Like so many of you, I was out in Mendocino Nat Forest this weekend (the Yuki more specifically). I hunted Sat, Sun and this morning and never took a shot. It was frustrating and amazing and I'm hoping to be out again in a few weeks.
First morning I went out solo and after two hours saw a 3x3 just under a ridge top across the drainage from me. Ranged him at 700 yds (not even close to my comfortable shooting range) but saw a way to cover a lot of ground without getting into his line of sight; I start to round the large rock I've been glassing from behind for 45 min and... two fawns are ten feet away on the other side. They bolt, all the deer bolt. I cover another drainage the remainder of the day and see nothing other than bear scat full of manzanita berries. I check back in the first drainage at the end of light on the way back to camp, one doe.
Sunday, Uneventful, I follow a creek bed from above it in pretty heavy wood, see nothing, back to camp because my buddies want to come for evening and help glass (they're just camping, I'm the only one with tags). We head out for the last three hours of legal light and set up strung across a ridge to cover as much as possible. Shadows move and I see movement, then more, binoculars go up and I see five deer, three does and two fawns. The acorns are starting to fall so I'm scanning oak groves when I see a (what I assume is) very big bear. I assume it's big because I can see it with naked eyes and it's about two miles off with a lot of elevation change. Then I look at the phone, 45 min of light left. Crap. I check the backside of the ridge we're on withthe last light and head back for steak quesadillas and bourbon. The morning sees nothing and it's time to head back to reality.
All in all the armed photography and walking time was great and I can't wait to get out again.
First morning I went out solo and after two hours saw a 3x3 just under a ridge top across the drainage from me. Ranged him at 700 yds (not even close to my comfortable shooting range) but saw a way to cover a lot of ground without getting into his line of sight; I start to round the large rock I've been glassing from behind for 45 min and... two fawns are ten feet away on the other side. They bolt, all the deer bolt. I cover another drainage the remainder of the day and see nothing other than bear scat full of manzanita berries. I check back in the first drainage at the end of light on the way back to camp, one doe.
Sunday, Uneventful, I follow a creek bed from above it in pretty heavy wood, see nothing, back to camp because my buddies want to come for evening and help glass (they're just camping, I'm the only one with tags). We head out for the last three hours of legal light and set up strung across a ridge to cover as much as possible. Shadows move and I see movement, then more, binoculars go up and I see five deer, three does and two fawns. The acorns are starting to fall so I'm scanning oak groves when I see a (what I assume is) very big bear. I assume it's big because I can see it with naked eyes and it's about two miles off with a lot of elevation change. Then I look at the phone, 45 min of light left. Crap. I check the backside of the ridge we're on withthe last light and head back for steak quesadillas and bourbon. The morning sees nothing and it's time to head back to reality.
All in all the armed photography and walking time was great and I can't wait to get out again.
