Tag: deer hunting

September 14, 2023 – Never Expected That

September 14, 2023 /

In all the excitement, I guess I forgot to take some pictures. Nevertheless, it is the words that are most important. Recently, I went to the rifle range to see how I liked my new trigger. It has been almost a year since I installed it and the day after installation burning desire has dissipated but still I wanted to know how I liked it. Plus, it is time to get ready for hunting season.

Maybe it is a luxury or maybe I am just not practicing enough but I have been shooting the same lot of ammunition since I bought the rifle. That is thirty rounds since 2012. There are a lot of variables at play but removing one by having consistent ammunition is one controllable one.

Last year I think I took five shots to verify zero and that was it. Then I cleaned things up and put the rifle away. Not only did I want to try out my new trigger but I also wanted to see how much variability a different brand of ammo had on my group. What would happen if I had to borrow some ammo in the field?

First shot, not on paper. Huh, this was the same ammo that zeroed perfectly last year. And the problem is, if not on paper, then where is it? I tried aiming at the edge of the paper and low and behold, I was 12 inches to the left. I checked my scope to see if it was loose and it wasn’t. Everything seemed to be in order. Twelve clicks on the scope and I was shooting one inch groups again.

The nearest I can figure is that banging pins out to change the trigger changed some sort of alignment with the rifle. I did a little research into the subject and saw other people reporting similar issues. It also seemed like most internet warriors kind of poo-pooed the idea that this should matter (just like I thought). That being said, I saw other comments that such things like new slings might change the barrel harmonics enough to make a difference.

After I got things back to where they should be, I tried the new brand of ammunition. and my zero pretty much stayed true at 100 yards. I know that at farther distances there will be some difference because I measured the velocity at about 200 fps between the two brands. But, unfortunately, my range only goes out to 200 yards. That is as far as I can realistically check.

I didn’t hang a target at 200 yards but there are 6 inch steel plates at that distance. That seems realistic enough to me for hunting purposes. I hit six out of six and I called it good. I was pretty happy about how things ended. I don’t think that there is going to be a shot beyond fifty yards anyway considering how flat things are and how many trees there are.

End Your Programming Routine: So, the lesson is always check your rifle before hunting season. The next lesson is always check your rifle after you change something. It really doesn’t matter why things had changed, just that they have. A firearm that doesn’t hit where you are aiming does no good at all. In fact, it might even be downright dangerous.

August 23, 2023 – It Is That Time of Year Again

August 23, 2023 /

So much for summer. We are a little over a week from school starting again. My younger son is off to Taiwan in a couple days and my older son will be home the day after that. We just registered my older son yesterday for school and the end of summer is eminent.

We drew tags to a new deer unit this year. I have been over there twice doing some preliminary scouting this summer. In fact last weekend, we spent a day driving around trying to get the lay of the land. We need to figure out where to camp, how to hunt and how to access the area.

I have always heard that serious hunters spend time with maps and photos before putting boots on the ground. I remember reading an article one time in American Hunter but it has been long lost. So, I have been perusing the internet on how to scout with maps. Maybe this is something that could help my usually poor outcomes?

I found this one that is a little dry, but I thought it contained good fundamentals. The presenters shows features on the map and talks about definitions of words in relation to the map. This is a good start for people that have no basis in maps and the vocabulary.

As a former Boy Scout, at least I understand the vocabulary, maps and compasses. But what nobody really tells you is the application of such. How do you read a map and find a deer?

I guess that there is no substitute for just trying. Now that we kind of know where we are going, I can look at maps to see what might be around and and look at some spots where I might want to look for deer or setup and observe. Maybe I will do a video on what and why I chose what I did and what I learned (don’t count on it).

Currently, with my new job and all of that, I am thinking that I will probably at best get a long weekend to hunt. So, I really don’t want to waste it on tripping all over myself trying to get oriented with the territory. If things go as I expect, then I will also have to consider what the rest of the party has already done before I get there. But, maybe if I do some advanced work, I can influence what they will do with or without me by providing strategies based on my map work. At least this is what I am thinking.

Lest we forget that there are some easier things to do to get ready besides like physical fitness. Truth be told, this probably should have started months ago, but maybe if you are young enough there is still time. And, just because you are not fit enough doesn’t mean that a little bit doesn’t help. I doubt that I will be fit enough as I should be. But, this is a reminder

End Your Programming Routine: I am excited that hunting season is coming around. That being said, this is also approaching harvest season. It is a crazy, manic and wonderful time of year. I think that it just might be my favorite time of year. The hope of a new school year, the gentle warmth of the last of summer, the bounty of the harvest and all of those things that need to get done. I just hope to take some time to enjoy it as well as participate.

October 18, 2021 – What is Western Oregon Deer Hunting Really Like

October 18, 2021 /

My outdoor experiences are quite contrasting in the last two weeks. My trip to central Oregon was blue bird skies and relaxation in the boat. Yesterday, my son and I were slashing brush in the rain forest.

If you are not familiar with west coast geography, specifically Oregon then let me try to briefly describe. Moving from west to east, there are two sets of mountain ranges. The first one is called the coastal range, the highest peak is about 4000′ in elevation. Then, there is a valley nearly sea level in elevation followed by the Cascade range where the highest peak is 12,000′

The prevailing wind blows it is generally in the same direction, west to east. It causes a high amount of rain/snow on the western side of each range as the clouds drop moisture moving over the ranges. Consequently, the eastern side is much drier than the western side. Annual rainfall looks like this 80/40/10″ corresponding to the coast, valley and then east of the Cascades.

