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HamAdams posted:Long post warning: Just got back from my first elk hunt That's awesome, congrats. A cow in the freezer is worth a bull in the bush in my mind.
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Sep 24, 2020 18:30
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Outrail posted:A cow in the freezer is worth a bull in the bush in my mind. Agreed, and well done!
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Sep 24, 2020 18:31
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Very nice!
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Sep 24, 2020 18:34
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Very nice hunt! As much as I'd love to get a bull tag one day I am getting more confident that I need to get my elk meat from cow hunts. Congrats to both of you!
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Sep 24, 2020 18:39
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Gonna investigate this 300~ish acre piece soon for deer (rifle) season-- it's a farm property deeded to a conservancy property with the actual fields and buildings leased for use. I'm thinking the cultivated (and maybe pastured) fields are going to be reasonably deer attractive especially with untouched forest and water right there. Getting on the fields is established to be a no-no so I'm going to be trying to cut along them and see what kind of traffic patterns (if any) I can work out. That meadow in the middle of the woods looks like bedding and browse too so I'll be checking it out.  Even if deer aren't hanging out too extensively on this property it's the biggest forest chunk nearby so I bet there'll be some traffic in and out. the yeti fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Sep 24, 2020 |
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Sep 24, 2020 18:57
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I’d say your blue line there is a pretty good bet for getting onto some deer trails. Should give you a good idea how they’re traveling the area and where the bedding is. Assuming there’s some bedding on that property and it’s not too heavily pressured, I don’t see why it couldn’t hold a whole pile of deer.
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Sep 25, 2020 02:53
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HamAdams posted:I’d say your blue line there is a pretty good bet for getting onto some deer trails. Should give you a good idea how they’re traveling the area and where the bedding is. Assuming there’s some bedding on that property and it’s not too heavily pressured, I don’t see why it couldn’t hold a whole pile of deer. I'm hoping that clearing to the west and the creek bottom southwest hold some beds. As far as pressure, it's open to hunting but it's not a game land or state park so I'm hoping it doesn't get a lot of attention.
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Sep 25, 2020 15:21
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The day after a few days of heavy rain should be better or worse for deer activity? My guy says better as their stretching their legs and trying to stay in the sun to dry/warm up. Maybe going into higher ground as there'll be more surface water to drink?
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Sep 26, 2020 14:40
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Fwiw I’ve seen more bucks after/during a light rain than any other time except 15min before last light.
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Sep 26, 2020 17:07
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Well I just bumped a small buck as a small shower passed over. Just need two more confirmation biased data points and I'll have some hard evidence.
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Sep 26, 2020 20:55
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Outrail posted:The day after a few days of heavy rain should be better or worse for deer activity? My guy says better as their stretching their legs and trying to stay in the sun to dry/warm up. Maybe going into higher ground as there'll be more surface water to drink? That’s definitely a thing. I shot my biggest buck with the bow just after an afternoon downpour. Sat for about an hour in the rain and then he came through about 20 minutes after it stopped.
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Sep 26, 2020 23:13
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HamAdams posted:Long post warning: Just got back from my first elk hunt and it was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. One of my brothers drew an archery elk tag for NM unit 50, so three of us piled into a truck and drove straight thru. Congratulations. Killing an elk DIY with a bow in 4 days is pretty remarkable all things considered. If you start looking at average western states it’s like 30 days on average hunting to kill an elk. Hell just drawing a tag in NM as a nonresident is goddamned near impossible without an outfitter or buying a landowner tag since 3% of tags go to non residents without a guide. I’ve never drawn a single Tag in NM either elk or antelope and I have been applying for 5 years or so for both. As far as 50 being the toughest unit in NM, uhh not so much. Most of the unit is 6-7k elevation and the deepest canyons aren’t over 1k elevation difference. If you look at a unit like NM 45 you are up into 13k elevation like most any southern Colorado unit and it’s nearly all wilderness. 50 is a pretty standard terrain for most NM and AZ elk units and would rank on the less intense side once you consider the northern Rockies. That isn’t to say you didn’t kill an elk in a hell hole within the unit just that you are describing a pretty run of the mill western hunt exertion wise.
