Happy New Year! My Reflection of 2012!

2013 is upon us and I wanted to share a special moment I had recently on this last day of 2012.

My wife and I celebrate our 35th  wedding anniversary today and when we both reflected on the past 35 years, the common denominator for our love always comes back to our children.

Our children are our legacy because they are such marvelous human beings and make this world a better place. Is that not the essence of love, to leave this world a better place? It isn’t about the money, the things you acquire but the impact you make on others.

Let me give you just some examples of how proud we are of these three special people.  We watched our oldest daughter perform her award winning choreography piece at the Sacramento State Dance competition and her creativity took our breath away on how good it was. She has repeatedly amazed us with awards for her creative work, recently winning the top fundraiser publication for Sacramento Safari Club International. This is her fourth win in five years, amazing.

We watched out number two daughter perform in a play at the California High School drama competition in front of hundreds of people and she was a star.  She also just completed her UC Davis Physician Assistant degree and we marvel at her passion for medicine and helping others.

My son wrote a play in high school and it was performed at the B Street Theater in Sacramento, How neat was that and how proud we were.

This last week I attended the Kendal Arnett Basketball Tournament at Placer High School. I sat down next to a man I recognized from the High School my kids went to and we began a conversation.  I told him my kids went to the high school he works at and he said he remembered them.  We confirmed that he had presented a scholarship to my son in memory of his son who was a policeman and was killed in the line of duty.  I thanked him for recognizing my son and he said it was no contest. Every time they ran the criteria model to choose the recipient, my son always came up on top. They loved all the comments his peers, teachers, and administration said about him, his integrity, honesty, leadership and that he was admired by many. Wow! I had a hard time composing myself, emotions surfaced. He said to say hello to Dan and left. 

Our love for each other the past 35 years has been a journey many do not get to enjoy. Thanks you my love for the past 35 years.  I told my wife, “Ok, just 15 more years and your free, that was our agreement, 50 yrs” She said “Deal” Ha- Ha, we will just renew for another 50!

Have a safe and peaceful New Years Eve, be careful and we will talk in 2013!

Muzzleloader Hunt in Northern California

Muzzleloder Hunt in Northern California

Finally I get to share this hunt. You have enjoyed how to choose a muzzleloader and the bullet and powder preference in previous blogs,  but now you get to hear how this hunt unfolded.

Some history: I drew this tag for this California Muzzleloader unit two years ago and Dan and I had a great time. I never had shot one of these smokepoles before at anything and with my new TC gun I thought I could hit something, wrong!

I missed some nice bucks but finally on the last day I hit a nice 4x2.  We were stoked with this unit since we saw 13 bucks in two weekends that were shooters.  Emily, Dan's girl friend  also drew this tag as a rifle unit last year and harvested a nice 3x3 so we knew this unit well.

For 2012, with one pt, I just thought I would get another pt but decided to put in for this unit again because Dan had max points for this tag and may be l would get lucky and draw again so we could hunt together.  Well, Dan drew the tag and I also drew the tag to our shock.  Now we both had drawn mule deer rut tags in a great area.

Also, we had access thru private land to hunt land locked BLM land as before so we knew where we were hunting which always is big plus for success.

I traveled up to the NE corner of California, met Dan and his Emily and headed out to the unit.  When we got to the edge of the area that we were going to camp at, we noticed signs posting no fires or camping, our first problem.  As we were trying to decide what to do, the property caretaker came driving by in his ATV.  What is nice is that Dan knew him from two years before. He said they had fires this past year from wood cutters and campers and decided not to risk more fires so the closed it down to fires or camping.  He also had drawn this tag and was excited for the hunt but was going to another part of the unit.

Dan said that he knew of a small piece of BLM land right in the hunt area and with his GPS we  could camp there since it was BLM. The caretaker agreed, wished us luck and took off. 

We headed into our hunt area, found the BLM area based on the GPS  and set up camp right where we wanted to hunt. We thought this may be a problem with noise, fire, and camp smells but we just did not want to travel far to hunt the area.

