Hunting season

There is definitely more hunters out there than this!!!!

I use my hybrid bunkhouse travel trailer for deer camping in PA.

Hog eradication duty in Alabama with a TC and a Class A for accommodations.

Our son gets his camp meat in his house shoes of his porch with a bow in town here. One grandson and his dad hunted two weekends at Rustlers Gulch north of Crested Butte for big bucks. They were too picky and let everything go by so no venison for them. Last time I went, years ago, we took horses and the guys got an elk. I rode the pack horse up the mountain then down into a draw to get the quarters and son in law packed out the head. Had to walk back and lead horse, good thing she knew where the camp and her grain was cause I got confused in the dark. She stepped on my foot a mile from camp and broke my toe. Long walk. Started snowing in the morning so we packed up in a hurry and slid back down the mountain. That mare was great in the mountains but a royal PITA on flat land. One year they had to leave the tents up there til spring to beat the snow down and someone else took them before the guys could get back to get them. Too old for that kind of hunting now. Box blind and an office chair. Sucks to get decrepit.

Speaking of hunting close to home, my wife will be hunting off the back deck in a couple of weeks. Its her first year of hunting deer and hopefully she'll be successful. We are out of sausage!

I've got tags in four different units, one of which is where we live for elk. The others are scattered a bit with the furthest being about 150ish miles away in the south eastern corner of the state for antelope in Dec. Deer and another elk tag in different units for 3rd and 4th seasons in Nov.

A few images from 2 years ago...

This is a spot where we have harvested many times in the past.
You see that hill on the left? Just behind over my shoulder is the road out of this valley... about 500 yards up to the feeder road:






Although not successful on this particular year, we have taken in this area in prior years- first arrival (in nice weather) looking to where I will set up the TC:



Good weather going in:







We like this area due to the mix of rolling hills inter dispersed with LOTS of groves of Aspen with the close by taller ridges of conifer:




The anticipation of opening day and successful hunt:





We were keeping an ear to the Buckskin Radio Network for weather reports knowing that a front was predicted; we took precautions- would rather chain up on our terms, not when we "had" to:



Good thing we heeded the news reports in chaining up because on the 4th day in 8" fell overnight. Not a whole bunch, but that hill I mentioned could be a challenge- wide enough for only 1 vehicle at a time, kinda' steep with a tall berm on one side. I unbolted the jacks from the camper since sliding was a real possibility. I do not have images on the way out, but the weight of the camper while chained up on all 4's while keeping tire speed going we made it out OK.



It is a good thing we got out when we did because more snow came in that next day, but we were out of that valley. Just beyond that first small ridge (below) is the road out:



We will try our luck again in another week, but the TC will stay at home (as will I) ...it is a lot easier to get a tag for where one lives and day hunt!

trailgranny50 wrote:
Nothing like a 40 mpg wind, rain and 25°.

That's goose season around where I live :)

When I was a kid in Michigan, 100 years ago, we always prayed for first snow for opening day. Here we pray for cool enough weather to get the things gutted and cooling down fast enough meat doesn't spoil. Carry ice chest full to pack inside till we can skin it and get the quarters on ice. Now later on in November not as much a big deal. Holiday Doe usually cooler but have way to much warm weather early. Have had to sit with a heater in the stand and also had thawoutawater hose to wash the carcass down too. Nothing like a 40 mpg wind, rain and 25°. One just never knows with this crazy weather nowadays. Sometimes a tank top and gnats, other times a parka and heater.

I've contemplated taking out my Bigfoot but it just doesn't seem to make sense for me right now. Its a lot more work to prep the camper for winter camping plus the hunting. The main deer season (rifle) in Alberta is November. Temperatures can be +5 to -40C. So much variability. We often need the trucks to access drop off points and then walk, no truck hunting for us. I then worry about jacks working or fibreglass cracking at -15 or -20C. If I left the camper on, I'd be going down back roads with a larger trailer incase we got something.

I'm still working full time and don't have a lot of time off for hunting, Saturdays and Sundays only primarily. Its a lot quicker for me to just throw my hunting gear in the back of the truck and drive off. Often enough, there is a smaller Alberta town with an old Motel nearby for $50-75/night room. Yes, not as nice as my camper but I don't mind, I'm not too picky.

If I started doing some 4+ day hunts, I think the camper could come into consideration. I sure get jealous of some of you southerners and the nice weather you have to hunt it. I seem to always be bundled up like the michelin man.

HUNTERJEFF wrote:
It's that time of the year. Let's see those TC hunting camp photos
Jeff

Getting close:


Almost there:

Aww...