The conditions in Southern Oregon were dry. The blacktail deer holed up fast Friday night/Saturday morning before opening day. Deer numbers seemed average, but nice weather brought out hordes of hunters for a circus-like atmosphere.
I've been scouting around the Green Mountain State and it look's like this year will be as bad as last year. There are very few deer feeding in the green fields and the bow kill is down, again. I traveled over to western NY state last month and did not see as many deer as in past years. The decline in the populations seems linked to the severity of winters we've been having, with lots of deep snow. We'll have some snow on the ground most years during the season. Last year we were hunting in up to two feet of snow on opening weekend. So my prediction for the guys in New England will be a slow season similar to last year.
Just got back from Wyoming. If it hadn't been for the unexpected snow fall, could have been tough. Our group did get the best mule deer we have gotten there in years. However, when it dried up the deer were gone.
The 25 cal AccuBond did a wonderful job, never recovered a bullet from 6 deer and 7 antelope.
I hunted Wyoming antelope. I used the 150 grain Ballistic Tip in my 30-06 for the first time. I was eager to see how it performed on antelope, but I made a wobbly shot, hit my quarry in the spine. Instant kill, but a spine shot doesnt tell one much about bullet performance.
I hunted in Medicine Bow area, it was much greener than usual, and animals were plentiful and very sleek and fat.
I hunted deer and elk in far NW Colorado. Also greener than usual, all the local springs were flowing, hence the animals were widely dispersed, instead of kinda gathering in general area of the more reliable springs.
For that hunt, I used my 30-06, with 180 Partition at muzzle velocity of 2787. Shot a deer at 250 yards, broadside heart/lung shot. Typical Partition performance. Animal travelled about 35 yards, dead on it's feet.
I got my elk with a shot into the chest. Elk was facing me, above me on a steep hill, about 35 yards away. Typical Partition performance again, bullet entered chest, angled back and up, took out lungs and at least one major artery, exited high and back of the shoulder. It travelled about 30 yards.
So far, this has been happy hunting season........3 shots and 3 animals......lots of meat in the freezer. I have a possibility of one more hunt, in far south Texas. This for wild hog, and javelina, with a slim chance at a nilgai. If I do this hunt, I'll be loaded for nilgai, with the same load that I use for Colorado elk. I used this elk load last year on a wild pig in Texas, a head shot between ear and eye......instant pork.
Alberta looks good for just about everything. We had a fair bit of rain all summer(some wouold say too much). Only problem is next week is supposed to be above freezing.
