[Ptaylor]

in reply to: Does not a heavy point make FOC? #33782

Along this same vein, which is stronger a soft wood like sitka spruce or a hardwood like ash? I know hardwoods are tough on direct impacts, which is why we use the baseball bats, but they can’t bend as easily. Isn’t that the reason we frame houses with softwood 2x4s? So for an arrow, could it be that strong softwoods are better than hardwoods, as far as strength goes?

[Ptaylor]

in reply to: Treed Partridges and trail cams #30927

Jim,

I’m not sure as far as scouting goes. But for Wildlife Research, remote video recordings are changing the game. A lot of what biologists thought has to be re-examined in light of things we’ve gotten on film. For example, my friend Max Allen recently published an article about a video-recording he got of a spotted skunk bluffing a cougar at a carcass. The spotted skunk was able to defend the deer carcass from the cougar for a couple hours until the cougar came back, and then they shared the carcass together. That’s an animal 1/100th the size defending a carcass. Regardless of how remote cameras are affecting hunting, they are a definite bonus for biologists.

That being said, I was out scouting this past week. I was about a mile from where the road ends, and found a great drainage with some deer feeding sign. There were rose shrubs, ocean spray, and other shrubs the deer were browsing on. I set up a couple ground blind setups. Then I was circling around about a 1/4 mile upstream from my blinds, and a HUGE blacktail buck jumped out of a blowdown he was bedded down in. From 60 yards without binos he was at least a 3×3 maybe 4×4. We watched each other for a few minutes, then I turned around and I walked directly away from him. Hoping he doesn’t go to far:D for 2 weeks!

So I think its the same as far as most other equipment goes, depending how we use it remote cameras can benefit us or be detrimental to our learning. It just depends how we approach it.

preston

[Ptaylor]

in reply to: Moose & Ticks #29758

Yep, Grumpy stated it pretty well like it went. I’m not quite as old, unless you picture is out of focus:shock:, but I grew up in New England and used to have to wear a parka over my halloween suit cause it would snow. Now they’re lucky if it snows before the end of the year. Three reasons people think the ticks have been able to grow to such a high population are: 1) warmer winters not killing them off; 2) no more fires burning the leaf litter where they hide; 3) a lot more host, mainly small mammals (mice, voles, rabbits) due to the increase in “edge habitats”. I really enjoy not having to worry about them much anymore.

As for the moose, I’ve heard about ticks affecting their ability to survive because they rub their hair off in the winter. But I’m not totally sure about the whole interaction. Might by worth some investigation on google scholar, see what’s been published.

[Ptaylor]

in reply to: Some people's thinkin' #22698

Well, I just got back from a week hunting and am catching upon all the fun. I should’ve put my reply to Dave’s “camera muggers” topic over here. But anyway, I agree with you all.

I just had an AWESOME week hunting. Nope, no deer hanging inmy shed to show for it though. But the scenery, watching bucks and does and fawns, trying to sneak up on them, getting busted, hiking up and down hills until my calves burned, waking up to a night full of stars, hearing the ocean roar, breathing in the fresh air, and more, all reminded me of why I hunt, regardless of killing an animal. Bringing home a deer is like the best cream cheese icing on a homemade carrot cake, IMO if you like carrot cake:D. I saw one person all week, other than my hunting buddy. And heard no vehicles. So sweet! Never even drew back my bow, well except at a jackrabbit I shot under its belly and missed:lol:

preston

[Ptaylor]

in reply to: Camera mugger — caught in the act! #22683

I agree, it doesn’t matter what kind of weapon someone uses, but what matters is how they hunt. I know some excellent rifle/compound hunters that are very ethical people when it comes to being in the woods.

[Ptaylor]

in reply to: Harvest limits #22673

Ptaylor wrote: CA: Over the counter- 2 deer tags a year, 1 bear tag, unlimited hogs all year. The rest, Elk, Pronghorn, bighorns are all lottery.

P. S. the deer tags are buck only, with a few doe/eithersex draws

[Ptaylor]

in reply to: Harvest limits #22671

CA: Over the counter- 2 deer tags a year, 1 bear tag, unlimited hogs all year. The rest, Elk, Pronghorn, bighorns are all lottery.

