FALL 23/24 DAYS AFIELD THREAD

[G. Gordon Liddy]

Nice one, Phall! Has me all jacked for the upcoming season. We had a bad year for deer last winter, so I'm focusing on one spot that held two big bucks last season. No idea if they're still up there, but this gives me hope.

[MiddleOfNight]

Dude, that's a beaut, P! Well done!

+1

helped a friend with a doe the other day, my elk opens 2 weeks from yesterday!
getting excited!

[The Reverend Floater]

Spent that week chasing elk bell to bell every day and didn't so much as see a mule deer. Pretty sure the population is fucked up where I normally hunt them. Likely going to schwack a doe down in the low country with my eight year old.

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[east or bust]

My buddy from bumfuck eastern ID sent me a pic of this bull he was chasing this weekend.



I believe this was the last weekend for rifle (I may be wrong about that). Haven’t heard if he bagged it or not which could be good or bad, but for now will roll with no news is good news.

[Hopeless Sinner]

My buddy from bumfuck eastern ID sent me a pic of this bull he was chasing this weekend.



I believe this was the last weekend for rifle (I may be wrong about that). Haven’t heard if he bagged it or not which could be good or bad, but for now will roll with no news is good news.

Real nice bull, Idaho archery closed Saturday 9/30.

[zion zig zag]

Nice work Phall!

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Proper hunting rig


Pointed towards Canada eh, looking for cock.


Hunting grounds, ridiculous numbers of birds.


Tough limit, hunting wild birds without a dog. Probably saw 300 birds, they're flushing way far out for any decent shot.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Easier limit this morning - 3 for 3 shots.

[Hopeless Sinner]

Easier limit this morning - 3 for 3 shots.

Yeah man!!!

[yeahman]

^^Nice job!

[Phall]

Slow start and crowded on the opener so went to a secret hole on the river and jumped a few! Pretty happy it’s waterfowl season. It was really hard to not water swat these coots.





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[The Reverend Floater]

We're over in Eastern Montucky. Lots of cocks this year and the cover is unreal. Sure seems like it's going to be a great upland season.

Unfortunately we have six dogs but four of them are 9 or 10. My 9 y/o is the only elder gun dog still operating at 100%. One hurt his knee, one has a foot laceration and one is just gassed but doing her best. Judy, however, is still all gas and no brakes. She pointed five pheasant this evening but only one was a rooster.

That leaves my 6 y/o, Sam (Judy's sister from another litter), and my buddy's year old puppy who is Sam's niece. Fortunately those two are crushing. We just need the three healthy dogs to keep it together for three more days.

I can't post pics here but will do when I get back.

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[crashidy]

Well I got my hand on a priority 4 tag so basically a once every 5 years currently for a mule deer buck in south Alberta. Had planned on 2 weeks to be down there in September but between sickness and the passing of a family member September was a bust. This WMU is good for archery September 1 to October 24 then rifle until November 30. Being public land, the day rifle season starts hunter numbers increase exponentially! I hunt this area often and have seen some good bucks.
Get to my camp spot late Sunday night. Legal light 715. I'm not one to be out before sunrise because I've found you often bump many deer walking in. I'm a spot and stalk type. An area of finger ridges and valleys. Another vehicle shows up at 30 min before sunrise and two go walking. I finish my coffee. Cross the road and the fence and catch something to my right. A forkie buck and a spike... Literally broadside to me at 20 to 30 yards for 15 minutes. Somehow I had reception and texted my two main hunting buddies who also agreed, hard pass.
Spent the next 6 hours doing a loop through dark timber and glassing spots. Did I mention this is the noisiest forest floor I've ever seen down here? Super dry leaves and pinecones a plenty.. No quiet walking. seen a few does seen but no bucks.
Lunch. Beer. Moved to a new location.
Do a loop into a valley I know well. Again so noisy and frustrating. Manage a lower cattle trail to make my way back up the ridge. Swirling wind bumps 6 white tail does up hill....ok I'll bite(supplement wt tags here of which I held).
Go stalk them and couldn't close the distance with the noisy forest floor. Then I spot something white.. big mule Buck but and he was starting at me from up hill. Try to make a play but he bounds off. I go up the ridge and he bumps a couple times but didn't go far. Must be his home.
Sleep the night. Wake up to howling wind in the morning. This should help with noise. Plan was to head down ridge and set up under one of the big spruce trees in the Aspen forest that has alot of cross tracks to a water source.
I set up kicking dirt to make a quiet spot..look down hill and see the tank emerge at 82 yards from behind a massive tree.
He keeps feeding. I try to close the distance 5 yards to get on solid spot to stand. He keeps feeding slowly coming my way up hill. Good cross wind.
I range a bunch of trees looking for lanes.
He crosses in front of one broadside at 45 yards. Dialed the sight since I had time.
Down hill 45 yards shot. Through and through. He went 30 yards.
Took two trips to carry it all out solo. Better part of the day. So stoked.just finished processing the meat at home.
First pic is the forkie
Second and third be and the buck.
4th the shooting lane down to where the meat bag is hanging on the right.
Sorry for the essay, just incredibly stoked!

