Looks like conditions will be close to ideal for finding rutting blacktail bucks.  Friends have been seeing bucks with the does for the last two weeks. 

The bucks are winding up the rut around Sonoma and Marin County.  This buck was keeping an eye on a doe not far from my home.  I hope I can find one this “in love” this week.  If one would pose like this at 25 yards as well would be GREAT!

The goal race is still in the planning stages but should be the weekend of February 7th, 2010

And the response is the same across all the forums….NO response.

Well before you drop kick your laptop, think about how you approached the situation. You came into a community of folks, and without any greeting at all asked for their spots they have spent years scouting and refining their tactics in. Would you do this face to face? No.

Here are some ways to get the most out of an internet forum:

1. Introduce yourself. Most forums have a place that new members can introduce themselves and tell a little about their style of hunting and where they are from. Many times you will discover other hunters that live or have family nearby.
2. Use the search function. Forums are made to be a discussion and the search function helps you weed through the variety of topics by focusing on keywords. For example searching on “unit xy Idaho” will bring up past topics on that unit you are interested in.
3. Contribute! Not money, but knowledge. If someone is asking in a topic about some boots or a pack you have experience with, pass on your experience. You don’t have to be a cheerleader and do an ad pitch for it, but a sincere mention about how you think certain aspects could be improved, or a new way to use a product are always appreciated. Congratulate successful hunters that post photos. Believe it or not, folks want to get to know more about the person behind the avatar and internet handle. The more outgoing and sincere you are online, the more other posters will appreciate you. Your personality may come through differently in writing than if you are with your buddies, so lay off the sarcasm until you know other readers will “get it”.
4. Pay attention to the Sections in forums. With the wide variety of topics discussed in a hunting forum, chances are they are categorized. If your question is state specific, try a state section; if it is species specific post it in the deer, or elk section for example.
5. Lay off the Caps Lock. THIS IS YELLING ON THE INTERNET.
6. After you have a few posts and start recognizing other people on the forums, you can share your plans for the upcoming season. After getting acquainted with the other forum members and developing relationships, you will be amazed at how helpful some people can be. Chances are you will have already developed some information about your hunt destination just through using the search functions and ongoing topics.

With these hints, I hope you will be able to use internet forums to your benefit and become a valuable part of the community. Over the years, I’ve hunted, fished, shot archery tournaments and roomed with fellow forum members that became lifelong friends, all because we shared the same interests on an internet forum.

The trip started with meeting up with my hunting partner Rich Howarth, Friday night at our ranch.  We loaded his gear in the pickup and headed up to the hunting area.  We probably left at 9:00 pm.  By 1:00 am we arrived at the camp site of another one of my local contacts, also named Rich.  For story telling purposes he will be OLD Rich.  Old Rich had hunted this country since he was a teenager, and had 40 years of experience.  At first light we had loaded up in the pickup and went off to the spots he thought we needed to know.

We went to sleep under the stars like the weekend before.  This time with the acorns falling each time the wind blew.  

We spent the morning  learning more access points to the rugged areas we wanted to get to.  Each landmark had a hunting story, and forty years of history unfolded as Old Rich told of bucks taken and bucks that got away. 

We stopped back at camp for a bite of lunch.  Young Rich and I went for a walkabout that afternoon.  We only found a dead coyote, but we had boots-on-the-ground experience and found some vantage points we hadn’t seen previous.

That night young Rich panfried up some potatoes and onions that he served with bear backstrap from this years bear.  It was outstanding.  It was a testament to how good bear meat can be if prepared properly. 

The next morning we delved deeper into the fringes of our go-to spot.  We saw deer hanging in camps and heard shots.  We even spotted a doe and fawns feeding midday. 

We finally packed up at mid-day and bid fare well to Old Rich.  Since it was the last day of the Rifle season the road had a number of hunters headed home as well.  After a couple of stops to chat with other locals about our up coming hunt.  Each had a nugget of advice we filed away for future reference. 

We made it back to the ranch in the dark, and Rich still had to go home.   For the next 3 weeks we will stay in contact as we pull together our camp gear and make plans for a week long hunt.

This hunt is open to anyone who is interested and eligible. Hunters interested in applying for the hunt must submit a letter of interest including their name, date of birth, contact information and CID number. Applicants must also submit a short note about why they should be selected for this special private land hunt opportunity. If a youth, the letter also needs to include the name and contact information for a parent or guardian who will attend the hunt with the youth.

Applications must be received at the Meeker DOW office by 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9. Applications should be mailed to Bailey Franklin/Special Late Season Hunt, PO Box 1181, Meeker CO 81641.

Six hunters will be randomly selected from all eligible applicants. The selected hunters will be notified by Nov. 16 with hunt details and specific dates for the hunt. Questions about the hunt or application process should be directed to the Meeker DOW office at (970) 878-6090.

