204Ruger

Hello All,

I got drawn for a late season buck hunt that will allow me hike more than I normally do. So I. Am looking to gain some room in my pack and also trim some weight by finding a light weight tripod. I don't normally shoot off my tripod, I just use it for the spotting scope.

Any suggestions and comments would be greatly appreciated! I'm super excited for this hunt!

RLKondo

RL, I don't know anything about tripods, though others here will. Tell us more about this hunt you have coming up .

RL: Check out the lightweight line of Nikon tripods designed just for your intended purpose. I've been using one for about six years now for my spotters up in the high country and out in the open desert, and it's light for the pack, sturdy enough to not wobble, and extends high enough for any spotting scope application.

I got mine at Sportsmans Warehouse.

Ramos,
This hunt is located in the Naneum unit located in central Wa. The unit is located directly above Ellensburg and Kittitas, if you are familiar with WA. The land ranges from farm land, desert sage brush, to forest ( Eastern Cascades- the top of bluet pass).

We will be chasing Mule Deer, in the middle of November! I'm not sure if we will find any B&C quality, but should be able to find some fine 4 points. I hope that due to the rut we will be able to be selective in the deer we shoot. The tag is for any buck, so if by the 3 rd day I have not found a great trophy, I will settle for filling the fridge, which is never a bad thing.

The only hiccup is that the Colockum Tarps fire is flirting with our unit. The fire has already burned 80,000 acres, luckily we got some rain yesterday so hopefully the fire has slown. I'm worried if they dont get the western boarder of this fire under control this weekend, our unit will burn.

Thanks Guys, I will hopefully be back with good news in November!

I would suggest not overlooking any burned areas. I know, at least where I'm at here in N.Ca. the deer like to frequent any areas that have burned or recent logging has taken place. Burning is a way nature clears the the overgrowth, and promotes new growth in these areas. Also I have heard the deer like to roll in the ashes, after cooling of course, to help rid themselves of parasites.

If you haven't already got the spotting scope stand, Al Ewing over in Spokane makes some high quality spotting scope stands. He builds a larger one for NRA Highpower competitors, and a smaller lighter one for military & police snipers which turns out to be ideal for hunters... I've been using it for several years, and it's a quality piece of gear.

http://www.scopestands.com/

Good luck on your late hunt - that should be terrific this year. I think you're going to see a lot of bucks!

Regards, Guy