D-14 is closed and its tag soup for me.

This last weekend was Veterans Day and the closing of D-14 deer season. Rudy, Brad and myself made the drive up to Big Bear. With the temperatures in the low 30's and highs in the low 60's the weather was perfect. Made the hike in Saturday morning at first light. Rudy 2 weeks prior spotted a nice 5x5 and 4x4 in this same area. With high hopes of getting a shot at one of these big bucks we took our time. Being in the mountains as the sun is coming up is great. The hills come to life with birds chirping, crows cawing and then the unfriendly sound of truck after truck in the distance. Hunting public land there is always a chance of other hunters but you hope you don't see any one. Well lets just say there was a lot of other hunting pressure. The morning turned out to be uneventful. We hiked and glassed but never saw a deer. Great deer tracks and scat all over but with the other hunters I think the deer have been moving at night. We made the way back to the cabin for a snack and relax for a little before the evening hunt.

We decided to change up the evening hunt and stay close to home for the night and do a little predator control. The coyotes in the area have grown in numbers in the past few years. We set up in a good meadow and let the call do the work. In about 5 minutes we had a grey fox coming in on a string. With fox season closed till November 24th the little guy got a pass.

We headed back out for a quick Sunday morning hunt. With all the people, wanting to get on the road before all the traffic and lack of deer. We decided to head back to the cabin, load up and get back down the mountain. This season I was not In shape like I should have been and really lacked motivation. I have a new fire under my butt for 2018 and looking forward to improving myself as a whole. Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year.

Opening day in D-14

October 14, 2017 was opening day in D-14. With all the time off I had in September I was not sure if I could get off on Friday the 13th. With luck being on my side I was able to get Friday off. Rudy and I met up at my house at 9:00am to load the truck and head up the hill. After loading up, a few pit stops for ice and gas we where on the road before 11:00am. The drive was easy and made great time in under 2 hours to deer camp. We pulled in and opened up the cabin to let in the fresh mountain air as we unload the truck. The temperature was a perfect 62 degrees at 1pm. Cracked open a man soda and finished with all the cabin opening procedures, moving mouse traps and checking for dead mice before letting my dog run free. With no issues Mako was off and running all over the yard. Once the rest of our group arrived (my fiance and kid) we headed out to a early dinner at Firerock Burgers and Brews. The food is great and there is a great selection of craft beer to enjoy.  We finished the night stopping by the store picking up the last needed supplies. Back at deer camp for the night we played cards and told stories before heading off to bed.

I was up before my alarm at 4:30am and decided to just get up and get ready. Rudy was right behind me and we were out the door by 4:55am. We made the way to the trail head and did not pass to many hunters. It was only 15 degrees out so that might of had something to do with it. We sat in the truck for about 15 minutes to let the dust settle and discuss the morning plan. As we where getting our packs and gear on we were passed by 2 other hunters. They were heading up the same trail as we planned to hike in on.

With the hunters hiking in the way we wanted to go we quickly changed plans and headed up another canyon. About a half mile in I spotted a 2 deer on a hillside about 500 yards away. Rudy was able to confirm it was a legal buck using the Vortex Diamondback 10x42. The second was a doe. With the position of the buck sky lining himself on the hill neither of us felt safe taking the long shot with not knowing what or who was on the other side of the hill in case of a miss. We made a game plan to skirt the hill side and cut him off. We made a good move staying low with the wind in our favor. Until Rudy realized he had left his clip in the truck, Ooops! Off to the truck he went with the plan of meeting up later deep in the canyon. With the sound of road hunters in the distance. I found a great spot to set up and with a great vantage point and shooting lanes. After sitting for about 45 minutes I could see Rudy coming up the valley. Since the sun was coming up I needed to shed some layers. I whistled and gave a wave so he could see me. The plan was made to follow the canyon up to a old logging road and take that around the back side of the mountain. We hiked and glassed, hiked and glassed all the way back to the truck. At the truck we heard the first 2 shots of the morning about 9:30am.

We decided to make a move to another area I had seen great deer sign in during archery season. We hiked into a canyon and then up to a ridge hoping for a good spot to glass. As we hiked the hill seemed to roll on forever. We finally found a canyon but the trees were to dense to glass. We dropped into the canyon and found 2 metal fenders or part of some equipment from years past.  We ended up seeing a camp in the distance so we headed back to the truck.

Rudy and I checked one last spot, Rudy spotted 2 does and we were hoping for a buck to be following. We were never able to locate another buck and with it getting late we decided it was time to head back to the cabin and get cleaned up for Oktoberfest.

We had a good evening at Oktoberfest taking in the fresh mountain air and enjoying a few cold beers. Ended the night by grilling up a tri-tip, veggies and watching the Dodger Game. All and all a great weekend. Spotted 1 legal buck and 3 does. There are still deer out there just waiting to get back out there.

