2002 Deer Hunting Journal-I enjoyed keeping a journal of last year's deer hunting. I haven't really put in much useful information (like weather, moon phase, etc.), but in the B-zones, the weather is fairly constant... HOT, DRY, and sunny. Also, I know this section could really use some pictures. Some technical complications have separated my working computer from the one with my camera software, so I'm sort of at a loss right now. Hopefully, I'll square this away soon. I'm also taking some shots with the 35mm, and will scan any that have relevance. Of course, if I get lucky this year, I'll have pictures one way or the other. |
I drew B-zone and G-1 tags for this season. Since I am also hunting archery for the first time this year, I'll be able to hunt from 08/17 through 11/03. As you can see, the end of the B-zone and the beginning of G-1 will overlap. I'll straighten this out as the time comes closer, and I decide where I'll be hunting. |
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Saturday, 10/05 1230 - I'm heading up with Mim today. She didn't originally want to deer hunt this year, but out of the blue she asked if she could come along. Hey, cool by me! I love it when she comes out here with me. Anyway, we stop off to ride horses in the morning, then hit the highway after lunch. 1630 - Geared up and heading in. I check tracks at the trailhead. Looks like a couple of sets of newer boot tracks since last weekend. Hard to tell how long they've been here, though. There also appears to be a new drag mark, in addition to the one from last Saturday. I wonder if someone took another deer out of here. I don't see any signs of blood or hair, so I'm not sure if it's a drag trail or not. We hike in, and I decide to take Mim over to Katbird Ridge. She's having trouble with the high grass and rocks, and I can't think of anywhere else to set up. 1730 - On the ridge now, but not a lot happening. The sun has dropped behind the west ridge, and it's finally cooled down. I get Mim situated in her coat, and she snuggles down. I think she's falling asleep. There's about an hour and a half of good shooting light, but I want to get her back to the truck before it gets completely dark. We'll sit until about 1830 and pack it out. 1830 - Time to go. It's getting chilly fast, and nothing is moving anywhere. I struggle to get Mim down the trail and across the creek. Probably should have walked out the long way, but I'm tired and Mim's tired, and I just want to get back to the truck and get dinner. It'll be an early night tonight, I think. Sunday, 10/06 04:45- Mim had a hard time yesterday, so I decide to drive up top and road hunt. I'd like to try walking down to that bedding area above My Hill, but I'm not sure if Mim can make it. We roust ourselves, have a Pop-Tart, and I put Mim up front while I break camp. 0545- We're situated up here by the road. There's about an hour before shoot time, so we just hang out in the truck for a little while. 0600 - Two more trucks come by, head up the road to another area that's popular with road hunters, and park. I wonder if they're going to do a drive this morning. I gear up. Mim has nodded off to sleep, so I decide I'll just go partway down the hill where I can see the ravine in front of My Hill, and also cover the bedding area. In the dark, I hear the clatter of stones in a different ravine. There are deer moving. 0645 - It's getting pretty light now, but nothing moving except road hunters. A couple more trucks have gone by. I look up toward my own truck, and see that Mim's sacked out cold. 0730 - Full daylight now, and still nothing moving anywhere in Kokopelli Valley. I glass everywhere, hoping for at least a sign of a doe, but nothing. I begin to think the area's been hit way too hard. 0800 - I'm going to leave soon. I'm thinking about it when I hear something moving in the thicket below. I scan the edges until I catch the blur of grey-brown. It materializes into a nice sized doe. Another deer has already stepped out into the open. They are coming out of the trail just above My Hill, the same place they came out last weekend. As I watch, there is another deer behind the doe. It stays partially obscured by brush as the first two deer move into the open. I get a little excited, hoping this is a buck. The binoculars finally show that it has no antlers, but it keeps looking back into the thicket. After several moments, I finally see what it is looking at. A spike buck is hidden in a downed tree, waiting to see if the does make it across the clearing. As they pass out of sight into the ravine, he follows warily. Smart little deer. He may well grow up to be a big boy, if he makes it through one more season. 0845 - The lead doe reappears down near Kat Crossing, and I'm betting they are going to bed beside the creek. Since there were no legal deer in the group, I won't go down and try to stalk them up. I watch the canyon for a while longer, and decide to go. I'm a little smug about the fact that the other road hunters never saw the herd. Even where I parked, if I hadn't gotten out of the truck and walked down the hill a little ways, I'd have never seen them either. Most road hunters I see up here never leave the road. That's why I love My Hill. I'm also happy to see that there is no one in the canyon this morning. From what I could see, no one has hiked the West Ridge either. That's promising. Maybe the place will get a break. If it does, I know the deer will be back in here. 0900 - I climb back into the truck and decide to drive out the long way, scouting some more areas from the road as we go. The ride is pretty uneventful, though, and we're on the freeway and heading for home way before lunch time. The season is past the halfway point, now. I'm getting a little concerned about filling my tag. |
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