After setting up camp, we did some scouting and saw does and small buck not 200 yds from our camp. They seem to not care as long as we stayed in the truck and not get out, they then  headed up the mountain.

Opening morning came and we started walking the road to view the hills and basins. This area burned a few years ago so it had major grass and burned junipers with small shrubs, nice habitat.  Not 100yds down the road, we spotted several bucks with does in a basin and moving up the hill. One was a nice 4x4 and a small 3x3.  We tried a sneak up the mountain, but could not get close. The rest of the morning was walking the ridge lines glassing and seeing a lot of does with smaller bucks.  The evening was about the same but we were seeing bucks with does so the rut had began.

The second morning started out the same, not far from camp, walking the road we spotted a nice 5x3 they had seen during scouting. He was pushing does up the ridge, skylined. As soon as he went over the edge, we worked up to the ridge. Got up there, and saw three more bucks and does on another side hill about 300yds.  We watched them go up the hill and over that ridge but decided to try for the 5x3. 

We crept slowly over the edge where they went over, and there he was looking at us at about 60yds.  Instinctly, they knew or heard us coming.  I quickly moved around a burnt tree to shoot and he busted us.  We ran to the left but he never would stop for the shot.  This was getting fun but tough.

We decided to follow the other bucks we saw earlier that went over the other ridge to see if they just went over the edge to feed. We did another stalk but when we got up on top they were no where to be seen, just disappeared?  The rest of the day was spent driving roads looking at new areas, but nothing happened.

Monday was the next day, hunted the am the same way, saw this 5x3 up on top of the ridge skyl-lined. Took aim and fired at about 150 yds, missed but he just walked a few yds. I  reloaded quickly and fired again. With open sights, early light and up a hill, not a great shot to take. Missed again and he took off. Frustration starting to take over.

Hunted the rest of the am and we decided to drive to a new part of the unit and hunt the evening.  Dan and Emily worked a ridge and I sat on a basin but no action. The weather was warming and the rutting activity was slowing down, seeing less deer.  We decided to stay in the nearest town,  get a motel for a shower and have a nice dinner. 

Since the weather was warming, I was trying to decide if I should  go home and come back the last weekend.  We got up on Tuesday am , we  headed back to our hunting area and as we drove to camp, three bucks were bedded right off the road. One was a nice 3x3 and not 20yds away and not spooked. I really had to hold back and decided not to shoot this 3x3. 

We continued to camp and got organized to go walk some ridges when Dan said, “there are bucks right up the hill from camp” We all glassed and lo and behold the 5x3 with does and a couple other bucks were not 200 yds up the hill.  They then bedded down.

We planned our strategy: Emily and I decided we would go around the hill and hike up above them and come down on the area where they were bedded. Dan would go the other way and work up to them so if they busted us , maybe one of us would get a shot.

We worked our way up the hill above the bucks and slowly worked down the hill to where we thought they would be. I was working too far to the left when Emily said we need to go more to the right. Well she was right. As we started to move, there was Dan below us and to the left motioning us to head fast to the right, we moved fast.

The 5x3 was walking with the other buck below us, he knew something was up. As he came out behind a tree, he look up at us. I hit a knee and put the bead on his vitals and fired, We heard the ”wack” and he collapsed. We froze and could not believe what had just happened.  We walked up to him and could not believe what a brute he was. No ground shrinkage,  my hunt was over and I was blessed. 

We took pics, gutted him, and dragged him down the hill to camp. What an easy retrieve.  So the rest of the day waa spent skinning and packing the cooler. We went into town where I had parked my car and I was headed home with a great harvest.

Dan and Emily stayed two more days, had some shots at bucks and harvested an nice 4x4.  He and Emily had to bone it out and hike up a canyon and down to camp so they had a lot more of a challenge than I had.

What a great hunt, two tags, two nice bucks, great camp, food, and experiences. I cannot thank Dan and Emily enough, Emily is amazing at spotting animals and packing out animals and Dan is just the best hunter I have ever known. I love them both, thanks again for taking care of the ol'man.

