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, 10/19 0430 - This is almost it! My friend Dave Allen and his wife Peggy are joining me at Kokopelli Valley this weekend. He's been working most of the B-zone season, and hasn't had a chance to do much hunting, so I offered to let him come up with me. Not too often I bring someone else to this spot, but I figured with the pressure it's had this year, it wouldn't make that much difference. Besides, I don't think Dave will be sharing details. We decided to camp at one of the lower campgrounds, since Dave and Peggy are sleeping in a tent. No room at the trailhead for pitching a tent. Besides, there's a fire ring and bathroom in the campground. How nice not to have to dig a hole in the rocks to take care of my morning "business". 0530 - We're up and away early. Peggy is going to sleep in, so it's just Dave and myself. I lead the way into the canyon. I'll put Dave on the ridge across from My Hill, in hopes that he'll get a look at that herd that I've been seeing. It's been cooling off, so I'm hoping maybe some rut action will start up. If so, the bucks ought to be hanging around these doe hotspots. I head all the way to the north end of the canyon, and set up on the wall looking back south and west. 0630 - Nothing moving anywhere as the light comes up. I glass high and low, paying close attention to the draw below me. It seems like the deer have been using this area as a crossing from the east to the west ridge. I'm also watching the long meadow, but again, nothing moves. 0830 - Starting to get dejected. We have this canyon covered, and if anything moves one of us should see it. Didn't seem like there was much pressure in here last weekend, and there's no one around today. 0900 - A truck pulls into the trailhead. I watch as two guys and a dog mill around. I'm shaking my head, anticipating either a drive (which wouldn't be completely bad) or quail hunters. I can't get a good look at the dog, so I can't see if it's a bird dog. 0915 - They finally head down the trail, wearing backpacks. Not sure what they're doing now, but I'm remembering the old campsite in the woods next to Long Meadow. I sure hope that's not on their minds. I can just see the impact of a campsite in the middle of the canyon. I'm relieved as they hike on past, then turn across the meadow. They're going up on the ridge. I have to laugh as one of the two is obviously unprepared for the hike. Halfway in he's already stopped to remove his shirt. Another couple of hundred yards and he's stopped to sit down. I wonder how long it'll take them to make the ridge? I watch them struggle for a while, then turn my attention back to the hunt. 0930 - I finally call Dave on the radio, and suggest that we push the draw. I'll have him walk the high ground while I push through the creek bed. I've been wanting to try this all season. 1030 - We're well into it now, and nothing has jumped. I find some incredible trails and sign in here, though. I'll definitely need to see if I can get in here during bow season next year. Acorns crunch underfoot with every step, and some of the trails are worn into the ground. Fresh, raw dirt has been kicked up in places, and I know the deer must have been in here just a few hours ago. I'm hoping they're still lingering, but I haven't pushed anything out. 1100 - Getting warm down here... and steep! We've almost reached the end of the creek, and nothing is moving anywhere. Dave wants to get back to camp and see how Peggy's doing. I'm a little hungry, so I'm all for it. I clamber up out of the creek and we head back to the truck. 1200 - Dave has sacked out. We were pretty late finally getting here last night. I talk to Peggy for a while, then I decide a nap is a good idea. 1400 - I'm up and refreshed. A nap is a good thing. 1530 - We drive up the hill and park at the Wilderness Area trailhead. I've never been in this way before, but I've always been curious. Before the fire, there were always one or two trucks parked here, but I seldom saw anyone moving on the ridge. Of course, it was so thick then that anyone up there would have been visible. We jump out and decide to go out onto the ridge and work south, parallel to Kokopelli Valley. Most of the sign we saw earlier headed up onto the ridge, and Dave and I had picked a landmark. 1600 - We're up top, and BOY there's a lot of nice habitat I've never even seen. Why haven't I ever hunted up here before? We start out glassing and slowly moving south. I top a rock and catch movement a few yards away. Another hunter, still oblivious to our approach is glassing from a high spot just below me. I slip back and let Dave and Peggy know that there's already someone here. We glass a bit longer, and locate the camp of our two hikers in a saddle about a mile down the ridge. So much for going south. We huddle up to discuss our options. The hunter I'd stumbled across a moment ago is heading out, and we speak greetings as he goes on by. We could go on down the ridge now, but decide that we don't want to crowd the guys down the way. Instead we go back to the top and find good glassing points. The sun is dropping fast now, and we may as well get comfortable until dark. 1700 - I've found a good point to glass. I can cover the backside of the ridge, which is covered with trails. I glass the thickets and oaks until I think my eyes are going to pop out of my head. Nothing but quail. We sit tight until it's nearly dark, and I see Dave and Peggy working toward me. 1830 - Back at camp, eat dinner, and it's going to be an early night. It's not too long before the sounds of snoring rumble across the campground.
