Deerslam and 2010 goals

[Zbearclaw]

Anyone got all five species of deer recognized  by Pope and Young yet?

I know some don't understand such things, but because of my involvement with CBH (California bowmen hunters) and Pope and Young as a measurer and member I see how making goals to go to new places and the adventure that these new wild places bring really adds even more to love about my favorite past time(or as my wife says addiction).

Anyway, because I have a AK hunt for Sitka Blacktails in August and our usual family pilgrimage to Georgia to visit family and hunt whitetails I figure this is a good year to try and get all five species in the same season.

Because my recent Arizona hunt ended with an unpunched deer tag I can go back in August or Septmber after Coues, meaning I have three species tags all but in my pocket.

Remaining are the mulie and Columbian Blacktail which live in California.  I know I can get an either-sex tag for pacific-hybrids which Pope and Young consider mulies, but an either-sex tag for Columbian Blacktails are only a possibity with random draws as I don't have any points after my hunt last year.

As you can see I am not trying to ground check monsters of all species, I am a very equal -opportunity predator.  I just think it will add another wrinkle to 2010.

In fact I want to be the first person to take a doe in every state you can, but that isn't a one year proposition.

Having switched to trad in 2009 I already had my best season of bowhunting in a long time as I took a doe in CA in Dec and started off 2010 with a javelina.


Anyway, that's a dream that masks itself as a goal for 2010.

Aim for the stars, if you miss you may still hit the moon.

[trad_bowhunter1965]

Good luck Zeke those are good goals to have. I think we took the same Pope & Young Measurer Class.Blake

[deathwind]

I've shot 4 of the 5. I still need the sitka blacktail. I've never set out to shoot all 5 species and may never try for the sitka blacktail. It was just one of those things that worked out the way it did. If that makes any sense. LOL

[Rooselk]

Sounds like a great goal. The state where I live has three of the five species. I'd be satisfied just getting those three, let alone adding the Sitka and Coues. Good luck on your quest: it sounds exciting!

[Steve H.]

I'm 3/5's of the way twice.  Haven't spend much time with our SBT's but WHEN I get one I'll probably get Coues fever bad.  Actually I'm thinking about Coues for next Jan.

[Zbearclaw]

Just got invited by a local buddy in Arizona to sit his treestands in Aug or Sept for Coues.

Not sure I can say yes any faster than I did.

Now have to find a Columbian Blacktail hunt.

A25 seems the ticket, but zero points is just a shot in the dark.

Otherwise A zone up around Monterey is all I figure I could swing.  My spot up in he B zones I 9 hrs each way...

[Ragnarok Forge]

Washington state has over the counter archery deer tags which will let you shoot muley's, whitetails, or blacktails.  Blacktails are found on the west side of the state.  I live in Blacktail heaven.  Lots of brush, lots of deer.

[ozy clint]

what are the 5 species? don't you consider moose, elk and caribou to be deer?

[Zbearclaw]

Originally posted by ozy clint:
what are the 5 species? don't you consider moose, elk and caribou to be deer?

The general idea is that those are members of the same family, but more like distant cousins.  Whereas the "deer" species I listed above are the same basic critter that lives and has adapted to different sub climates.

I would love to eventually take all of the North American big game that doesn't require a non-residentto have a guide and sell a kidney.(everyhing but the sheep species, brown bears, mtn goat, polar bear, and musk ox.

Also a mountain lion without dogs is something I'd like to just be within bow range of.  Most guys that pull that off are in a treestand.  I have never heard o someone taking a lion while stalking it.

It's nice to have goals that are probably out of reach.  I hate settin goals that are easy to attain.  I'd rather try and fail than easily succeed at most things.

[cch]

Z There are people out there that follow cat tracks in the snow all day long until they run into the cat. They are successful at it as well. I have never tried it but am curious and may give it a go sometime. Good luck with your deer hunt sounds like a great time. I just need to get the Sitka and the couse.

[Steve H.]