Enjoy the photos! Maybe with no pts I will draw this unit again? Ha!  Check out my Facebook page for more pics.

How to Choose the Right Muzzleloading Bullet/Powder Combination

How do you choose the right combination of powder and bullet choices for muzzleloading hunting?

My previous blog talked about shooting a muzzleloader for the first time and trying to figure out how to shoot this unfamiliar type of gun.  The real challenge is trying to understand the types of powder, bullets and primers that give you confidence when the time is right to pull the trigger.

The wonder of the internet is probably the most helpful when it comes to getting up to date information on what are the best loads available. Let’s face it, the choices are many and how do you pick the ones that will work best. Like centerfire shooting, the load that works best for your gun depends on several factors, bullet weight, penetration ballistics, and velocity. The manufacturer gives you ranges of bullet choices with low end and high-end powder grain based on what you’re hunting so I started there in my research.

The first resource was to check the Internet on the Knight Shadow 50 caliber gun and what people were saying about it.  There were positives and negatives on this gun. Some said it was heavy to carry, I did not find that the case.  Others said it was hard to clean with a lot of fowling especially with the breach plug.  I did find that the breach plug had to removed with a breach tool that I did not have so I used a socket set out of my garage tools that fit and could easily remove it.  I also read that you had to use a solution of Dawn soap and water after several shots in the field to get it clean.  Wow, that seemed like a lot of hassle especially when the big buck in moving away.

Well, I was concerned, so I went down to the local Sportsman’s Warehouse, and talked to Mike, the expert in Muzzleloading. I explained my concerns from what I learned and he said, “Forget it”.  Get a 240gr Dead Center bullet with Hodgdon Triple 7 30 grain pyrodex powder along with 209 primers.  He said the shot shell 209 primers are a little powerful for a muzzleloader and will cause more fowling so try Remington Black Powder primers for muzzleloaders.

He also said, in the field or at the range, shoot three shots and to clean the barrel, take a patch, put it in your mouth and saliva it up. Run in down the barrel a few times and shoot another three shots.  I did this at the range and viola, no major fowling in between six shots, easy to do. I did not need all the recommended stuff to carry in the field, and they all shot great at 100 yds. Hit the 8-inch circle three inches high and to the right of the bull’s eye.  Now I was cooking! 

Next was to shoot three shots at 150 yds.  Ran a salivated patch down the barrel, took out the breach plug and with a few salivated soaked patches, cleaned the powder residue from the plug and barrel, it worked great.

I shot three shells at 150yds but hit very high and off the 8inch circle. Not good but what I realized was that my sight picture with open sights was high with my view down the barrel. You have to put the target just on top of the round sight bead picture. Did this with three more shots and I hit just above and to the right of the bulls eye, now I felt better.  And I did not have to use the Dawn soap rinse suggested to clean this gun.  Mike said the Dawn wash is for the end of the season when you are really cleaning the gun for hibernation in your gun case.

The next week, I wanted to go shoot more but no one had my Dead Center 240-grain bullets.  Now I was panicking.  I would have to start all over with a new bullet.  I went back to Mike; he suggested using a Powerbelt Copper Hollow Point 245gr with three Triple 7 30gr pellets. He said it should shoot the same but I need to try it.  Well, went back to the range and shot three at 100yds with this formula.  Wow, hit just above the bullseye and a little to the right.  Next tried at 150yds, hit a little higher and to the right also.  What I did find is was the Powerbelts really were easier to seed than the Dead Center every time.  I did my saliva patch after the three shots and there was no difference in accuracy.

I also learned that every major gun store carry’s Powerbelts, Triple 7 powder, and Remington 209 muzzleloader primers.  That is important if you need more supplies out in the hunting area. They are the standard for muzzleloading that I can tell.

Ok, how did I do in the field?  You will have to tune in next week to see my success and hear the hunt story. 

