Have not been able to post much lately. Seems that now that summer is in full swing, my wife and I are even busier with our four kids than we were during the school year :mrgreen: . This year I have drawn a much coveted X3a tag for northeastern Ca. I have waited five long years to spend my points to be one of 295 lucky hunters who get to hunt this zone. Three weeks ago I attempted to contact the big game biologist but have still not heard back from him.
Last weekend for my birthday, the family and I took the seven hour trip to this zone for the first time. Upon our arrival in the area, I stopped at four different forest service offices to try and get some tidbit of information as to a general area to go camp and look for deer. Not one person was willing to share anything--not even a ten mile radius. At the last office that we stopped, the forestry guy asked where we were going to go. I told him and he said, "Ya, that is a good place for you to go. You won't see anything, but that is a good place for you to go."
Luckily, I have a cousin who had hunted this zone three years ago. While he and his father did not see any wall hangers, they were both successful in taking a small forked horn and a slightly larger 3x3. I figured what the heck, might as well head to the area that he did. Over the course of two days, we were able to locate more than two dozen deer including 7 legal bucks and one "shooter." In my neck of the woods, two dozen deer in two days is phenomenal!
When we found this little 3x3, my wife and kids decided that I needed to find him again in October during the season. I tried to explain to them that I was looking for something a little more mature. After all we were not looking at black tail like they are use to. I was able to get to 15 yards of him and his two forky buddies.
The next morning my eldest and I found this guy. I believe that he still has another month of growth to go. After seeing this mature buck the family understood. I have his pic on the computer where I can see it every day. The pic is helping make the 0500 jogging sessions a little easier :grin:
Good luck to all in the up coming season!
Last weekend for my birthday, the family and I took the seven hour trip to this zone for the first time. Upon our arrival in the area, I stopped at four different forest service offices to try and get some tidbit of information as to a general area to go camp and look for deer. Not one person was willing to share anything--not even a ten mile radius. At the last office that we stopped, the forestry guy asked where we were going to go. I told him and he said, "Ya, that is a good place for you to go. You won't see anything, but that is a good place for you to go."
Luckily, I have a cousin who had hunted this zone three years ago. While he and his father did not see any wall hangers, they were both successful in taking a small forked horn and a slightly larger 3x3. I figured what the heck, might as well head to the area that he did. Over the course of two days, we were able to locate more than two dozen deer including 7 legal bucks and one "shooter." In my neck of the woods, two dozen deer in two days is phenomenal!
When we found this little 3x3, my wife and kids decided that I needed to find him again in October during the season. I tried to explain to them that I was looking for something a little more mature. After all we were not looking at black tail like they are use to. I was able to get to 15 yards of him and his two forky buddies.
The next morning my eldest and I found this guy. I believe that he still has another month of growth to go. After seeing this mature buck the family understood. I have his pic on the computer where I can see it every day. The pic is helping make the 0500 jogging sessions a little easier :grin:
Good luck to all in the up coming season!
