2026 Hunting Season
- Thread starter JD338
- Start date
Blkram
Handloader
- Nov 25, 2013
- 3,419
- 4,284
Spent the day hunting lynx yesterday. This is their mating season, so was hoping to see some movement during the day with the recent new moon.
We were in some great areas I haven't had a chance to get back to in a few years. Including the area where I got my last lynx several years ago while hunting with Dr Mike. Didn't see any, but most of the area had been burned in the bad fires a couple of years ago. Did see a few moose and sign that they are returning to the area, but not much snowshoe or lynx sign at all, except a few places that didn't burn. Also found one area with fresh caribou sign, but did not see the herd. Didn't see any hares until just at dark, in one area. Funny as we saw quite a few during the fall hunting season, over a much wider area.
Other areas that had received a lot of snow in December have melted hard in our recent chinook, and what roads were previously cleared, if not really active, had not been sanded, and the hills were mostly sheets of ice I was not willing to drive on without tire chains for my pickup. This kept me out of some really great areas. (also made for seeing less sign, as only one area had received any new snow over the past few days, and then, it was just a skiff.)
Still, was a beautiful, mostly sunny day to be out and about, with temps in the -10 to -22 C range.
Hope to get out again tomorrow or Saturday, into some other areas. We were supposed to get a little snow this weekend (an inch or two), but see that is now out of the forecast. The chinook is now over, and while we will be seeing temps down to about -17, it is not our usually colder temperature for January.
We were in some great areas I haven't had a chance to get back to in a few years. Including the area where I got my last lynx several years ago while hunting with Dr Mike. Didn't see any, but most of the area had been burned in the bad fires a couple of years ago. Did see a few moose and sign that they are returning to the area, but not much snowshoe or lynx sign at all, except a few places that didn't burn. Also found one area with fresh caribou sign, but did not see the herd. Didn't see any hares until just at dark, in one area. Funny as we saw quite a few during the fall hunting season, over a much wider area.
Other areas that had received a lot of snow in December have melted hard in our recent chinook, and what roads were previously cleared, if not really active, had not been sanded, and the hills were mostly sheets of ice I was not willing to drive on without tire chains for my pickup. This kept me out of some really great areas. (also made for seeing less sign, as only one area had received any new snow over the past few days, and then, it was just a skiff.)
Still, was a beautiful, mostly sunny day to be out and about, with temps in the -10 to -22 C range.
Hope to get out again tomorrow or Saturday, into some other areas. We were supposed to get a little snow this weekend (an inch or two), but see that is now out of the forecast. The chinook is now over, and while we will be seeing temps down to about -17, it is not our usually colder temperature for January.
8MMX57JS
Beginner
- Apr 14, 2022
- 89
- 465
Calling with hare in distress and spot and stalk.
- Thread starter
- #46
- Nov 4, 2004
- 26,951
- 13,217
Nice hog Chuck, congratulations.
JD338
JD338
phil
Shooter!
- Jan 4, 2023
- 152
- 281
- Thread starter
- #48
- Nov 4, 2004
- 26,951
- 13,217
RL338
Handloader
- Mar 23, 2017
- 4,531
- 7,874
Congrats on a fine season , some really nice bucks.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 38,153
- 8,205
A great season, indeed. Congratulations.
Aussie Wanderer
Handloader
- May 5, 2022
- 300
- 710
Hi Chuck, we don’t get Bison here in Australia, was wondering what it tastes like. Also what did you shoot that beauty with. They look like they have some size. Beautiful condition too.Next to the last day of our late doe season:
Friday in NW SD:
Heading to OK for a pig hunt at the end of the month, so maybe some more.
Blkram
Handloader
- Nov 25, 2013
- 3,419
- 4,284
Bison meat is great!
It is a large grained meat, with its own distinctive flavour, that cannot quite be compared to anything else here in North America. It's flavour and heartiness that cannot be directly compared to beef. It must be cooked low and slow for best results, as high heat can make it tough.
A large Plains bison bull can weigh up to 2500 lbs. Cows are significantly smaller. Woods bison are even larger, having a different heavier shoulder and width profile than the tall, narrower Plains bison.
As I have not yet dined on Cape buffalo, or water buffalo, I cannot provide a comparison to either...yet...who knows, I might get to try some Cape buffalo while in South Africa in May. Perhaps someone else here can comment on this from personal experience.
Of the Plains bison I have taken to date, I have used the 300 Win Mag (180 gr Partition), the 338 Win Mag (210 gr Nosler Partitions), and the 376 Steyr (260 gr Nosler AccuBond). These all worked great. I still want to take bison with the 416 Taylor (350 gr TSX) and 9.3x62 (250 gr Nosler AccuBond).
It is a large grained meat, with its own distinctive flavour, that cannot quite be compared to anything else here in North America. It's flavour and heartiness that cannot be directly compared to beef. It must be cooked low and slow for best results, as high heat can make it tough.
A large Plains bison bull can weigh up to 2500 lbs. Cows are significantly smaller. Woods bison are even larger, having a different heavier shoulder and width profile than the tall, narrower Plains bison.
As I have not yet dined on Cape buffalo, or water buffalo, I cannot provide a comparison to either...yet...who knows, I might get to try some Cape buffalo while in South Africa in May. Perhaps someone else here can comment on this from personal experience.
Of the Plains bison I have taken to date, I have used the 300 Win Mag (180 gr Partition), the 338 Win Mag (210 gr Nosler Partitions), and the 376 Steyr (260 gr Nosler AccuBond). These all worked great. I still want to take bison with the 416 Taylor (350 gr TSX) and 9.3x62 (250 gr Nosler AccuBond).
Pretty excellent, surprisingly so.
I would have thought it'd be like grass fed beef, but it's actually way better.
I used my Rem M7 in 350rem Mag launching a 250NPT at 2599FPS at 117yds. Complete penetration, she took a few steps and fell over. About 700lbs (cow) on the hoof.
salmonchaser
Ammo Smith
- Dec 13, 2013
- 5,881
- 8,089
Hells bells going to be tough to keep up with Chuck this year. I’ve a 7 hunting days in Africa but I’ll have to expand my wish list to even be close. 
cloverleaf
Handloader
- Sep 10, 2006
- 4,553
- 1,343
Bison- Harding County? Details would be fun. Thats quite an investment I bet. CL
Congratulations on the hog. What bullet did you use in the 358 Win.?Past weekend at a friends lease in OK, REM 7600 rebore to 358Win with a SightMark Mini-Wraith at 130yds, was prepared for low-light, but she came out in daylight.
Congratulations on a great hunting season.
Speer 180 HotCor at 2600 (19" barrel) broke the off leg and kept going. I've used yhis bullet/load on 4 hogs now and only recovered one that was quartering towards me at 10'. It penatrated into the hind quarter:
