&^%^* BAD NEWS - up date

joe ashton · March 22, 2013, 10:29:00 PM

Hi all
Today my rancher buddy, who lives 2 miles from my 'honey hole' elk mountain, came into my office with bad news. The BLM has sold the logging rights to the timber in the very basin I hunt.

He started with "Hey Joe I saw your tree go by me house this morning" I have gotten 4 elk and 2 deer out of the same tree. That sacred tree is now destined to be fire wood

PS. Well, I've got 5 months, 1 week and 10 hours to scout until the season starts....

Bjorn · March 22, 2013, 10:40:00 PM

Major bummer! You are in the right area and perhaps you will find even better.

threeunder · March 22, 2013, 10:43:00 PM

That sux!

Get out there....get out there soon. Put the time in. You'll be rewarded, I have no doubt.

snag · March 22, 2013, 10:47:00 PM

I know your pain! I had a tree stand up for the late blacktail season. Walked in opening morning to find they had logged the whole slope and saddle AND the tree my stand was in!!! Gone!
But you have a long standing history with your basin and it's elk country...bummer.

S.C. Hunter · March 22, 2013, 10:47:00 PM

Sorry to hear. Maybe you will find something.

Rock 'N Bow · March 22, 2013, 10:50:00 PM

I know how you feel. I ended last season to the sound of chainsaws and falling trees. My honeyhole is being developed for new houses. Looks like I have to look elsewhere.

Over&Under · March 22, 2013, 11:08:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Bjorn:
Major bummer! You are in the right area and perhaps you will find even better.

Totally!

Knawbone · March 22, 2013, 11:26:00 PM

Sorry to hear that Joe. It;s kind of like losing a close friend. Land I hunted as a youth was sold after hunting it for 15 yrs. But thats life I guess.....nothings forever. Have fun with your new quest, I'm sure you will find new hunting ground to make more memories.

Matty · March 22, 2013, 11:33:00 PM

Oh man know that all too well. They are doing sooooo much cutting out here. Mostly due to the beetle kill and the fires. Sorry bout that. Bummer for sure. Where in the state are you?

Mike Vines · March 23, 2013, 07:49:00 AM

As bad as that is Joe, you will be glad to know that the tree will now be contributing to the Global Warming they keep talking about which will hopefully get rid of all the snow and cold up here.

All kidding aside, it is always a bad day when you realize your favorite hunting spot is gone. I've been there a couple times, and don't wanna go thru it again (we all know how hard it is to find the "Perfect" one.

Kingsnake · March 23, 2013, 08:01:00 AM

It's an (unfortunately) familiar story. Several years ago, one of my hunting buddies and I had access to a small (10 acre plot) that was next to a large farm. We took many whitetails there. One year the farm sold and the developer also bought the 10 acre plot we hunted. We drove through the housing development that stood in its place the next season and tried to use the topography to figure out where our "kill spots" were. It was very sad.

God luck with your search for a new honey hole!
Kingsnake

misfire · March 23, 2013, 08:11:00 AM

It's a sad thing for sure. Same thing happened to me several years ago. My favorite tree stood on a spot that is now the middle of a golf course surrounded by 3/4 of a million dollar homes.

damascusdave · March 23, 2013, 08:13:00 AM

Think about it from the elk and deer point of view...they are going to have to adapt to the change...think about how they will do that and let it point you in the direction you need to go...and thanks for giving me a vision of what I need to do...I have access to some great elk country and I need to put in the time to sort out how to be in the right place at the right time...we have some great farmland elk hunting here in Alberta

DDave

Bowwild · March 23, 2013, 08:15:00 AM

Yikes, that is a bummer.

My story is different than yours but....

In the early 80's I built a stand in a very large old tree next to a large swamp in Northern Indiana.

I walked in months later on opening morning in the dark. I couldn't find the tree to save my life. I sat down to wait for daylight.

I was sitting near my tree. The tree had been blown over!

March 23, 2013, 08:26:00 AM

Been there. Loggers just completed a 2-year clearcut on my favorite acreage-- left a big mess, hurts my heart to see it. Plus my super honeyhole was a casualty of a divorce. I'm running out of local options......

March 23, 2013, 08:57:00 AM

I concur with the above statements.......bummer!

Bisch

T Mowery · March 23, 2013, 09:10:00 AM

Sorry to hear that!I went through the same deal, awhile back.They clear cut my honey hole, but the good thing about it is, they left the tops lay! There is more deer in that patch now,than ever before, but also a lot of pain in the butt traversing the mess, along with major briars.They may have done you a favor,if you can establish hunting rights again.

DamselflyFarm · March 23, 2013, 10:31:00 AM

Much of my hunting and fly fishing property belongs to the logging companies, so I've seen it too. I feel your pain.

steadman · March 23, 2013, 11:01:00 AM

Bummer Joe!! Looks like you're gonna have to tighten the laces and find a new honey hole. Good luck!!

dnovo · March 23, 2013, 11:02:00 AM

Think positive even though it looks bleak right now, In a couple years as that starts to grow back, there will be more game there than ever.
I hunt a farm that logged my favorite corner. They actually did it to save it, in order to buy out a 1/2 owner outside the family that wanted to sell it. It took several years, especially since my favorite stand trees are all gone, but I simply figured out new ways to hunt the same spots in different ways, but I see more deer than ever in there.