Today’s blog information is my opinion and experience; you may find a better combination and have a different experience.  Talk at ya and be careful out there!

2012 Mule Deer Muzzleloader Hunt in Northern California: Part I

2012 Mule Deer Muzzleloader Hunt in Northern California: Part I

Let me first begin saying that if you have never been muzzleloader hunting for mule deer, you need to try it. Muzzleloaders are relatively inexpensive still with some models going for under $250. You buy some pyrodex powder and sabots, some breach lubricant and you have all the components.  You also can go to you tube and see how easy it is to load the gun safely.  I found Mike at Sportsman’s an excellent source of help to focus on the right sabots and power. Now you are ready to go to the range.

First start at 50 yds to see if you can hit the paper. I was surprised how well I shot right with the first three shells.  Three inches high and to the right.  Remember, in California, you cannot use a scope so you are shooting open sights. At 50 yds, you can put the front bead right on the 8” target and hold pretty steady. Once you fire, there is smoke so you really cannot see the target, kind of scary at first.  Now you look thru the spotting scope and viola, you hit the target. Now the fun starts.
 
You reload based on the You tube video and you are ready to shoot again.  The more you shoot, the more fowling builds up in the barrel and breach tube.  Mike told me to take a piece of cleaning cloth, put it in your mouth to lubricate it. Ram it down slowly working it to clean the major fowling from the barrel. If you do this every three shots, you can continue shooting without cleaning the breach plug after a few shots.  If it really gets hard to push the sabot down the barrel, then its time to clean the barrel and breach. 

I found that in the field, you do not have time to major clean the barrel and breach plug. If you miss the first shot, the deer is moving and you have to reload fast and try and get a second shot. Remember, you are under 150 yds usually and if you miss, he is moving away so reload as fast as you can and move to get another opportunity.

After 50 yds, I moved to 100 yds and experienced the challenges of open sights. The front bead covered up almost the whole target. Shot three more, cleaned, and checked the target. All shots were really high and to the right almost off the target, not good.  I was told that at longer distances, you need to take the top of the bead and hold just under the 8”target because your sight vision tends to aim high when you place the bead right on the target.  I tried three more and viola, hit the 8” pie plate target, 4” high of center and to the slight right, now I was cooking. 

I then tried 150yds, and held low with bead and still hit the target high and to the right with three more shots.  I felt good about my hold at this point. I did not try 200yds even though they said it would shoot that far, just did not like the idea of not even seeing the target well, let alone trying to hold on the animal at that distance. I am sure with a scope, it would be a shot you could practice but not with open sights.

I practiced several more weekends and was now ready to go on my hunt.  Part II of my mule deer muzzleloader hunt will come out on Friday.  I am leaving for Colorado for an elk hunt on Sunday so stay tuned, a lot of fun experiences coming.

The above pic was an evening view of the moon coming up. Enjoy some of my photos to be posted today on my facebook.  Thanks for following Ryan’s Roost!

My California Muzzleloader Hunt for Mule Deer

The countdown has begun. My M-8 Bass Hill Muzzleloader hunt starts this Saturday and I cannot wait.

Weather has moved in and snow is starting in the high country this week, which should start driving the bucks down to the lower elevations.  A layer of snow would be nice.

I hunted this area two years ago and had a great hunt. I never had shot a muzzleloader before. I won a TC Triumph 50 caliber at a SCI fundraiser back in 2010 and never had a chance to try it out. Talk to an expert at Sportsmans's Warehouse, he got me the right powder and sabots, instructed me on how to clean and sight it in. Went to the range out in Ione, and shot at 50 yds, 100 yds and 150 yds. Guess what, with open sights and no scope, the bead on the barrel covers up almost the total target, tougher than I thought.

Needless to say, I hit the 8-inch pie plate target consistently and headed out to my hunt. My son, Dan, was my guide and was able to get access thru private land-to-land locked BLM land.

