Goodale Sucks

highsierra

highsierra

Active Member
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296
There’s one less good one on the mountain now. Even though it was short-lived, today I had a really fun time . Saw over 100 deer and passed on 12 decent bucks before choosing to take this one. Pretty tired… Loooong hike out. More of the story later……

28 1/8”
7x5

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highsierra said:
There’s one less good one on the mountain now. Even though it was short-lived, today I had a really fun time . Saw over 100 deer and passed on 12 decent bucks before choosing to take this one. Pretty tired… Loooong hike out. More of the story later……

28 1/8”
7x5

View attachment 128239

View attachment 128241
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Nice buck I know 2 guys that have tags and haven't seen squat is this up shingle mill bench
 
Livetahunt said:
In general it does suck,it's became a kill a buck zone,nothing more....Needs to be shut down...
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I still disagree. There are plenty of deer and some very nice ones still to be had. The issue is that the deer behaviors have changed. They’re not just hanging out off the road where everybody can see them. You have to hike in to find the pockets that are out of sight. If you do that you’ll see lots of deer and ones like this Maybe even better.
 
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highsierra said:
I still disagree. There are plenty of deer and some very nice ones still to be had. The issue is that the deer behaviors have changed. They’re not just hanging out off the road where everybody can see them. You have to hike in to find the pockets that are out of sight. If you do that you’ll see lots of deer and ones like this Maybe even better.
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A couple of questions, but super you have shared with us and others this year for sure.

The G3 mule deer behaviors always changing it seems to me. Seen Inyo County 4 pointers at 7500 to 4000 feet around December first. Some 100 feet from the road. Why one might consider G3 a kill zone?

I did not make it to G3 this year before the hunt. So, the following questions? Just curious?

Did you see mule deer bucks next to the roads? If so were any shooters? To me shooters are 4 points or better?

Did you see bucks at any quality at elevations like 4 to 6 thousand feet?

How were the dirt roads after last winter and hurricane this August, any washouts you encountered?
 
Iv seen it go many ways. Iv seen piles of deer bones from early season avalanches at the passes, iv seen hundreds of deer pouring over Paiute pass, iv seen hundreds of deer around Rovana in December. They learn where they get shot and hide out as long as they can. I also have plenty of bucks that find hide outs in the sage brush right behind manzanar.
 
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Yalo said:
A couple of questions, but super you have shared with us and others this year for sure.

The G3 mule deer behaviors always changing it seems to me. Seen Inyo County 4 pointers at 7500 to 4000 feet around December first. Some 100 feet from the road. Why one might consider G3 a kill zone?

I did not make it to G3 this year before the hunt. So, the following questions? Just curious?

Did you see mule deer bucks next to the roads? If so were any shooters? To me shooters are 4 points or better?

Did you see bucks at any quality at elevations like 4 to 6 thousand feet?

How were the dirt roads after last winter and hurricane this August, any washouts you encountered?
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I saw quite a few bucks within 500 of dirt/paved roads above 6k elevation but only two 4 pointers with crab claw tines. Saw some pretty big 3 pointers and like a 28" fork that was really neat looking, though.

The one I got milled around about 750-1k off the road so not crazy far but I got lucky...the other 4+ points we saw were 1500+ and we'd only catch them following a doe in and out of pockets like highsierra said. Those were in some higher country between 6500 and 7500 from what I saw.

We came out to glass and scope 2 weeks ago for several days and then we came back on the 28th. 4 of us in 2 vehicles spent every moment between sunup and sundown on the glasses and scope and searched every nook and cranny off the roads from Whitney Portal to Division. Also did some hikes searching out some gullies and ravines not visible from roadsides or beyond spotting scope range. We pinpointed a few of the better spots we saw to hunt but day before season it seemed all the big boys had ghosted out of those spots other than where mine was. There was a little snow dusting just before season start so I am thinking the temperature dip and spike caused their behavior to change and they started moving.

The dirt roads are shockingly pretty much all repaired. A few of the deeper dirt roads are rougher so you'll need a 4x4 vehicle but the giant ravine across foothill road from all that flooding is completely repaired. The road crews did an incredible job everywhere I saw.
 
Has anyone actually hunted the Gooddale creek drainage....hardest to get too? One road full of rocks and one road crosses Gooddale creek from Taboose Creek and crossing fairly deep last time I was there? Or hunted the Taboose Creek dainage for that matter?
 
Yalo said:
A couple of questions, but super you have shared with us and others this year for sure.

The G3 mule deer behaviors always changing it seems to me. Seen Inyo County 4 pointers at 7500 to 4000 feet around December first. Some 100 feet from the road. Why one might consider G3 a kill zone?

I did not make it to G3 this year before the hunt. So, the following questions? Just curious?

Did you see mule deer bucks next to the roads? If so were any shooters? To me shooters are 4 points or better?

Did you see bucks at any quality at elevations like 4 to 6 thousand feet?

