John’s Guide Service Fishing & Hunting Blog

O.K.,… Most of our readers out there have either been fishing or hunting with me for quite some time now and know the run-in’s I’ve had with certain anti-hunting groups for posting kill shot pics in the past… Been a few years now, so lets do a little test post here and see what happens.

Our 2008 Bear Season was pretty successful this year with everyone getting to bag their bear or at least have a pretty close encounter with one… Even the guide gets to bag his own bear now and then too.

Here’s a pic of the bear I bagged for the 2008 season.

One of the 4 Moose we ran into while taking a few days off to do a little late season deer hunting. This cow moose was on the same trail as us about 50 yards away… was a bit of a stand off till her calf came out behind her and they both headed up the hill. They got about 1/2 way up the ridge when we heard the cow bellow, jump and chase off 6 beded down deer… guess they were a little too close to her calf.

Took a few days off and headed over to Eastern WA. to try and get our 10yr old daughter Anjelika into her second ever deer… while we didn’t see quite as many deer as last year, Anjelika got her shot at 3 of them, including a trophy buck, and now knows why they call it “Hunting” and not “Killing” Even though we came home deerless we still had a great time and the experience alone, for all of us, was priceless. We got to see quite a few deer, tons of turkeys and 4 different moose, including one nice sized bull moose that decided to face off with Dad for a few minutes. (No time for a pic of the bull moose, was a 30 yard stand off with a pissed off bull and I was more focussed on looking down a scope lense than a camera lense waiting for a charge.)

Both Blue and Ruffed Grouse hunting this season has been pretty good overall despite the extremely dry weather we’ve been having. Most of our success this Grouse season so far has been either mid morning or just before dusk near any number of berry patches. Here’s a couple of pics from some recent Grouse outings.

Makaio and Don with a couple of nice Ruffed Grouse. Both Don and Makaio bagged quite a few Ruffed and Blue Grouse during there three days with us.

Bob with a couple of nice Blue Grouse

… Make For Some GREAT Duck Hunting Weather!!

Jesse Messerschmidt with 2 triple curl Drake Mallards, 1 Golden Eye and a BuffleHead.

Started out the morning with every intention to do a Cast-N-Blast today with good friend and Alaska comrade Jesse Messerschmidt, who stopped on by on his way back to Gonzaga from his home in Forks for a visit and a little fun on the river.

Rained over an inch here in Rockport over night but the river, while on the rise, was still in pretty good shape. Launched the boat and baited up for some fishing with ducks flying all over the place today. Made one drift, missed a fish and then Duck Fever got the better of us… pretty much spent the rest of the day chasing around ducks in the old flood channels and many pond areas where the rivers used to flow.

First, sorry no regular updates here over the last week… been out hunting every day this past week. (Up before dark and in late.)

Hunting Report:

- Opening day 10/15/05 Hunted locally. Jumped one legal buck blacktail, but had no shot. Also saw 3 doe.

- 10/16/05 Headed over the pass and hunted this side of Winthrop in the migration route. Saw 3 two point bucks in a 3 point or better area along with a ton of fresh deer sign and a few doe. Looked like the entire valley’s herd went through there the previous week!! Oh yeah, found a fresh cougar kill as well. Stepped on a nice juicy pile of leaves and a leg popped out. Yuck!! Kill was a few days old.

- 10/17/05 Hunted local again. Saw a few doe at first light and the tail end of one buck as he headed off into the re-prod. Jumped one other but never got a look at it.

- 10/18/05 Hunted local. Jumped a couple of nice legal bucks but never got a shot.

- 10/19/05 Local bear hunt. Found two areas with lots of really fresh sign but got screwed by rain and a strong ever changing wind direction all day long.

-10/20/05 Headed over the pass again to migration route just above Winthrop where we were on the 16th. Hiked to over 5,000 ft and 0nly saw one fresh set of tracks in an area that was loaded with them only 4 days earlier. Shoulda been some deer in here and usually are. (Hence the “John’s weather prediction… Somthing Major This Way Comes”…more on that below)

-10/21/05 Day off from guiding paying trips and decided to take a local neigborhood 13-year-old kid out for his first deer. Headed over the pass again… only this time down below Winthrop in the Twisp area. Good choice as the deer sign was everywhere and fresh. We hiked up to 5,000 feet and I first saw a monster 4×4 Mulie (Trophy class too) with a 2 X 3 Mulie by his side… Had him in my site to with an easy shot at less than 100 yds… but I didn’t. Pulled my neighborhood little buddy over and said, “Look Tye… there they are.” He drew up and fired so quick I didn’t even have a chance to give him a back up shot in case he missed. Well he thought for sure he hit it, and he is actually a really good shot, so we waited a bit before we went looking and went over everything we shoulda’ done different that moment. Looked for an hour but no blood sign… nothing. Was a learning experience for sure… for both of us. Still have one day off later this week to try and get one for myself in the morning and to take my little buddy out after school as well.

John’s weather prediction… Something Major This Way Comes:

My predicition… WE’RE IN FOR A COLD AND NASTY WINTER!! Lots of snow or rain, but somthing major!

Reasoning and hunting overview:

1. 90% of our local deer population is being seen and found in the lower elevations this season. No fresh deer sign in the mid elevations and very little high mountain buck sign around.

2. Lots of geese and waterfowl on the move all week long. Usually don’t see this many geese flying around here for another few weeks.

3. Local coyotes are already in full winter coats looking like big furballs right now. Usually looking pretty mangy right now.

