Iccyman001\'s 2015 Hunting Journal
- Thread starter iccyman001
- Start date
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
\"bowhunter\" said:
I sure hope so :upthumb:
I am going to give it my all :agg:
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
So much for seeing good pics...... today was one of those if I didn\'t have bad luck, I would have no luck at all days.
HOWEVER, I am going to look at the good in all of it because there is some.
Let me explain.
So, we get out to Oklahoma to check my cameras and..... two dead cameras..... and the third one I brought out is on the fritz.
Another big issue is the two cameras that were out there BARELY caught any animals at all.
Sounds horrible right?
Lets find the good.
This again has been the most rainfall that Oklahoma and NM has seen in YEARS. I mean we have CRUSHED annual averages by almost 14+ inches in Oklahoma. The vegetation growth out there is phenomenal and will produce some ABSOLUTELY MONSTER BUCKS.
Rack growth will be at its best year yet, so I am not even remotely upset.
Here is an example:
This picture above is taken from last year and this is about how tall the vegetation got in this area.
This picture is the SAME exact spot, only from this year and showing all the growth....
Mind blowing!
Oh well, we did get a few pictures of some deer, but also some VERY interesting pictures because it was only taking pics of stuff that basically walked right into it... check this out.
I didn\'t even know badgers lived out there :upthumb:
So after we left Oklahoma we decided to go to check on my 2014 back at the taxidermy.
Well, we get in there and they ask me what number I was again.
I tell them and they say, oh, we are way past that now, yours is done, lets find it!
SO I get SUPER excited.....
\"Honey, his is the one that the tanner forgot to send his hide back with the right batch. His will come in during the next batch.\"
So mine would have been done today, but tanner had messed up the load he shipped back.
AGAIN with the positive though.
If you guys didn\'t know, I picked this place on a whim. I have no trusted taxidermist down here because I don\'t know anyone. I found this guy and he just has such a great attitude. A proper Texas gentlemen and his super nice wife. So I went with them, but had no idea how their work would come out. Yeah, he had stuff on his wall, but it was all his personnel stuff and it was all older.
WELL, today he had a bunch of mounts that they had just completed and they all looked just fine.
Top of the line trophy winners? maybe not, but they are not bad at all. So that gave me a HUGE smile and put a lot of confidence back into this situation. ALSO another positive is this will be done well before I was originally told. When I dropped it off Nov 29th he told me that it usually takes around a year. Well... this is well before a year.
SO again, today had it\'s ups and downs, but I prefer to look at the ups. This year will be a stellar year with horn growth because of all of the rain and my buck will be done before I thought :upthumb: :upthumb: :upthumb:
HOWEVER, I am going to look at the good in all of it because there is some.
Let me explain.
So, we get out to Oklahoma to check my cameras and..... two dead cameras..... and the third one I brought out is on the fritz.
Another big issue is the two cameras that were out there BARELY caught any animals at all.
Sounds horrible right?
Lets find the good.
This again has been the most rainfall that Oklahoma and NM has seen in YEARS. I mean we have CRUSHED annual averages by almost 14+ inches in Oklahoma. The vegetation growth out there is phenomenal and will produce some ABSOLUTELY MONSTER BUCKS.
Rack growth will be at its best year yet, so I am not even remotely upset.
Here is an example:
This picture above is taken from last year and this is about how tall the vegetation got in this area.
This picture is the SAME exact spot, only from this year and showing all the growth....
Mind blowing!
Oh well, we did get a few pictures of some deer, but also some VERY interesting pictures because it was only taking pics of stuff that basically walked right into it... check this out.
I didn\'t even know badgers lived out there :upthumb:
So after we left Oklahoma we decided to go to check on my 2014 back at the taxidermy.
Well, we get in there and they ask me what number I was again.
I tell them and they say, oh, we are way past that now, yours is done, lets find it!
SO I get SUPER excited.....
\"Honey, his is the one that the tanner forgot to send his hide back with the right batch. His will come in during the next batch.\"
So mine would have been done today, but tanner had messed up the load he shipped back.
AGAIN with the positive though.
If you guys didn\'t know, I picked this place on a whim. I have no trusted taxidermist down here because I don\'t know anyone. I found this guy and he just has such a great attitude. A proper Texas gentlemen and his super nice wife. So I went with them, but had no idea how their work would come out. Yeah, he had stuff on his wall, but it was all his personnel stuff and it was all older.
WELL, today he had a bunch of mounts that they had just completed and they all looked just fine.
Top of the line trophy winners? maybe not, but they are not bad at all. So that gave me a HUGE smile and put a lot of confidence back into this situation. ALSO another positive is this will be done well before I was originally told. When I dropped it off Nov 29th he told me that it usually takes around a year. Well... this is well before a year.
SO again, today had it\'s ups and downs, but I prefer to look at the ups. This year will be a stellar year with horn growth because of all of the rain and my buck will be done before I thought :upthumb: :upthumb: :upthumb:
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
\"cnelk\" said:
I\'m pretty excited the badger showed up, this was a first!
