X zone guys

Buckbrush · Oct 6, 2021

With the X zones in full swing I'd expect some pics. Come on you lucky buggers!

Snoopdogg · Oct 6, 2021

Yeah!

Rie bread · Oct 6, 2021

weather is coming in! get’m

X7ahunter · Oct 7, 2021

X6a in the second day, a buddy's sister

Snoopdogg · Oct 7, 2021

Hell yeah!

Bwht4x4 · Oct 7, 2021

I'm leaving on Monday to help a buddy the last week of the X2 deer hunt. Not sure if the incoming weather is enough to get those deer moving south out of Oregon, but it should be fun anyway. Next week the weather looks like highs in the 40s and lows in the 20s with scattered snow showers here and there.

huntindad4 · Oct 7, 2021

Many will say that there is no migration anymore. I disagree.

I have hunted it twice and helped others there. Even without weather we saw more bucks on parts of the unit as the season progressed. With weather it is even better! Cover as much ground as possible. There are more deer in the burn but also more hunters.

Bwht4x4 · Oct 7, 2021

I was wondering how many people with an X2 tag returned it a few weeks ago when the Modoc NF was closed. My guess is that 10% to 20% of tag holders returned their tag when they heard of the closure. I bring that up because I'm hoping that there's hardly anyone out the last week of the season, especially mid-week.

huntindad4 · Oct 7, 2021

Bwht4x4 said:
I was wondering how many people with an X2 tag returned it a few weeks ago when the Modoc NF was closed. My guess is that 10% to 20% of tag holders returned their tag when they heard of the closure. I bring that up because I'm hoping that there's hardly anyone out the last week of the season, especially mid-week.

Even without the closures, the times I've hunted it the number of hunters dwindled quickly. With almost nobody there the last weekend.

Bwht4x4 · Oct 7, 2021

huntindad4 said:
Even without the closures, the times I've hunted it the number of hunters dwindled quickly. With almost nobody there the last weekend.

I've hunted the Garden quite a bit myself and it's a giant area. Even with all 189 X2 tag holders in the field at the same time it's not that many people for such a huge area.

Jaybird967 · Oct 10, 2021

What elevation you guys seein bucks at? I’ve seen a ton of does and fawns between 5500-6000 but no bucks! Are the bucks just not movin a bunch or did they move on? I thought the cold snap would start some pre rut but it doesn’t look like it where I’m at

Rie bread · Oct 10, 2021

i was up at 9500’ on saturday to get above the weekend crowd and was surprised by all the tracks i saw in the snow. saw a buck but as always on the other side of the invisible zone line…

Jaybird967 · Oct 11, 2021

Nothin that high where I’m at, max is about 6500’. I’ll be back at it Wednesday till I fill my tag or the season ends. Hopefully these bucks start movin a little more

BradA · Oct 11, 2021

Congratulations to your buddies sister
And good luck everyone else

270Hunter · Oct 11, 2021

Jaybird967 said:
What elevation you guys seein bucks at? I’ve seen a ton of does and fawns between 5500-6000 but no bucks! Are the bucks just not movin a bunch or did they move on? I thought the cold snap would start some pre rut but it doesn’t look like it where I’m at

It’s to early for pre-rut activity and yes the bucks are not moving during daylight hours a lot right now, any buck that has made it through more than 2 hunting seasons will generally be bedded down or in cover by about an hour after sunrise. Some sooner and some a little later but that’s a good rule of thumb. The cold helps sometimes but right now bucks still don’t like being in the sunlight, they feel exposed and very visible, which they are so that’s why they don’t do it. Elevation is all going to be different in all units, some higher country units the bucks will already be moving out because there’s not a lot of feed left and other units the bucks are still on the same ridge that they spent all summer on. My best piece of advice for finding bucks right now is get off the roads even if it’s only a quarter of a mile, the farther the better though generally And glass in the morning with the sun at your back and glass the edges of trees and brush and open pockets in the cover. Best of luck to you!

Jaybird967 · Oct 12, 2021

Awesome, thanks for the advice!

Padfoot · Oct 15, 2021

My brother and I have X5a muzzy tags and are looking forward to getting up there. Crossing our fingers for some weather.

We haven’t hunted that unit so don’t know where the best camping spots are. I saw some camp grounds on the west side, are there any other places that folks would be willing to recommend?

Skykarp · Oct 15, 2021

Padfoot said:
My brother and I have X5a muzzy tags and are looking forward to getting up there. Crossing our fingers for some weather.

We haven’t hunted that unit so don’t know where the best camping spots are. I saw some camp grounds on the west side, are there any other places that folks would be willing to recommend?

Pad Eagle lake and ramhorn are good campgrounds neither are in x5a tho. I’m not quite sure of any other than those 2.

Padfoot · Oct 16, 2021

Thanks, that is close. We’ll have a look around when we get there. Crossing my fingers for inclement weather.

Skykarp · Oct 16, 2021

It’s been cold up there that’s for sure. I was in x5b the middle part of the season when the rain hit and the deer were up moving. Cool temps are there just need a sprits of water.

Rie bread · Oct 16, 2021

forecast looks promising next week.

Padfoot · Oct 16, 2021

We’re looking forward to getting g boots in the ground.?

Skykarp · Oct 17, 2021

Padfoot said:
We’re looking forward to getting g boots in the ground.?

You’ll have a blast. Now with only one point I can only hope to draw a Golden Horseshoe tag

Padfoot · Oct 18, 2021

Thanks for the encouragement. Getting the last odds and ends buckled down.?

buckmster28 · Oct 30, 2021

Here’s one for you

Snoopdogg · Oct 30, 2021

Damn--nice one. Congrats!

bucktags · Oct 31, 2021

that*s a beauty!

oilcan · Oct 31, 2021

Very nice Buck

Padfoot · Nov 3, 2021

I had an M4 tag and was stoked to be heading up Saturday 10/23. Rain turned to snow Sunday night and we had high hopes as we drove out of camp. We got up to about 6400’ before we turned around and came back down out of the snow. The highlight, if you can call it that, was the trio of wolf tracks that crossed out truck racks in the snow. The next day we were scratching our heads over the three sets of wolf tracks we saw in the soft wet dirt 12 miles away as the crow flies. We wondered if there were two packs or just one that just liked to travel.

No buck sightings until the snow melted off mid week. The last day of the season we saw a spike a fork and a tiny basket 3x3. The 3x3 was 3/4 of a mile from the road and nosing 4 does when my brother clipped him high in the shoulder and rolled him. Long story made short he got up and I missed a running shot. I was able to see him for .5 mile and we jumped him from the sage only to Miss another running shot. He definitely wasn’t mortally wounded And there was no blood trail to follow so he’ll be there next year for someone else.

We may be the worst deer hunters in California because we saw more deer on Horselake road than in any of our hikes out away from the road. We saw several large buck tracks in the snow and mud. But no sightings. The bucks were completely nocturnal a week after the rifle hunt. I hope the X5a hunters slammed them cause we sure didn’t.

All in all we had a great time being out in the country, hiking in the snow trying to drive in the mud, and watching the sunrises and sunsets. Till next time.