This Sums up my past several seasons

[mike31154]

Looking for mule deer in Region 8, come to Vernon. The irony continues, rolling off the couch, ready to grab the Friday morning paper and this.... a 4 point buck, count 'em 4.... and my bow is strung...



Mattress sale at the Brick, but I don't think I need one, clearly my front yard is preferred bedding in the neighbourhood... same spot as the doe yesterday.



He had company too, a smaller 2 point & a good sized doe. This little dink broke a branch off an already anemic slow growing evergreen rubbing his little rack.



The gilrie, mooning me.

[mike31154]

My vintage FN 30-06 with a Weaver scope on a Pachmayr swing away mount November 2015 at the top of a snow covered cut block. I purchased the old piece at the Vernon Rod & Gun outdoors show a few years ago to get me started in the big game game. I have no history on it from the vendor, but it's a decent shooter and am sure it's taken an animal or two, but not yet by me.... Since this photo was taken, I stripped the stock, finished it with linseed oil and changed the sling back to a leather one, same as the worn out one that was on it. I like old stuff, maybe 'cause I'm no longer a spring chicken either.



Relaxing after slogging thru a substantial snow pack with my winter mocs. The old snowboard pants are the only thing I have that remotely resembles camo gear, so they do double duty in these conditions.



Panorama of the cut block that was the center of my attention that day.

[mike31154]

The FN spring of 2016 with 20+ coats of hand rubbed linseed oil. Looking a lot better after stripping off the patchy varnish on her when purchased. One or two dings that were too deep to completely raise with the steam iron, but not a bad result on a '50s-'60s vintage piece. The linseed oil finish is super easy to touch up with additional applications as needed.



I pulled the action out as well & cleaned/rubbed the innards with oil. She was a dirty girl, the previous owner had let her slide a tad. Couldn't do the dollar bill scenario where you pull it between the barrel & the fore stock when I got it home, but that's been taken care of.



Tempted to replace the scope with something modern & better, but I really like the swing away option of the Pachmayr mount & not sure a newer scope would clear the rear iron sight. Swing away feature may come in handy should I encounter an angry bear at close range. Would have to be a 1 inch tube with similarly small diameter front on it. Higher rings might work.



I had to slice a little rubber out of the front lens cover shroud so it would clear the iron 100 meter leaf sight when scope is down & locked.

[chele]

Hey nice pictures. I am curious what mountain range(s) of the monashee mountains you hunt.

[mike31154]

I generally venture out solo and there have been some minor adventures almost getting stuck in the boonies. Along with my newer Taco, I've been using my winter beater diesel JDM Hilux Surf to get into the back country. Almost slid into a nasty hole 2016 because I was too lazy to put the chains on sooner. Lesson learned....maybe. A couple hours of shoveling saved the day, but if I hadn't been able to extricate myself, it would have been a long walk to get help. Didn't get much hunting done that day.



Time for a cup of tea. There were tracks all over this stretch of FSR, a veritable super highway for the deer once the snow falls.



Now we're in biness, chains on. Just don't get stuck now, get stuck with the chains on & you're really looped....



No firearms on this trip, scouting cut blocks for possible ski touring as well as getting a feel for the terrain next hunting season.

[mike31154]

Hey nice pictures. I am curious what mountain range(s) of the monashee mountains you hunt.

Hwy 6 east of Cherryville in the Monashee Pass area. Takes me about an hour and 1/2-3/4 from Vernon. Headwaters of the Kettle River. One area that I hunt up there gets me pretty close to region 4.

[mike31154]

A little closer to home there is surprisingly much to explore, although I'm sure the pressure is greater than an hour or two away. The area definitely holds game, I spotted a mule doe with young one last year & whitetails crossing the road on my way home. This was my first early season bow hunting only outing. Chainsaw is on the shopping list. I was able to pull this old log aside with a beefy cargo strap, but a healthier tree with an anchored root ball would have stopped me cold well short of where I wanted to go.

[mike31154]

Time to get off the keyboard & venture outdoors! Hopefully get out next week for a day or two. Taking the son in law to the range tomorrow as part of birthday gift. He's not a hunter but is keen on a little shooting. Really good guy & said if I ever need help hauling a carcass out of the woods, he'd be in for that. Getting a hold of him after a kill in the boonies is another matter.

[chele]

Oh I see. I asked because I need some info on how to approach the Jordan range and you seem an mountaineer type of person.

[boxhitch]

Good pics, m
those deer know where its safe and where the irrigated grocerys are.