WELL OPENING DAY WE DROVE UP TO THE HILL WHERE WE WERE GOING TO HUNT . MY FRIEND ARRIVED THERE THE NIGHT BEFORE AND DID SOME SCOUTING BUT HAD NO SUCCESS SPOTTING ANY NICE BUCKS ,HE TOLD US IT WOULD BE A TOUGH HUNT .ANY WAY WE STARTED OUT AT FIRST LIGHT AND I SAW 4 BUCKS ONE LOOKED PRETY GOOD BUT WE PASSED . THEN WE GOT TO THE TOP OF THE RIDGE AND I SPOTTED A GROUP OF 7 BUCKS AND TWO WERE OVER 30" AND 4X4'S . I SAID THAT LOOKS GOOD ENOUGH TO ME .SO AS WE STARTED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO THE CLOUDS STARTED TO DROP IN AND IT STARTED SNOWING REAL HARD . AND THE BUCKS DISSAPPEARED IN THE FLYING SNOW . SO THEY WERE ON THIS OPEN SAGE HILL AND I SAW TWO OF THEM LAY DOWN SO I SAID THY ARE PROBABLY ALL IN THAT SMALL ASPEN PATCH IN THE DRAW LETS HEAD THERE WAY AND THE SNOW WILL COVER US .WELL AFTER 2 HRS OF HIKING ACROSS A CANYON .WE WERE IN POSITION AND I JUMPED THE BUCKS 4 OF THEM STOPPED ABOUT 125 YDS IN FRONT OF MY DAD HE PICKED OUT THE BIGGEST ONE AND HELD ABOUT 3" HIGH . WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARED HE THEN REALIZED HE SHOT JUST OVER ITS BACK.AND THEY ALL RAN OVER THE RIDGE .I PASSED ON THIS BUCK IT WAS A 3X3 ABOUT 24" WIDE .
WE NEVER DID SEE THE BIG ONES ,BUT FIGURED THEY WENT INTO THE THICK TIMBER DOWN THE RIDGE . WELL AFTER A 4 HR HIKE WE GOT BACK TO THE TOP OF THE NEXT RIDGE . WE SAW 7 OF 8 OTHER BUCKS THAT DAY BUT NOTHING NICE .BUT THE 3" OF SNOW ON THE GROUND WAS NICE TO SEE , IT WAS SO DRY BEFORE THAT .
THE NEXT DAY WE HUNTED IN THE MORNING AND WE JUST COULDNT GET CLOSE TO ANYTHING WE TRIED FOR A NICE 3X4 ABOUT 28" WIDE . I WORKED DOWN A TIMBER SLOPE REAL SLOW BUT NEVER JUMPED ANYTHING ,AT THE VERY BOTTOM WAS A LARGE ASPEN PATCH AND 4 PINES ON THE FAR SIDE SO I TOSSED A COUPLE OF ROCKS IN AND THE 3X4 AND ANOTHER NICE BUCK CAME BUSTING OUT ABOUT 150 YDS AWAY I THREW UP MY GUN BUT I DIDNT WANT TO TAKE THE SHOT AND POSSIBLE WOUND ONE OF THESE NICE BUCKS SO I DIDNT TAKE THE SHOT .WELL WE GOT BACK AND THEN ATE SOME LUNCH AND WENT BACK TO CAMP BECAUSE MY FRIEND HAD TO GO HOME . LATER THAT NIGHT WE WENT DOWN LOWER IN THE SAGE FLATS , WE SPOTTED MY DADS BUCK JUST STANDING IN A SMALL OPENING AT ABOUT 5 PM IT LOOKED REALLY WEIRD TO SEE IT JUST STANDING THERE , I TOLD HIM THAT IS A NICE BUCK GO FOR IT . WELL HE GOT ABOUT 70 YDS AND IT JUST STOOD THERE . I THINK THE BUCK THOUGHT WE DIDNT SEE HIM BECAUSE HE DIDNT EVEN TWITCH HIS EAR OR MOVE A MUSCLE. WELL MY DAD PUT IT RIGHT ON HIM AND WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARED THE BUCK WAS ON THE GROUND . I SAID YOU GOT HIM , AND MY DAD REPLIED "DAMN HE WENT DOMW LIKE HE WAS HIT IN THE HEAD WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER" !!!SO BY THE TIME WE GOT HIM BACK AND SKINNED OUT IT WAS 11:30 THAT NIGHT . THE NEXT MORNING WE WERE LATER BY 30 MIN GETTING UP . BUT WE MANAGED TO SPOT A GROUP OF 9 BUCKS AND ONE WAS REAL NICE I DIDNT GET A POINT COUNT BUT HE WAS WIDE AND HEAVY , WE WERE IN THE SAME LOW SAGE AREA BUT THE RIDGE THEY WERE ON HAD THIS DRY CABBAGE ON IT AND IT WAS SO THICK I COULDNT FIND A PLACE TO STEP AND I SPOOKED THEM BEFORE I WAS CLOSE ENOUGH , THEY ALL RAN ACROSS A BIG OPEN FLAT AND OVER THEN NEXT RIDGE .I LOOKED FOR THEM ALL DAY BUT NEVER SAW THEM AGAIN.WELL THE NEXT MORNING WE WENT UP HIGH AGAIN , I SPOTTED A NICE 3X4 GOING INTO A PATCH OF TIMBER . SO I SAID IM GOING TO TRY FOR THAT ONE . WELL THERE WAS A ROAD THAT WENT TO THE TOP OF THE RIDGE AND I COULD SIDE HILL OVER TO THE PATCH OF TIMBER THE BUCK WAS IN . I WALKED ABOUT 10 STEPS THEN I WOULD GLASS DOWN THE SLOPE IN THE TIMBER . THEN 10 STEPS MORE AND GLASS . WELL AFTER DOING THIS FOR ABOUT AN HOUR . THERE HE WAS BEDDED NEXT TO A LOG
I COULD JUST SEE THE TIPS OF HIS ANTLERS STICKING UP .I WAITED FOR AN HOUR FOR HIM TO GET UP . BUT HE JUST SAT THERE. I HAD PUT THE RANGE FINDER ON HIM AND HE WAS ABOT 175 DOWN THE STEEP SLOPE.
