mattys281

I hunted in a Predator 100% waterproof jacket since last Jan. It's not terribly warm so you'd have to layer underneath it, but it has kept me dry in a complete down pour. Before the early archery hunt this year I added the matching 100% waterproof pants. Just as good as the jacket and their decently breathable. A lot better than the Maddog gear my GF hunted in. She stayed dry from the rain, but was soaked from sweating - not breathable at all. The Predator stuff I got at SW, the jacket was $109 & the pants were I think $70 or $80. They don't roll down super small, but both are light enough to pack if you don't want to wear them all day & they do offer some wind resistance & insulation. I've recently bought a Sitka Gear 90% jacket & the Mountain Pants & Shirt. Haven't used them in foul weather yet, but that shirt is so warm that when I try it on in the house I get real warm, real fast & take it off. They're supposed to dry in minutes, even in cold weather. As a matter of fact, it's rainy, damp & chilly right now, so it sounds like a good opportunity to test their drying ablilities. I'm goint to go douse 'em with the garden hose & hang them on the porch to see how quick they really do dry.

I've already got a stand hung on a good lookin spring, so I'm hopin this blows out quickly & it drys off again. Selfish, I know, but I'll do a rain dance with anyone interested on Feb 1st.

That's an awesome muley, congrats! Welcome to the site. Matt S.

LMFAO! There's a couple more of those being "given away" on the drive out to my place if anyone is interested.

It used to be 50ft. but it was just too expensive for ranchers, to post all of those signs... jason So did the law change, or did people just quit abiding by it because it was cost prohibitive?

I like spotting & stalking too, but due to the fact that I've missed every shot I've had at a deer & am getting pretty hard-up just to connect on one at this point, this year my plan is to simply pack into some remote water holes I've located & sit it out. I think that I've got a much lesser chance at getting a big buck like that, but a much better chance at getting a buck, period. Who knows, might get lucky & have a booner roll in. I've got 5 days in December & 12 in January, so time is on my side. Anyhow, this year I'm playing the odds & if I get that first one down, next year it'll probably be back to spot & stalk. Matt S.

Another TR quote: "I don't shoot well, but I shoot often." THere's no such thing as a perfect shot, there's just making the most of the opportunities that present themselves.

Good guess, Packhorse. That sure sounds like Teddy. I'll second that guess. When do we find out if we're right?

Yes, but he hunted wolverines in Alaska all summer w/ a "FRICKING TWELVE GAUGE! DUHH!!!". Best scene in that movie.

Those are some beautiful trophies. What does he shoot, a "frickin twelve-gage"? Matt S.

Good luck, Redneck. Can't wait to see the pics! Matt S.

You have #'s programmed into your cell phone for sex chat lines You don't?!

They had a thread on archerytalk.com a couple months ago about what people had to pay for tresspass fees & hunting leases, etc. Some of those guys spend thousands of dollars a year just to have permission to hunt on someone else's land! Screw that! I don't like the crowds, but I'm very thankful that we have as much public land as we do out here. If you really want to escape the crowds, buy something that burns hay, otherwise this is what we've got to deal with. Matt S.

If that doesn't get you amped up for your hunt, nothing will! Good luck out there. Matt S.

I think spot & stalk hunting is the most effective way to find & get close to a big animal, but it's also the most challenging way to hunt IMO. If you're not picky & just want a deer, I'd find a remote water source & sit it out. By remote, I don't mean down a rough road. If you can drive to it, or drive close to it, you'll have company. I mean humpin in a minimum of 30 min. I just put a treestand on one that's 2 miles in last weekend & it's not only showing good deer sign, but looks like some bears are comin in too. If you sit water, you should make sure you've got you camera, because you never know what's comin in.

I can dot 'i's all day long on a target, but some how or another have managed to miss 5 deer (cleanly) with my bow so far. At this point I'd be ecstatic just to connect, be it on a spike or a monster. And when I do, of course the picture will go up here, but nobody's gettin my antlers.

