Your days in the field so far this year

[BlacktailStalker]

Hey everyone, kinda new on here. Just curious as to what everyone has seen so far this year. I hunt with a bow and rifle fairly equally. Opening day with the bow I passed on a spike buck at 10 yards, he had a decent 2 point with him but wouldnt present a shot. We played hide and seek for about 20 mins trying to get the 2 point open for a shot, but no luck. Second time out with the bow I was hunting a poplar tree farm that borders a large timbered section, right before dark I saw the tip of an antler coming from the thick stuff into the polplars, pretty sure he winded me because he sat right behind a mess of snags maples ferns etc. I had a 30 min stand off with him but he would not come over the little divider to present a shot. I always see them coming from their bedding areas into the is spot to feed right before dark. At least I know he's there. If its the same one it was a nice 3 point last year, and not many people know about this spot!
Next time out with the bow I was in a diff spot, in a field edge in a ground blind, 3 does 2 fawns and a 2x3 came out on the opposite side of the field of course! Watched them feed for 20 mins until dark and snuck out undetected.
NExt time at the same spot they didnt show at all! When I was walking out I heard a car hit a deer not that far away, hope it wasnt the buck. I looked around and never found a deer so hopefully he or it was fine.
The next time I was out was opening rifle, saw a 2x1 up int he alpine, figured with my luck this year seeing so many bucks I could let him go, so I did. Shot 3 grouse that day as well, all ruffed grouse.
Went out last night with the rifle again, saw 2 black bears, one was nice (enough to go buy a tag today) because his sign is everywhere and I frequent that area often, this is way up in the alpine as well. Never saw any deer last night. Popped a nice fat blue grouse at 50 yards with the 300, perfect head shot, didnt even graze the breasts. Its nice having your rifle dialed in perfectly!
I'm hunting vancouver island 1-6, anybody have hounds around here that wants to take a guy out with a bow?
Tonight I might go back for that buck I've seen in that field with the the bow as it looks like theres a good weather change coming, they should be feeding heavily.
Geese opens tomorrow here too, theres about 200-250 sitting in the estuary every day, its going to be awesome!
Good luck to you all!

[todbartell]

haven't been out yet, but got a couple deer tags and my rifle is sighted in well got to get a bird stamp today also.

should be out on thursday evening for a nice meat buck and this weekend for geese and ducks

[Darren]

Welcome to the site blacktail stalker. I hunt the courtenay area also. I was up in the alpine hiking around from dusk till dawn today, but didn't see too much. I hiked in to an area which I don't think has been hunted yet this year, I got in before daylight but didn't see a single deer. There was tons of fresh sign everywhere so im not sure where they were all hiding. I saw one bear and a marten. I went down to a lower elevation around dusk and saw a few does while hiking the timber. I also had something snorting at me but not sure weather it was a buck or a bear, couldn't get a look. On opening weekend I saw 8 or 9 bucks, but nothing I wanted to use a tag on, a few decent 2's and the rest spikes. Also saw 6 bears opening weekend.
Looks like some decent rain by Sunday so could make for some good hunting!

[brotherjack]

Luckily, I live about 5 minutes from several reasonable hunting spots (and 15 from some awesome ones), so I got out at for at least an hour or two morning or evening every day of bow season (and most days I got out more than that). Saw gobs of deer, and a few cow elk from a distance. Not much of anything else. Brought home a nice 3x3 whitetail for bow season, which I considered pretty successful for my first bow season ever.

I have passed up a couple of smallish whitetail bucks here in the early part of rifle season, but I haven't been out pounding the bush too hard yet. I know where the deer I'm after lives, and starting tomorrow night or so, I'll start hanging around his favourite watering hole waiting for him. May take me a week or so of evenings, but I'll get him.

I wish I knew something about hunting elk, but in 4 years of living here and countless hours in the bush, I've never even seen a live legal bull, so my hopes aren't very high on that front (though I'm gonna try my best). I'm obviously not doing something right, and nobody who knows how has ever been willing to enlighten me.

Anyway, that's my season so far...