How were the dirt roads after last winter and hurricane this August, any washouts you encountered?
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I never even took a look near the roads. I’ve done this hunt several times before helping friends that have had tags. Never have I seen anything over the usual 22-24”, 4 year olds with ok mass from a road. However, using big optics, we can always find that next age class up by covering country and looking way, way out there…. Typically we spot big deer at distances measured by miles, not yards.

Unless a hunter has the right equipment, the physical ability, and, most importantly, the right mindset, finding and then getting to the big, mature bucks in this hunt unit is beyond the capability of the typical “Max point” hunters that draw. I’d be willing to bet that the average age of tag holders is probably in the 60s. I don’t know many people of that age category that don’t have at least some ailment that would hinder them on a hunt like this.

Years ago, you could shoot great bucks like this by just driving the roads… especially if there was enough snow to cover up the food sources higher up the mountain. But in this day and age, that just isn’t the case.

From where we parked my vehicle on a main road, it was about 3 1/2 miles to where we found this deer as the crow flies… However, it’s not an easy 3 1/2 miles… Probably more like 6 to 7 with all the bobbing and weaving, you have to do around the boot grabbing bitter brush. If you want to kill big bucks, you gotta go where the can grow old and that’s not within sight of a road where a hunter can just step out of a pick up or off of a quad and pop them.
 
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highsierra said:
You must’ve been lucky enough to get it close enough for a vehicle to access! I envy you!
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Yeah we had a bit of a drag but it was all side/downhill. Had to negotiate one little 4ft deep channel but was smooth sailing across a flat stretch to the truck after that!

Did you end up having to quarter yours out? Edit: Nevermind...just saw the photo dump. ;)
 
highsierra, that's a fatty. Love the pics and the tale of the hunt.

Tek, yours isn't too shabby either. Congrats!

I haven't been there in about 8 years or so. Gotta head on back.
 
Horniac said:
Let’s hear the story Weiser!
Horniac
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Dave had a titanium femur rod in the classroom, the kind that doctors would use to brace a broken femur after a serious injury. He challenged anyone to bend it using only the items present in the classroom. Many tried and failed.

Once it was my turn, I had a 300 lb classmate sit on a desk as an anchor and I slipped the rod about one third of the way into an open ended tube in the desk. I then stood on the end of the rod and bounced on it until it bent. Simple leverage, but I think Dave was disappointed that his challenge had finally been conquered after however many years.

The reward was supposed to be a good grade in the class but I got a D due to my complete lack of commitment to schoolwork.
 
Weiserbucks said:
Dave had a titanium femur rod in the classroom, the kind that doctors would use to brace a broken femur after a serious injury. He challenged anyone to bend it using only the items present in the classroom. Many tried and failed.

Once it was my turn, I had a 300 lb classmate sit on a desk as an anchor and I slipped the rod about one third of the way into an open ended tube in the desk. I then stood on the end of the rod and bounced on it until it bent. Simple leverage, but I think Dave was disappointed that his challenge had finally been conquered after however many years.

The reward was supposed to be a good grade in the class but I got a D due to my complete lack of commitment to schoolwork.
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Sounds like we were the same type of student, HA
 
Gutnskin.....Did the two guys you know do any better and or figure out something that works for them for their G3 hunt?
 
highsierra said:
Storm coming into the Sierra tomorrow. Not sure what it’s forecast to do down in the unit, but the change should concentrate deer a little more, and if some snow falls, they’ll be more visible. Deep down inside… Wish I was still hunting.
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My reading shows temperature dropping but snow ify near term in G3 anyway? Still hunting....why I get out several times a year without a rifle. Got within 8 feet of a 4 x 4, and when he took off, scared the crap out of both of us. LOL
 
Congratulations to both of you. Both are great bucks. I wish they offered a management hunt for g3 that you could only shoot a 2x2 because it seems like the 2x2 genes are running strong in there
 
BradA said:
Congratulations to both of you. Both are great bucks. I wish they offered a management hunt for g3 that you could only shoot a 2x2 because it seems like the 2x2 genes are running strong in there
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There needs to be a serious management hunt on this unit. Not 2x2’s but 3x3’s. That is the predominant gene here. Dave’s buck is exceptional and shows what can be produced if effort and want is present. I’ll give my whole view on this hunt. Teks buck is a trophy as well….although you still got some catching up to do to your Pops, eh Blake?? Lol…it was a pleasure meeting you two.
 
Wiszard said:
There needs to be a serious management hunt on this unit. Not 2x2’s but 3x3’s. That is the predominant gene here. Dave’s buck is exceptional and shows what can be produced if effort and want is present. I’ll give my whole view on this hunt. Teks buck is a trophy as well….although you still got some catching up to do to your Pops, eh Blake?? Lol…it was a pleasure meeting you two.
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Oh man that's no joke. He has put some beasts down over the years. Thanks, Steve...was great to meet you.
 