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Sep 27, 2020 03:09
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Outrail posted:The day after a few days of heavy rain should be better or worse for deer activity? My guy says better as their stretching their legs and trying to stay in the sun to dry/warm up. Maybe going into higher ground as there'll be more surface water to drink? I think that in the case of deer they cloud cover and lower light makes them more comfortable to move later in the morning and earlier in the evening with rain. I also think in areas with hunting pressure the deer know that guys don’t hunt in the rain as often and feel safer. I’ve had some great days deer hunting in light rain.
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Sep 27, 2020 03:14
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HamAdams posted:Long post warning: Just got back from my first elk hunt and it was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. One of my brothers drew an archery elk tag for NM unit 50, so three of us piled into a truck and drove straight thru. probably better not to kill the herd bull, no?
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Sep 27, 2020 03:38
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Piss Meridian posted:probably better not to kill the herd bull, no? Why? The Bull to cow ratio in that unit is 38 bulls per 100 cows which is pretty good. There are likely 3-4 satellite bulls for every herd bull in that unit if not more which can cover the breeding demand just fine when you consider elk are harem breeders.
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Sep 27, 2020 03:57
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Of deer, a biologist once told me you could kill bucks all day and you wouldn't impact population trajectory much at all, you'd just end up with one extremely happy buck.
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Sep 27, 2020 04:09
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alnilam posted:Of deer, a biologist once told me you could kill bucks all day and you wouldn't impact population trajectory much at all, you'd just end up with one extremely happy buck. I've heard a bunch of people say the same thing. One buck can bone dozens of does and dozens of fawns will be born. Dozens of bucks can run a train on one doe and one fawn will be born.
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Sep 27, 2020 23:02
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wesleywillis posted:
Well there's an uncomfortable mental image. E: On still/spot and stalk hunting: The better times are in the morning and evening because deer are up and about. But this weekend I tried during daytime hours (9 to 6:30 or so) and succeeded in bumping about 13 deer in two days. Typically I'll take about 3-10 steps, scan with eyes/binos and take another 3-10 steps and repeat, averaging about 500-750m an hour. At some point a bush 10 to 20 meters away will turn into a shrieking rear end in a top hat and flag away into the distance. It's maddening, I'm at the point where I can think 'yep, should be bumping one in the next 100m' and be right more often than not. Am I just blind or are they actually for all intents and purposes completely hidden when they're bedded? I'm guessing they're jumping at the sound when I get close enough to hear as much as seeing me? One younger doe jumped up about 7m away and I froze, we stared at each other for about 10 minutes before I got a cramp and moved a bit and she screamed off. If she'd seen me moving she would've run immediately right? Outrail fucked around with this message at 03:19 on Sep 28, 2020 |
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Sep 28, 2020 02:54
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Can I ask about trapping itt or is there a better thread for that? My parents have a problem with some beavers. They're on private land, and from what I can tell my state considers beavers damaging timber to be a nuisance/vermin and there's no regulation protecting them/their dam as long as I'm not trapping them to sell their fur. They're cute and all and the pond is kind of nice at the moment, but my parents' also don't want them hanging around forever and eating every sapling and killing every tree in a 200 yard radius. So, uh, how do I get rid of these beavers? Some googling/extension service papers say trapping with conibear traps (whatever those are) is going to be better than trying to hunt them. I see a good many of their slides in/out of the pond, but didn't see much fresh activity (gnawed trees) around the edges of the pond, and I also didn't see their lodge. I've done a bit of hunting, but never any trapping. They've built this pond below one man made pond and above another one, so the lodge may be on one of those ponds, but my parents' only own one the upper one. Bonus beaver pond pics:  
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Sep 28, 2020 13:21
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Beavers are cool and good and create wetland habitat. If it's a good place for them you can kill them or relocate them but more will come eventually. If the concern is just losing the trees you can wrap chicken wire around the bigger ones you want to keep and let them go nuts on the smaller stuff. This actually works.
