Getting a 2nd Chance!

[YosemiteSam]

Last year, I was drawn for a special hunt along the coast & spent 3 nights on the ground hoping for a shot at something.  The wind was all over the place so I came up empty-handed on the trip.  But, as it often happens, on my way back from my last morning hunt to pack up camp & hike out, I saw a nice buck with a wide rack.  I got a long stalk in while using some natural barriers to avoid being seen.  Long story short, it turned 90-degrees at some point just out of range & disappeared in a gully none the wiser until it caught my scent about 100+ yards off.  I had already given up by then.  I learned a lot about that area that week but figured that it might be a few more years before I get drawn again.

But now the tag results are in and somehow, I got drawn again.  This is a late season, post-rut for resident blacktails.  Success rates are low in some years but good in others.  But being able to hunt bucks or does gives me a little more hope.  Paired with my Archery-Only tag, I can potentially hunt from early July through December somewhere.  Life puts way more limits on that but it's nice to know I'll have some options...  And some hope.

Now I need to get a bike trailer to shorten that hike.

[4dogs]

 Good Luck