I DECIDED TO SNEAK UP AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE, I GOT AS FAR AS I WCOULD DOWN THE SLOPE AND COULDNT GO ANY FURTHER BECAUSE OF ALL THE DEAD FALLS .I RANGED HIM AND HE WAS 84 YDS. I COULD ONLY SEE HIS HEAD SO I TOOK CAREFUL AIM ON WHERE I THOUGH HE WOULD BE WHEN HE STOOD UP . I WHISTLED AND HIS HEAD INSTANTLY TURNED MY WAY , SHEN HE SLOWLY STOOD UP . I USUSALL DONT GET NERVOUS OR START TO SHAKE BUT I COULD FEEL THE RUSH OF ADRENILINE . SO I BEADED UP BEHIND HIS SHOULDER AND SLOWLY SQUEEZED THE TRIGGER .I HAD TO AIM A LITTLE FURTHER BACK BECAUSE OF A LIMB WAS IN THE WAS , HE MADE ONE BIG LEAP FOREWARD AND COLLAPSED TO THE GROUND . HE QUIT ROLLING DOWN THE HILL WHEN HE SPRAWLED OUT AGAINST A LARGE LOG.MY DAD HAD HERD THE SHOT AND WALKED OVER TO WHERE I WAS , WE TRIED TO DRAG HIM UP THE HILL BUT HE WAS TOO HEAVY . SO I SAID LETS GO GET THE PACKS . WELL WE GOT HIM CUT IN HALF AND LOADED, IT WAS SO HEAVY I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE !!!
FINALLY WE REACHED THE TRUCK , AND I SAID GRAB THE CAMERA AND TAKE A PICTURE . MY DAD SAID GET THIS PACK OFF HIM !!! I TOLD HIM TO LET THE TAILGATE DOWN , AND SET THE PACK DOWN ON IT WHEN HE DID HE FELL BACK AND COULDNT GET BACK UP . IT WAS FUNNY HE LOOKED LIKE A TURTLE THAT HAD BEEN TURNED OVER . WELL ANYWAY HE SNAPPED A FEW PICTURES OF THE BUCK ON MY PACK . AND WE WENT BACK TO CAMP.HIS BUCK WAS A NICE 5X4 ABOUT 26" WIDE AND MINE WAS A NICE HEAVY HORNED 3X4 22" WIDE NOT A REAL MONSTER BUT I WAS HAPPY BEING IT WAS MY FIRST MUZZLELOADER BUCK .SO NOW IM HOME WAITING FOR THE NEXT HUNT (IN IDAHO) , WE PURCHASED SOUTHEAST IDAHO GENERAL TAGS AND TRADED THEM IN FOR THE LATE MUZZLELOADER HUNT IT STARTS NOVEMBER 16TH -DEC 1.I IM GOING TO WAIT FOR A REAL TROPHY THIS TIME HOPEFULLY THEY WILL BE RUTTING AND CHASING
SOME DOES .IF I DO GOOD THERE I JUST MIGHT SELL OFF MY CENTER FIRE RIFLES AND HAVE MY MUZZLELOADER IN THE SAFE (LOL) !!!!
I HOPE ALL YOU HAVE AS MUCH LUCK AS I DID HUNTING THIS SEASON.
TAKE CARE , BIG TOM P.S. I WILL SCAN A COUPLE OF PICKS OF THE BUCKS AND POST THEM I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT, I EVEN GOT ONE OF ME HOLDING MY DADS WITH MY THUMS UP FOR THE BUCK CONTEST.I DONT THINK IT WILL WIN BUT AT LEAST EVERYONE WILL KNOW WE GOT IT THIS YEAR .
