C
COGriz
Guest
It has been a good year! I've learned a lot from this site and from several MM regulars over the past couple years. I certainly have a ways to go before I can hope to regularly tag bucks like some of the muley gods on this site (I'm planning to keep learning, trying, and we'll see what happens), but I wanted to share some stories, some pics, and some hard earned success w/ my MM brotheren...
First my WY buck pics and story... then my CO buck pics and story... have to tell the story in order!
WY buck story...
"All-is-well-that-ends-well! That sums up my 2004 WY deer hunt story. From the 'get-go', things went wrong... but fortunately ended well!
The season opened up on Friday, 10/15/04. I had planned to go get my horse, get up to my hunting spot, pack in a short distance on to BLM land, and set up my camp before dark on Thursday. Not! I got out of town later than expected Thursday morning and after getting my horse and replacement Kifaru tipi (original tipi was destroyed by a bear during an earlier elk hunt), I ended up spending Thursday night in Denver and heading up to WY on Friday morning (the opener).
On Friday, I stopped to talk to a land owner, who was patrolling the country road that ran through her property on the way to my hunting area, when I couldn't re-start my truck. Fortunately, I was able to get minimal cell reception and was able to contact a relative in a relatively nearby town (nothing is 'nearby' in WY). I was able to jump my truck and get back in to town to have my truck examined. Turns out the battery went bad and a new one was all it took to get me back on the road.
On Saturday, I was able to successfully get up to my hunting area, pack in, set up camp, and get in a short evening hunt. That night I put KC out on a 50 foot picket line so she could feed during the night.
I woke about 1.5 hours before first light Sunday morning hoping to breakfast, get KC geared-up, and ride into an area I wanted to hunt first-off. But, according to the luck I had experienced so far, I woke to an empty picket line. KC had pulled her single leg hobble from the picket line and was no where to be found. Needless to say, I spent the majority of Sunday looking for my horse. I was fortunate to find her approx. 1.5 miles away from camp along a fence that impeded her progress further down the valley.
On Monday, I was finally able to get in a full day of hunting. I put in many miles on horseback and on foot exploring a ridgeline corridor through private lands. At times the wind was blowing so hard it almost knocked KC and I over (that's a strong gust of wind). All the critters 'great and small' were hunkered down waiting out the furry. I did see several bucks, primarily jumping them from the leeward side of ridgelines or rock out-croppings, but nothing in the category I was after (a spike, a 'forkie', and a small 3 point). I got back into camp an hour or so after dark after navigating around the private patches of land. I was breaking some dead branches from some rabbit brush for my tipi stove when I accidentally got a branch tip between my face and glasses. My reaction resulted in the 'flipping' off of my glasses into the night and gale force winds. I never did find those glasses. So, instead of hunting the next morning as planned, I had to return to my truck to get my spare set of glasses.
By this time I was thinking God was trying to tell me something and was planning my 'retreat' back to the Denver area. Fortunately, Tuesday was a beautiful fall Wyoming day... primarily overcast, warm, w/ just a light breeze. I headed out of camp around 1:30pm after retrieving my spare glasses from the truck, having a good lunch, and a couple cups of coffee. Within 5 minutes I jumped a 3-point buck. Things were looking good. A couple hours later, I was exploring one of the many coulees while leading KC by the lead rope, when I jumped a large horned mule deer. I was able to shoulder my rifle and successfully place a 7mm round in the buck before he disappeared through a narrow saddle about 125 yards away. KC didn't think much of the unexpected rifle shot but fortunately didn't pull back too hard on the lead rope (I'm very fortunate to have a very good hunting horse). I hit my seat/the ground and sent off a few more rounds. The big horned mule deer turned out to be a nice 4x3 non-typical w/ good mass throughout his horns.
The weather continued to hold throughout the afternoon/evening, making the picture taking, 'cleaning', and packing-out chores a joy! I was able to get the backstraps, quarters, and horns/skull cap on KC and thoroughly enjoy the 3 mile hike out under a beautiful WY moonlit night.
All-is-well-that-ends-well... and my 2004 WY deer hunt certainly ended well! Nothing like a hunting adventure that ends w/ meat in the freezer and a trophy on the wall!"
