It's almost time to kickoff the 2017 Hunting season!

Toff, myself and maybe a couple others will be out on the island again this year. Stands are going up very soon and plans are coming together nicely.

Anyone else have any awesome tags and / or hunts planned?

I should be back up in the Tonasket area going after Buckzilla again. Or, at least going on some nice Armed Nature Hikes. Just hoping we don't have another typhoon hit the coast this time.

I just got back from Lk. Curlew near to Tonasket. There are more giant mule deer running around there than anyplace I have ever visited in the lower 48. I think you're gonna have good luck Parker.

Paker needs all the luck he can get!

The sticks will start flying tomorrow.........

I hope to be flinging some on my island tomorrow AM. They fatten up all year on my sugar peas, tomato flowers, and other veges...

2 new tree stands are being assembled today and going up next week. Death (and naps) from above.

Hope all of the stick boys are doing good this opening weekend.

Whoda thunk that Amazon could help set up an ambush ?
https://www.amazon.com/Purina-Mills-Premium-Deer-Block/dp/B00JN9GNJG

Chompin' at the bit. SOON!

QQ: If Grouse are supposed to be dumb and they out smart me, does that make me dumber? I vote yes.

I'm getting anxious! Pretty much packed up for muzzy elk season and leaving tomorrow. Hopefully put a bull to bed tomorrow night for the opener Saturday. Hopefully this year I don't miss!

Good luck to anyone heading out for muzzy elk.

Good luck WSU. Hope you give em' the ol' smoke pole treatment. Let us know how you do!

Got a nice mature male Sooty last weekend (my first Sooty!). Beautiful bird. Made jalapeno bacon poppers and saved feathers for the tying bench.

Also got two different 3x4's with 3" eye guards and a large 3x3 on our trail cams.

1 week and counting....

I just checked in to see if any of our trail cam pics got a mention or post...they sure have me worked up!

Fish on...

Todd

WTF is a "sooty"? Lived in WA all my life, never heard of that?

We had some ups and downs for sure. Mid-day Saturday I got on a couple bulls in the timber. I tracked them for about an hour after jumping them out of their beds. Everything was perfect: wind was blowing consistently downhill and it was raining enough to cover most noise. I managed to sneak to about 30 yards, lined up the sights on smallish 5 point, and ............ click. I can say definitively that bull elk do not like the sound of a hammer hitting a cap. Cap didn't go off and the bull bolted. No more elk encountered on Saturday.

Sunday morning I ended up getting small four point. Not much story to it. Parked in the dark, waited a couple hours for light to walk into the clearcut, and came around a corner and there he was. I shot as he spun to run over the ridge and double lunged him. Meat in the freezer!

We came home to get the bull hung and get back in the office for a day or two. My dad still has a tag and I'm trying to convince him to head back out. Hopefully more to come!

Very cool!

Today I received the unfortunate news that my employer will be clawing back 8 very well planned out (and very well earned) vacation days off. First 5+ day vacation I've planned in like 7 or 8 years. Too quote South Park...."aaaaaaand it's gone".

And and AND!!!!!

I'll be lucky to get the weekends and a 95%+ chance late season will be screwed as well. Basically 3/4's of my season (if not more) has been gut shot.

Hi Snit - a Sooty Grouse (sorry...edited post above). They are type of Blue Grouse (specific sub-species) that live at higher elevations in a small band that runs along the PNW Coast only. Dusky Grouse are the other type of Blue Grouse that are MUCH more common.

Sooty's are a dark slate blue gray with a very specific tail pattern and they're BIG for Grouse. They have much darker and more flavorful meat than say a Ruffed Grouse and are a solid 1x larger in size. Very cool feathers to add to my tying kit.

I'll try to post a cool pic I got....

WSU - congrats on the Bull! Only saw cows on my West side muzzy hunt over the weekend.

Nick - Thanks for the info as I have learned something new! I've killed a pile of Blue's in my life, but never on the West side of the mountains. I doubt I've encountered a Sooty, we just call them "Blues".

Is it Saturday morning yet?

Fuckodeer I am so ready to be in the woods.

Fish on...

Todd