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.