500 Bucks (dial up beware)

[The Weazle]

I love that crab clawed buck in 418!!!

[boneaddict]

I took a whole bunch of pics of him.  I'll try to do a thread feature on him.    I closed from quit a distance with light waning fast.  That was a great way to end an evening.  I had to choose between him and another buck that was bigger.  The bigger buck had the high ground so I figured he would just push up the mountain.  It worked out.

[boneaddict]

[boneaddict]

There was a guy stalking this buck with his bow.   I didn't realize it until I focused on the doe.   I pulled out, not sure of the outcome.

[boneaddict]

[boneaddict]

[boneaddict]

Its going to be an interesting fall.   I've been reeling from the depression of what its going to be like.  A huge percentage of these shots came from areas that are now Black and look more like the moon than deer country.   

[The scout]

either way I'm looking forward to fallowing along with your season. I can't help but feel guilty thinking about the deer herd when peoples homes and property's are ruined, but I can't help thinking about the deer either

[quadrafire]

Maybe change the title this year, to 50 bucks (dial up welcome) and go up from there

[Pathfinder101]

Its going to be an interesting fall.   I've been reeling from the depression of what its going to be like.  A huge percentage of these shots came from areas that are now Black and look more like the moon than deer country.   

Have you seen this kind of thing before Bone?  Will they shift their wintering grounds, or will the game dept have to start feeding?

[boneaddict]

Not nearly to this extreme.   I imagine both will need to happen.   Migration patterns will be interesting.   I have an idea where many will shift and will probably be fine, but then again there are a couple routes such as those on the eastside of the chiliwist......they aren't going to have many options.   Some of the late tag holders are going to have a bonanza and others might be puckering.

[quadrafire]

I would imagine that those migrating deer will have no idea till they show up for the winter range and then realize it's not there. If it is a horrific winter that could get very interesting.

[boneaddict]

I'm curious to see how some of the bucks "I follow" react, or if I find them again.

First wave of deer will hit at the later end of the season and its usually the doe.   No cover, no food, how will they react?

[JackOfAllTrades]

If you recall.. After Tripod, that first season the bucks and does steered clear of the area. Or on the fringes where there was some cover/forage. Years later, some of the same routes into Ramsey and such are now being used as they were before that fire. Places where migration routes where heavily traveled through sections of 30 mile, are only now being reused as those routes were vacant for many years. Its odd... Most of those deer would be too young to know the old path.  -Which makes one wonder, Do they learn a path to fall/mating/winter range as they are young or is there something else that tells them, wills them to return to the same place time and again? Just like Salmon to spawning grounds?   There were a few horses that walked west on Highway 153 to a church that had some hay out. Everything around them was scorched. Did those horses smell that hay from miles away?
 
Although a lot of winter range was damaged/destroyed, there are pockets of green. Pockets of surviving browse. Will they eat it all then die of starvation? Will they eat and roam for more?  I'm hoping for the latter, but that will have them competing with other deer that have returned to their pocket of winter range. It will be interesting to see how WDFW reacts with a feeding program and how the wolves harness the opportunity for easy pickins as many more deer will be on smaller winter range.
 
 
-Steve

[boneaddict]

Should make it a little easier for the sight hunters as well.   Also the cover some of the thick stuff provided in the minus 20 nights up there.   It was their blanket.