The Fishing and Hunting Thread

[mikemack8]

1 hour ago, MIRV Griffen said:

Good luck to you, man!  What season/unit?

Ummm 471 I think?  I don’t know - there’s 3 different units covered on my tags.  This will be my fifth trip to the area - I’ve put two mulies on the ground so far.  No luck on an elk yet - the elk population in that area hasn’t been great the last few trips.  Too many hunters/bicycle riders/etc I think.  
 

Anyway - good luck to you as well!

[MIRV Griffen]

1 hour ago, mikemack8 said:

Ummm 471 I think?  I don’t know - there’s 3 different units covered on my tags.  This will be my fifth trip to the area - I’ve put two mulies on the ground so far.  No luck on an elk yet - the elk population in that area hasn’t been great the last few trips.  Too many hunters/bicycle riders/etc I think.  
 

Anyway - good luck to you as well!

 Is this an OTC tag?

What you describe as far as human traffic has been the big problem in CO for the past 15 years or so.  The California Invasion brought a ridiculous number of people to those mountains, and the state has done a piss poor job of de-conflicting the interests.  I had a CO muzzleloader bull elk hunt ruined by a mountain bike race right through the heart of the unit opening day of the season.  Huge, LED clocks, tons of people along the main route in and out, etc.  Mind you, hunting tag sales are *the* funds source for all CO trails and outdoor activities run by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and we weren’t given the least bit of deference for the opener.  Not a single elk sighted all week after many miles hiked.  Total waste of money. A 4-point antelope hunt in a different unit a couple years later was an equally ridiculous circus with way too many tags given out for the area.

Truthfully, I only have mule deer points left in CO and don’t plan to apply there anymore for that reason once I burn those last points.  I’m sitting at 10 preference points and need 13 to draw an Air Force Academy unit (512) deer tag as a non-resident.  I’m not settling for anything less than a very low tag issue hunt at this point, and absolutely will not do an OTC hunt out there.  I’d rather spend the time in Montana for Western game, where I’m tagged out on 3 big game tags in 2 days, sitting with a limit of sharptail grouse in hand after that, and fly fishing the rest of the week.

[mikemack8]

23 minutes ago, MIRV Griffen said:

 Is this an OTC tag?

What you describe as far as human traffic has been the big problem in CO for the past 15 years or so.  The California Invasion brought a ridiculous number of people to those mountains, and the state has done a piss poor job of de-conflicting the interests.  I had a CO muzzleloader bull elk hunt ruined by a mountain bike race right through the heart of the unit opening day of the season.  Huge, LED clocks, tons of people along the main route in and out, etc.  Mind you, hunting tag sales are *the* funds source for all CO trails and outdoor activities run by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and we weren’t given the least bit of deference for the opener.  Not a single elk sighted all week after many miles hiked.  Total waste of money. A 4-point antelope hunt in a different unit a couple years later was an equally ridiculous circus with way too many tags given out for the area.

Truthfully, I only have mule deer points left in CO and don’t plan to apply there anymore for that reason once I burn those last points.  I’m sitting at 10 preference points and need 13 to draw an Air Force Academy unit (512) deer tag as a non-resident.  I’m not settling for anything less than a very low tag issue hunt at this point, and absolutely will not do an OTC hunt out there.  I’d rather spend the time in Montana for Western game, where I’m tagged out on 3 big game tags in 2 days, sitting with a limit of sharptail grouse in hand after that, and fly fishing the rest of the week.

These tags are both drawn - the elk required points and the deer did not.  We don’t see a ton of traffic, but we see enough.  My father in law started going in the late 90s and they used to wake up and go to bed with bugles from every direction.  Now we’re lucky to hear bugling more than a few times in a week.  
 

The traffic increase started to become noticeable in the early 2010s.  I’m giving this area one last chance and then moving on to another location if the hunt isn’t satisfactory.  These tags are too expensive to non-residents to go out there knowing your chances are so severely limited.

[MIRV Griffen]

21 minutes ago, mikemack8 said:

These tags are both drawn - the elk required points and the deer did not.  We don’t see a ton of traffic, but we see enough.  My father in law started going in the late 90s and they used to wake up and go to bed with bugles from every direction.  Now we’re lucky to hear bugling more than a few times in a week.  
 

The traffic increase started to become noticeable in the early 2010s.  I’m giving this area one last chance and then moving on to another location if the hunt isn’t satisfactory.  These tags are too expensive to non-residents to go out there knowing your chances are so severely limited.