Opening morning found us on the road and we immediately glassed a big 4x4 buck bedded down about 500yds up on the burn. We put on a stalk and got to about 150 yds when he made us.  I used sticks, aimed and fired. He bounded off, a clean miss?  We climbed the hill to glass the bowl and up the burn on the other side.

We soon spotted  another buck headed up the burn chasing does, rut started. We worked down the mountain as fast as I could keep up with Dan, got with in 150yds, aimed again and fired, missed again?   Now I was getting frustrated on where I was shooting.

Needless to say this went on for two days and two weekends, seeing 13 bucks and never the same one twice.  Big bucks were everywhere  and the rut was on. 

On the last day of the season, we drove down a fire road, Dan spotted a buck up on the hill about 150yds again. I decided its time to just aim at the buck and not try to adjust for drop as before. I put the bead on his vitals and fired. He flinched and started to roll down the hill.  Buck down.  We climbed the mountain, took pics and dragged him down to the truck.

This was a great hunt with my son Dan.  Two years later, I drew again, not sure how I did with no pts, and Dan drew the tag also. I borrowed a Knight Shadow since Dan is shooting the Triumph. I have been shooting it often to get real comfortable, and I think I understand the aim point with open sights.

We have some great mule deer, antelope, and elk tags in this state, you just have to put in and you never know what tags you will draw, get in the game and go hunting.

Will let you know how we do next week so stay tuned on Ryan's Roost!  Check me out on facebook also to follow my hunts this year.  This is my Colorado deer and looking to break my record.

Hunt of a Lifetime

Hunt of a lifetime?  Memories of a lifetime!

 

My Colorado mule deer hunt started eleven years ago when I began playing the preference point game in Colorado.  I had drawn a good elk tag over this period in Colorado and did not connect but I really wanted a good mule deer hunt.

I am 65 and realized that if I do not put in soon, I may never be able to do this hunt.  My son Dan is by far the best hunter I know and kept bugging me with “Dad, don’t you want to just go hunting, why are you waiting”. The odds were also getting worse every year with more applications with high points and I was told by the Colorado Parks and Game, it would take another five points to get drawn for the units I wanted. Five more years, forget it.

We studied the stats and came up with a unit that I could draw with my points and success history was good so we put in.  Yes, one of my hunting buddies, Bob and I got drawn and were ready for the late mid November rut hunt.  Dan agreed to guide us.

We arrive in Colorado the day before the opener, went scouting to see the lay of the land and access points.  A lot of camps and hunters doing the same since this area is also during an over the counter elk season so hunting pressure was going to be a factor.  We found a mesa we could get to and planned opening morning. 

We woke up to snow falling but the roads were passable to get on top of the mesa.  We got to the turnoff to park and there were two hunter unloading ATVs. After talking to them, they were from the area and going to go in  deeper with their ATVs so we would not be pushing them. We headed out to the end of a finger ridge, sat down with snow falling and waited for shoot time.  What a beautiful site.

We soon saw deer movement, bucks chasing does and the rut activity was starting to heat up.  The bucks were nice 4x4s and under but nothing for opening day shooting.  The snow continued so at 1:00 we headed back to the trucks.  Bob was already there putting on chains and the two ATV hunters were there chaining up also. Dan had big mud tires so we felt we could get down the mountain with no trouble. We all did but what a muddy mess, slipping and sliding.  Spent the rest of the day driving other roads and glassing, seeing a lot of deer but no shooters. The majority of the hunters were in there camps since the roads were pretty tough to navigate.

Day 2, we decided to go back on top since the roads would be frozen and passable since the storm blew through and it was around 17 degrees, freezing the mud and snow. Day 2 found us on the same ridge point looking over a snow covered burn. Deer movement was constant and ongoing. I even had my sights on a 160 class 5x4 at 125 yards. Really tempting but I had harvested a 160 class deer in  Kaibab, Arizona and what they say is “if you want a big one, you cannot shoot the smaller ones.”, so we watched and enjoyed the experience. 

