A Zone Chatter 2020

[MeatBuck]

9 does n fawns this evening.

 

[MeatBuck]

Have seen a dozen deer so far today. One spike with another deer that I was unable to identify through the trees. Hoping they get back up and feed out my way before dark so I can check the other deer for antlers.

 

[BlackSheep]

Saw a few does n fawns last evening after three younger guys (or kids) with a dog were shooting ground squirrels with a shotgun down the hill from me. Then just around last light a guy walks up on me with nothing but a slingshot. Guy acted like I scared him but I was just sitting there glassing. Tried to make small talk but I wasn’t interested and packed up my stuff to leave as he walked away same time. I hung around for a few more minutes before heading back and as I came off the hill I saw him driving away. When I parked and hiked to my glassing spot there were no vehicles around.

This am was mostly does n fawns, 15 deer total, 2 spikes before smoke hazed out my view.

One week left.

Holding nothing but a slingshot? Acted like you scared him? At dusk? Wasn't carrying a gas can, was he? Burying bodies? Illegal grow? Suspicious as hell. Abnormal. You startled him because he was doing something he did not want to get caught doing, imho.

 

[MeatBuck]

Ended up seeing three spikes, one was checking does in evening and another was straight up running one around in circles. Not sure exactly how many deer is saw but they seemingly just kept coming out of the woodworks. My guess is between 15-20 but some may have been the same ones popping up in different spots throughout the day.
Sure hoping to make it happen here today.

 

[MeatBuck]

Seen a dozen deer, spike, fork, and one that I was afraid to look at his rack because I would’ve gotten buck fever.
I packed my stuff as soon as I ranged him at 1200+ and cut the distance to 675. Of course when I got here he’s gone but his does are still here napping so hopefully he comes back out to join them before Sunday. He’s the best I’ve seen this season and even if he’s just a fork he’s a big mature buck.
Fingers crossed on this one.

 

[jfs82]

Seen a dozen deer, spike, fork, and one that I was afraid to look at his rack because I would’ve gotten buck fever.
I packed my stuff as soon as I ranged him at 1200+ and cut the distance to 675. Of course when I got here he’s gone but his does are still here napping so hopefully he comes back out to join them before Sunday. He’s the best I’ve seen this season and even if he’s just a fork he’s a big mature buck.
Fingers crossed on this one.

Goodluck

 

[MeatBuck]

Well that didn’t go as planned. Got impatient and took a shot at an average forked horn. From everything I saw at the shot it plugged his guts. Slight hump up and turned and walked straight downhill into the nearest bushes. I waited 30min before moving to get a different vantage at the bush. Saw nothing. Gave it 2 hrs and went to look... wind blew at my back on approach and I found no sign of a hit. Followed his tracks to the bush and that was the end of it.

Two more days.

 

[Moose10]

Anyone know of any good butchers in the Bay Area?

 

[choovhntr]

Browns valley meats in Napa. Los Gatos meats.
Both have been great.

 

[MeatBuck]

War zone this morning. Heard shots from the highway to the backcountry. Expected it with the closures everywhere else but there’s people everywhere here today. Had two Hispanic guys walk through the area I was glassing and fire a shot. Couldn’t see if they killed anything but didn’t sound like it. Talking to them before hand they say they killed a big one in another spot I’d been hunting this year.
Haven’t heard a shot in a bit and just saw second spiked the day. This one chasing a doe. Same hill those guys went up. Anyway, hopefully everyone takes the afternoon off and I can catch a buck up for a lunchtime stroll.

 

[MeatBuck]

Nothing legal but saw close to 20 deer today. One last go at it tomorrow.

 

[MeatBuck]

Slow day, smokes in. Not half the amount of shooting going on tho.
Watched a vulture circle the area I shot at that buck Friday but after making several passes and tight circles he left. If he had gone in there I would have too. If the action doesn’t pick up I may just go poke around there again. Try to sniff him out and tag his rack, call it a season.

 

[MeatBuck]

Well no buck for me in a zone this year. Missed a pisser at 550yds right after sundown. Was huffy puffy from having just crested the ridge and didn’t take enough time to calm myself. Shot just over his back and then just decided not to shoot again. Glad I didn’t kill it after looking at the spot it was in. He stayed around for another shot but I just packed it up and headed back to truck. Had one more opportunity on the way out but that buck didn’t stick around like his does did after I bumped them. I don’t like to take running shots and the split second he stopped to look back he was behind a tree. Way she goes.
We’ll see how B zone plays out, may not kill anything there. Might have to try to get a hog or an a zone bear to make up some meat.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

My first available weekend in several weeks was the closer and ended up changing my plans when my buddy decided he wanted to try and shoot his first deer. Got him out to my property Saturday late morning and got his dads old .270 dialed in. Saturday evening I got him set up on a spot. No less than 30 min after getting settled in a legal forky cruises by at 200 yards. He went down hard but it was a shoulder hit that actually ricocheted up and through the spine. He was down but not dead. We gave the buck some time and ended up having to put one more in his chest to finish him at 50 yards on the approach. We gutted him and and got him on ice and drove an hour and a half to his half acre property in Santa Rosa. Butchered him that night and had backstrap and eggs for breakfast the next morning. So happy to have one of my closest buddies get into hunting, well worth changing my plans to fill my own tag. See you all in D5 next weekend.

 

[PVHunter]

I'll throw in another vote for Los Gatos Meats. If my kids had it their way, they'd turn every pig into Cheesy Bavarian sausages from Los Gatos Meats.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Anyone know of any good butchers in the Bay Area?

Where are you at in the bay? Most of the good butchers are East of the Bay Area. I do all of my own butchering, I’d highly recommend taking the plunge and doing it yourself.

 

[Moose10]

Where are you at in the bay? Most of the good butchers are East of the Bay Area. I do all of my own butchering, I’d highly recommend taking the plunge and doing it yourself.

Located in East bay but hunt south of San Jose. I do mine myself but my dad was looking for a place to bring his. He ended up doing his too because I asked too late.

 

[Papabearhunts]

This was my 27th A-Zone season and I finally killed my first 4 pointer. Private land, last Saturday, warm temperatures and tending a doe at 10am. 178 yards steep down hill angle, resting off a small branch and the shot was double lung. 5 steps and fell over. I was with my little brother (34 years old), could not have asked for a better hunt.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

The bucks are really rutting hard in some areas of A zone right now. I like to scout during this time of year and see who’s out and about. He’s on the radar to follow throughout the year.

 

[J Batt]

The bucks are really rutting hard in some areas of A zone right now. I like to scout during this time of year and see who’s out and about. He’s on the radar to follow throughout the year.

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Gawd dang