Gear Review: Vortex Diamondback Binouculars

My first set of binoculars I bought were the Vortex Diamondback Binoculars 10x42. 2 years ago my truck was broken into, my bino pack with my binoculars and a knife were stolen. I had got another pair for last year to test and then had to return them. Now with Vortex helping Al and myself out this year, I will once again be using the Diamondbacks. Prior to them getting stolen I used them for 3 years and loved them. The glass quality and clarity are amazing. Hunting in Southern California you spend a lot of time behind your glass looking for ears and antlers in the shade of rocks and trees. Here is a brief overview from Vortex's website.

 Diamondback^® 10x42 Roof Prism Binocular
Superior quality, high-performance hunting optics can find their way around your neck for a surprisingly affordable price. The smooth focusing 10x42 Diamondback^® binocular takes you to the fine details you prize. Taking its lead from the Diamondback rattlesnake, this rugged binocular is striking in how well it detects life in low light. Look for a huge field-of-view—the largest in its class— with enhanced fully multi-coated optics, phase-corrected prisms, waterproof and fogproof construction, soft tapered eyecups, and rugged rubber armor. It's all there in a Diamondback. Now you can use "wow!" and "thank you" in the same sentence. You can check out the full specs, features and more reviews at: http://www.vortexoptics.com/product/vortex-diamondback-10x42-binocular

Last weekend I ventured out on a scouting trip in D-14 with my new set of Diamondbacks. We got to the meeting spot at 4:30am and by 4:45am with the light of the moon I was able to glass the hill side across the valley. Even with the light of the moon you where still able to make out shrubs and bushes. If a deer was bedded at this time it still would have been hard to see but if one was moving you would have caught the movement. Walking down the road stopping periodically to glass the distant hillside in the low light my binoculars where bright a clear to see through.

For longer periods of use or if you just want focus in better on objects a tripod is best. I use a Promaster XC525c Carbon Fiber Tripod with a Vangaurd P11 pan head. This year I am trying out the Vortex Uni-Daprtor to mount my binoculars to my tripod instead of the Vortex Binocular Adapter. (Reviews to come on all these products soon.) After using a tripod for my first time I immediately noticed a difference. You can focus in on the smallest details with out shaking or disrupting your view. This makes finding deer that blend in with the natural surrounding a little easier. It is usually the small details, something that just doesn't  look right or out of place. That is something you would want to spend some time looking at.

For the price of the Vortex Diamondbacks they are hard to beat. Bass Pro sales them for $249. The price is great and you get a decent pair of binoculars for a great price. I would recommend these to anyone looking for a decent set of glass at a good price.

Gear Review: CAMELBAK CHUTE Insulated Water Bottle.

Do you like cold water? Well I do, from freezing water bottles and vapor bags to special ice trays meant for water cooler bags I have tried them all. Whether I am hiking, working construction, going for a long drive or even just hanging out at the house cold water is key to me. At this time I was filling Smart Water bottles up half way and freezing them the night before then filling them that morning for the rest of the day. By mid morning even leaving it my cooler with ice packs it would be melted and starting to warm up. Or if I drank it and refilled it the warm water from the water cooler would melt the ice rapidly. A few months back I was working out on a rig when my op operator went for a drink and pulled out his CAMELBAK CHUTE 40 oz water bottle. After discussing it with him and how it keeps his water cold all day I had to get one.

I went to Amazon and picked one up for $39.99. Not the cheapest water bottle out there but after using it for 3 months I can say it is worth every penny. I have taken it camping, shooting, working in the yard, working on a rig, the gym and hiking the trails in my Local Trail Spotlight. The CHUTE is a little heavy for some to take backpacking at 16 oz dry weight. It will keep water cold for 48 hours and hot for about 6 hours. I have not tried it with a hot beverage yet. For me I will pack it full of ice and just keep refilling the bottle all day. It will keep the ice for pretty much 2 days depending on how much you drink and refill it. The lid is a hard plastic that has a spout to drink or pour out of. There is a cap to seal the bottle to keep it from spilling if it gets knocked down or it gets dropped.

The CHUTE is double wall insulated which helps keep drinks cold or hot. The Chute comes in 8 different colors so you can add your own style and flare. I picked the evergreen as Amazon did not have the lime at the time. It has a handle so you can carry or hook it to your pack or stroller. CAMELBAK also makes a 20 oz bottle if you are looking for something smaller. I might be getting one of those for shorter hikes and outings.

The only down fall if in a hunting situation and you had ice in the bottle you will hear it hitting the inside of the aluminum. It would be like a bell and all the animals would know you where coming. Besides that this bottle is made solid and can take a beating. I think I will be getting at least the 20 oz and possibly one more of the 40 oz bottles.

