Ollin Magnetic Digiscoping System

California A zone

Grew up in Santa Cruz County out in the country. Larkin Valley Rd. There were a lot of deer in the hills but even back then (50 + years ago) every square inch was privet. I left there in 1968 but hunted the north part of the state west and north of Red Bluff / Anderson. A lot more deer and fewer people. More rattle snakes, hogs, pot growers, poison oak and just miserable weather. Would love to go back and do it again someday.
 
Need to go deer hunting... Only a 5 day break between bow and rifle season this year. May come down and hunt the last week of archery and hang around for rifle. Have a nice spot shady spot at 3300' in the Mendocino NF to camp and hunt. The afternoon ocean breeze nearly always comes up. Hot, but doesn't get to 100 usually. DSC00916.JPG
 
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Archery starts in 1 week - July 11th - whose going? I'm going to wait until Aug 8 for rifle opener - will have 2 weeks if I need it.
 
Will be going to check all our cameras this weekend and probably take the bow along. Wouldn’t expect anything other than 100+ for A zone!!
 
Open day of A zone archery, 2005, late afternoon. Afternoon ocean breeze blowing 10 - 20, probably near 90 or so. Still hunting through my honey hole where I'd missed a dandy 4 by 4 in '88 or 9. Had been logged in the mid '80s, saplings and brush makes for short shooting lanes. A probable pope and young blacktail, in velvet, steps out at 20 yards, walks a few steps and stops broadside with some brush but gives me a great shot. I judge poorly and use my 30 yard pin and shoot just over him. It haunts me...

Still haven't killed a mature buck there - 2 forkies with a rifle.

Missed 4 by 4's with gun and bow...

Discovered the area in '87 and have hunted it about 1/3 of the hunting seasons since. Hunted it last year the last week of the rifle season, saw a dandy but couldn't get a shot. Really need to kill a mature... The plan is to pull into camp Aug 6th, early evening.

Haunted
 
We got out this weekend for opener. Saw 3 does, but no bucks. Anyone else make it out?

Found this guy the night before the opener. We relocated him w/in 100 yards of where he was around 6:30 AM opening day. 220 yards and a STEEP angled shot later, I had my first buck (ever) down. Truly surprised at the amount of fat we found on him, he had about a 1/2" on his brisket, back and rear legs. Thinking he was around 120-130lbs. He's not a monster by any stretch, but my freezer's full and I was able to cross a CA public land blacktail off the list!

Blacktail.jpg
 

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