Backpacking checklist

[kneedownnate]

So'd you get anything?  I got my first grouse the other day, cooking on the grill as we speak

[Ramrod]

nope I actually didnt even see a deer.  I started my hike at 9:15 friday morning and got my camp setup around 2 in a great area of oaks and mixed patches of doug fir that was all burned a while ago.  I hunted for about 3 hours that day kinda just trying to see what was where but didnt see anything but it all looked great and there was tons of sign.  The next morning it was sprinkling and brezzy (aka the best weather ive ever deer hunted) and I heard a deer start snorting when I unzipped my tent.  I was completely stoked and super confident but after hiking and sneaking around till noon and still not seeing a single deer or even hearing one run away I passed out till about 4 when I was woken up my a guy on a 4wheeler even though I was in a posted wilderness area where that is totally not allowed.  He went ahead and parked it about a quarter mile from my tent and went out hiking from there which really pissed me off.  I figured it would be alright though and it was just getting prime time about 5 and I was just leaving on another hunt and I heard another quad hauling ass and running over brush and stuff.  He went to where my tent was and took off the other way.  After that I said flopp this and left, totally pissed off.  I really liked the area but that pissed me off.  I made the 6-7 mile hike back to my ranch in 2 hours 10 minutes and just made it by dark.  To finish off the weekend I hit a little forked horn on the road out with my truck when I came around a turn hauling ass though

[kneedownnate]

So you actually got a deer then   A few years back a friend hit two good sized 3 and 4 points with his truck the day before bow season.  Chp stopped by and asked him if he wanted to tag them

I'd be equally pissed off too!  Royally sucks when you follow the rules and other asshats screw it up anyway 

[kneedownnate]

This might make you feel slightly better though. 

Monday night I drove back to a trailhead in the alps, intending to get up early and hike to where I'd seen some grouse a few weeks prior.  Got up early, hiked about 8 or 9 miles and only saw a small bear.  Drove down some of the adjacent dirt roads on the way out looking for grouse, hit the highway and peeled off on a dirt road I remembered seeing a couple grouse off in spring.  Drove up a sideroad, noticed they were logging nearby, peeled up another sideroad and kept looking for birds.  Came down about 5:15 and noticed they'd parked the water tender, made my way out the road till............. fockers had locked the damn gate   Got out, took a pic of my truck BEHIND a gate marked open till october 30th and ended up sleeping in the truck again.  Woke up at 5am when I heard a logging truck coming up the mountain, organized the truck and started it.  They waited 25 minutes to finally unlock the gate and drive past me, which seemed to surprise the hell outa them cause the dude jammed on the brakes when he went past my truck.  Best part is I was almost an hour and a half from home and had to be to work by 8am   I barely made it!

[Ramrod]

yep gay and for that im now going to go shoot a deer on my own property which is officially closed but since i'll be a hundred yards from the zone boundry screw it.  theres some real nice bucks up there right now since we only hunted there 2 combined days(me and my dad) instead of the 25 or so on a usual year.  the deer I hit was fine I was hard on the brakes and just kinda grazed him with front 40.  I didnt even stop

[Ramrod]

those grouse are nice birds.  Ive never shot one but a bunch came out of the timber and higher country of my property when it started getting logged a couple years ago and are now kinda common in the lower areas but im letting them build up a population before i mess with them

[Doof]

thats so shitty... when i was reading about the first quad i thought you were gunna shoot out their tires or something and take off

[kneedownnate]

I just ate that grouse and all I can say is   Stuffed it with potatos and onions and butter, wrapped in foil and cooked on the barbecue.  Can't wait to get more!

If you get another deer make sure you post up the pics here!  I've been thinking of making a thread just for people's kills this year 

[Ramrod]

that sucks about what happened to you.  Ive always had nightmares about that happening in all types of different situations.  I'll be going back up there this weekend probably gonna bring my bow so I can sneak around closer to some of the other houses and maybe get a local grain fed one or something

[Caboose]

i haven't even had the time to hunt.  anyone interested in a D7 tag?  i might be selling it, doesn't look like i got the time to go hunting.  I would have gone up to the quad, gotten the old shrader valve (or whatever the proper name is) remover and flattened the tires (and keep the valves) and left a note saying WILDERNESS AREA!  THANKS FOR F*$KING UP MY WEEKEND HUNT! Thought I'd repay the favor have a nice day.

[Ramrod]

wheres d7?  I cant really use it since I already own my 2nd for the year but might be able to do something with it

[Caboose]

D7 is up shaver, hunington, edison.  its the one everybody buys in fresno cuz its close.