2023 Archery Season

[MeatBuck]

Just keeping some notes here from my archery season. Feel free to share yours here too.

Scouted three times with only one legal buck spotted.

Missed opening day.

Hunted Sunday til 4p. Saw 4 deer and a mtn lion. Good water in the area still. No other hunters/vehicles seen while driving up or back. No boot traffic.

Tuesday I got up to a couple miles from my hunting area and Chp had the road closed for a fire.
Caught up on some sleep, woke up to news that the fire was contained and mop up crews were working and watching for flare ups.

 

[les]

Arrows fletched, broadheads sharpened, doing a lot of practice. Antelope season begins Aug. 15, Elk and Deer Aug. 30th. Good luck Meatbuck! Wow does your season begin early.

 

[MeatBuck]

Arrows fletched, broadheads sharpened, doing a lot of practice. Antelope season begins Aug. 15, Elk and Deer Aug. 30th. Good luck Meatbuck! Wow does your season begin early.

Thanks.
Second Saturday in July is archery deer opener.
Second Saturday in August is rifle deer. Same tag.

 

[MeatBuck]

Saw a handful of deer today and a little fuzz even. Saw some elk too.
Found my lost pocket knife, a shed antler and someone’s clippers that were laying next to a random rock like someone sat down in the middle of nowhere to snip fingernails and got distracted. Was looking for my lost squeeze bag. No luck.

 

[les]

Sounds like a treasure hunt! What kind of elk? Speaking of Elk - I drew my archery elk tag yesterday. The unit I wanted sells out in less than 15 minutes.

 

[MeatBuck]

Sounds like a treasure hunt! What kind of elk? Speaking of Elk - I drew my archery elk tag yesterday. The unit I wanted sells out in less than 15 minutes.

A little 5mile treasure hunt.
Tule
Hopefully your luck continues

 

[MeatBuck]

Went for a walk yesterday with the bow. Saw 4 bucks. Three small forks and a spike. 4 does and a fawn. About a 7 mile half day hike.
Saw lots of bear sign. Guy I talked to saw one.
I sat down to eat lunch and rest my feet, kept smelling something nasty. Finally noticed the pile of leaves with flies on it just up trail. Lion .
The guy also mentioned up the trail a bit he came across a fresh half eaten rabbit. Bet he spooked the cat off it.
Put a little stalk on two of the forkies. Thought I had good cover between us so I went at em. They were probably 100 yds away. Bushes in front would put me about 40-50yds away. Got there and shot a couple ranges near where they were,43yds. Stepped out ready to draw, nothing there. I look up and they’re standing up the hill at 144 staring back at me. Wondering what I was sneaking up on.

 

[Modoc]

Went for a walk yesterday with the bow. Saw 4 bucks. Three small forks and a spike. 4 does and a fawn. About a 7 mile half day hike.
Saw lots of bear sign. Guy I talked to saw one.
I sat down to eat lunch and rest my feet, kept smelling something nasty. Finally noticed the pile of leaves with flies on it just up trail. Lion .
The guy also mentioned up the trail a bit he came across a fresh half eaten rabbit. Bet he spooked the cat off it.
Put a little stalk on two of the forkies. Thought I had good cover between us so I went at em. They were probably 100 yds away. Bushes in front would put me about 40-50yds away. Got there and shot a couple ranges near where they were,43yds. Stepped out ready to draw, nothing there. I look up and they’re standing up the hill at 144 staring back at me. Wondering what I was sneaking up on.
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Hey, at least you saw some legal bucks!

I‘m trying to juggle obligations and scouting (not BSA). Unfortunately the obligations are winning.
Hopefully, rifle season will be cooler in C Zones.

 

[les]

Thanks for sharing Meatbuck. It gets the excitement of the coming season kindled! Hopefully I'll get a few hours for scouting this weekend. My longest deer was at 83 yards. It was a perfect set-up. I was slightly above the buck, he was standing at a perfect broadside right in front of me. There was no wind. I put the 70 yard pin right on his spine and the arrow went through the heart.

 

[Jemurr3]

Thanks for sharing Meatbuck. It gets the excitement of the coming season kindled! Hopefully I'll get a few hours for scouting this weekend. My longest deer was at 83 yards. It was a perfect set-up. I was slightly above the buck, he was standing at a perfect broadside right in front of me. There was no wind. I put the 70 yard pin right on his spine and the arrow went through the heart.

Thats a long shot with a bow quite alot of variables could happen in the time it took that arrow to get there. I used to shoot bow alot when I lived back east, never shot at any animals over 30 yards but we would practice shooting balloons pinned to our target out to 100 yards.

 

[MeatBuck]

Got out this morning. Saw 16 or so deer. One decent buck.
Stopped to take a leak and when I was zipping up and turning around he took off at about 40yds or so. Bounded through tall dense brush uphill from me and would not stop. What I’d call an average racked 3.5yr old buck.

Guess you could call him a “piss buck”.

 

[LightTheTower]

Got out this morning. Saw 16 or so deer. One decent buck.
Stopped to take a leak and when I was zipping up and turning around he took off at about 40yds or so. Bounded through tall dense brush uphill from me and would not stop. What I’d call an average racked 3.5yr old buck.

Guess you could call him a “piss buck”.

I had a young 6 point chase a doe by me at about 10 yards once… while I was taking a poop.

 

[les]

I shot a nice buck with my drawers on the ground and fully exposed. I just couldn't wait any longer. I was smart enough or paranoid enough to think, I bet when I am doing my duty an nice one will come by. Sure enough he did and I had my rifle propped so I could grab it quick. It was about a 30 yard shot.

 

[LightTheTower]

I shot a nice buck with my drawers on the ground and fully exposed. I just couldn't wait any longer. I was smart enough or paranoid enough to think, I bet when I am doing my duty a nice one will come by. Sure enough he did and I had my rifle propped so I could grab it quick. It was about a 30 yard shot.

I wasn’t that smart or paranoid. Rifle was left in the box stand.

 

[2Tone]

I had a young 6 point chase a doe by me at about 10 yards once… while I was taking a poop.

Years ago hunting coastal Elk nature came a calling when I was starting to drop the drawers I seen through the alder trees an elk across in an opening so found a old snag to shoot from and busted a spike! That thing sucked up so tight took me two days to finish the job.

 

[HARPERC]

Not me, but several years ago one of the biggest bull elk ever killed in Washington was shot from inside a USFS privvy. It was also pouring rain so the hunter may have lingered at his "stand" a bit longer than usual.

 

[2Tone]

So son in law talked me into archery elk hunting this year with him and I’m little Leary my Achilles are messed up this year and he’s insane aggressive guy! Got the bow out dusted it off shot a bit not bad for not shooting in a couple year’s shoulders not in shape right now but I’ll get there.
Last shot I took was opening morning 6:10 am 2021 dead 5 point Rosey can I do it again doubt it.

 

[JamesMuhlbeier]

Been out scouting found several ok goats and a couple decent deer. I add pictures later. I am goign to bivy into the badlands a ways and see what happens.

 

[Muddyboots]

Dang! Season opens Oct 1st here!

 

[les]

My blind is set up. Tomorrow I pack and head up for the opening day of Antelope bow season on Tuesday the 15th. My last two hunts I held out for a trophy buck and didn't take a shot. I'm longing for some good antelope meat and it is my wife's favorite game meat. So, I might just follow the old rule, "Don't pass up an animal on the first day that you are willing to shoot on the last day." Several years I held out for a buck and I shot one in the last hour of the last day of the season!