@Captcurt, nice bucks! I've never hunted chachalac. They only moved into our area as Mexico cleared lots of brush. Those that have moved in hang out in very dense brush and a drive would be about only way to hunt them.........except the citified ones in my neighborhood.
A pair took up residence in some brush nearby and raise their young years ago; I'm sure it is their offspring who have continued to do so. I love to hear their raucous call in the springtime, but they sure go silent when stealing my peaches in the back yard and tick the wife off sitting on the patio furniture (doing what birds do).
I was not as dedicated to fishing as hunting, but my dad was a real fisherman and my son enjoyed both. Been a looonnng time since I fished freshwater. When my son was pre-teen, we loved to hit Falcon Lake in the spring for the white bass run. We'd cruise until we saw them schooling, approach from upwind and drift with them until they dispersed. A gold spoon would hook you up almost every cast; those little buggers are really scrappy for their size on light tackle.
When dad could no longer handle his boat, I bought a bay boat to take him and my son fishing in the bay. Dad's intimate knowledge of the bays never failed to put us on nice trout and redfish and I'm thankful for the hundreds of hours of quality time the three of us had on the water. Have to admit salt-water can be addictive.
Even when dad's eyesight failed, he continued to love his fishing. He never liked spinning and used his light Ambassador bait casting reel w/10# mono line. I swear, he could cast that thing 100 yards (or close to it
) and always put his share of fish in the boat to the end.
When his eyesight went, and he could not see the spoon hit the water (at which time it is imperative to thumb the spool to prevent overrun) it often resulted in horrible backlashes with monofilament line, but I still long for those times when we could help him untangle those bird nests. RIP, dad. Oh, and I had a thing for sunrise, even over the bay, back then.
On a sad note, and to keep firearms front & center, what with Falcon conditions & drug traffic being what it is along the border, violence has escalated to a point, that I would strongly consider stowing a
onboard should I return.
Regards,
hps