 

In the morning Ed, Jason and I set off to a ridge top saddle that is a primary game crossing between canyons. Having set up to locate, we pulled in a cow, but she spotted movement and calmly made her retreat. As we carefully made our way up the ridge spine, a bull bugled at the three “cows” that were making noise. He was only 30 yards away but, unfortunately; Ed was in the lead and stuck in the middle of the dog hair. I was behind and pulled the bull over to 15 yards, Ed could see his antlers and hear him breathing, but just could not get a clear shot, it was just too thick. The wind was perfect but, eventually, after a long game of cat and mouse the bull followed his suspicious cows down into the drainage.

We followed them down to the bottom, but with the bone dry conditions, we lost the trail. After hunting our way to the other side of the canyon, we set up on a high spot which allowed us to call into three separate areas. The country we hunt in is not conducive to spot and stalk, one’s best chances are to get the elk to reveal their location, move in close and pull the bull in with calls. However, this was proving to be rather difficult this year, the weather was extremely hot and the elk did not appear to be very enthusiastic. We were fairly sure elk were in the vicinity, but try as we might, we could not locate them in the midday heat. We decided to wait it out until later in the afternoon and take up the chase again.

After lounging in the shade on top for several hours, we started discussing our plans for the evening. With a sudden itch, Jason let out a sneeze. Call it coincidence, call it luck, we heard a distinct bugle only 300 yards away to the east and down the hill. It was 2 in the afternoon and the breeze was extremely unpredictable, switching back and forth, and we debated whether to sit there and wait for a better wind, or push our luck and go right at him. Ed suggested we split up, send two down to the bottom and work the bull from below, and keep one person on top to set up in a saddle to ambush the bull if he winded us and tried to escape over the top.

Jason and I made our way to the bottom and moved over to approach from below. After some doubtful moments trying to relocate the bull, he finally sounded off again about 150 yards up the hill. We carefully made our way into position, trying in vain to keep a favorable wind, until we thought we shouldn’t press it anymore. I started calling the bull with cow calls. He responded quickly, but after several minutes did not seem motivated to get out of his bed. With Jason set up hill and to the side about 30 yards, I switched to a cow call, followed by a bugle with my Chuckler tube. Immediately I heard the bull get up and start down the hill. In seconds, I spotted the bull on a fast walk, his antlers swaying as he came to investigate. When he made it to a grove of small hemlocks, he stopped and proceeded to thrash the trees. I ranged him at 70 yards and he proceeded to put on a display of tree abuse for several minutes. I watched to see if Jason would close the gap with the bull occupied, but he could only move when the bull turned his back. The breeze kept shifting and I was sure it was only a matter of time before it betrayed us. I needed to pull the bull down some more to get Jason a shot, so I looked around, spotted a suitable hemlock below me, snuck down to it, started raking the tree with a limb and hit him with another bugle.

That did the trick, and the bull quickly moved down to close the distance. I knew he was in range of Jason, and although the bull was slightly obscured, I heard the loud twang of Jason’s trusty old Hoyt and watched his arrow streak across to the bull followed by the inevitable “thwack!” The bull sprinted down the hill away from us both, but as he left our sight, we heard a distinct crash and the bull let out one last gurgled bugle.

Jason misjudged the distance and the bull turned right at the shot. While quite high, the arrow punctured both lungs and ended up lodging in the back quarter. He only made it 150 yards before he could go no further.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife closed mountain lion hunting on a portion of the Uncompahgre Plateau in order to conduct research that will eventually provide new information on mountain lion population dynamics.

“The study is designed so that the DOW can examine the lion management structure and biological assumptions used for managing lions with sport hunting throughout Colorado,” said Ken Logan, the DOW researcher on the project.

Information being gathered includes: lion abundance, sex and age structure, reproduction, survival and causes of mortality during periods without and with sport-hunting. The study started in 2004 and will continue through 2014.

The research area includes the southern portions of Game Management Units 61, 62 and the northern portion of GMU 70.

For the study, lions are captured, fitted with radio collars and tracked remotely. Capturing the lions allows researchers to study lion population structure. The radio collars enable researchers to quantify reproduction, survival, causes of mortality and movement patterns.

Hunters interested in the research area must be aware of some special regulations. The hunting season in the research area is Nov. 16 through Jan. 31 — unless the harvest quota of eight animals is reached before Jan. 31. The objective of the harvest on the research area is to manage for a stable to increasing population just as the DOW manages most GMUs in Colorado to achieve a healthy self-sustaining population. Adult and independent sub-adult lions can be harvested. Hunters are prohibited from killing cubs or females that are followed by cubs.

Besides a regular mountain lion license, hunters must obtain a special permit to hunt on the research area. The permits are free and unlimited, and each is valid for 14 days. A hunter who does not take a lion within the 14 days can pick up another permit to continue hunting so long as the season is still open. Permits can be picked up starting on Nov. 2 at the DOW’s Montrose Service Center at 2300 S. Townsend Ave.

