The Corridor

Let’s talk about the actual season instead of the esoteric emotional nonsense because we all know the details are more fun.

I hiked somewhere around one hundred-fifty miles in a little over a month, across twenty-two actual days of hunting. Some days I only covered a mile or two while others I hammered out ten before calling it quits. The spots I traditionally hunt are fairly high up, and require navigating through thick underbrush and steep terrain to get to the areas I know the animals congregate at. Sometimes the going is fairly easy, especially in areas effected by forest fires, while other times it’s a struggle to go fifty meters because of the density of blackberry bushes and vine maple. Early in the season I try to stay on or near high speed avenues for deer moving between bed and feed, cognizant of possible hidden bedding spots that I may come upon mid day. This leads to slow going and can sometimes make those miles feel harder than they actually are.

This year I spent more time finding animals pre-season, especially in locales that I knew fewer hunters would be. This led to seeing more animals than ever before, though most did not meet my size requirements. This was an entirely vibes based metric that had me prioritizing older bucks over younger ones, though the one buck I regret consciously passing on was likely a three year old versus my desired four plus. I did encounter some fairly good sized mature bucks, including one that was a shooter any day of the season, but I couldn’t pull off a shot as he and the others either didn’t present me with a profile I was comfortable with shooting or were simply too far away. As the season progressed and I stopped seeing cameras either with my own two eyes or on my assorted cameras, I pushed into lower elevations around the 1200 foot level. At this late juncture of the season I saw more deer, and more bucks, but pressure from other hunters drove me out of a few spots that I think I would have had success in.

Before continuing, I want to note that those I encountered hunting lower elevations really grind my gears. These people put in far less effort, considered specific access points “theirs”, bucks they were targeting “theirs”, blocks of timber “theirs”, so-on and so-forth. I would park at one gate, hike overland to the back end of another area separated only by a lack of connecting logging roads, only to find some nerd sitting on a spot and upset that I had put the miles on my boots to hunt the same ground they had taken a ATV into. This is typical of high pressure areas, but I couldn’t understand the attitude of other hunters that were upset I worked harder than they did to access the same areas.

Anyway, I spent equal time hunting with a custom 300Win that was designed for longer range shots and a 30-06 that is shorter and lighter for brush work. The 300Win is a bit much in some of the more dense underbrush of the High Cascades, but I wasn’t too bothered. I never once felt under gunned. I think I am going to try to get my first custom rifle, a Mauser 98 chambered in .35 Whelen ready for next year, but who knows if I will get it ready in time. I am pretty convinced the barrel is trash.

Though I didn’t fill my tag, I am beyond excited for next year. With any luck, I can get some of the nerds I am friends with who have only had the chance to hunt whitetails out to my neck of the woods to chase blacktails in their natural habitat. This year was the first hunting season that my father wasn’t there to share in the physical and mental suffering that is blacktail hunting, and I hate the idea of doing the season alone again. I did have a friend accompany me into the woods more than a few times, but half the fun of deer hunting is the vibe of deer camp, late nights by the fire and just hoping you’ll shoot one close.