Rie bread said:
Wizard I gotta know, did you get a Whitney burger :)
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Whitney Burger? If you mean Port of Subs then YES!!! Lol. Treated a guy to a handcrafted sandwich after he helped me pack my deer out. Some really good people on our hunting community. If there was a Burger King around I would’ve gone all out for him. 🤪
 
Wiszard said:
Whitney Burger? If you mean Port of Subs then YES!!! Lol. Treated a guy to a handcrafted sandwich after he helped me pack my deer out. Some really good people on our hunting community. If there was a Burger King around I would’ve gone all out for him. 🤪
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There was a place in lone pine near the 395 and Whitney portal road that’s used to have a burger called that. Haven’t been there since the pandemic so not sure if it’s open anymore.
 
Rie bread said:
There was a place in lone pine near the 395 and Whitney portal road that’s used to have a burger called that. Haven’t been there since the pandemic so not sure if it’s open anymore.
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I see…..no I didn’t stop in lone pine before or after my Whitney Portal stop. There was a detour on WP and it was a tiny little 12’ windy road and on the way out I nearly had head ons with 4 other vehicles. Lone pine looked like a cool town to spend a couple hours though.
 
Wiszard said:
I see…..no I didn’t stop in lone pine before or after my Whitney Portal stop. There was a detour on WP and it was a tiny little 12’ windy road and on the way out I nearly had head ons with 4 other vehicles. Lone pine looked like a cool town to spend a couple hours though.
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Lol! Lone pines kinda of a skid mark haha. Did the McDonald’s close down? Looking forward to the report and happy to hear you had a good time.
 
Enjoying some Naturdays and a fire. Picked up some neighbors this afternoon and they’re good peeps. I’m camping in my 5th wheel below Baxter. They’ll bbq tri tip and I’ll do beans when they get bs k from their evening scout. I head home tomorrow.
 
Rie bread said:
Lol! Lone pines kinda of a skid mark haha. Did the McDonald’s close down? Looking forward to the report and happy to hear you had a good time.
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Alabama Hills Cafe and Bakery is hands down the best breakfast/lunch place in town in my opinion...highly recommended. Totem is meh but Mt. Whitney Restaurant's Burger does have good burgers most of the time. Just don't get the French dip :ROFLMAO:
 
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Rie bread said:
There was a place in lone pine near the 395 and Whitney portal road that’s used to have a burger called that. Haven’t been there since the pandemic so not sure if it’s open anymore.
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The Mt Whitney Restaurant is still there. Wife and I last stopped in 2 months ago. It is nestled between Albama Hills and Totem cafes. Can't recall if they have a Whitney burger but burgers are the majority of their menu!
 
tek said:
Alabama Hills Cafe and Bakery is hands down the best breakfast/lunch place in town in my opinion...highly recommended. Totem is meh but Whitney Burger does have good burgers most of the time. Just don't get the French dip :ROFLMAO:
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after a long day…sometimes anything tastes good lol
 
Rie bread said:
after a long day…sometimes anything tastes good lol
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Not the French dip lol. I have rarely had burgers at Mt. Whitney Restaurant...maybe like once a year or every other when we're heading to/from fishing Crowley for perch...could have gotten lucky.

I still stand behind Alabama Hills Cafe and Bakery, though. Nice break from cooking last couple days after the hunt and food was consistently good for everybody.
 
tek said:
Not the French dip lol. I have rarely had burgers at Mt. Whitney Restaurant...maybe like once a year or every other when we're heading to/from fishing Crowley for perch...could have gotten lucky.

I still stand behind Alabama Hills Cafe and Bakery, though. Nice break from cooking last couple days after the hunt and food was consistently good for everybody.
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I recall that restaurant was open the lastest in town other than McDonald’s so if you were eating dinner there it was a long day haha! Defiantly enjoyed the bakery plenty
 
Any guesses to the percentage of bucks that live in the zone full time vs migrate over the crest to the park?
 
highsierra said:
Storm coming into the Sierra tomorrow. Not sure what it’s forecast to do down in the unit, but the change should concentrate deer a little more, and if some snow falls, they’ll be more visible. Deep down inside… Wish I was still hunting.
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Wish you was still hunting? Should not have pulled the trigger?
 
highsierra said:
Storm coming into the Sierra tomorrow. Not sure what it’s forecast to do down in the unit, but the change should concentrate deer a little more, and if some snow falls, they’ll be more visible. Deep down inside… Wish I was still hunting.
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Don't knock it you killed a great buck. And if your happy that's all that matters beauty and trophy is in the eye of beholder I've shot and been around alot of freezer bucks never 2nd guess yourself
 
Gutnskin said:
Don't knock it you killed a great buck. And if your happy that's all that matters beauty and trophy is in the eye of beholder I've shot and been around alot of freezer bucks never 2nd guess yourself
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Not knocking it. If I had the same opportunity again I’d do the same! I just wish I was still out there. I love that place.
 
Gutnskin said:
I don't know how to pm you but a NY help would be great full I'm not there prior commitments any insight would be greatly appreciated
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Highsierra would be the guy to talk to about that unit. I wouldn't be much help but I can tell you what I know. Text me at (805) 720-0604.
 

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