Thanks guys,
Here is the story of the hunt.
Left Spokane thurs at 3 and got about 1/2 way there. Stayed in the trailer in a rest area somewhere in some state but it is all a blur. Got up friday and made it to the area about 11am. Started off looking at a spot we scouted in the south hunbolts over the summer(thanks calif elkslayer). Saw some small bucks and qhite a few does that eve with one nice 4 point as dusk was coming on. Too late to make a move on him. Ran into Elko for our "last supper" in town and had some great steaks with Drew and Bill and poured over our maps.Thanks Drew! Weather was getting nicer and the Rubys looked snowier than the Humbolts so we headed there to set up camp. Got up sat morn and did some looking from down below with the spotting scope and saw a few 3 pts and forkys but nuthin to exciting. After lunch we took the ATV up a road to about 8000 feet and hiked up from there. Set up to glass about 100 yards apart overlooking some huge canyons and basins. Saw a giant forky a couple miles away and some other lesser bucks. About an hour in we see a very tall 3x3 and 4x4 with a small group of does. Just get a glimpse of them before they disappear out of sight. The wind is good and it is early so I try a stalk. Finally come around a hill thru some trees and see the tall 3 feeding 150 yards below and he doesn't even know I am there. So where is his big 4x4 friend. I keep thinking he has to be here. They were together 45 min ago when I started the stalk but the 4 point vanished? Snow all around, not too much cover? I am 100% sure he tunnelled out.
Back to the trailer for some dinner. Rain! We were hoping for snow.
Got up sunday morn Happy Halloween and started again with the spotting scope. The snow is melting. After a couple hours we spot a very nice 4 pt bedded several miles above us in the snow. After about 10 min, he gets up and lays his ears back and comes down the hill a bit and he and a slightly bigger 4 start trying to kill each other. It only lasted about 10 second but it was an awesome fight! Wish I could have got it on film. I look at Chris and he looks at me and we both say, " we need to go up to the good bucks, they are way above us here". Back to the trailer to take off layers and load up packs for a couple nights on the mountain. Excited we sprinted up the mountain. Ok, we walked fast... Set up camp and realized we forgot a few things (thermal underwear pants but I had two shirts) and chris only forgot his beanie and the meat bags but we improvised and the hunt went on. Began the climb from base camp and got up in the snow and spotted a buck laying in super thick aspens about 200 yards below us. Took me atleast 1.2 seconds of pondering to decide I would try to take him. I could see one side and the mass and I new he was big. Calmed my shakes and got good and comfy and prone. Found a sweet hole thru the trees I could sneak a bullet thru and a couple shots later he is mine. I bust brush down to him leaving Chris above to guide me in. He is awesome. I am very jacked up. We cut him in half but still find it impossible to get thru the trees. So we bone him out and use my emergency space blanket bag as a meat bag and head back to camp. Spread out the meat to cool and hunt near camp for the eve. The next morning we are up and heading up to the snow again. We go about 45 min beyond where I killed my buck and we are really getting way up the mountain now. We jump 2 3pts and a forky out of some aspens and find a cliff to spot from. We bust another big 3 pt from the rocks above and then about 20 min later a 4x3 come out of the rocks 30 yards away snorting and making a real nuisance of himself. Chris spots a 4x3 bedded across from us about 300 yards. He is tempted but decides to hold off. Nap time. 45 min later I wake Chris and suggest he go to the next rocky spot above us 800 yards or so. "I will wait here" I tell him "and come help if you shoot one." I am pretty physically beat. Chris heads up and about 20 min later CRACK! I hear a shot and he come up on some boulders and shrugs his shoulders. We meet up and he goes down below to where he shot and finds the bucks bed and a few drips of blood in the snow. 10 yards down hill and it looks like the floor of a slaughter house. The buck crashed and slid down the near vertical snowy hillside and ended up 8 inches from going over a cliff. We get to him(very carefully sice I do have a wife and kids at home) and bone him and haul him back to camp. Spread the meat to cool and wow am I beat. But I love it. Two trips each down the mountain the next morning and we are done. Thanks again for all the advice and help from all. I hope you enjoyed the hunt story. Mike
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