I began realizing that the real hunt experience was being in a beautiful area, seeing game, but experiencing being with my 25 year old son doing what we both enjoy doing.  We sat together, glassed together, talk about life and how fun this experience was.  This beats harvesting any animal anyday, really!

Day 3 was the same, seeing lots of deer but not the one I wanted.  We even got stuck in the mud and worked putting rocks and branches under those snow tires to get up the hill.  Those mud tires really were an asset and  Dan also knew his tires limitations, it was fun.  Dan would just say we are not stuck, just delayed a bit.

On Day 4, my buddy Bob decided to head home and call it a hunt.  Dan and I decided we would go back on top and see what materializes. Blue sky, roads dried up so getting up there was no problem. 

 

Again, we saw bucks and I was tempted on another 5x4 pushing does.  We decided to drive the road further on the mesa and see what deer activity was farther down the road.  We were coming back across the mesa when we saw deer on the side of a hill. A big bruiser was pushing eight does up the hill. I jumped out, put the cross hairs on the buck and waited for Dan to give me a distance reading. Dan said 325 yds and shoot!  I put the reticle on his shoulder and pulled the trigger, missed. Could not believe it. We jumped back in the truck and drove down the hill, the buck was slowly pushing the does and really did not care what just happened, the rut was on.

I got out again and steadied on the hood of the truck, the buck skylined at the top of the hill at 225 yds . I put the crosshairs in the shoulder crease and pulled again. I heard the wack and the buck started moving down the hill towards us, obviously hit. Dan and I started walking toward him up the hill.  He bedded down behind a big rock and as we moved up to him, he rose and I was able to finish him off with a follow up shot.

I could not believe how great a deer he was as I walked up to him. While going up the hill, I pulled my back out so I was pretty useless when we got to the deer. Dan propped me and the deer up for pics and then he dragged him down the hill to the truck. I slowly worked my way down in pain but made it. 

 

We, no Dan, boned and caped him out as I layed on my back to try and stop the spasms.  I really was not a lot of help to my guide.

We headed back down the mountain and called my buddy Bob who was half way home to L.A.  Needless to say, you have to spend the time in the field to give yourself the best chance of harvesting an animal you desire.

 
While this is the biggest deer I have harvested, 180 SCI score, 31’ spread and probably will be my biggest ever, the real satisfaction is being with my son on this experience.  You cannot measure our experience, deer or no deer, my memories of being with him in the wild is what I will cherish.  Dads, go hunting with your kids every chance you can, the harvest is secondary.  Want to see more photos, follow me on facebook, @calvinryan. Enjoy, Cal Ryan

Take Risks Mentally and Physically but do not be Stupid!

Take Risks Mentally and Physically but do not be Stupid!

What the H… does that mean Cal?  Let me share an experience I had this week.

As you go thru life, you take risks that teach you lessons and hopefully you learn from them and not repeat them consistently. But, as you grow older and wiser(?), you sometimes think you are invincible and get a little risky and push the risk to danger.

I walk every morning on a 2-3 mile jaunt thru the woods where we live in the foothills.  The trails are good and maintained but we do have coyotes and sometimes mountain lions show in the area so you have to be alert.  I usually carry a mace spray just to be on the safe side.  Most of the time those predator critters want to stay away from humans and run away.

There are other predators out there I forgot about. I was walking down the trail to an historic homestead that the building have been consistently vandalized of historic items.  As I approached the site, I came around the corner and there was this small car hidden behind the curve with a guy kneeling down looking like he was changing his license plate. I kind of startled him and  he stood up quickly.  Stupid 1:  I stopped and asked him what he was doing (confrontation, not smart). He said just hanging. I noticed another guy in the passenger side, both looked tired and little grungy.  A pit bull pup came to sniff me.

Stupid 2:  I told them they were trespassing and were on private property, they said ok and would leave.  They continued to ask me about the old buildings?

Stupid 3:  I kept talking instead of walking away quickly.  I then put my headphones in my ears and headed up the trail looking back periodically.

