Well, I have been home for about 4 days, but just getting to this. Several buddies and I packed into a Northern CA Wilderness for the rifle opener. We were about 12 miles back to our base camp we hunted about a mile or two away from that. Friday before the opener, as luck would have it, I spot 3 big bucks within about 500 yards of where I normally start out on opening morning. One of the three was a definite Booner, probably in the 145" range if not bigger. Just a straight heavy 4x4 with nice eye guards. So hopes were high come Saturday.
For those that were up in Northern CA I wont have to tell you about the weather as you lived it. For the ones that were not, horrific. It started some time during the night with steady rain, rain and more rain. When I got up, it was still raining and the clouds had us socked in all around. Thinking that it would break, I made the two hour hike into my spot in the dark. Sporting the Kryptek rain gear, once I arrived, I was fairly dry. Just as when I left though, clouds were sitting right on top of us.
It didn't take long for the rain to turn to snow, which I would prefer as I don't seem to get as wet, but it was bone chilling. I was fortunate I brought my pack tarp as it saved the day and allowed me to stay out in the weather. It only took about an hour of shivering to convince myself to start a fire. So my buddy and I sat there in the rain, snow, rain, rain and rain for the better part of 7 hours. During that time we had the clouds break for a total of about 45 minutes, which we hastily glassed and turned up some small bucks and some does. Knowing there were 3 big bucks in the area I wasn't even tempted to shoot.
At about 3 in the afternoon, with no sign of letting up, we decided to head back. We didn't want to traverse the rocks in slippery wet snowy conditions. Once we made our way back to camp, we started a huge fire and started to dry ourselves out.
At about 6 we went to an area we can glass a long way that is fairly close to camp. The clouds had lifted and we could see as far as we wanted. Within minutes we turned up a 20" 4x3 with one eye guard. It wasn't the best 4x3 by any means, but it was 20" and I had two tags. I decided to break the afternoon silence, so I got my rest set up and found it wasn't super solid, but it should do.
With two of my buddies spotting, I sent one down range and was just above him. Second shot down range and just below. Third shot did the trick and blood was pumping out steadily. He was moving towards the brush so shot four broke and down he went. He died right in a rock slide out in the open. We knew from prior years he was at least an hour hike away beating the brush and two getting back, so I left him until morning.
Sunday morning came and the weather was cold and clear to start. I put my Kryptek rain gear back on as I knew the brush was soaking wet. It took me a little over an hour to get to him, an hour to de bone and pack him in my Kifaru and just under two hours to get bak to camp. I really hate the area I killed him in and every year I tell myself I wont shoot another buck over there unless it is a Booner, but I have been over there too many times to count. So all I do is lie to myself.
The rest of trip the rain was off and on, but nothing like Saturday. Two of my buddies killed decent bucks, but nothing special. Overall, we saw plenty of bucks, 15-20 a day, but an enormous amount of small ones. Two of my buddies shot decent bucks on Sunday and Monday. This was a slow year for us compared to years in the past, but I hadn't rifle hunted in four years and it was good to let the fire stick get some work.
For those that were up in Northern CA I wont have to tell you about the weather as you lived it. For the ones that were not, horrific. It started some time during the night with steady rain, rain and more rain. When I got up, it was still raining and the clouds had us socked in all around. Thinking that it would break, I made the two hour hike into my spot in the dark. Sporting the Kryptek rain gear, once I arrived, I was fairly dry. Just as when I left though, clouds were sitting right on top of us.
It didn't take long for the rain to turn to snow, which I would prefer as I don't seem to get as wet, but it was bone chilling. I was fortunate I brought my pack tarp as it saved the day and allowed me to stay out in the weather. It only took about an hour of shivering to convince myself to start a fire. So my buddy and I sat there in the rain, snow, rain, rain and rain for the better part of 7 hours. During that time we had the clouds break for a total of about 45 minutes, which we hastily glassed and turned up some small bucks and some does. Knowing there were 3 big bucks in the area I wasn't even tempted to shoot.
At about 3 in the afternoon, with no sign of letting up, we decided to head back. We didn't want to traverse the rocks in slippery wet snowy conditions. Once we made our way back to camp, we started a huge fire and started to dry ourselves out.
At about 6 we went to an area we can glass a long way that is fairly close to camp. The clouds had lifted and we could see as far as we wanted. Within minutes we turned up a 20" 4x3 with one eye guard. It wasn't the best 4x3 by any means, but it was 20" and I had two tags. I decided to break the afternoon silence, so I got my rest set up and found it wasn't super solid, but it should do.
With two of my buddies spotting, I sent one down range and was just above him. Second shot down range and just below. Third shot did the trick and blood was pumping out steadily. He was moving towards the brush so shot four broke and down he went. He died right in a rock slide out in the open. We knew from prior years he was at least an hour hike away beating the brush and two getting back, so I left him until morning.
Sunday morning came and the weather was cold and clear to start. I put my Kryptek rain gear back on as I knew the brush was soaking wet. It took me a little over an hour to get to him, an hour to de bone and pack him in my Kifaru and just under two hours to get bak to camp. I really hate the area I killed him in and every year I tell myself I wont shoot another buck over there unless it is a Booner, but I have been over there too many times to count. So all I do is lie to myself.
The rest of trip the rain was off and on, but nothing like Saturday. Two of my buddies killed decent bucks, but nothing special. Overall, we saw plenty of bucks, 15-20 a day, but an enormous amount of small ones. Two of my buddies shot decent bucks on Sunday and Monday. This was a slow year for us compared to years in the past, but I hadn't rifle hunted in four years and it was good to let the fire stick get some work.
