A1

[Timmy]

We will be hunting down in C3 this year with that new special C-ZONE archery tag. Its just around the corner on the 10th of August. Just wondering if anyone else was going?

[Chuck]

Hi Timmy, welcome aboard! There are a few of us that have hunted the C-4 zone for many years, and like you we are going to try a new area. We have been scouting a area around Burney in the C-2 zone. Haven't seen alot of sign, but, that which we have seen looks somewhat promising. It's just like starting over for us, as it would be for most. Give us a couple of years and hopefully we will have a better idea as where the deer are using this area.
###On another note, saw a huge bear on the 27th, Sat., off of 89 on the way to Bartle to do some looking around. One of the guys with us had never saw a bear in the "wild" before, now he has. Good luck to you and yours, keep us posted as to how you do, 'til next time, keep 'em sharp, Chuck

[Timmy]

Chuck, thanks for the info and I will definately be reporting on what I have found out and good luck on your hunting season.

[Timmy]

Is there anyone going. Today I went to dfg while down visiting my dad and they said that there was still 800 tags left!!! How many did they start out with? Is there anyone else going except Chuck?

[Wildbio]

I am going to be hunting C1 around Ball Mountain. ###I don't know anything about the C3 area. ###Good luck down there.

[Chuck]

Hi guys! I told you I'd report what happened on the opener for myself and two friends. Went up near McCloud off of 89, just east of there, hunted area around the McCloud river. Seems as if everything was laying low due to the heat. However, we did not see as much sign as we had in the not to distant past. There is water everywhere south of 89, the animals can find it no matter where they are, so this does not concentrate them as in other areas. Needless to say we won't be going back again to this area for some time. Talked to a lady timber surveyor on Sat., the 10th, and the previous week she had seen a few deer, nothing great. She said that in past years there usually are quite a few in this area, she has lived in the area all her life and this is the first that she has noticed a decline in the deer for the last couple of years. Seems strange as there is plenty of eats there, water, not much bear sign, didn't see any cat sign no matter where we went. Also talked to a couple of fellows who live there and this is the second year that they didn't get a deer on opening day, they were so frustrated they said they may not hunt the rest of the season. I asked if the weather had anything to do with it and they said no as it had been this hot in the past. Oh well, back to square one for us, how did the rest of you do? Timmy, Bio?

[Timmy]

Well it didn't start off that great at our place in C3. We hunted near a creek and they didn't move early but early afternoon. When they got to our property they would bed down. So when we would sneak around they would be bedded down and would leave before we could get close. But the evening is the best and the first night my dads friend poked a nice forkie. I also sat in the same area and saw a one-horned fork good sized buck and was waiting for one bigger but I thought if he comes in to about 30 yards or less I would take him but he came only 45 yards and left. I am still down here so I am going out tonight so hopefully I get one of the bigger bucks that hang out here.

[Timmy]

Well, I had the shot. I was in my ground blind last night and 4 bucks came out one big spike x fork, a one horned fork, a forkie ( with little kicker points on three different spots), and a 3point with one eye guard. I got up slowly and drew on the 3 point. He stuttered a little bit but just stood there broad side 25 yards away. I flung the arrow and it flew true but a little bit to the left. Enough to live. He ran another 60 yards where he laid down. The forkie stood next to him but when the other two spooked from me he ran. Never to be found. Little blood was left behind. I looked all last night all today no sign. This really made me mad I thought I had him.:confused-yellow:

[Chuck]

Tim, sorry to hear the sad tale! ###Did you look at your arrow real good? Were all the fletchings and shaft covered with blood? Any hair on the shaft anywhere so you might be able to tell from where it came off the body? If there wasn't much "sign" on the shaft the odds are it was a grazing shot and the deer will survive, most animals that may have been hit with a razor sharp broadhead in a non-vital area will definitely survive. This point has been proven time and time again. It appears from your text that you spent plenty of time in the recovery process. One point I would like to add that has helped me in the past is that I carry a small spray bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide, if I question a spot a quick spray will tell me if it is a blood spot or not. If it is it will foam up, even if it has dried. Hope this will help you for the future. Keep your chin up, good things come to those who are patient, good luck on your next outing. As for us we are going to wait for the opener in the C-4 zone as this is our "home" turf, will keep you posted as to the "success" once the season opens and as things go on. 'til next time, keep 'em sharp, Chuck

[hunthog]

This year will probably be my last after 35 years in C-4. ###The late start coupled with the habitat destruction by the lumber companies has ruined all my old hunting grounds. ###Three years ago you couldn't see more than 40 yards in any direction out of my 20 year old stand. ###Since then they stripped the woods of all the brush and small trees and turned the area into a war zone. ###Last year, when I climbed up into the stand I could see mt partner in his over 200 yards away. ###I saw 4 deer in 4 days where I used to see 10-20. ###The 4 deer I saw was the same doe each day.

I went up to check things out a couple of weeks ago. ###It had rained about a week before I got there. ###Looking at my trail, there had only been one small deer over it in that week. ###I'm going up next week and putting up my portable near Lake Almanor. ###Last ditch effort. ###Last year I gave up after one week and 6 deer.