[Norseman]

[emoji106]

[Hopeless Sinner]

^^^ yeah man!!!

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

You guys are kicking ass!!!

Archery pretty much over here. We got into em and had one close encounter. Just a matter of time I'll stick an arrow into one. Pretty stoked for Rifle. Buddy and I will be hunting out of a FS cabin for 4 or 5 days with no easy way in but to hike pretty far so hoping to have most of the drainage to ourselves. If not we will have a good time hanging by the woodstove and not having internet/cell signal.

[yeahman]

Nice buck with the bow crashidy!!

[Phall]

Get your dogs a vest if you’re in an area with barbed wire. Lottie girl got extremely lucky today. Tried to air a waist high fence after I shot some birds on the other side of it. Got her paw caught and did a front flip. Vest is torn up, but she has zero cuts.



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[The Reverend Floater]

Get your dogs a vest if you’re in an area with barbed wire. Lottie girl got extremely lucky today. Tried to air a waist high fence after I shot some birds on the other side of it. Got her paw caught and did a front flip. Vest is torn up, but she has zero cuts.



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Yup. I highly recommend Slymar vests. Simple, fit well and very tough cordura. I don’t hunt my dogs without them.


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[Whiteroom_Guardian]

5200 cu inch bag big enough for 4 nights walking several miles into a cabin? Looking at it I just don't see how I can bring enough food/coffee/sleeping bag/camp pillow/water filter and all my usual hunting kit of knives/first aid etc etc.

[Phall]

Does it have a meat shelf? If so, extend the meat shelf and load heavy stuff(food) on meat shelf in a dry bag or similar. If not, I’d say yes, I’ve done 3 nights in august in a 4500 backpacking, I think given the cabin and lack of need for a tent you should be able to if you pack light, but I’m a big fan of things like extra socks and undies unlike all the media personas.


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[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Does it have a meat shelf? If so, extend the meat shelf and load heavy stuff(food) on meat shelf in a dry bag or similar. If not, I’d say yes, I’ve done 3 nights in august in a 4500 backpacking, I think given the cabin and lack of need for a tent you should be able to if you pack light, but I’m a big fan of things like extra socks and undies unlike all the media personas.


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It's an older Kuiu pack with their ultra suspension I think. I have Icon Pro 1850 on there now and gonna move the 5200 over and do a test run packing everything. I think I can do the "load sling" setup with this and fit stuff between the pack and frame. If so then yeah a dry bag in between with food etc should be sufficient.

[John_B]

5200 cu inch bag big enough for 4 nights walking several miles into a cabin? Looking at it I just don't see how I can bring enough food/coffee/sleeping bag/camp pillow/water filter and all my usual hunting kit of knives/first aid etc etc.

If you've got the bag give it a try. I just got back from 3 nights under a tarp in the rain with puff pants and coat, rain pants and coat, 65mm spotter, rifle and other stuff in a 4800 ci pack. For me being in a cabin would have been awesome to dry stuff out.

[zion zig zag]

5200 cu in is a big ass pack, right? I’ve backpack hunted 3-4 days in October with a Mystery Ranch Metcalf at 4335 cu in, and that was carrying a teepee tent with stove. I think you should be able to stay 4 nights easy, luxury style in a cabin, with 5200 cu in.


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[MiddleOfNight]

Sorry for the essay, just incredibly stoked!

:-D apology not needed (or accepted) thanks for a great TR! Congrats!!