I got home and did not call the police. Later that morning, I drove by the property and saw two more cars in the area. I went home, called the Sheriff to report the suspicious activity.  The sheriff came to our house and I explained what I experienced and saw.

He said the two guys matched the description of two car thieves in a silver Tercel. They had chased them at 3:00am down from Colfax but never caught them and were still on the run. OMG!  He said they would check the property out but reminded me that anyone who looks suspicious usually is and could be dangerous and should not be confronted and pressured, just leave quickly and call the police.

Hey, we watch Cold Case and CSI and there are always crimes against innocent people who just were in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Wow,  did I get lucky.

Needless to say I did not sleep well that night just thinking of all the things that could have happened.  I took a stupid risk that could have gone bad, you never know.

Lesson:  I now carry my mace, walkie- talkie and a big hunting knife but I have learned that do not think your invincible out there: Take risks mentally and physically, that’s how you learn and grow and push your limits but DO NOT BE STUPID! 

Thanks for listening to my experience, let me know if you have one to share. Follow me on facebook and twitter accounts.

Ryan's Roost Goes Live!

Hola!  Thanks so much for following my blog and becoming part of my Ryan’s Roost like minds or not.  This blog is all about sharing experiences, ideas, failures, successes, and words of wisdom that I have acquired over the years.

I have raised three great children who are exceptional people who make this world a better place.  They keep me in check and make sure my negative nuances do not surface too much.  It’s amazing how our parent’s scripts come to the surface at times. My kids keep me in the now as best they can, I still think Neil Diamond is an Icon in music, ha!

I am married to the love of my life and even though this is trivialized, my soul mate.  For 35 years we have experienced this life we have been given and tried to live for every Passage we enter.  She amazes me daily, I am so blessed that she continues to put up with me for this long. However, we have a 50-year commitment and in 15 years she can go paint the town red or renew our contract.  Wow, I could be so lucky to hit 50 years with this lady. 

This blog will talk about my passions: family, hunting, some politics and wildlife and habitat conservation.  I am a Montanan at heart, born and raised in my early years and consider the Big Sky Country my basic roots.  I love the Mountains, the rivers, and the resources they have to offer so this will be a major topic for me to help share this wonderful place with others.

Why is the Male Sage Grouse and his hens my logo for this blog? Well,  I read an article about this marvelous bird and how his survival impacts how his habitat survives.  His sage habitat is so critical to many other animals, plants, and birds in the west. His survival is a great indicator of the health of the West for elk, deer, pronghorn, sheep, birds and all the other plants that need to have a healthy environment.

That’s enough for now, check my facebook and twitter if you want to stay connected. Take care and see you in the SAGE!

Know the Age of the Deer Before You Shoot

We all need to know how to judge a deer by more than just the antlers. Love this great infographic from HuntingNet which shows you how to assess buck age by the body shape. The idea is to pass on smaller bucks (don't we all try to do this?) and harvest the more mature animals. This allows for a more healthy herd (which results in bigger bucks anyway). Teach yourself, your buddies and your kids.

If a Tree Falls in the Forest...

This cover photo is of the roots of the previous tallets tree in the world, 357' Redwood. It fell in late 90's in a storm, a football field long. Redwoods do not have tap roots, roots are close to the surface to get all the water and nutrients to grow so big. Amazing mother nature.

Nothing Like a Lady in Camo

Who says you can't get the little woman to wear camo? Toni decided to come out and see just how tough it is to find them goats.

Hardest Antelope Hunt of My Life!

Me and my guide who also happns to double as my son occasionally.

Just finished one of the hardest hunting experiences of my life. I have hunted Antelope three times and all three were completed in less than three days -  fun but not too hard.

This Likely Tables hunt in Modoc county took six days of walking on lava rocks, crawling on rocks and sage, chasing goats that run at the sight of truck, hot, and challenging at best.

I had shots, first day at over 290yds with Weatherby 270. missed? Second day, shot at 325 with a 243, missed? Now I was losing confidence. Target shot, all guns shooting ok, must be me?