Opening Day for Bow Hunting in OR...post your stories/pics.

ConcreteJungle · Aug 30, 2015

Did anyone go out this weekend?
Did you bring home anything?
Post up your pics/stories.

Rock solid · Aug 31, 2015

Got soaked saw poop...

ConcreteJungle · Aug 31, 2015

Rock solid said:
Got soaked saw poop...

I guess the rain didn't help things since it soaked up any tracks/droppings and didn't allow for proper tracking. I was going to go out and do some scouting but passed on it due to the new rain coming down. Being a novice, it wouldn't have helped my situation.

Oathkeeper1775 · Aug 31, 2015

I made it out and had a blast; the storm really shook things up. I got a late start Friday afternoon and didn't find a camp-site until 22:00.

Seen a few elk in the no-go areas, and 8 or 9 deer along the roads, but no shots.

I was able to make two good mid-morning patrols, and 1 on Saturday afternoon. Lots of glassing at 1st and last light.

At 54, being able to walk and function in the forest, and come home in one piece is a B+, getting a stalk = A-, taking a shot =A, and making a clean-kill =an A+.

The focus mechanism(s) on my binoculars failed at first light on Saturday, but visability was poor anyway. The truck was rocking too much to ID a bull accross the river; using a 60 p spotting scope....it was hillarious, trying to function in the storms....Lots of big trees coming down on the coastal ridge lines.

I took the binoculars back today for a cheerful exchange and the store threw $50 at me on a binocular-upgrade....only $18.00 (additional) out of my pocket for a new set of Diamondbacks, plus they gave me a $25 off $100 coupon. The Vortex warranty is pretty-darn good, but I cannot afford to wait for shipping.....

Some areas are being downgraded to IFPL I, but most private timber is still listed as closed; having to hunt the "fringe" in public land is tough....BLM seems to have the most open areas.

Re-supplied, rested, and re-equipped...heading back out for a 1 day-hunt tomorrow....retirement ain't so bad after all...

.

I hope everyone had as much fun as I had.

ConcreteJungle · Aug 31, 2015

Sounds like you had a little bit of fun.

Oathkeeper1775 · Sep 2, 2015

Stalked 3 bulls within 30 yards today; a 6x6, a 5x5, & a spike

No clean shots, but what a blast.

Winded.....I was down-wind of the 6x6, but I was also between him and his cows, they were down-wind of me; they busted me out and went running by me, they collected their man...

I was ready to draw on the spike when the 5x5 was in the reprod, watching me to my flank.

Completely wiped-out, but feeling fortunate...16 hours from wakeup to back in the door; I came home to a clean & quiet house, and large spicy bowl of deer chili.

v0lcom13sn0w · Sep 2, 2015

20-30mph winds and an inch of rain in the trask unit. not a bull elk in sight. down in the forest it was scary as hell seeing how far the trees were swaying back'nforth. limbs were falling. pinecones were falling... i could barely hear myself think. next day i saw two cows sleeping and a spike buck.

sunday we drove to tillamook. stopped for gas in beaver and a guy at the grocery store had a NICE branch antler bull in the bed of his pick-up.

v0lcom13sn0w · Sep 2, 2015

Oathkeeper1775 said:
Stalked 3 bulls within 30 yards today; a 6x6, a 5x5, & a spike

No clean shots, but what a blast.

Winded.....I was down-wind of the 6x6, but I was also between him and his cows, they were down-wind of me; they busted me out and went running by me, they collected their man...

I was ready to draw on the spike when the 5x5 was in the reprod, watching me to my flank.

Completely wiped-out, but feeling fortunate...16 hours from wakeup to back in the door; I came home to a clean & quiet house, and large spicy bowl of deer chili.

wow!! sounds like you got into them!! i've done a lot of off season prep in the area we hunt. there were bulls on our game cam consistantly at the same time almost everyday... dang storm must have pushed them out.

ConcreteJungle · Sep 3, 2015

Oathkeeper1775 said:
Stalked 3 bulls within 30 yards today; a 6x6, a 5x5, & a spike

No clean shots, but what a blast.

