Well, I have been asked a couple of times how my High Country hunt went. I don't expect this to get a lot of replies, but I wrote the whole story out for my LeaderShip Class in school. So I thought I'd put it on here. Keep in mind that this was written to my teacher.
"Well, Monday September 13th rolls around, and it's my last day of school for a whole week. We?ve been planning this trip since the beginning of the summer. The high country? There?s something about it that makes your blood thrill, and your lungs scream from the lack of oxygen in the high altitude. Climbing up the mountain you think your crazy for anticipating this trip. However, when you crest that final ridge (there's never a final ridge, just one that leads you to view the rest of them), you're stunned with the picture your eyes are reflecting back to your brain. It's almost as if you climbed the mountain of life, and finally reached heaven at the top. It's the memory in your mind that keeps you wishing that 6th period will finally get over so you can go home, and put that 35 lb pack in the truck, and get going. Well, when viewing a favorite hunting site, that ultimately led you to the high country, I found a thread that was obvious that someone needed a partner for their own WA, high country hunt. The guy actually had 2 horses, ready to go, and a great spot. However his partner just got promoted, and wasn?t able to make the hunt. So we changed plans a little bit, and we were on our way to a new spot with a new guy, and 4 horses.
Well, the country looked good, but the skies told a different story. First night there, we were blessed with 3? of snow. We headed out that morning, and were cursed with a fog that blinded what was ahead of you. Back at camp we made a fire, and tried in vain to dry our wet clothes. The weather finally cleared, and with hopes still lingering at the optimistic level, we headed out that evening again. That evening yielded us the site of absolutely nothing. Our new hunting partner however did see a Sow bear with a cub.
Thursday Morning we again woke to a terrible beeping of a pocket alarm watch at 4:30. The weather looked good so far, so we saddled up the horses, and took off up the trail. Sitting there, in the pre-sunrise light, I'm looking down at a great bowl below our perch. All the sudden, I think I see a flicker of movement. Well, I'd been seeing tons of movement that morning, but all were lacking the movement of a deer. ?Ah, it's probably nothing.? I thought. Something was urging me though. ?C?mon Mike, put your bino?s up and see what it is.? ?Oh, alright, couldn't hurt anything.? Then all the sudden, there's two white butts walking through the field of view of my bino?s. They happen to be two deer, and not just does, two small bucks, a little 2 point, and a spike by two. They seemed to be to young to be out on their own, and we were hoping to see a bigger buck come out of the tree?s to join them. No such luck. We later saw two does directly below us however. So the morning had yielded 4 deer, and not a one was a shooter. Well, it was getting cold, and we were hungry, so after the deer disappeared into the timber, we headed back to camp. On the way back to camp, we see two does no more than 15 yds away. Since we were on horseback, they weren't sure what we were, and just trotted off into the trees.
Back at camp, we see two hikers approaching up the hill, and we invited them to sit around the fire a little bit. Well, turns out that the forecast was for a big rain warning for that night, and a big storm warning for the next. Our horses were already getting thin from the severe cold at night, and not adequate feed. So we weren't sure if we were going to stay that night. We headed out for the evening hunt about an hour?s ride from camp. We were in a new area, and found a nice little hole in-between some boulders, and some trees. With some effort, and a little camp stove fuel we had a nice little fire going, and spent that evening glassing. Well, if it was going to rain, it wasn?t going to rain; it was going to be snow. So, after not seeing a deer, and the looks of evening dark fast approaching, we again found ourselves astride the horses. Back at a camp, the clouds were coming on fast, and it felt like snow. We decided we didn't want to find ourselves with another 6? of snow in the morning, and be forced to pack up in the snow, and didn't want to have to drive out in the snow either. So we started to break camp, and were on our way near 7:00 PM. Just as we started to leave, the snow flakes were flying hard, and with an effort to get on the horse with a 35 lb pack on my back, we headed out. During the ride back, we hit snow, rain, wind, and a darkness that could only hint of what hell could be like. It was so dark at one time, that you couldn't even view the head of your horse. We rode for about 5 miles back to the truck, and when we arrived we were relieved that we'd even made it. We threw all of our soaking wet gear in the tack room, and started for home. We made it out pretty all right, and drove straight through to home. Right at 1:50 AM we pulled in to our home, and my bed was sounding pretty good. Awe, my flannel sheets, and wool blanket felt great, and I was once again home, dreaming of the general season hunt that very night."
Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
"Well, Monday September 13th rolls around, and it's my last day of school for a whole week. We?ve been planning this trip since the beginning of the summer. The high country? There?s something about it that makes your blood thrill, and your lungs scream from the lack of oxygen in the high altitude. Climbing up the mountain you think your crazy for anticipating this trip. However, when you crest that final ridge (there's never a final ridge, just one that leads you to view the rest of them), you're stunned with the picture your eyes are reflecting back to your brain. It's almost as if you climbed the mountain of life, and finally reached heaven at the top. It's the memory in your mind that keeps you wishing that 6th period will finally get over so you can go home, and put that 35 lb pack in the truck, and get going. Well, when viewing a favorite hunting site, that ultimately led you to the high country, I found a thread that was obvious that someone needed a partner for their own WA, high country hunt. The guy actually had 2 horses, ready to go, and a great spot. However his partner just got promoted, and wasn?t able to make the hunt. So we changed plans a little bit, and we were on our way to a new spot with a new guy, and 4 horses.
Well, the country looked good, but the skies told a different story. First night there, we were blessed with 3? of snow. We headed out that morning, and were cursed with a fog that blinded what was ahead of you. Back at camp we made a fire, and tried in vain to dry our wet clothes. The weather finally cleared, and with hopes still lingering at the optimistic level, we headed out that evening again. That evening yielded us the site of absolutely nothing. Our new hunting partner however did see a Sow bear with a cub.
Thursday Morning we again woke to a terrible beeping of a pocket alarm watch at 4:30. The weather looked good so far, so we saddled up the horses, and took off up the trail. Sitting there, in the pre-sunrise light, I'm looking down at a great bowl below our perch. All the sudden, I think I see a flicker of movement. Well, I'd been seeing tons of movement that morning, but all were lacking the movement of a deer. ?Ah, it's probably nothing.? I thought. Something was urging me though. ?C?mon Mike, put your bino?s up and see what it is.? ?Oh, alright, couldn't hurt anything.? Then all the sudden, there's two white butts walking through the field of view of my bino?s. They happen to be two deer, and not just does, two small bucks, a little 2 point, and a spike by two. They seemed to be to young to be out on their own, and we were hoping to see a bigger buck come out of the tree?s to join them. No such luck. We later saw two does directly below us however. So the morning had yielded 4 deer, and not a one was a shooter. Well, it was getting cold, and we were hungry, so after the deer disappeared into the timber, we headed back to camp. On the way back to camp, we see two does no more than 15 yds away. Since we were on horseback, they weren't sure what we were, and just trotted off into the trees.
Back at camp, we see two hikers approaching up the hill, and we invited them to sit around the fire a little bit. Well, turns out that the forecast was for a big rain warning for that night, and a big storm warning for the next. Our horses were already getting thin from the severe cold at night, and not adequate feed. So we weren't sure if we were going to stay that night. We headed out for the evening hunt about an hour?s ride from camp. We were in a new area, and found a nice little hole in-between some boulders, and some trees. With some effort, and a little camp stove fuel we had a nice little fire going, and spent that evening glassing. Well, if it was going to rain, it wasn?t going to rain; it was going to be snow. So, after not seeing a deer, and the looks of evening dark fast approaching, we again found ourselves astride the horses. Back at a camp, the clouds were coming on fast, and it felt like snow. We decided we didn't want to find ourselves with another 6? of snow in the morning, and be forced to pack up in the snow, and didn't want to have to drive out in the snow either. So we started to break camp, and were on our way near 7:00 PM. Just as we started to leave, the snow flakes were flying hard, and with an effort to get on the horse with a 35 lb pack on my back, we headed out. During the ride back, we hit snow, rain, wind, and a darkness that could only hint of what hell could be like. It was so dark at one time, that you couldn't even view the head of your horse. We rode for about 5 miles back to the truck, and when we arrived we were relieved that we'd even made it. We threw all of our soaking wet gear in the tack room, and started for home. We made it out pretty all right, and drove straight through to home. Right at 1:50 AM we pulled in to our home, and my bed was sounding pretty good. Awe, my flannel sheets, and wool blanket felt great, and I was once again home, dreaming of the general season hunt that very night."
Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
Good story and although no buck, great memories, which I think are just as good as a trophy. Thanks for posting it.
