Mid Island Blacktail Rut Started...

IronNoggin

Well-Known Member
Pulled some trail cam chips yesterday.
The actions of the past week indicated the bucks (chiefly smaller ladz) thought the Gals should be getting close, as they were actively tailgating. Most the Gals rebuffed these advances rather swiftly, and one older Dominant Lady did so with extreme prejudice - rearing up and flailing potential suitors with her slashing front hooves.

Night before last, that older Gal was being tracked by a very decent buck. She was feeding with her wee one (which has not been more than 100 yards from her since birth) when Mr. Wonderful arrived. This time the wench shook her fanny at the Big Boy, chased off her little one, and led the now drooling Suitor off stage left. The wee one stayed on site, alone, 1 hour 45 minutes until Mama returned with that dreamy "got a smoke" smile that tells all.

First confirmation of what we knew was pending.
The next few days should get things rolling right along, and with the cold front that is moving in, it may well be the best Prom in quite a few years!

Dancing time folks! Get out there if you can!
icon_biggrin.gif


Cheers,
Nog
 
... How is the recovery on your eye since the surgery? Have thought about you.

The eye is still pretty messed up. The recovery it was going through stalled out. Doc's ain't sure why. Lots of tests just done. Another set on the 24th to determine just how many more surgeries lie ahead. First of those already scheduled for December...

Worried and scared as hell at this point, but thanks for asking...

Cheers,
Nog
 
... Hey Nog is it your scope eye?

Unfortunately it is. Hung up the guns for a while as a consequence, but could not take that. So, with some practice I found that if I am careful (and slow) I can get the rifle or bow to my left shoulder and use my left eye. It is awkward as hell, but will work. Sticking to the blinds as a consequence.

Did not want this to be the first year in forty-seven I missed...

Nog
 
D13F5EC1-9414-4430-B46A-8ABB6CB195E5.png Really thought this was my year , been hunting with a good friend and seasoned hunter pre-rutt, he has taught me a ton and right when all the stars ⭐️ were starting to allign on Nov 02nd i suffered strained ligaments to both sides of my L1 vertabrae.. two week of chiropractors and Dr’s and a slow graduated return to work was all coming together to hopefully get me another shot at bucky.. Until Nov15 when i was hospitalized with appendicitis.. surgeon told me as soon as the touched my appendix it burst .. been one month of hell but didn’t need that organ anyway.. lost 26 lbs in the last three weeks . I know if i can get set up in front of buck before Dec 10th my buddies will help me do the rest but looks like bucky might ellude me for another year at this point, this 7x5 in the pic i seen a couple times by the college on my way to work earlier this year , taken by a car going 90...friggen parkway bags more deer then us hunters ever could...
 
Last edited:
I can relate.
This is likely the first year since we've moved here that I likely won't bring home a blacktail. :(

Shortly after I made this post, I did manage to take down a HUGE ol' Black Bear that had destroyed 4 of my trail cams, and all the local ranchers wanted gone. After 2 years of looking for him, he made the mistake of wandering by at 20 yards one evening. Hell of a bear, 7'6" nose to tail, and the same across the front paws. Well over 475 pounds, took 5 men to move him onto a trailer! Easy book head, it went over 22" green. be interesting to see what it runs after drying...

5UJlgCd.jpg


HRPV8YW.jpg


Because of the eye problems I am having, I had to take him off the left shoulder using my left eye. Awkward as hell, and damn slow. Thought for certain he was going to get away...

Unfortunately that was damn near the end of my season. Due to my injured eye, I can NOT drive after dark at all. So when my partners got called back to work, it was pretty much game over for me at that point. Since then, the eye has continued to deteriorate a lot. Just finished a bunch more scans, and in for surgery again on the 13th. Still hoping, but that's getting kind of slim. :(

At least the bear let me continue the trend I've been running. That makes the 46th season straight that I have taken at least one big game animal, usually a few more. I will try to get out a couple more times, but ain't holding my breath in that regard. Been a hell of a tough fall for me, as I usually spend it's entirety out hunting. Likely no deer for us this fall it seems...