Sunday, 10/20 0500- Dave and I decide to go back up to the edge of the Wilderness Area where we left off yesterday. That west side of the ridge has too much promise to ignore, and it's got to be more active than what we saw in Kokopelli Valley yesterday. After a quick breakfast and a Red Bull, we hit the road up to the trailhead. 0615 - I'm in a pretty good spot. I see Dave's light bobbing along the ridge top for a little while, then disappear. I figure he must be in position too. On the way in I saw some very fresh tracks cutting across our footprints from last night. The deer are here, and they are moving. All I want is one to walk where I can have a good shot. I'd sure like to tag out this weekend. 0730 - Well, there are plenty of quail. No deer though. That's the story for the rest of the morning. 0930 - Dave is restless, so he humps it down into the canyon. Not too bad for an "old fart", he pushes through the brush and shale. Nothing comes out, though, and by 1015 he's back up on the main trail. He's promised to get back to Peggy early, so we roll it up and head down the trail. 1200 - Dave and Peggy have packed up and are ready to roll out. While they were breaking camp, I went on a campsite police mission. In a fifteen minute period, without leaving the camp radius (appx. 30'), I filled a sandwich bag with cigarette butts. I'm disgusted at how unthinking people can be... unthinking, uncaring, and flat out lazy! Hell, they could have tossed those butts into the fire pit at least. But no, they just crushed them out and dropped them on the ground. 1230 - Dave and Peggy leave, and I decide it's a good time for a nap. I'm gonna hunt back up on the ridge again this evening, but I need a little rest, then I want to go see if I can find some quail moving around. It's pretty hot, though, and I have my doubts. 1330 - I had a short nap, but I was more interested in hunting so I am now pulling up where I saw all those quail a couple of weekends ago. I can hear them calling when I get out of the truck, but it sounds like they've all gone off into the chapparal. No four ounce bird is worth crashing through that stuff to me, so I work the edges of the meadow. I slip through a little tunnel in the chapparal, and stumble onto deer heaven! It's a tiny, hidden meadow with a spring seeping up. Fresh tracks and scat litter the ground, along with a fair amount of bear sign. The entire opening is probably less than 20 yards around, and there are two fairly fresh looking beds right under a big pine near the middle. Awesome. Of course, it's too close to the road for this late in the season, but I can't wait to slip in here during bow season next year. I mark the place on my mental GPS, and continue to look for quail. 1430 - I've gone from the top to the bottom of the area. The quail are all off in the chapparal, and I'll leave them alone. It's time to head up to the trailhead and get ready for the evening hunt. 1600 - After a short stop at the creek to see if any quail were up in the grape vines (they weren't), I'm back at the Wilderness Area trailhead. I grab the rifle, glasses, and some water and hump it to the top. There is no one here this time, but I don't want to go far. I have a spot already picked that gives an incredible view of the area. If anything moves, I can get closer if necessary, or shoot from my position. 1800 - I'll give this one short-shrift. Nothing moved. Some more fresh tracks cross this morning's trail (of course), but there is nothing going on in the canyon tonight. At least not where I can see. There's a lot more to this area than I'd thought, though, so I plan to come back. Next weekend is the G1 opener, but I have pretty well decided to hunt the closing weekend of B-zone instead. |
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