[Freshtracks]

brotherjack .... stop your making me whitetail antsy.

In the elk department ...have you considering/tried calling them. Bugling during the rut and or making like a love sick cow. I've hunted elk probably a total of about 6 times and seen bulls on half them hunts. All we not during the peak time when bulls have their guard down ... during the rut.

It sounds like you've got the patience for sitting tight (most hunters can't) so bugling/cow calling would be the obvious next move.

[brotherjack]

brotherjack .... stop your making me whitetail antsy.

In the elk department ...have you considering/tried calling them. Bugling during the rut and or making like a love sick cow. I've hunted elk probably a total of about 6 times and seen bulls on half them hunts. All we not during the peak time when bulls have their guard down ... during the rut.

It sounds like you've got the patience for sitting tight (most hunters can't) so bugling/cow calling would be the obvious next move.

I absolutely adore whitetail hunting! Between my wife and I, we got a nice little 4x4 point, and a 150 class 6x7 point last year. The buck I've got my eye on for rifle season this year, I've seen a few times already, and I know where he hangs out. He almost looks like a mulie, the body is so big. Just muscles bulging out everywhere, awesome! His antlers looked a bit small for his body size (maybe he's related to the 3 point I got for bow season that was bigger than last years 4 point), but I bet they'll be 140-150 class (not that I really care, I'm hunting that big body for eating purposes, but big antlers come with it, and I don't mind)

My first year hunting, I had no patience. If I wasn't moving, I didn't think I was hunting. Second year, my wife talked me into sitting tight around an area we saw a lot of tracks. I was grumpy and fidgety, but then after about an hour, a 3x4 buck walked up to about 6 yards away from me and browsed around for about half an hour (already had whitetail tags filled, so he got to live). I've been hooked on the whole "sit and wait" thing ever since. During bow season this year, I'd get setup in my comfy lounge chair, and sit without moving a muscle other than my eyes for hours on end. I had deer come to within arms reach of me without spooking. I am totally addicted to up-close-and-personal hunting now, and the addiction feeds the patience.

Anyway, speaking of elk - I've tried calling, but never had any luck at all. I called a big fat black bear once with my hoochie mamma was as close as I ever got - I guess it sounded like a sick/wounded elk. The cow call seems to stop any elk in it's tracks, so it would be awesome for setting up a shot, but I've never had one make any move to come towards me while using it. This is my first year with a bugle, so maybe that will help (though everyone tells me the hoochie mamma/cow calls work better). We'll see. As I said, my hopes aren't very high, but I'm stuborn, so I keep at it.

[J_T]

Spent 10 days during the archery only elk/deer hunt in the Kootenays. Should have brought home the meat.

Had numerous mule deer bucks in sight, twice within range. Not too many whitetails that weren't already moving with their tail up, but then we were primarily elk hunting and not being as quiet as required.

Did have a roaring bull going for about an hour one morning and then that night in a completely separate location, worked a bull for about 2 hours, before he finally brought a nice herd right past us. Should have. Passed up a legal cow at 3 yards as she had a calf in tow. Herd bull was at 12 yards, coming straight in, spike and 5 point raghorn, were just off 12 yards, but 6 cows were between them and us. Great experience.

Great hunt for a Dad and his sons.

JT

[Tarp Man]

Well, I just got back from a quick alpine hunt in the Chilliwack area, and saw a group of seven goats! First time seeing goats, and man can they climb. Then my buddy and I hiked up to the peak and saw lots of beds and sign. Planning on going back for an overnighter. Perhaps I will get some pics like Kirby! (Good Luck!). There is a different atmosphere already having meat in the freezer (paddle bull moose from FSJ). Lets us relax a bit and enjoy the experience of alpine hunting more.
-Tarp Man

[Boo]

My daughter shot this 4 x 3 mulie last Monday.

Range was ~150 yards. Rifle was a Savage 110L in 308 Winchester. Bullet was a 165 Nosler partition @ 2650 fps MV

[BlacktailStalker]

Sounds like everyone is having a good year so far.
Good luck and keep the stories coming as they progress!