In case you all forgot it's still hunting season... (With some Pictures)

[Ajsawden]

It's hard to get a handle on what's going on in most of the interior. Some guys are having luck, others report full on doom and gloom. I don't know about most of the interior, only the spot we've been going to for 13 years from Nov 1 to 10 and this year was our most successful year. We've had years where we've seen way more deer, and got nothing. This year we saw decent numbers of bucks and perhaps and alarmingly low number of does. Less than usual for sure. We always see decent deer numbers so this isn't a "sky is falling" post but certainly thinking about being concerned. Are they hiding better, or are they simply not there? I can't answer that right now, I don't know. Hopefully things are still decent next year.

I saw numerous and ever increasing in size three points, including a large mature 3 with big back breaks and 2 to 3 inch brows, but no front breaks. Took me until the 10th to finally find a four point. Always annoying when the legal buck is not the biggest one you saw. My dad and our hunting partner both got their biggest bucks to date on this trip as well. Dad's was a, somewhat grueling, 6 hour pack out. It was 254lbs field dressed. My buck was shot in the same location, but much smaller (174lbs), and we got it out in just under 3 hours. Better luck away from the roads for sure.

Mine
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/A41.jpg
Dads
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/D61.jpg
Buddies
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/D41.jpg

[REMINGTON JIM]

Nice BUCK's ! Good on you GUY's working HARD for your meat ! RJ

[Bustercluck]

3 four points in ten days for 3 guys sounds like some of the best hunting around to me.

[338win mag]

Those are some real nice 4 points, good on you guys.

[DannyO]

Cool story! Great photos, thanks for sharing

[Rieber]

Fantastic harvests. I tip my hat to you, 6 hours to haul a deer out is total commitment.

[albravo2]

Great post! Nice to see a successful trip report, especially with a bit of suffering on the pack out thrown in for good measure.

[chris]

I have to agree with you that it is confusing with all the conflicting reports. I just spent a few days up in my usual spot and I felt like there were more deer than normal. I usually hunt around the same time every year. One of the 4 days I hunted I saw 7 bucks so I don't really get the doom and gloom posts either. Ended up harvesting a giant on day 4. Saw a legal 4 point which I gave a free pass on the 2nd day. We need some proper winter range Ariel counts to find some solid numbers for us to work with.

[bchunter181]

great post thanks for sharing awesome bucks.

[quarterman]

Im pretty sure i watched u guys get your dads buck through my spotting scope lol nice buck

[Ajsawden]

Im pretty sure i watched u guys get your dads buck through my spotting scope lol nice buck

I suppose anything is possible. Were you within shooting range yourself, or on a different mountain?

[Bugle M In]

Congrats on the deer.
I know of a 5x6 taken near us, on the 10th in the am as we were late getting out (well, some of the guys).
Not sure if it was your hunting party camped next to us or not. (not important)

It was an odd season so far.
I didn't see nearly the amount of Does I was accustomed to seeing in the area I hunt.
Not at first.
But, a few bucks were taken within a few days in the area by a few parties out there.
I am headed up tonite as we saw a buck on Monday with 9 Does that we couldn't get to before having to drive home.
But looks as if the rut was on by the Past Saturday and am crossing fingers it is still going and even more bucks around now?

Only thing that I found "real concerning" was the amount of hip/back vertebrae (still connected) laying around on the hillsides.
(Not an area were hunters waste time deboning).
Appear to be the right age to be this past winters "die off" or "winter kill"?
I usually only find 1 or so a year, but this season we ran into at least 6, and without really even trying to look for them.
So, I have no evidence on how they died, but I know wolves are now present for the past number of years now (although none seen or heard
this past weekend).
Cougars also.
So, a little concerning considering I don't think it was a harsh winter at all this past year, but way more corpses then normal...way more.
Again, nice looking deer and if you are in the right area and at the right time, things just seem to work out.
If not, then you get the reports others speak of.

[HarryToolips]

Very nice bucks congrats!

[Mulehahn]

Didn't forget, but was trying to. Surgery ended my season early. Those are some nice deer. Congratulations.

[quarterman]

I was on the next ridge and a little lower in elevation.

[Knute]

Hats off to you and your partners. Those are some real nice bucks.

[john-brennan]

That is some good success congrats

[jimzuk]

Congrats on some great bucks. I have been seeing decent numbers of does but no bucks with them