Deer hunting season opened in the mountains north and east of Fresno on Saturday. And to no one's surprise, things haven't exactly gotten off to a rip-roaring start.
(Blame the hot, dry weather most of all.)
But there was a bit of good news: DFG wildlife biologist Clu Cotter, who manned a check station on Highway 168 at Pine Ridge, said he validated 35 deer last weekend, more than the 28 over last year's zone D-7 opener.
Cotter added that hunters reported no signs of seeing dead deer with no visible signs of trauma, which was a fairly common occurrence last year.
DFG biologist Tim Kroeker manned a similar check station on Highway 108 below Sonora Pass.
The final numbers came out to about 40 deer and three bears. The best specimens Kroeker saw were a couple older 4x4s, but he doesn't know if they came from D-6 or one of the X zones on the eastern side of the Sierra Crest.
"The numbers were low," Kroeker said. "And they were mostly small-antlered animals, even if the animals were older."
I was doing some hiking in the Kaiser Wilderness this week -- the weather was glorious, by the way -- and saw a number of hunters cruising by in their pickups. Then, on the way up to Whitebark Vista, I passed three hunting camps.
Plenty of hunters. Not a single deer.
This weekend, zone D-8 (Kings River drainage) joins the party. Expect to see plenty of hunters if you're headed for Big Meadows or Converse Basin.
Deer hunters, how has your luck been so far?
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