As in all other areas of the state, hunters must report harvest within 48 hours after the animal has been killed and the animal carcass must be shown to a DOW agent within five days of harvest. Hunters must check daily to see if the research area is still open by calling 1-888-940-LION (5466).

Hunters in the research area also are being asked to fill out a voluntary survey that is attached to each permit. Questions include: location of hunt, length of time hunted, description of lion tracks, descriptions of lions seen or harvested and other questions about lion hunting.

The surveys will provide important information about the lions in the population that hunters encounter and about how hunters hunt lions in Colorado. Hunters are asked to provide accurate information in the surveys to help the DOW improve lion management.

Regulations for this area and the entire state can be reviewed in the DOW’s 2009-10 Mountain Lion Hunting brochure which is available at all DOW offices, license agents and online at http://wildlife.state.co.us under the Rules/Regs section.

For more information about hunting in the research area, call the DOW’s Montrose office at (970)252-6000.

Weekend of Oct 17

I left work Saturday at 1:00pm and arrived at my hunting area at 6:00 pm with about an hour of light left.  All the way up the road I saw hunting camps occupied.  I found a relatively flat spot and pulled off the road.  I was near the center of the area I was focusing on and it was apparent that the Rifle hunters focused on this area as well.  I had three camps within hearing distance, and I estimate about 50 hunters in those three camps.

My camp was pretty spartan.  A cot and sleeping bag, a roll up table, and a two burner propane stove.   Dinner was a can of soup, some French bread, and a cold Fat Tire amber ale.  The forcast was clear so I slept under the stars in my 30 degree rated Western Mountaineering Megalite down bag.   I did put it inside of a Ti Goat Bivy sac in case of a heavy dew or rain shower. 

In the morning I enjoyed a cup of coffee and a bowl of instant oatmeal as I waited for the sun to come up.  Since I’d never seen this ground before, I wanted to wait for daylight to drive the roads in the area and familiarize myself with the lay of the land.  My first foray was down to a trailhead that lead into a DEEP canyon.  After chatting with some other hunters I found another trail on the top of a ridge that I thought would give me a good view of the heart of the area I planned to hunt. 

I left my pack in the truck since I was just walking down the ridge.   I carried my rifle and a bear tag on the off chance that I spotted a bear.  By 9:00 am I spotted a bear feeding in a patch of oaks below me.  300 yards of hip high brush separated us.  The bear was oblivious since he was focused on feeding on the acorns that were falling like rain.  I tried to get him in the cross hairs, but the bear kept moving around the tree and feeding out of sight.  Twice, he fed around out of sight.  I had nothing for a good rest. 

Finally,  I found a low spot in the brush and took a knee when the bear fed out at 303 yards at a 19 degree down angle.  He turned broadside and the crosshairs danced over his shoulders.  I took a Deep Breath and….

JERKED THE TRIGGER!

The bullet kicked up the dirt behind and above the bear and I saw him wheel and dash into the trees.  I could hear his rhythmic stride and he busted through the brush headed to the deep and steep brushy draw below.  No bawl, no crash .  Just Thump-Crash, Thump-Crash getting further away.

And then the Fog rolled in.

At that point I decided to hike back to the truck and get my pack and wait for the fog to lift.  45 minutes later I was looking for the spot I fired from and eventually re-spotted the site of the shot.  I stepped off into the brush and fought my way down to the open oak patch.  A distinct bear trail lead through the oaks with bear scat every 6 feet along it.  I looked and found the tracks of my bear but no blood.  I did find a rodent chewed 3 point shed though.  After a Clif Bar and some jerky I fought my way through the brush to the top of the ridge.  That took me an hour to go 300 yards to the top of the ridge.  At that point I was glad I wasn’t weighed down by bear meat and a hide!

I spent the reminder of the day driving to lookout points and finding landmarks on the map.  I drove to the southern edge of the area my tag allowed me to hunt.  Doing that helped me to eliminate much of the area for a November hunt.  My one day of scouting had been worthwhile and I now had a knowledge base for the next weekend.

The clinic is a way for elk hunters to learn how and where to hunt elk and improve their success rate. The seminar covers several topics including preparation for the hunt, elk biology, hunting techniques, and ethical hunting.

“Beginning hunters and those with limited elk hunting experience will get the most from the clinic,” said Steve Lucero, an education/outreach coordinator for the DOW. “The clinic will have a lot to offer in terms of improving hunting skills, how to find quality hunting areas, and how to make sure you have a safe, successful hunt. Our goal is to help Colorado hunters improve their success in the field and provide an introduction to those who want to learn more about elk hunting.”

The clinic is from 6 – 9 p.m. at the DOW office at 4255 Sinton Road.

Admission is free, but space is limited to the first 50 who sign-up by calling (719)227-5200.