I didn't have the balls to say it, but that's exactly what I was thinking. I do have to note, however, that the tracks through the meadow I mentioned were jeep or truck tracks, not a quad. The problem isn't isolated with one group, it's an over abundance of inconsiderate a-holes in general. I don't doubt that the wolf project has some influence on this move, but generally speaking I'm not buying the conspiracy theories about the FS trying to close the forests to everyone. I do believe they're trying to limit the reach of the a-holes who disregard the laws & tear up the land, but unfortunately they can't set-up road blocks & scan for idiots so they have to keep everyone out. Another thing to consider is how many more rvs & travel trailers are being hauled in & out of the forest than there was just a decade or two ago. I was down in 31 scouting this weekend & there must of been 20 of 'em that I passed on hwy 266 between the 191 junction & my trailhead 12 miles down the road. Big 3/4 ton trucks dragging 25,000 lb. trailers down dirt roads & off the road to set up camp can't possible do equivalent damage to the soil & grass as a tent camp does. You guys want all your big toys & creature comforts, perhaps this is the price that you're going to pay. I don't know for certain, just throwing ideas out there. Matt S.

I would never want to see any kind of a law passed or land use policy change that would limit an avid hunter or other such law-abiding person from having access to the woods. That in itself is the problem, though. For every single person like that there's probably at least 5 or 10 dill-holes out cruising right around the closure barriers, tearing up meadow, & in general acting like a jack-butt. These jack-asses ruin it for the rest of us. Case in point, there's a meadow I came across during the August deer hunt in 27 that's way down an old logging road. You go down so far that you eventually don't even see tire tracks anymore. No signs or dirt mounds indicating that it's closed, it just appeared to be unused. I checked that meadow out twice before elk season, never saw a sign of another person in it. About the third day of my elk hunt, I headed in there & what do I find? An 8 inch deep set of tire track driving right across the meadow & over to the closed road that was covered w/ dirt mounds on the other side. I don't think they can come close to enforcing the laws they have in place with the hundreds of miles of forest roads out there now, so maybe they figure that if the close some down they'll be more efficient at managing where people are driving. I don't know if closing roads is the right answer or not, but I'd love to see something happen to keep these week-end warriors in line. Matt S.

I agree with that. Unit 1 & the northern part of unit 27 are both criss-crossed with so many roads & two-tracks that are fast becoming roads that it's rediculous. If there was a map that actually showed all of them, it would look like a dang waffle. I think they need to close the 50% & start enforcing the closures that are already there. Can't tell you how many quads & jeeps I've seen go right around the dirt-mounds on closed roads & haul but up the trail. Matt S.

MAN LAW! Show the pics! Welcome to the site. Matt S.

I'm going to after all the rifle hunts die down, but too many people roaming around out there right now. Plus, that spring isn't exactly real isolated & I can't afford to give away $100 cameras. That spring is a really hot spot when it's dry. In 7 days I got over 140 pics of deer, javis, coatis, the lion & the jaguarundi. I really wanted to set out there w/ my canon & 300mm zoom, but never had the time. I'm going to make time this year now that I realize that was a jaguarundi. Love to get one of those on film & maybe get that coati or that lion on my wall. Matt S.

Ahh-hah, so either it is a cat, or I'm not the only one who is nucking futs in this room!

I've done some online digging on them too. From what I've read, their coats can vary from all black to light tan. Some are even spotted. I'm going to build a blind on that spring this summer when it's hot & see if I can't get an in-person viewing instead of relying on trail cams. Matt S.

Where in the heck do you guys keep finding these toads? You all stink! JK, good luck on your hunt. Matt S.

Those pics were taken w/ one of the crappy old original widlview cams (I think 0.2 mega pix!?!), so the clarity isn't there. If you click on the pic where I circled the head & view it full size, you can see the face through the grass. I can at least. At least I think I can.... dang it!?! Starting to confuse myself on this one. Just click on the link to the .bmp file & you'll see a face - and no this is not one of those stare in the mirror & say bloody mary 3 times kinda faces! It's either a cat face through that grass, or I'm going completely nucking futs!