I wrote the DFG last year and asked why the late start and what was going on with the herd. ###I also asked if the DFG was doing anything to fight the habitat destruction. ###Here was the reply:

Larry- ###
### ### You have made some very important observations regarding the cause
of the decline of the East Tehama Deer Herd (Zone C-4). ###Management
practices on most US Forest Service and private timber company lands are
designed to minimize the amount and duration of young shrub growth.
Without the growth of these shrubs for deer forage, the herds cannot
prosper. ###In fact, the amount of forage produced now is about 20-25% of
the forage produced back in the "Golden Years" of the late 50's and
early 60's. ###This parallels the reduction in deer numbers. ###Without
proper nutrition, the does may not come into estrus during the first
cycle, they will produce small, weak fawns, and provide insufficient
milk to the young fawns. ###As a result, about 80% of the fawns now
produced die within the first year. ###The result of the loss of fawns is
a declining deer herd.
### ### As the herd has declined, we have had to reduce the amount of
hunting pressure on the buck segment of the population. ###During the late
80's and most of the 90's, our buck ratio was consistently below the
target. ###The target (20-25 bucks per 100 does) was designed to, among
other things, maintain enough bucks to breed the does early enough in
the breeding season so that the fawn crop would be born in the late
spring and early summer (not mid-to-late summer). ###This is the best time
for does to take advantage of the growth of nutritious annual
vegetation. ### In order to meet this objective, we have put restrictions
on each group of deer hunters through methods such as shortened seasons
and lowered quotas. ###For archers, we have required a tag (A-2) which is
specific to the C-4 zone. ###The implementation of this "Area Specific"
tag has decreased the number of hunters from an estimated 4000 to
approximately 1500. ###Under this program, all hunters who want to hunt
the C-4 area as their first choice can get a tag.
### ### Over the last five years, we have been monitoring a number of deer
trails on the lower end of the summer range using Trailmaster
technology. ###These devices allow us to count the number of deer passing
by on the trails. ###The early data showed that there was very little
migratory movement of deer prior to the opening of archery season.
However, after the start of the archery season, the numbers of migrants
increased sharply. ###In order to verify this information, we conducted
repeated spotlight surveys within Refuge 1-G (most of which is used
primarily during migration) before and after the archery opener. ###The
results, again, indicated a sharp increase in deer in the refuge after
the opener. ###We installed video cameras on some of the trails and found
that within the groups of migrating deer were significant numbers of
young spotted fawns. ###Fawns this young, when faced with a migration of
about 70 miles, have a much reduced chance of surviving. ###In order to
give these fawns another week of strengthening growth, we moved the
archery season one week later.
### ### ### In summary, 1) ###the decline in the herd is due to poor habitat
conditions, made worse by practices of timber land managers ###2)
restrictions on buck harvest have been placed on all hunters in order to
maintain a minimum buck ratio which will contribute to increased fawn
survival and 3) ###the archery season was moved a week later to give small
fawns an extra week of growth before taking on the rigors of migration.
### ### I hope this information has answered your questions.
### ### David A. Walker, DFG Wildlife Biologist.

If that isn't discouraging enough, I was told by a Biologist for that zone that 75% of the recently born fawns have already died this year from some sort of disease and that estimated that about 80-90% of last years fawns also didn't survive through the winter. ###How does that compute for the future of the C-4 herd, which used to be the biggest in the state. ###

hunthog

[Speckmisser]

Wow,

That was a great response from DFG. ###I hope the folks who put them down all the time get a chance to see this. ###It's honest, and I think sound science. ###

It is too bad that there's so much going on to bring the herd down. ###Hopefully the changes they've put in place will help the herd survive... even if that means less hunting opportunity. ###It's a long-run trade off, I guess. ###

[hunthog]

Strange that people put them down so much. ###Every time I have written I have been given a great response. ###I think their critics fail to understand the problems the DFG faces in Cailifornia. ###They have to balance the constant pressure from a state full of Anti's and provide hunting opportunity for us....who are a dwindling and virtually silent minority. ###Overall, working in an environment full of critics, they don't do too bad. ###Too bad the state and local government and population doesn't support them with reasonable laws that support the strong ties that hunting and fishing has to conservation.

hunthog

[snoopdogg]

Hunthog, thanks for the info. ###I'm glad you care enough to write to DFG, most don't.

[Chuck]

Well I'm back!! Opening week didn't see hardly any bucks, mostly does with fawns. And yes because DFG moved the season later the fawns observed were older, stronger and in much better shape than in years past, so, hopefully their survival rate will be greater.
Now as to the second weekend of the season our group were definately seeing more bucks, they were starting to migrate into the Refuge as noted by most of us on the hill. We hunted from our treestands on Sat. 9-7 and Sun. 9-8. On Sat. at 6:25 missed a shot at a nice fork horn at 23 yards. I held a little high due to my pins and when the string sounded, he "jumped" the string, you know what I mean, it went over his back just by a hair, oh well better a clean miss than a wounded animal.
On Sun. we saw more deer and more bucks, all just out of range from our treestands. When we pulled our stands at 9:00, as we had to close for the season, we took our time going back to camp to tear it down. My buddies and I saw a total of 5 legal bucks, all walking steadly towards the Refuge. They were not spooked, alarmed or anything by our presence. We also noted more 3 point and larger bucks this year as compared to last. They were all in good shape.
We also learned of a really nice 5x6 that was taken over the weekend. So for those of you that can make it back up for the final weekend, go for it, I think your chances will be good at a nice buck. As for me, have family commitments, and there is always next year for archery, and I still have another tag for the general season later on, 'til next time, keep 'em sharp, Chuck

[LittleJohn]

Hi. Chuck got a nice one way up the hill from you on Sept. 1st at 7:20 AM... I have tags to go into Lake Sonoma, but don't have the time this year to go...