Another day in the woods...

[StG58]

Loaded out and headed up into the woods again yesterday. Normal weather for the coast range this time of year. Overcast and wet. The brush wasn't dripping, but the creeks were high and running strong.

Ran into exactly two people all day, a group of fishermen on the upper Nestucca and a couple of loggers out knocking the rock and crap out of the tracks on a harvester. Nobody else was out and about. The wildlife was out in force, on the other hand. Saw a bunch of blacktail boinging through the underbrush, and two different herds of elk. One was about 25 - 30 head. We stopped on the road about 80 yards off and watched them for a half hour. Once they figured out that we weren't a threat, they settled down and went back to grazing in the meadow. Love having a TJ that doesn't make noise.

They are there, but the picture sucks, as always. I'll get the pictures off the wife's phone later.

Covered some new territory, found snow, and shot my new rifle a little testing loads. Starting to make peace with my carry revolver as well. Silly bugger has turned out to be picky with loads and grip. It's coming together now.

All in all, another good day in the back woods.

 

[Chris]

One more reason a diesel would suck in a TJ, huh?

 

[lowranger]

Great day out in the mountains and a bonus seeing the elk. Looks like they have been going around that gate a lot.

 

[StG58]

Great day out in the mountains and a bonus seeing the elk. Looks like they have been going around that gate a lot.

They sure have. That gate is about useless for more than marking a property line. The trail it's on goes to an old homestead. There is some dispute on who actually owns the property. The place is gone, burnt down by the Forest Service. It was falling down anyway. Nice property, but it would be a huge hassle to get a clear title. Pretty sure the Forest Service doesn't have clear title, and the County doesn't have a clear record on who may actually own it. Eventually the FS will eminent domain it, probably. Lots of that up in that area.

 

[Kathy]

What a great trip! Love that pic and the look of the trees! What does eminent domain it mean? I would love property like that!

 

[StG58]

What a great trip! Love that pic and the look of the trees! What does eminent domain it mean? I would love property like that!

Eminent Domain is a legal action where a government entity goes to court to take legal possession of property, paying the owner fair compensation. It's used a lot in highway construction. It's expensive and time consuming for everyone involved. Probably not worth the effort for an abandoned homestead up in that area.

That's pretty typical looking countryside on the creek bottoms in the coast range. Sometimes it's just a few acres, sometimes it's a couple of hundred acres of natural pasture and hardwoods. The creeks are about five or six yards wide and a yard deep. I agree with you. I'd love to have a fair patch of that as well. Winters take some getting used to though.

 

[lowranger]

So I'm sure you wouldn't get in trouble if you Elk hunted there. No one knows who it belongs to. If it does belong to the FS ....you're good!

 

[StG58]

So I'm sure you wouldn't get in trouble if you Elk hunted there. No one knows who it belongs to. If it does belong to the FS ....you're good!

Actually, that is a favorite Elk hunting spot. OK, it's a favorite spot to park and start the hike into the area that the Elk hang out in during hunting season. This herd is pretty fat and lazy, but they got that way by being smart. Come hunting season they wander up the creek valley past the canyon and the big horseshoe bend a couple of miles upstream. If you can catch up with them before they get past the canyon, you're golden, otherwise it's a long, slow slog in and out. First day of the season we'll stop buy and check the area out, but have never gotten a shot off. If there is fresh sign, then we head for the fern benches above the creek back above the big bend. That's about five or six miles on two track Jeep trails to where you can start to hike in and hunt. If you can get there before the Elk do in the morning, it's very productive for the younger Bulls. They wander right by. The big, old bulls are a lot harder to come buy, and love to run you around in circles on the hill tops. I got fixated on a nice, big old bull last year and spent two days of the four day season chasing his furry butt around a hill top a couple of miles North and West of there. (and about 1,800 feet higher in elevation) I swear he was laughing at me the whole time.

 

[lowranger]

Actually, that is a favorite Elk hunting spot. OK, it's a favorite spot to park and start the hike into the area that the Elk hang out in during hunting season. This herd is pretty fat and lazy, but they got that way by being smart. Come hunting season they wander up the creek valley past the canyon and the big horseshoe bend a couple of miles upstream. If you can catch up with them before they get past the canyon, you're golden, otherwise it's a long, slow slog in and out. First day of the season we'll stop buy and check the area out, but have never gotten a shot off. If there is fresh sign, then we head for the fern benches above the creek back above the big bend. That's about five or six miles on two track Jeep trails to where you can start to hike in and hunt. If you can get there before the Elk do in the morning, it's very productive for the younger Bulls. They wander right by. The big, old bulls are a lot harder to come buy, and love to run you around in circles on the hill tops. I got fixated on a nice, big old bull last year and spent two days of the four day season chasing his furry butt around a hill top a couple of miles North and West of there. (and about 1,800 feet higher in elevation) I swear he was laughing at me the whole time.

I'm sure he was! I'm sure the Elk like to screw with us humans.