Well, so far the weather has not cooperated. We got a small snowstorm the day after the x9a and x9b season ended.
Very few deer were taken at all and even the packers didn't stay in the back country, as there were no significant deer out of the parks and onto the Eastern slopes.
The x9c guys are seeing very few deer also. Same old thing......seasons are now way too early and there are too many lizards.
From most of the info I have gotten, the bowhunters actually did way better than the rifle guys, all over the Sierra.
I spent last weekend in the Eastern section of D8...X10 and we saw NO bucks....dead or alive, and very few doe, but the locals all agreed that the archery season went well.
The tag holder I was with, was out at 9,000 feet all day for 3 days and found very little sign.
There is a storm working right now.
The rut will begin in earnest in about 2 weeks, so deer will be here eventually, but the "trophy" bucks will need some serious storms.
Nothing stops the rut in this zone, so there will be plenty of mature, gene pool stuff to see and shoot for most of the G3 hunters.
The guys that hold out for trophy quality animals are going to be gambling on the weather...as usual.
If we get some early storms and some of the bucks that showed up late last year, come out in time.....we could see some very impressive California bucks.
I am optimistic about the G3, mostly because the general season sucked so bad.....we'll see.
Since I'm already here, it has been an UNBELIEVEABLE year for bears. I have seen more bear this year than in the past 6 or 7 years put together. No idea why, but there sure seem to be a lot around.
We did OK on the chuckar opener, and the quail hunters were busy also......but it is really too hot for those hunts either.
Don't ask me about the ducks and geese.....I don't remember what they look like, in spite of all the new water we have spread in the valley right now.
By the way, I am leaving for Colorado on Wed....they have snow, winter, deer and no cell service. Will be back for updates after about the 7th of November.
"And that's the news from the Owens Valley, now back to you Connie"