By the way, it is interesting just how big bucks get circulated on the internet. I have had several pictures of the same buck you posted for some time now. And they certainly came along with a MUCH different story as to how he met his end... ;)

Cheers,
Nog
 
I can relate.
This is likely the first year since we've moved here that I likely won't bring home a blacktail. :(

Shortly after I made this post, I did manage to take down a HUGE ol' Black Bear that had destroyed 4 of my trail cams, and all the local ranchers wanted gone. After 2 years of looking for him, he made the mistake of wandering by at 20 yards one evening. Hell of a bear, 7'6" nose to tail, and the same across the front paws. Well over 475 pounds, took 5 men to move him onto a trailer! Easy book head, it went over 22" green. be interesting to see what it runs after drying...

5UJlgCd.jpg


HRPV8YW.jpg


Because of the eye problems I am having, I had to take him off the left shoulder using my left eye. Awkward as hell, and damn slow. Thought for certain he was going to get away...

Unfortunately that was damn near the end of my season. Due to my injured eye, I can NOT drive after dark at all. So when my partners got called back to work, it was pretty much game over for me at that point. Since then, the eye has continued to deteriorate a lot. Just finished a bunch more scans, and in for surgery again on the 13th. Still hoping, but that's getting kind of slim. :(

At least the bear let me continue the trend I've been running. That makes the 46th season straight that I have taken at least one big game animal, usually a few more. I will try to get out a couple more times, but ain't holding my breath in that regard. Been a hell of a tough fall for me, as I usually spend it's entirety out hunting. Likely no deer for us this fall it seems...

By the way, it is interesting just how big bucks get circulated on the internet. I have had several pictures of the same buck you posted for some time now. And they certainly came along with a MUCH different story as to how he met his end... ;)

Cheers,
Nog
That is one monster Bear ! Gunna be some great tasting sausage i think ! that picture of the buck was posted to a hunting group on facebook, but i most definitely saw that buck on the parkway early morning in sept right by the college..
 
That is one monster Bear ! Gunna be some great tasting sausage i think !

We got 125 pounds of grind in for sausage, 40 pounds being made into smoked hams, and 165 pounds of fat off of him (already rendered). Ate the tenderloins, and even the Missuz approved! Very tender and very mild. Going to be some great sausages alright!

that picture of the buck was posted to a hunting group on facebook, but i most definitely saw that buck on the parkway early morning in sept right by the college..

You may well have. I got the pictures from a good buddy of the Shooter. ;)

Cheers,
Nog
 
Bear Processing:

L7aZajT.jpg


OMUdcNJ.jpg


hP5hWHm.jpg


66Uw2yA.jpg


127v21z.jpg


OXOjNoq.jpg


yEB5vki.jpg


That was simply the first test run. Made 3 full cases, then gave the other half of the raw fat away to another family doing the same...
 
This is roughly 1/3 of the sausage production from Boo-Boo. Pepps & Smokies:

NRCnRJE.jpg


And Yup! They are AWESOME!!

Couple days and the hams go in for final processing as well.
Right Looking Forward to trying them out too!
Given how everything else has turned out, I'll bet they are Excellent!

Cheers,
Nog
 
This is roughly 1/3 of the sausage production from Boo-Boo. Pepps & Smokies:

NRCnRJE.jpg


And Yup! They are AWESOME!!

Couple days and the hams go in for final processing as well.
Right Looking Forward to trying them out too!
Given how everything else has turned out, I'll bet they are Excellent!

Cheers,
Nog
Pretty good for guy with one eye shooting from the wrong shoulder . Nice Work !
 
Last edited:
Very Impressive. The rendered fat from a back woods Bear makes the best Pie Crust on the planet.

It certainly does!
Imagine meat pie crusts ;)

Already used up 1 1/2 pints of that good stuff!
Damn happy I stuck with it long enough to make 3 cases!

Cheers,
Nog
 
Did many miles of searching .and I have came up empty.What I have found on Van island while searching was the amount of old and second growth trees flagged off for falling .Their is not much of it left and I seen as much as I could .So you care about salmon and rivers n streams stop taking the old second growth before the land has time to repair. (hold back snow and flash flooding with a canopy of a good forest) . ps Help the Kelp
 
Back
Top