WY buck pics...
BadLuckBuck
KC
Home Away From Home
Theodore Roosevelt once said, "The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation, INCREASED and NOT IMPAIRED in value."
First my WY buck pics and story... then my CO buck pics and story... have to tell the story in order!
WY buck story...
"All-is-well-that-ends-well! That sums up my 2004 WY deer hunt story. From the 'get-go', things went wrong... but fortunately ended well!
The season opened up on Friday, 10/15/04. I had planned to go get my horse, get up to my hunting spot, pack in a short distance on to BLM land, and set up my camp before dark on Thursday. Not! I got out of town later than expected Thursday morning and after getting my horse and replacement Kifaru tipi (original tipi was destroyed by a bear during an earlier elk hunt), I ended up spending Thursday night in Denver and heading up to WY on Friday morning (the opener).
On Friday, I stopped to talk to a land owner, who was patrolling the country road that ran through her property on the way to my hunting area, when I couldn't re-start my truck. Fortunately, I was able to get minimal cell reception and was able to contact a relative in a relatively nearby town (nothing is 'nearby' in WY). I was able to jump my truck and get back in to town to have my truck examined. Turns out the battery went bad and a new one was all it took to get me back on the road.
On Saturday, I was able to successfully get up to my hunting area, pack in, set up camp, and get in a short evening hunt. That night I put KC out on a 50 foot picket line so she could feed during the night.
I woke about 1.5 hours before first light Sunday morning hoping to breakfast, get KC geared-up, and ride into an area I wanted to hunt first-off. But, according to the luck I had experienced so far, I woke to an empty picket line. KC had pulled her single leg hobble from the picket line and was no where to be found. Needless to say, I spent the majority of Sunday looking for my horse. I was fortunate to find her approx. 1.5 miles away from camp along a fence that impeded her progress further down the valley.
On Monday, I was finally able to get in a full day of hunting. I put in many miles on horseback and on foot exploring a ridgeline corridor through private lands. At times the wind was blowing so hard it almost knocked KC and I over (that's a strong gust of wind). All the critters 'great and small' were hunkered down waiting out the furry. I did see several bucks, primarily jumping them from the leeward side of ridgelines or rock out-croppings, but nothing in the category I was after (a spike, a 'forkie', and a small 3 point). I got back into camp an hour or so after dark after navigating around the private patches of land. I was breaking some dead branches from some rabbit brush for my tipi stove when I accidentally got a branch tip between my face and glasses. My reaction resulted in the 'flipping' off of my glasses into the night and gale force winds. I never did find those glasses. So, instead of hunting the next morning as planned, I had to return to my truck to get my spare set of glasses.
By this time I was thinking God was trying to tell me something and was planning my 'retreat' back to the Denver area. Fortunately, Tuesday was a beautiful fall Wyoming day... primarily overcast, warm, w/ just a light breeze. I headed out of camp around 1:30pm after retrieving my spare glasses from the truck, having a good lunch, and a couple cups of coffee. Within 5 minutes I jumped a 3-point buck. Things were looking good. A couple hours later, I was exploring one of the many coulees while leading KC by the lead rope, when I jumped a large horned mule deer. I was able to shoulder my rifle and successfully place a 7mm round in the buck before he disappeared through a narrow saddle about 125 yards away. KC didn't think much of the unexpected rifle shot but fortunately didn't pull back too hard on the lead rope (I'm very fortunate to have a very good hunting horse). I hit my seat/the ground and sent off a few more rounds. The big horned mule deer turned out to be a nice 4x3 non-typical w/ good mass throughout his horns.
The weather continued to hold throughout the afternoon/evening, making the picture taking, 'cleaning', and packing-out chores a joy! I was able to get the backstraps, quarters, and horns/skull cap on KC and thoroughly enjoy the 3 mile hike out under a beautiful WY moonlit night.
All-is-well-that-ends-well... and my 2004 WY deer hunt certainly ended well! Nothing like a hunting adventure that ends w/ meat in the freezer and a trophy on the wall!"
WY buck pics...
BadLuckBuck
KC
Home Away From Home
Theodore Roosevelt once said, "The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation, INCREASED and NOT IMPAIRED in value."
