Hirshey's Hunts 2018

[hirshey]

Alright! Things have been absolutely crazy this late summer and fall, but the football game is on the television and the fire is going in the hearth, so why not knock out some of this year's adventures? 

[huntnfmly]

Can't wait to read them I always enjoy your write ups of your hunts

[hirshey]

The summer fire season kept me busy as most tend to do, and I spent the last two months of it willing the oak leaves in Southwest Oregon to start turning. I couldn't have been more thrilled when they finally started to obey. My bosses know what they "bought" when they hired me, and that's a gal who tends to disappear for the majority of October. The calendar finally turned to that glorious month, so I exchanged my fire boots for my hunters, grabbed my muzzleloader and spent some time shooting before the general season opener. Nobody in my family was lucky enough to draw any special permits, but we were hopeful a little luck mixed with a lot of exposure might provide some opportunities.

[Skyvalhunter]

Sounds like a good season Hirshey

[hirshey]

https://www.instagram.com/p/Box52WRBamN/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

muzzleloader practice 

[JakeLand]

 Been waiting for you to chime in !!

[hirshey]

The warm weather of SW Oregon seemed a lifetime away as the day before the opener yielded a winter wonderland. I was grateful for great friends and family to help me construct my new (to me!) wall tent before the worst of the weather hit. We spent the evening laughing and telling stories, enjoying the warmth and comfort only a lively campfire can provide. The morning promised to be exciting; I reminded those worried about the weather that Mother Nature just provided us quite the treat: every elk track we encountered held promise of being less than 24 hours old. 

[hirshey]

https://www.instagram.com/p/Box6LDpBMeu/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Winter Wonderland

[JBar]

  Been waiting for the write up of your adventures!!

[jmscon]

Oh snap! Can’t wait to read about your season!

[hirshey]

The first lights of day were veiled by a freezing fog, extending the shadows past their normal shift. My parents' friends and their sons were joining us for the hunt, and their eldest, Michael and I were set to work together to cover a large chunk of steep, rocky ground for the day. We ascended the terrain still shrouded in thick fog, working through fallen trees and fireweed until we intersected the trail that would take us to our area. Surprisingly, there were already boot tracks on it! We discussed our options, and after a few minutes, decided that the area we picked was most likely not the target of choice, so we continued up the trail. As daylight revealed more of our surroundings, we started to notice two figures working on the trail ahead of us. I tried a short wave when they looked back, but they disregarded and continued up the trail. The odd pair, one carrying a bow and one a rifle with a suppressor, both wearing hunter's orange continued to work faster up the trail as I continued to hail them. When they finally relented, we asked them what area they planned on hunting, so we could work together and not against one another. They stated they were only after deer and bear, and were headed the opposite direction we planned on heading in about 1/4 mile. We let them go ahead as we exchanged glances at one another... did he have a multiseason tag? A muzzleloader tag but no muzzleloader? Their behavior seemed a little odd, but without further information we let it go to concentrate on our day at hand. As the pair had stated, they were headed to a spine ridge on the right. Michael and I agreed that I would take the creek bottom and he would go on the tabletop to the left. I started down the bottom of the draw, sure to go slow to capitalize on any animals the bear/deer hunters or Michael may accidentally move. Less than 15 minutes into my trek, I looked back to see the two hunters at 150 yards and closing. They had given up on their ridgeline due to the fog, and were pushing out the drainage in a manner that indicated they decided to go elsewhere. I stepped off the trail and out of sight and watched them pass. The layer of fog was warring with the winds and sun above; as I waited, watched and listened for the woods to resume normal business, the sun won out. The filtered, ethereal light experienced in the fog gave way to blinding sun that shone like diamonds on every snowflake and ice-laden branch. Now, what to do with the rest of my hunt since those two went right down my drainage?

[hirshey]

I felt those two hunters missed the opportunity to capitalize on a very high traffic ridgeline. I decided to slowly parallel the drainage and take opportunities as I desired to gain the top of the ridge; I knew my biggest ally was the snow, and my plan was to find some tracks and start the pursuit. After all, if you follow them in the right direction, eventually those tracks end at an animal. 

[lokidog]

 

[hirshey]

The ridgeline didn't produce in the manner I was hoping; if I had been that bear hunter, I would have been much more excited. The only tracks I crossed were a lone coyote and a beast of a bear. I cut back across the drainage in hopes of running into Michael or some elk; I didn't find Michael, but the number of elk tracks across the tabletop was dizzying! You simply couldn't follow the same set of tracks for more than 100 yards if you tried. Melted out as they were, the elk had used this area heavily in the last 24 hours. I spent the remainder of the day wandering among the lodgepole pines and enjoying the sun until it departed into the treetops to the west. I cut across a meadow in the last light of day to a dirt road back to camp. As the natural light faded I was greeted by a set of Toyota headlights; my pal Jeff had made it for a few days of elk hunting! I grinned, pointed him towards camp (his seats were full) and trotted the last 200 yards back to a flurry of family and friends. We got Jeff all settled into the wall tent just in time for the evening report; my parents had been into elk but hadn't seen any spikes, their friends hadn't seen any, and both of their sons were in fresh sign all day, but no animals. We formulated plans for the following morning and broke bread around the campfire. When you've been hunting an area for multiple seasons, you generally are fortunate enough to make new friends. This hunt was no exception to us, as we had met ANOTHER Michael four years prior. (We had a Mike, Michael J., and Micheal Jay in camp) Michael Jay was a staple of this hunt for us in his Ghillie suit, trapper's hat, and motorcycle with custom-created muzzleloader carrier. I could write an entire chapter of this hunt dedicated to some of the hilarious things that have been vocalized by that man, but I'll keep that one for the publication. Micheal Jay had arrived in the snow, so we housed him in the wall tent until the snow relinquished enough for him to set up his own camp. Although he slept a few miles away, the warmth of the campfire and the day's stories were alluring to him, and he was a welcome guest around our fire. He had an unending collection of jokes, mental puzzles, and personality to share. We all enjoyed catching up on the day/year/season before heading to bed. Jeff and I had a plan for the morning, and I already knew my feet were going to hate me for it.

[Wetwoodshunter]

Sub, just to see the bucks Jeff sent me