D7 Backcountry Report

[Colorado Cowboy]

Got back late last night from my hunt in the Ansel Adams Wilderness in D7. Hunting was really tough to put it mildly. Opening day was cool and clouded up with 3+" of rain, hail and snow Sat night. Rest of the week was clear and lots of wind and some more snow on the way out on Thursday.

The real problem was the wind storm they had last year. Hundreds and hundreds of huge, mature pines were uprooted and blown down. It made hunting and hiking in the timber really difficult. Opening day I tore a thigh muscle and could barely walk the rest of the hunt. I even had a lot of trouble riding the horse out. Above timber line was a little better. One of my cousins saw a really nice buck (he said 4x4 at least with probably 24" spread and tall too), but missed him 4 times. Found a screw out of scope mount later. One of the other guys missed a smaller buck (3x3). We saw 2 lions too. First time ever for that. Another hunting group saw a lion too. We saw very few deer, my thoughts are that the loins are doing a number on them....later reinforced by one of the packers. Said they had seen a few lions all summer.

Did get my Dad's ashes scattered, which was very emotional for me. I havn't looked at any of my pictures, but will post some later. All in all, a pretty tough trip this year. Most likely my last one back there. We'll see...........

 

[Musket Man]

Wish your trip went better CC. I have herd from a few places the lions are real bad in CA. Even where I lived on the coast they are having problems with them now and it was never like that before. Rumor has it they introduced them in that area to thin out the pigs. Now they are killing peoples cows and horses.......

 

[Montana]

haven't been on this forum in months.and just recently hopped back on to check the status of your hunt

you maybe a bit bummed now but I am venturing to guess that in few weeks you look back and wish you were still there.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Kevin Root]

That Saturday storm on your opening day was the biggest rain we've had all summer. I got pounded with it all morning taking pictures of tule elk up on Tomalas Point. Last year they closed the road up that way due to that big wind storm the blew down all those trees you mention too. That had to be one heck of a wind storm to do something like that. It took them a while, weeks or so to clear the road. Sounds like it was a tough trip seeing all the cats and a emotional one too scattering your Dad's ashes and all. Thanks for sharing your trip update here though. I hope your leg will heal up soon.

 

[raekit]

Hey all, new here. We were back in the Ansel Adams Wilderness in D7 by Frog Lake and the Rock Creek Lake area and got pounded with corn like snow till 1 am on sunday of opening weekend. It was our first time hunting out there and saw very limited deer tracks, or deer sign. Lots of bear sign though. On the walk out we saw some tracks on the western facing slopes. Maybe that was our problem, hunted on more Northern facing slopes. Thoughts?

We put in a good 20mi of hiking without seeing anything. I'm thinking it was due to being my rookie year. Ha!

Cowboy thanks for sharing, sorry to hear about your Dad, he sounded like a man I would have loved to know. Did you come in from the Bishop side?

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Yes, packed in from Reds Meadows below Mammoth.

Spent a lot of time thinking about the last several trip there and have come to the conclusion that there are several reasons why the deer population has decreased over the years. I looked at a lot of pictures I have from the last 40 years and what is really striking is how much the country has changed. Fewer and smaller meadows, lots more larger and mature trees and a lot less brush and forage for the deer. This year was really dry too. We did see several bucks (one real nice 4x4) and missed shots at 3. There seem to be more bears and for the first time in years...lions.

One of my cousins, who works for the USFS, was with us and said this forest is ripe and overdue for a fire. He said looks like its been 100 years or more since there was a big one. He just came off the Yosemite fire and said it looks a lot like that.

I remember when Gov Reagan signed the legislation killing the Trans Sierra Highway. They rode in to Summit Meadows and held a press conferance. The pictures show a nice open meadow...lush and green. Now it all gone....all trees.

Just my take....an old fart who has spent 60 years in this part of the Sierras. Started out working at Red's Meadows in 1955 as a summer job while in high school.

 

[chesse]

I hunted last weekend near Fish Creek, killed a fair 3x3. Few deer spotted compared to what I've seen years ago, fishing was fantastic though.

 

[raekit]

Nice job Chesse, post up a pick for us. How long have you hunted that area?

I hunted last weekend near Fish Creek, killed a fair 3x3. Few deer spotted compared to what I've seen years ago, fishing was fantastic though.

 

[chesse]

I hunted the area many years ago, have not been back in the area since the 80's until this year.