Clint:

Whitetail: eastern 3/4 of US/Canada/Mexico
Mule Deer: mid-continent and west
Coues whitetail: Arizona, New Mexico, Mexico
Columbian blacktail:  coastal CA, OR, WA, BC
Sitka blacktail: coastal Alaska

[Chris Shelton]

I cant beleive that professionals in the Bio feild have not realized that the whitetails in the Appalacians are a different sub speicies.  They are all small, about a 80 pound average, and I would be willing to be that a public land appalacian whitetail hunt is definatly the hardest hunt in the US.  Everyone says coues are hard, I respectfully disagree:)

[Zbearclaw]

In California they divided the mule deer into a subspecies for record reporting.  We have pacific hybrids here in the southern area of Californias mulie area.

Most folks seem to generally agree that whatever they hunt most often, or in their area is the most difficult.

I know guys that have never gotten within 200yds of a Coues, and others that have grunted them in to spitting distance during the rut.

I'd rather stay out of all that and go see new wild places and hunt there.

[Chris Shelton]

Originally posted by Zbearclaw:
Most folks seem to generally agree that whatever they hunt most often, or in their area is the most difficult.

hunting public land in western Maryland would be easier if we could shoot does during the gun season.  With a terrible deer herd, and a ratio of supposeatly 1 to 5(which is really at least 1 to 10), it is definatly hard.  Especially with the extreme weather difference in elevation. In the valley it can be 32 degrees and still, you go up 200 meters and there is snow and it is blowing 40 mph!

It is funny though because in the eastern part of the state they are begging hunters to reduce the herd

[Steve H.]

There are a couple DOZEN whitetail subspecies/races.  Perhaps those little deer are a product of bad management and poor ratios?

[Chris Shelton]

Yes and yes, lol.  I am only 18 and I realize what needs to be done, and I am by no means a wildlife bio.  We have a terrible herd right now.  And the locals live off the meat so they dont let anything legal go by.  Back in the 80's the deer herd was amazing, overpopulated in fact.  So to lower the population they made it a buck only season, lower the sperm count, and you will lower the population.  But for some reason they still have it set as a buck only season!  Which I somewhat agree with.  But we need a updated antlered deer law.  Right now we can shoot anything with antlers 3 inches above the hair line!  That animal still has milk on its lips.  We need to have a law like PA, where you need 5 points, or something like that.  Which really has nothing to do with age, but in Western MD, a deer with 5 points can be a 5 year old deer!  

Anyway to get back on target here, I think we all definatly want to see some pics when you are successful!!!  Best of luck

[Zbearclaw]

Managing herd numbers is tough stuff, though I am not saying that west Maryland isn't mis-managed as I have no idea of my own.  What I mean is most regs the biologists put forth could, in theory do exactly what they want them to do.

BUT those regs and those well intentioned wildlife specialists are missing a key ingredient and understanding.  Predicting how us dumb two legged critters will respond to their new regs.

For meat hunters it literally took decades in Georgia for most to accept shooting a doe as anything acceptable.  Most were taught about hunting by those that could very well remember hunting when seeing a deer was a rare blessing, and that the general understanding was that taking bucks Only was best to let the population grow, as just like in the human world one buck (or NBA player) can sire a whole herd.

Now, as far as my dream of a calendar year deerslam I am not expecting to be able to do it, but I will dang sure try.  If nothing else me and my black widow will cover a few hundred miles and spend as many mornings, noons, and nights in the mountains as I can pull off without being served "paperwork" by the wife!

My oldest is now 6 so pretty soon I will be the cameraman and he will be the one doing most of the huntin, so if I am gonna try something like this now is the time.

And I will be like a New York tourist with the pics...

[Chris Shelton]

that is cool when you say you will be the camera man, I let dad off lucky because I am my own camera man!

[Zbearclaw]

The boys get the glory for at least a few years.

My yongest is 4.  We spent the last weekend making sausage out of my javelina and skinning he skull out to get "bugged" and then bleached.  

If they only love hunting a tenth what I do, then this is a lifelong addiction for them too!