Checking Game Cams and Finding New Ground

This past weekend I made my way up to my spot in D-14 to check my game cams that have been up since April 15 2017. I also wanted to look for a few new spots to check this year. We made the trip up the night before to base camp. Spent the afternoon getting our gear ready and planning for the morning. I got the old trusty Weber out and grilled up  some rib eyes and potatoes. After a great dinner and a few brews, we got out the coyote calls to see if we can get a answer back from those pesky song dogs. After about an hour we decided it was time to get some sleep before the alarm clock wakes hits at 4am.

It felt like I had only put my head on the pillow as I am bumbling around to shut my phone off. I double checked the time and jumped in the shower. After getting ready I woke Rudy up, loaded the truck and hit the road. I decided to take a different way to my cam location as I wanted Rudy to glass a bowl that I have seen deer in the early hours. Leaving Rudy I ventured on to my cam location and made the hike in. Pulled the card on my first cam going over the picture we have bucks. Not a buck but bucks. It was great to see the growth on them in a month and a half. In total 4 buck for sure 2-3 does and 2 mystery deer that were just out of my cams range. Once I saw the first buck I loaded up and headed to the second cam. Unfortunately I had set it in a bad spot and had a 16gb sd card full of branches and leaves blowing. I pulled that cam down and decided to try and find a new location for it.

After getting back to the truck I made my way to Rudy and he was waiting on the road for me. He has spotted a coyote and a doe so it was a success for him. We made our way to a new area I had never been. On the way we spotted a beautiful bobcat up on the hillside. He was not spooked by me getting out of the car and just watched me. He finally decided it was time and made his way up the hill. After driving for what seemed like miles we came across a great spring crossing the road in a few spots. We decided to hike the canyon and see. It looked promising but with temperatures rise fast we both decided we need to hit this one first thing in the morning. I was amazed by all the water that was flowing. I have been up in this area pretty much my whole life and have never seen this much water. It was great to see. All the plants and wildflowers growing like crazy. With some hope some of this water will still be here come hunting season.

We got back to base camp, kicked the boots off and relaxed for a few hours before we headed out looking to get a coyote with my bow. We tried 3 sets and could never even get a answer. Hiked the hills for a little bit burning off a few calories made the way back to camp and spent the evening cracking jokes and going over the SD cards made for a good relaxing night. Hit the road in the morning and I was able to watch almost all of NASCAR.

Local Trail Spotlight: Lakewood Nature Trail

LAKEWOOD NATURE TRAIL 
Located between Candlewood street to Carson street in Lakewood. With parking at Candlewood, Boyar Park, and Monte Verde Park access is easy. The trail is open from dawn to dusk. This mellow trail follows along side the San Gabriel River. The trail is full of native plants and wildlife. Egrets, herons, hawks, and coyotes all call this place home. The Trail is roughly about 2 miles long one way. Dogs are welcome as long as they are on a leash and cleaned up after. The city of Lakewood dose a great job keeping the trail maintained and clean for all to enjoy. The plus about this trail is across the riverbed using Del Amo or Carson bridges and a short walk down the riverbed is Rynerson Park. They just opened a new playground and work out area. Let the kids play while work up a sweat. They also have a 1 mile concrete loop. If you do the trail and the park you can get a little over 5 miles. Plus you are hardly near traffic. It is great if you are like me and listen to headphones while walk not having to worry about traffic.

Remember to always bring water and stay hydrated. Bring a snack or lunch if you plan on a longer adventure. Some of the trails have water fountains but I would rather be safe than dehydrated. Most of the local hikes will be short 1-4 hour hikes. Great for a evening hike or casual stroll after dinner or a great way to start your weekend.

As The Tempatures Heat Up So Dose The Scouting

As the summer months heat up so does my scouting. No, I am just not starting I have had my game cams out for 4 month now. I will be checking and pulling my cams this month to get ready for the upcoming season. I am focusing on D-14 for archery season. This time of year the temps are high so the deer are moving early in the morning and late in the evening, and bedding down during the heat of the day. This Is when glassing is key. I just got a new pair of Vortex Diamondbacks for this season and can not wait to put them to work. I had a pair 2 years ago, my truck got broken into and they were stolen. Glad to have the Diamondbacks up to my eyes again. Finding the shady spots under rocks and trees is where quality glass can help or hurt you. My partner and I will be heading out Saturday to a promising area to glass and see what we can come up with. This is a great spot with water and lots of new growth this year.

Photo Credit Al Quackenbush

I also have a A-31 tag and plan on hiking into a new area this year since 2 of my spots are closed due to fires last year. I will not be scouting this area as much due to focus on D-14. The best part of this tag is it is either sex and the season lasts till December 31st. Giving it some time for the temperatures to cool down and let the deer move a little more during the day. I am hoping for a great 2017 hunting season with deer, bobcats, pigs, coyotes, and bears. Lets hope for full full tags and fuller freezers by the end of this year.