The way that Oregon breaks out deer/elk/etc. tags are roughly everything on the west side of the Cascades are over the counter. That means that anyone that is licensed can purchase a tag up until the first day of the season. Everything that is east of that is awarded by lottery draw. With my dad, brother and uncle we apply for the lottery each year and this year we did not win so I bought over the counter tags.

In the picture above, my son and I are walking down an abandoned road in a national forest. This road was once used for logging purposes, probably seventy years ago. Part of the changes in access over the last twenty years have had major consequences for hunters like myself.

When I started hunting in the 1980s the geographical landscape was pretty much the same. There are large swags of national forest or BLM land and large tracks of private timber company property. In the late 1980s, Oregon had the highest revenue from public timber of all of the states which had been the case since the early 1970s. Because all of that success, basically all of old growth timber was cut and the replant was not ready to harvest.

This caused political change. The forest service shifted from revenue to conservation which harkens back to the ‘spotted owl debate‘. The large timber companies went on business as usual because they already owned huge tracts of land and were diversified in other areas of the country and even Canada. It was the mom and pop mills that folded as a result of no supply.

Now that public land was largely left to grow wild, private timber land saw the brunt of the hunters. Why? because you cannot see anything in this jungle. If you choose to go in, the brush is over your head and good luck dragging a rifle and a backpack. Also, with less people working in the forest there was less ownership of the overall resource and then came trouble. As a result, private land owners put up gates.

Industry consolidation and streamlining means that there are far fewer vertically integrated companies owning land. For instance, Weyerhaeuser bought all of Willamette industries who acquired all the land that they owned as well. Weyerhaeuser’s policy as of about 10 years ago is to sell leases for access. Boil that down to essentially one person has exclusive access for recreational purposes. The leases are also highly restrictive to even bringing guests.

The situation for a lot of the other timber companies is that there is no lease program, just a gate. The general policy for access is walk-in. Nothing wrong with that, I do but it concentrates other hunters to essentially the main roads. Contrasting that hunting on the east side of the state and you can at least walk off the road and through the forest.

As my son and I spent time in the woods, I couldn’t help but feeling that the environment was sterile. Yes, we saw sign that animals have been in the area but I also saw a lot of boot prints. Who knows how many hunters in the last few months have walked down this same road. We saw no rabbits, squirrels, chipmunk, birds, turkeys, fox or anything for that matter. There have been times in the woods where I sit down and see or hear other animals moving about, not yesterday.

This is why western Oregon hunting is tough. The weather is miserable, the terrain is extremely difficult, the access is competitive and the probability is slim to none. We do all of this to get 40-60 pounds of meat and maybe some antlers to put on the wall? It has to be a labor of love more than anything productive.

End Your Programming Routine: You don’t get anything when you don’t try. And, you also rarely are successful when you don’t spend much time learning the patterns and habits of the area year round. I have seen deer in the area and I have seen recent encouraging sign when I have hunted this area in the past. This is why I choose to go back. My thoughts on it for this year are better luck somewhere else, I just don’t know where at this point.

October 1, 2021 – It is Opening Weekend of Deer Season and I am Going Fishing

October 1, 2021 /

Let’s hope that caps the week of food with more food. When I was a kid, I was so excited for opening weekend of deer season. When I was a teenager, I used to dream of when I was older, I could spend more time in the woods. Now that I am here, I hope to get out once in the season. This isn’t going to be the weekend for hunting but I will spend some time with my family fishing.

I talked about this a few weeks ago when I was talking about the decline of the outdoorsman. While my dad didn’t spend months straight in the woods, we did split hunting and fishing about equally. He always has owned a boat and we would go out at least once a year. He would take a fishing trip with his friends usually around Father’s Day. We used to go salmon fishing as kids. So, I like fishing too.

Since my dad has retired, we have been applying for draw tags in eastern Oregon. We get them about every three years. Since we won last year, this year we didn’t and decided to go fishing instead. I have applied every year for the last ten years. But I have only gone one time even though we have gotten tags three times. We did get his rifle sighted in last Friday however.

When I left my job in South Carolina, I moved back to Oregon and joined the company that my dad had worked his entire career. I remember talking with my uncle and he said “That’s great. Now you can have lunch together every day.” I remember feeling a little guilty that I barely saw him, let alone had lunch. And to some degree, I carry some of that guilt today. We live about twenty minutes apart and yet it will frequently be months in-between talking.

I do believe that the quote “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” applies here. But I can’t help and think that there isn’t something slightly wrong with me. If I get truly personal, I am overwhelmed by the size and volume of my wife’s family and when I am not in that I want my personal space.

The events over the last six weeks have definitely had an impact on me. I have seen my parents aging, I have seen the slight decline in physical ability and I know that the horizon is in view. It definitely has gotten me thinking about trying to spend more quality time while I have the chance to do it and I need to be more aware of the signs of decline.

My brother, dad and uncle left yesterday. Me being a single parent right now, I couldn’t swing the time off, I was hoping to leave tonight. but my kids have to play pep band at the football game tonight. So, we will have to settle for Saturday and Sunday. We didn’t do any family camping this year and I have never gone with my kids and without my wife but I am really looking forward to it.

End Your Programming Routine: I don’t really care if we catch any fish although I think it is likely we will. The weather is supposed to be pleasant and I have a good time with that crew. The point of this is to spend some time together doing something we enjoy. It is looking like next weekend is out, but I am still going to get some time in the woods this season before it ends.