I also can\'t wait to see what you get on camera :dance2:
When are you going to go check :?:
\"bowhunter\" said:
You know it!!! :upthumb:
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
I just accidentally spent $900 on hunting gear 
:wave:
:wave:iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
Well, I was still broken today, so I took another day of relaxation for full recovery....
THANKFULLY Alan was able to go up and get some camera pictures!
We have a BUNCH of elk pictures on all of cameras.
Here are some of the nice looking ones.
These 3 playing in my hole
Look at this guy..... try to zoom in....
THANKFULLY Alan was able to go up and get some camera pictures!
We have a BUNCH of elk pictures on all of cameras.
Here are some of the nice looking ones.
These 3 playing in my hole
Look at this guy..... try to zoom in....
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
and more
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
and more
WE HAD SO MANY MORE TOO..... lots of rags and spikes, cows and calves!!!!!! I AM SO PUMPED
WE HAD SO MANY MORE TOO..... lots of rags and spikes, cows and calves!!!!!! I AM SO PUMPED
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
This bull....
is this bull
is this bull
david.denham.39
New member
- Mar 20, 2014
- 372
Looks like you picked a great spot Dan!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
\"cnelk\" said:
We have cows too, Brad!
We also know where they are bedding and spending most of their time.
I want to options for me this season and they are: potential ambush opening few days (hopefully they stick to their patterns), calling from where the cows are and where the bulls want to be, my water hole, etc!
We have a few hot spot areas that had both cows and bulls hitting it frequently. :up thumb:
Thanks, Dave! :upthumb:
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
Wow.... look at this.....
This picture is me putting my SD card in and getting the camera going...
7 minutes later.....^
No idea who this guy is lol
This picture is me putting my SD card in and getting the camera going...
7 minutes later.....^
No idea who this guy is lol
Nice pictures.
I had the same question as Brad, where are the cows? Good to know that you also have cows.
NM seems different than CO for where the elk are in summer and early Fall. Not as much elevation change.
I have no pictures of elk in July on my cameras which is not unusual. The cows start to be there by mid-August. I think that is why most people hunt my CO OTC unit higher during opening week. They go by what they see in July. It threw me off. Hunting pressure seems to cause the premature migration of the bulls to the cows during opening week.
Your pictures are extremely promising. I am excited for your hunt.
I had the same question as Brad, where are the cows? Good to know that you also have cows.
NM seems different than CO for where the elk are in summer and early Fall. Not as much elevation change.
I have no pictures of elk in July on my cameras which is not unusual. The cows start to be there by mid-August. I think that is why most people hunt my CO OTC unit higher during opening week. They go by what they see in July. It threw me off. Hunting pressure seems to cause the premature migration of the bulls to the cows during opening week.
Your pictures are extremely promising. I am excited for your hunt.
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
\"mtnmutt\" said:
I dont blame you guys for asking at all! We have a lock down on the cows, but we just haven\'t really been watching them. We know where they are and will be, but we wanted to see an inventory on what is out there bull wise
You are absolutely right on the elevation change though, there isn\'t much at all until the REAL deep snow falls. Then they are pushed down much more.
We have a lot more pictures of bulls and cows that we would happily shoot this year too. I am very excited as well :upthumb:
Opening day will be here before we even know it :upthumb: :upthumb: :upthumb:
colorado russ
New member
- Aug 10, 2017
- 1,083
Looking good Dan. Sure hope that guy at your water hole didn\'t follow you in!
Your new trail camera is producing some nice pictures.
Your new trail camera is producing some nice pictures.
cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,356
\"Colorado Russ\" said:
I was thinking the same thing... :think:
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
Here is the story.
I come in from the right side of the water, the road isn\'t far away at all.
I went in, changed my SD card and went back to the truck.
A few minutes later, Alan and I saw a truck leave from the woods with dog cages on it.
Bear mobile.....
It was a bear hunter doing some scouting.
He must have been walking down, saw us, turned around and left.
I also had some guys out there running their dogs (which they should not be)
Here is the good thing though. I sent the picture to a very helpful local up there and he did some research.
He found out who the guys are and they are non threat. They will not be up there during archery season or with their dogs during the season. They come up after to run bears for people.
So I feel much better. :up thumb:
It\'s amazing what game cameras can do.
I come in from the right side of the water, the road isn\'t far away at all.
I went in, changed my SD card and went back to the truck.
A few minutes later, Alan and I saw a truck leave from the woods with dog cages on it.
Bear mobile.....
It was a bear hunter doing some scouting.
He must have been walking down, saw us, turned around and left.
I also had some guys out there running their dogs (which they should not be)
Here is the good thing though. I sent the picture to a very helpful local up there and he did some research.
He found out who the guys are and they are non threat. They will not be up there during archery season or with their dogs during the season. They come up after to run bears for people.
So I feel much better. :up thumb:
It\'s amazing what game cameras can do.
