Blacktail Buck rutting in Allyn

[WAPITIHUNTER]

Was working on a Property Survey south of Allyn today. Started hacking some brush with my machette and prompty spooked a couple deer. It was a doe with a nice buck hot on her. If it was achery season he waould have been toast as he would not leave the doe. He just kept watching her and when she finally took of he was a chasing!!!!

Pretty nice 3 point with a good spread. He was off Stadium Place road just off Grapeview Loop road on Pickering Passage. Hint Hint!!!!!!

[HuntnJunkie]

Are you a land surveyor Wapiti?

[WAPITIHUNTER]

Yes. Been at it my entire life! Started going out with Grandad and dad when I was just a little turd. Got my License year and a half ago.

[PolarBear]

Yesterday I saw a 2 point pushing a doe pretty hard on Schoolhouse Road in Hoodsport.  The bucks around my place are in full rut now but are doing most of their pushing at night.  They keep waking me up by tripping my motion sensor light on the barn.  The does are in the yard eating acorns and the bucks are chasing them all over the place.

[HuntnJunkie]

Yes. Been at it my entire life! Started going out with Grandad and dad when I was just a little turd. Got my License year and a half ago.

That's awesome. I am as well, I'm a first generation surveyor but been doing it for the last 12 years, since I was 18. Got my license  in 2007. We probably almost sat for the test together. What's your LS #? Mine is 43347. Who do you work for?

[WAPITIHUNTER]

Ha Ha Ha!!! That is so cool!!! My LS # is 44643. I work for my father at "Riipinen Surveying Inc." Company has been around since 1961 when grandad started it.

I passed the state test the first time around but the easy national test took me 4 tries

[HuntnJunkie]

I got lucky and passed em both the first try.  Good thing because I don't know if I would have been able to take em again.  One of my partners did the same thing you did. Got the hard state part and missed the national 3 times. Think once you miss it once it starts becoming a mind game. Good to be done with it though. Glad to hear it that passing it didn't keep a machete out of your hands! I'm still in the field full time as well. (Well these days I spend some time doing proposals cuz there ain't a whole lot of work  ) I worked for Triad Associates for 8 years and then me and 9 others started Axis Survey and Mapping 4 years ago. Just in time to get some clients before the bottom dropped out. You guys keeping busy?

[WAPITIHUNTER]

Heck No! We are down to half staff. We had 13 and it's down to just family right now, 7 of us. I am 50/50 right now between field and office.

Talk about a rollercoaster ride. Seems like it's going to pickup and then blank. Our fingernails are getting sore from hanging on to the ledge hoping we don't fall off.

My brother in law just sat this past weekend for his exams. He said the morning was easy and he figured he had it whipped. Then the afternoon came and he got a taste of what it can really be like. I thought that was pretty funny as he is a very smart guy!!

[HuntnJunkie]

Yeah its going to be a rough winter, were down to all owners and have all taken pay cuts and still struggling. We've been doing the same, get busy for a few days to a week and then nothing. I know it was a little discouraging when I sat and felt decent about the morning and then watched the class triple in size for everyone retaking the state portion. Hope your b-i-l does good.

[WAPITIHUNTER]

Now for the million dollar question??? How many deer or elk have you shot on the job and or on permission you got from clients.

I think I have brought home at least three deer in the work truck and I shot three elk on properties we surveyed and got permission.

That's right everybody being a Land Surveyor has some awesome perks!!!

[HuntnJunkie]

Well I was a drafter for 3 years before learning that I couldn't kill deer inside the office. I then worked on commercial construction sites for the next 3 years which doesn't have a lot of deer but I have still managed to kill 2 deer on property that I've surveyed.  Almost got an elk on one (still after him) and have came close to a lot of deer on others. It does have its perks. I was working in Bellevue of all places this year and had been bringing my bow to work because I never know where I will be, but this day I had to drop my van off for brakes and just left my bow thinking "what will I see in Bellevue". Well Murphy's law I had 4 nice blacktail bucks walk right pass my setup. 2 of em (4x4 & 4x5) sparred for about 5 minutes no more than 20 yards from me.  I was temted to try to slay with the machete!