4. Bear are acting pretty funny as well right now and most of the bear sign is being seen in the mid to lower elevations right now. Trees torn up and clawed like crazy in the two areas we hunted this past week and we actually found a den area already prepped for the winter ahead. In a few other high mountain units where there’s usually a ton of fresh bear sign this time of year there is no fresh sign and tons of blueberries left untouched.

5. Deer migratory route just the other side of the HWY 20 pass. Seems the deer had gone through there in a hurry in places we normally find lots of deer still making the migration. All the deer I’ve heard taken over the pass this week were taken down lower and away from the pass itself.

So how’s everyone elses season gone? Do you generally agree or disagree with the weather forecast and have you experienced the same with area wildlife this season?

September 16th, 2005:

Guided a late afternoon grouse hunt today with Ken. We managed to flush a dozen or so grouse, bag two of them and had an encounter of the close kind with two Bobcat as well!!!

Started the afternoon off with some killer grouse hunting weather yesterday. Just quit raining, was a bit cool and grouse were coming down from their afternoon roost to feed. Just as we started into one of my favorite ruffed grouse units down low in the flats here, we came across our first grouse in the pic above…and no, once again Ken, I don’t have guys releasing them for us as we walk into these areas. Hehehe Jumped a dozen or so other grouse in our first area without a clean enough shot to get one of them. Did see our friendly neigborhood Doe with her two fawns and a nice spike that didn’t seem to be worried a bit about our presence though.

Left the first area and headed up in the mountains for a chance at some Blue and Ruffed Grouse. Headed into our first unit, an older somewhat grown-over logging road looking for some afternoon grouse only to look down the road and see two smaller coyote sized animals running at us. Were a bit puzzled and amazed as they got closer, about 30 yards away, to see that they were two Bobcats chasing each other down the road…and of course I had left my rifle back in the truck. So, I ran back to the truck and to get my rifle but by the time I had returned to Ken the two Bobcat had parted ways; one heading back up the road and the other off into the woods. I won’t be leaving the rifle behind next time!! Decided to leave the area knowing all too well what these two Bobcat were after in the unit and sure there were to be no grouse to be had this day here.

Headed up to Blue Grouse territory only to find some fresh bear sign along with a whole lot of rabbits milling about after the mid afternoon rain. We then took the Pic above, dressed the grouse out and headed back down the road. Rounded the first major corner in the road and there was our second bagged grouse of the day sitting there waiting for us.
Although we were one grouse short of our daily bag limit today, I personally had a great time, enjoyed some great company, and the close encounter with two Bobcat will be something I won’t soon forget.

OK…Kewl!! Guess that worked! Now for our first official report.

Weekend Of Sept. 2nd - 4th, 2005 :

Note to self : No more booking guided hunts on Labor Day Weekend!!! WAY too many people up in the hills driving around making noise and camping this weekend!! (Blah, Blah, Blah..Blah, Blah! for you Makaio)

Got visited this weekend by Don and Makaio from Hawaii for some Bear and Grouse hunting…and had a great time!! Thanks guys, especially for all the goodies from Hawaii!!

Don and Makaio made it into town early Friday evening, just in time for a pre-dusk grouse hunt. Saw quite a few, shot at quite a few and ended the day with two nice ruffed grouse in the pic below; (hope this works..first posted Blog pic)

Saturday morning at 4:30AM it was off to the hills, Don with another local area guide and Makaio with me. Don and Jack set up in one unit and Makaio and I in another about 1/2 mile away about a half hour before first light…then it happened…

While sitting in the truck in the dark with windows down listening for any sign of bear a great big “WOOF” right behind the truck. Seems a bear had decided to sneak up behind us and let us know he was there…in a big way!! Too dark to shoot, not to metion nerves were a little shaken at this point, we sat and waited for light and listened as the bear walked around in the timber and blueberries above us.

At first light we stepped from the truck and began looking for a clear enough alley to shoot through as we could hear the bear just above us…then out of nowhere (Remember my previous “Note To Self”?) you could hear some fools driving up the road a 1/2 mile away, “Blah, Blah, Blah…Blah, Blah, BLAH!” as they drove right up to us in a jeep with doors off, talking away with music playing. ARRRRGGGHHH!!! Of course the bear bolted up the timber outta sight. We then spent pretty much the rest of the day hiking through the old growth amongst tons of bear sign trying to track him down to no avail. Same jeep of fools just happened to spook somthing in the unit Jack and Don were in as well. So ended our first day.

Second day, bright and squirley again, we headed back up in the mountains, only this time to a different unit across the valley from the one the day before. Jack and Don headed to another unit to glass. Makaio and I took a nice long hike through the old growth timber towards the previous day’s unit, hoping to run accross the same bear that bolted from the jeep of fools.

The morning was slow for both groups. And yes, as we hiked back out to our rig, there were a few more rigs driving about including a nice loud diesel truck. So deciding we needed to get as far away from anyone as possible, we headed another 28 miles back into the mountains to the very end of the road. Jack and Don start glassing an old burn unit with some fresh bear scat in the road while Makaio and I start hiking another two miles in from the end of the road.

Can’t say I have ever seen that much bear sign in one place before. I mean, this area was flat arse torn up, all real fresh too. New name for this place — Bear Sign Central. Just wish we had decided to come here first rather than later in the day. Heard off in the old growth what was most likely a bear but couldn’t see anything, so after a bit of calling we headed back down to Don and Jack only to find another fresh pile of bear scat on the road we just earlier drove through.

We had the patience of saints and the drive of Hemmingway, but there’s a reason they call it hunting and not killing. At least the company was superb and the Hawaiian snacks plentiful. I’ll be returning soon to Bear Sign Central in the days ahead.