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Sep 28, 2020 14:41
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Can I ask about trapping itt or is there a better thread for that? Ask away, there's probably not a better place. That said I'm not sure how popular it is around here and I certainly don't know a ton about it but if there are some knowledgeable folks who can chime in that'd be awesome.
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Sep 28, 2020 15:00
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I'm really curious about entry level small game trapping, and would love to hear some trapper info. I told my buddy yesterday about my plan to get a squirrel or two this week and make jamaican jerk squirrel. He wants in on it, so I'm gonna go for four squirrel between now and thursday. What is the best practice for stockpiling a few over a couple of days? I figured I would skin ,clean, butcher, then just freeze in a freezer bag. Maybe set them out early the morning we are gonna eat? Edit: I suppose just going that morning and hoping i get enough for two is an idea, but eh, i'd prefer to up my chances. Gooch181 fucked around with this message at 15:51 on Sep 28, 2020 |
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Sep 28, 2020 15:42
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Outrail posted:Beavers are cool and good and create wetland habitat. If it's a good place for them you can kill them or relocate them but more will come eventually. If the concern is just losing the trees you can wrap chicken wire around the bigger ones you want to keep and let them go nuts on the smaller stuff. This actually works. Its a very chill little pond I really like and if this was as big as it would get and this was as all the trees they would eat, we could live together in peace and harmony, but my prior experience with beavers is that they never quit and eat more and more trees. They’ve started gnawing on some 30yr old white oaks that also have great wildlife value and potential future timber value, and, uh, it’s time for them to leave now.
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Sep 28, 2020 15:43
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Yeah in that case wrapping isn't an option. Not sure what it's like where you are but the trapping season for beaver can be limited so maybe check that out and if you want them out fast it might be better to pay someone to do it.
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Sep 28, 2020 21:16
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Went grouse and woodcock hunting with a friend up in northern WI this past weekend. He's got two dogs and like 30 years of experience so I tagged along for the trip with camera and shotgun. Ultimately we flushed a few birds but no shot opportunities presented themselves. The lab is more experienced and a flusher/retriver and the Drahthaar is a pointer and still something of a puppy. When the Draht was out I carried a camera since he wanted to only shoot birds under perfect circumstances with him and with the lab I carried a gun. One of the most interesting parts of the trip was learning how aspen trees grow and are harvested up there in conjunction with how grouse and woodcock prefer particular ages of those trees and the undergrowth that comes with the varying stages. There's even an OnX-esque map with shaded regions of the timber showing its age and when it was last cut that is out there. It's kind of amazing how thick and dense that kind of habitat can get. I'm not sure I would have even hit a bird trying to swing a shotgun in some of the places we went. Conditions weren't great - it was pretty warm, overcast, foggy, buggy and wet. Still, a weekend in the woods is better than sitting at home. Photos in no particular order.  Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr Northwoods Grouse by charliebravo77, on Flickr
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Sep 30, 2020 01:20
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charliebravo77 posted:
Siegfried and the linden leaf
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Sep 30, 2020 01:32
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Love your photos, as usual. WIth my cell phone fixed I can use Onx again, and unfortunately I'm figuring out that exactly all of the places I have hunted or scouted before in SoCal are now closed due to fire damage or out of precaution. What a bummer, but it's good to have this tool back.
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Sep 30, 2020 04:20
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What apps do you all use to check trail camera pictures when you are in the field? I have an adapter to match my iPhone to the SD card, but there seem to be a bunch of janky apps out there for SD card readers.
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Oct 4, 2020 22:05
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crazypeltast52 posted:What apps do you all use to check trail camera pictures when you are in the field? I have the actual Apple SD to lightning connector and it’s even spotty to use at best with the Apple photo import app. It seems to depend on the SD card and the latest IOS screw up as to whether or not it works. I hate wrestling trail cams. Good luck!