That’s the way to go and, sadly, your story is becoming all too common out there.  Because the Colorado Division of Wildlife and Colorado Department of Parks were merged (due to the latter not pulling its weight financially), there’s now enormous pressure on what is now Colorado Parks and Wildlife to sell tags in order to fund any and all outdoor recreation out there.  The end result has been tag allotments that are high enough to totally ruin hunt quality by virtue of insane pressure in far too many unit seasons.  It’s borderline unethical depending on your wildlife management stance.

Like you said, it started getting bad in the early 2010’s and will likely never be the way it was again.  The only chance for that to change is a mass exodus of people back out of the state.

[mikemack8]

Was able to harvest my first bull in Colorado - a young one but a bull nonetheless.  I’m very happy with it. 

Funny story - after I shot, I was cleaning my gun (using an inline muzzleloader) before going to check for blood/tracks.  Had just re-loaded, bent down to pick up my pack and when I turned around, there was a BIGGER bull standing right where this one came in.  Stood there and looked at me for 2-3 minutes  

 Sadly no deer - I didn’t see one to shoot, and one of the other hunters missed a nice buck.  The weather changed about halfway through the hunt - lots of rain put a damper on things for us.  

@BFit @Alpha_TATEr @MIRV Griffen

[MIRV Griffen]

1 hour ago, mikemack8 said:

Was able to harvest my first bull in Colorado - a young one but a bull nonetheless.  I’m very happy with it. 

Funny story - after I shot, I was cleaning my gun (using an inline muzzleloader) before going to check for blood/tracks.  Had just re-loaded, bent down to pick up my pack and when I turned around, there was a BIGGER bull standing right where this one came in.  Stood there and looked at me for 2-3 minutes  

 Sadly no deer - I didn’t see one to shoot, and one of the other hunters missed a nice buck.  The weather changed about halfway through the hunt - lots of rain put a damper on things for us.  

@BFit @Alpha_TATEr @MIRV Griffen

Great work, man!!!  

Your experience was the polar opposite of mine: saw tons of great mulie bucks and not a single elk, let alone a bull to shoot during MZ season.

Enjoy that harvest, my friend.  Well-earned.

[BFit]

2 hours ago, mikemack8 said:

Was able to harvest my first bull in Colorado - a young one but a bull nonetheless.  I’m very happy with it. 

Funny story - after I shot, I was cleaning my gun (using an inline muzzleloader) before going to check for blood/tracks.  Had just re-loaded, bent down to pick up my pack and when I turned around, there was a BIGGER bull standing right where this one came in.  Stood there and looked at me for 2-3 minutes  

 Sadly no deer - I didn’t see one to shoot, and one of the other hunters missed a nice buck.  The weather changed about halfway through the hunt - lots of rain put a damper on things for us.  

@BFit @Alpha_TATEr @MIRV Griffen

thats awesome! my buddy just left for colorado i think on friday to archery hunt elk. 

[Alpha_TATEr]

19 hours ago, mikemack8 said:

Was able to harvest my first bull in Colorado - a young one but a bull nonetheless.  I’m very happy with it. 

Funny story - after I shot, I was cleaning my gun (using an inline muzzleloader) before going to check for blood/tracks.  Had just re-loaded, bent down to pick up my pack and when I turned around, there was a BIGGER bull standing right where this one came in.  Stood there and looked at me for 2-3 minutes  

 Sadly no deer - I didn’t see one to shoot, and one of the other hunters missed a nice buck.  The weather changed about halfway through the hunt - lots of rain put a damper on things for us.  

@BFit @Alpha_TATEr @MIRV Griffen

niiiiice. 

 

i just got a sweet new spot to hunt. one of the guys at our campsite just got land on a 1k acre sweet corn farm, that's overrun with deer. my trail cam wasnt there 15mins before i was getting pics. adams county so i'll near real close to the maryland border. 

[mikemack8]

12 minutes ago, Alpha_TATEr said:

niiiiice. 

 

i just got a sweet new spot to hunt. one of the guys at our campsite just got land on a 1k acre sweet corn farm, that's overrun with deer. my trail cam wasnt there 15mins before i was getting pics. adams county so i'll near real close to the maryland border. 

Awesome - Gettysburg area?  Littlestown? 

[Alpha_TATEr]

15 minutes ago, mikemack8 said:

Awesome - Gettysburg area?  Littlestown? 

my bad, he's in adams county now, new oxford area, but the land he just got is in franklin county, just south of waynesboro. 

[Alpha_TATEr]

pic from the new spot. 

 

 

[DrPhilly]

Nice work @mikemack8

 

 

btw - Next summer I'm going up to the northern part of Michigan and then up to the UP of Michigan with a guy who is a HUGE fishing dude.  His wife is from Michigan (went to college up in the UP) and together with my wife we will make the trip.  I've never been up that way but started poking around a bit to see what we can get up to.  This is one of those dudes that travels to far away places just to fish so he'll no doubt be up for an adventure if we can figure something out.  Anybody have any experience from up that way?  We can probably get a full day or maybe two out of the trip to dedicate to fishing.

