Unleashes
Animal Rights Vigilantes On Dog Owners

A Complaint Does Not Require Proof In Court

by JOHN YATES
American Sporting Dog Alliance
http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org
asda@csonline.net

SACRAMENTO, CA – Animal rights extremists would be given unchecked vigilante powers to attack dog owners under a revision to AB1634, which is now before the legislature.

Read the rest of this entry »

Well I made the commitment to my friend  Rich, that I would run with him at Joaquin Miller State Park near Oakland with him July 19th.  The Sequoia Trail Run offers a 10, 20, 30 and 50 K course.  It looks to be just the ticket as a return to running.. it will give me an event to serve as an intermediate goal before I hit the hills in hunting season. 

At mention of a trail run, another great outdoorsman and athlete in his own right, Kirk Edgerton, sent me a photo of one of his T-shirts.  Ha-Ha Kirk…do you have that in MY size?

The latest installment of Blacktail encounters from Northern California…. 

This Doe had me BUSTED…

Then a nice buck stuck his head out…

Then the BIG Guy stepped out…

but not for long….

I’ ll see them again soon I hope. 

May 18th is the last day for California Archers and Youths to bag a turkey.  The general shotgun season ended Sunday, May 4th, but bowhunters and licensed youths under the age of 16 have an additional 14 days to fill their 3 bearded bird season limit.  Hunters can bag only one bird per day in California. 

The next chance for California Hunters will be a brief 2 week season, with a one bird limit in November. 

In Marin County around the middle of the day, I heard multiple gobbles from the ridgetops, so the birds are still talking.   If the toms are getting your goat, tage some tongue in cheek advice from our friend Phillip at the Hog Blog…after all he is a “profeshunul”, as he puts it. 

These Toms were not shy strutting just outside of Petaluma.   I actually had to stop to let them cross the road. 

I’m keeping an eye on a group of blacktail bucks, watching them grow through the spring.  Don’t ask where…., Cause I ain’t tellin’…

Check out the growth in the last 3 weeks…

April 23rd 2008

 I call this one “Stub” .  His right antler is misformed.  He is the lookout. 

This is “E.G.” short for Eyeguards.  I think he is already 16 inches wide.

May 8th, 2008

There are three bucks in the bachelor group.  Stub is on the left, and E.G. is the furthest right.

Look at the growth “E.G.” has put on!  Any guesses on width?

Sunday morning I met up with my bowhunting buddy Cal for an opening weekend turkey hunt on a neighboring dairy ranch. We hiked up the ridgeline as the sun broke over the eastern horizon, and a 15 mph West wind bit any exposed skin at 38 degrees. From the ridge top we could hear turkeys gobbling down in the pasture at the bottom of the valley. We dropped down off the ridge under the cover of the oaks and set up behind a ditch with willows, along a 5 wire barbed wire fence. Before we could put out any decoys, a tom came off of the opposite ridge down into the open pasture, and we could hear other turkeys pitching down about a quarter mile up the valley.

We started in calling with slates to the lone gobbler. He put on a good show strutting and gobbling for 100 yards as he worked in towards Cal, 20 yards to my left. As he got his bow ready for the bird to step into a shooting lane one of the expectant dairy cows in the pasture took exception to the gobbler’s presence in the maternity pasture and charged at the turkey and chased him off to a patch of trees 65 yards from our position. While he was regaining his composure, I moved over next to Cal and resumed calling. A pair of hens came into the pasture and our tom did his best to impress the ladies, all the while avoiding any over-protective bovines. We called for about an hour and watched as the turkeys fed all around the pasture, no closer than 60 yards.

We were about ready to abandon our spot to chase distant gobbles when a couple of turkeys showed up on the opposite ridge and seemed to gobble with every step. Whether our tom thought he was out numbered, or liked the sound of our siren song, he strutted across the cow pasture, through the ditch and the barbwire fence. This put him at less than 20 yards as he stepped on the same cow trail we were sitting on. I pivoted on my knees and put an arrow through him at mid ships. While the first arrow was lethal, I finished the job with a second arrow to the head and he quit his flopping

We resumed calling, as the two jakes saw the expired bird on the hill side, and they came sprinting on the same path. Cal came to full draw and his arrow zipped through the bird like a knife through hot butter, less than five minutes after I’d arrowed my turkey. His companion sprinted off to the nearby trees, and seemed to hurl turkey insults at us as we loaded up our birds and hiked back up the ridge towards the truck.

This year’s success capped off a streak for us. For three years Cal and I have been hunting together with archery gear. Each time we have ventured out after turkey, we have each been successful, sometimes within seconds of each other. Perhaps it is because we know how each other will react in a given situation, and react accordingly. Our shared love of the challenge of bowhunting has molded us into a team. That is a connection I haven’t felt in any team sport, and I find it satisfying that in an individual pursuit resulted in a feeling of brotherhood that I hope the rest of the hunting community can relate to.

Here on the West Coast, the mecca of the outdoor field shooters is the oak covered hills of the Straight Arrow Bowhunters, in Redding California.  For three days in May, archers from all over North America gather to shoot 70 marked distance 3d targets, over 3 days.  It is known formally as the Western Classic Trail Shoot, but referred to as either “Redding” or “the trail shoot”.  After skipping last years event due to my marathon training schedule, I have made plans to attend in 2008.  This years event takes place May 1,2,3,4.  Thursday is a blind draw Pro-Am event. Follow this link to the web page  for the event.

In preparation for the event, I have created stencils to make orange dots to the same specifications as those found on the Raglin 3-D animals, as well as yardages marked out to 100 yards out at the hay barn.  It is my hope that with practice I can improve upon my 2006 score of 1393 out of 1540.  At the Cabin Fever warmup shoot earlier this month I shot an 848 out of 924 on 42 targets.  If I can keep that pace I should be able to break the 1400 mark. 

 With the help of my daughters I made up dots to correspond to the appropriate distances:

4yds to 15 yds - 4 cm.

15yds to 35 yds - 7 cm.

35yds to 45 yds - 10 cm.

45yd- 88 yds. - 13 cm.

101 yds - 20 cm.

Since 42 percent of the targets are between 30 and 50 yards, that is the distances I’ll spend the most time practicing.   But there is always a crowd gatherered at the 101 yd. Bigfoot target, and the 88 yard  elk scene.  Plenty of witnesses, so I’ll be sure to work on my long distance game as well.