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Oct 5, 2020 19:26
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Anybody have any experience with hunting out of a tree saddle? I try to be pretty mobile when I bow hunt, and I really don't like how loud my summit climber is so I'm looking for something to replace it. Not sure if I want a lightweight hang-on or a tree saddle.
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Oct 13, 2020 20:32
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crazypeltast52 posted:What apps do you all use to check trail camera pictures when you are in the field? I have an Anker USB C reader adapter that works with android to make it as though it's just another folder in my phone. Works pretty well for a $20 piece if plastic.
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Oct 14, 2020 00:12
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Flatland Crusoe posted:I have the actual Apple SD to lightning connector and it’s even spotty to use at best with the Apple photo import app. It seems to depend on the SD card and the latest IOS screw up as to whether or not it works. I hate wrestling trail cams. Good luck! Outrail posted:I have an Anker USB C reader adapter that works with android to make it as though it's just another folder in my phone. Works pretty well for a $20 piece if plastic. Thanks! I bought a two pack camera thing off Camofire that was made by Stealth Cam and had an adapter, but I couldn’t figure out how to get my phone to read the card. It pointed me to iBrary which was the app that I wasn’t sure about initially, but it seemed to work ok once I poked around with it some more.
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Oct 14, 2020 01:35
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alnilam posted:Of deer, a biologist once told me you could kill bucks all day and you wouldn't impact population trajectory much at all, you'd just end up with one extremely happy buck. This has been the exact result of every study NY state ever funded at Cornell and otherwise, and naturally they decided to put something like 20 million dollars in it and ultimately not use any of the data to guide the policies on deer hunting Tax money directly pays for morons to chemically castrate bucks and be surprised again yearly when the (any remaining amount of potent bucks) impregnate every single loving doe in the state In the end the purpose of government is to spend enough money that could feed thousands of people to learn something they should have already known, and then to still not give out enough loving doe tags while people are living in poverty and meat prices rise
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Oct 19, 2020 09:26
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My parents are in AL and there IIRC you can shoot as many unantlered deer as you want on private land with no tag in season. Maybe it's capped at 1 per day? But nobody shoots does because they don't want to fool with anything other than 'muh big trophy buck' and so there are way too many deer.
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Oct 19, 2020 18:45
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That's dumb. Deer venison in the fridge is way better than some dumb head on the wall. Been starting to try out duck hunting this fall. Normally I only go out maybe twice a season with friends but my normal fall activity, cyclocross bike racing, is cancelled so I figured I'd do something new. Duck hunting is pretty fun.    I'm still not great at it. I don't get a lot of time to practice with the shotgun. Beyond that there's also learning proper decoy placement and stuff. Also, I gotta stop getting dunked over my waders. First time I went out a step too far. Second I was scrambling trying to get at a bird I shot over land that glided into the water and ended up wrecking my phone because I forgot to move it from the jacket pocket. Third time was just last night. My wife who isn't nearly as familiar with canoes thought I was about to flip us over while getting out so she hauled back on the handful of reeds she was holding and turned the boat into me knocking my foot out from under me. It was about -4c when that happened. Kinda bummed my first season out hunting is probably being cut short. There's already ice forming on the rivers with each night this week being sub zero. Might get out Thursday for one last kick at the can. And then maybe go for deer.
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Oct 19, 2020 22:49
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Are those Canada geese I spy? Good gently caress those assholes.
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Oct 20, 2020 11:26
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420 smoke rear end in a top hat geese erry day
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Oct 20, 2020 11:51
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Tias posted:420 smoke rear end in a top hat geese erry day Hell's to the yeah! Smoke 69 of them bitches.
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Oct 20, 2020 11:59
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drat straight. Brown rear end in a top hat bird makes for good smokeys and we found an awesome looking stew recipe. Toss em in a crock pot w veggies and wait.
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Oct 20, 2020 12:42
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EvilJoven posted:drat straight. Brown rear end in a top hat bird makes for good smokeys and we found an awesome looking stew recipe. Toss em in a crock pot w veggies and wait. what's a smokey?
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Oct 20, 2020 12:46
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