[MIRV Griffen]

14 hours ago, DrPhilly said:

Nice work @mikemack8

 

 

btw - Next summer I'm going up to the northern part of Michigan and then up to the UP of Michigan with a guy who is a HUGE fishing dude.  His wife is from Michigan (went to college up in the UP) and together with my wife we will make the trip.  I've never been up that way but started poking around a bit to see what we can get up to.  This is one of those dudes that travels to far away places just to fish so he'll no doubt be up for an adventure if we can figure something out.  Anybody have any experience from up that way?  We can probably get a full day or maybe two out of the trip to dedicate to fishing.

Good stuff!  I wanna get up there some day.  My only MI fishing has been with fly tackle on rivers in the LP.

[DrPhilly]

12 hours ago, MIRV Griffen said:

Good stuff!  I wanna get up there some day.  My only MI fishing has been with fly tackle on rivers in the LP.

We might end up doing something in the LP. I'm interested to see where we could find some good muskie action and hoping that is available in the UP but if not then an LP river outing might be the ticket. Our time will be split pretty evenly between LP and UP. 

[Alpha_TATEr]

On 9/21/2022 at 4:49 PM, MIRV Griffen said:

Good stuff!  I wanna get up there some day.  My only MI fishing has been with fly tackle on rivers in the LP.

my cousins live outside of ann arbor. dundee area. my younger cousin knows where to go for fish for pretty much everything, including salmon. need to get there someday. our salmon trip got cancelled this year. first time i wont be up pulaski in 27yrs and go figure, it's a huge run. 

at least i'll get out for archery tomorrow. 

 

[MIRV Griffen]

9 hours ago, Alpha_TATEr said:

my cousins live outside of ann arbor. dundee area. my younger cousin knows where to go for fish for pretty much everything, including salmon. need to get there someday. our salmon trip got cancelled this year. first time i wont be up pulaski in 27yrs and go figure, it's a huge run. 

at least i'll get out for archery tomorrow. 

 

That kind of person is invaluable as a guide.  That sucks hard that you couldn’t make it up.  Only salmon run I ever hit was in Alaska and I hit it completely by accident.  Just happened to be there and have my fly rod with me.  Ended up pulling in some bruiser chum salmon.  Numbers were absurd in the glacial silt stained river I hit.  

[BFit]

Went grocery shopping this morning. It's officially buck season for me

[MIRV Griffen]

3 minutes ago, BFit said:

Went grocery shopping this morning. It's officially buck season for me

Nice score!!  Get to that buck, man.

[LacesOut]

Any of you Fisherman compete in contests and stuff your caught fish with weighted balls??!! 
 

Mike probably does that. 🙃 😎

[Alpha_TATEr]

my younger son got his 1st deer friday ! 1st shot ever with a crossbow. he stayed in the blind by himself ( i was in a stand about 75yrds away) i couldnt tell from the pic of them he sent before hand, but it ended up being a button buck. 

 1st time i field dressed a deer and had to do it by vehicle headlights. didnt open the gut sack ! 

oh and the backstraps were a big hit at the tailgate yesterday. 

 

[mikemack8]

3 minutes ago, Alpha_TATEr said:

my younger son got his 1st deer friday ! 1st shot ever with a crossbow. he stayed in the blind by himself ( i was in a stand about 75yrds away) i couldnt tell from the pic of them he sent before hand, but it ended up being a button buck. 

 1st time i field dressed a deer and had to do it by vehicle headlights. didnt open the gut sack ! 

oh and the blackstraps were a big hit at the tailgate yesterday. 

 

BACKstraps  

Congrats to your boy! 

[greend]

[mikemack8]

40 minutes ago, greend said:

Congrats!

[Guest]

2 hours ago, greend said:

 

Is that a statue behind you, or did a deer photo bomb you ??

[MIRV Griffen]

On 10/17/2022 at 6:59 AM, Alpha_TATEr said:

my younger son got his 1st deer friday ! 1st shot ever with a crossbow. he stayed in the blind by himself ( i was in a stand about 75yrds away) i couldnt tell from the pic of them he sent before hand, but it ended up being a button buck. 

 1st time i field dressed a deer and had to do it by vehicle headlights. didnt open the gut sack ! 

oh and the backstraps were a big hit at the tailgate yesterday. 

 

Great work all around.  Field dressing a deer by headlights is a chore, for sure, especially when you’re new to it.  Congrats to the young man on his first solo harvest!