Winded.....I was down-wind of the 6x6, but I was also between him and his cows, they were down-wind of me; they busted me out and went running by me, they collected their man...

I was ready to draw on the spike when the 5x5 was in the reprod, watching me to my flank.

Completely wiped-out, but feeling fortunate...16 hours from wakeup to back in the door; I came home to a clean & quiet house, and large spicy bowl of deer chili.

That's awesome. Would definitely mark that as a good day.

ConcreteJungle · Sep 3, 2015

v0lcom13sn0w said:
wow!! sounds like you got into them!! i've done a lot of off season prep in the area we hunt. there were bulls on our game cam consistantly at the same time almost everyday... dang storm must have pushed them out.

i'm so jealous. i'm had no time to do any scouting at all. seems like i end up working every weekend.

the only time i've had to take a look at the area i'm planning on hunting for rifle season is when i'm driving back from my business trip but i'm in a suit/tie so i don't want to go hiking through the woods at 5pm in my outfit. plus, the car i'm driving isn't suited for anything other than paved roads so i won't even attempt to drive it on a gravel/unpaved road.

Oathkeeper1775 · Sep 3, 2015

ConcreteJungle said:
i'm so jealous. i'm had no time to do any scouting at all. seems like i end up working every weekend.
the only time i've had to take a look at the area i'm planning on hunting for rifle season is when i'm driving back from my business trip but i'm in a suit/tie so i don't want to go hiking through the woods at 5pm in my outfit. plus, the car i'm driving isn't suited for anything other than paved roads so i won't even attempt to drive it on a gravel/unpaved road.

That's how it was for me when I was in the service.

Had it been rifle season yesterday; I would of had 3 shots at the 6x6, 1 shot at the 5x5 (when they stop and look back) and any number of shots at the spike, all under 100 yards; well-written my capabilities.

Gotta get behind the private timberland gates if you want to see elk.

JDAVIS · Sep 3, 2015

anyone head out to the metolius/upper deschutes area? gonna make my way up there next weekend for a bit

v0lcom13sn0w · Sep 3, 2015

ConcreteJungle said:
i'm so jealous. i'm had no time to do any scouting at all. seems like i end up working every weekend.
the only time i've had to take a look at the area i'm planning on hunting for rifle season is when i'm driving back from my business trip but i'm in a suit/tie so i don't want to go hiking through the woods at 5pm in my outfit. plus, the car i'm driving isn't suited for anything other than paved roads so i won't even attempt to drive it on a gravel/unpaved road.

LOL you totally should get out in the woods in a suit and tie.. imagine the look on a hunters face or when they check the trail cam and see the secret service out in the woods haha.

ConcreteJungle · Sep 3, 2015

v0lcom13sn0w said:
LOL you totally should get out in the woods in a suit and tie.. imagine the look on a hunters face or when they check the trail cam and see the secret service out in the woods haha.

LOL
that would be priceless. i'd love for someone to post that trail cam picture in the thread title "Strange things found in the woods".

clearconscience · Sep 3, 2015

Or just run through in a banana hammock

Oathkeeper1775 · Sep 3, 2015

Located and stalked 6 elk within 50 yards tonight...I make the final approach after a 5 minute stare-down by the matriarch, and see all cows and a calf.

Spotted 9 more cows, but they were beating-feet :s0055:

...didn't bother

Guess I'm gonna hunker-down for the weekend.

gjk86 · Sep 4, 2015

Got this guy about a 25 yard shot on my first full day of hunting. Tried to get the big bull that was in the herd but after 30 minutes of attempting to get a shot at 50 yards the herd spooked and this spike came out of the brush and turned broadside. He only went 100 yards before expiring after I double lunged him.

Oathkeeper1775 · Sep 4, 2015

gjk86 said:
View attachment 254809
Got this guy about a 25 yard shot on my first full day of hunting. Tried to get the big bull that was in the herd but after 30 minutes of attempting to get a shot at 50 yards the herd spooked and this spike came out of the brush and turned broadside. He only went 100 yards before expiring after I double lunged him.

Awesome job!