[Ptaylor]

in reply to: Camera mugger — caught in the act! #22628

Dave I have been having similar problems with bears. I’ve been setting the cameras up to video bear rub trees. And this one tree the bears would keep biting and clawing and moving the camera so it would face the opposite direction from the tree. I ended up climbing a tree and putting the camera 12 feet in the air. You’d think this wouldn’t work cause black bears can climb, but it put the camera out of their direct smell range when walking by on their trail. I haven’t had a single camera messed with after moving them up higher.

As a side note, “Ashby overkill” is better than some of the new gadgets. Ran into a compound hunter this week, and before he realized I was carrying a longbow he started into all the new things on his bow. And when he got to the mechanical broadhead, I finally had to chime in with,”You know those things are liable to break and are terrible at penetrating bone.” So then he showed me how the blades swivel when open so they can “bounce” off the bone. I left it at that, not wanting to push the issue further. But then he told me how he had drawn back on a buck that day at 70 yards…! I told him, “That’s not the point of bowhunting” and he told me about how much skill it takes to shoot that far. The real unfortunate thing, is this was the guys first year of bowhunting, and this mentality and stuff is what he had cause that is what was sold at the shop. He could have been any kind of bowhunter, but instead has been sold down the path of speed, distance, and techno gadgets. Unfortunate, cause it wasn’t his fault, but our general hunting culture.

preston

[Ptaylor]

in reply to: Finally got good arrow flight #17113

handirifle wrote: [quote=Ptaylor]Sounds like a sweet location. Looking forward to seeing some photos!

Well it seemed like one anyway, but after many sits at the stand and seeing NOTHING, I’m beginning to think they are using it late at night.

A real bummer, I finally pulled the stand from that area. Season (archery only) is over on Aug 4th, I think, somewhere around then, so I might take a slow walk through the area, only the next hill over. I have hunted that area numerous times in the past, with a lot of sign, but have yet to see an animal.

The deer are all over here. I drove to my stand the other day and on the way there, I jumped 3 bucks, with a 2×2, a 3×3, and I am pretty sure one was at least a 4x? but too far to tell for sure. Those three guys were with 4 does. That was about 150yds from my house but on land I do not yet have permission to hunt :(, sadly. I am working on that, but not too optimistic, since the owner is a vegan :cry:.

Oh well, life goes on.

Hey that’s how it goes, most of the time! A-zone is done on the 4th. I’m heading down to B4 for the week, which opened Sat. There’s supposed to be a bunch of deer there, it’d be nice to just SEE them :lol:!

Ate least you know there are legal bucks in your area. And have heart with your vegan neighbor. My friend and I have converted 2 veggies to wild game, one with venison backstraps and the other with blue fish.

[Ptaylor]

in reply to: Finally got good arrow flight #13728

Sounds like a sweet location. Looking forward to seeing some photos!

[Ptaylor]

in reply to: Finally got good arrow flight #13227

Handirifle,

Are you hunting public or private land? I’m not looking to swoop in on your action or anything like that. I live in northern CA right now, but the only place I can hunt pigs is on private land in Sonoma. Luckily I have a friend that invites me down once a year. Anyway, I’m constantly looking for public land with hogs so I can keep hunting after deer season and your post intrigued me.

Happy hunting!

preston

[Ptaylor]

in reply to: Practice #59577

DaveNash- I’m in NW CA, we still have some of the original redwoods left.

Alex- 300 yards…! That would be fun to do! Just to see those feathers in flight, I’d love that.

[Ptaylor]

in reply to: Practice #58891

Great advice already up here, which I will listen too as well.

I’ve recently figured out how to set up some long distance shots with my targets in front of some old redwood stumps so I can’t lose the arrows. I’m really having fun shooting at 40-60 yards. Its really difficult and my arrows really start dropping. But then when I go up to 15 yards the target looks SO CLOSE!

Anyway I second “having fun” as the best part!

[Ptaylor]

in reply to: a miss and a kill shot #56812

Giggle- not sure about that. Never seen it happen. You must be hunting the A-zone…? I’ll be heading to the northern portion that reaches the Mendocino NF this weekend. Good luck and enjoy the heat!

Two Rivers & anyone else interested. You should go to http://www.scholar.google.com and search for “Common Diseases and parasites of Cottontails” by K. C. Sadler. It is a great publication by the Missouri Department of Conservation, and it talks about (with pictures) the various “worms” and things you’ll find in a cottontail and their health risk. Definitely worth a read if you’re going to hunt/eat rabbits.

[Ptaylor]

in reply to: a few bucks #56711

Shane you’re making me drool! Great camera placement!

[Author]

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