This was a hard hunt! Hardly any snow and the buffs would migrate in and out sporadically. One herd was on private land almost every time I went out. After about 12 trips to the unit they finally moved off private in Jan long enough for me and my youngest to walk across the frozen lake to seal the deal that evening. My boy said "This is so cool!" I called my brother in law to bring a sled and after all the work we hit the sack about 1 AM. The meat is the best ever. It was an old cow with a broken horn and a way cool hide! 10 ft nose to tail.
The gut was almost impossible for me to move by myself, it must weigh 200 pounds.
The gas station attendants on the corner don't love hunters. They told me I wasn't hunting, I was stalking a couch. The gas station across from the corner likes hunters.
The Buffalo Field Campaign people are very devoted, they are out every morning monitoring the roads and watching the hunters. They all drive subarus with cb antennas.
They are amazingly tough animals, three 180 grain 300 win mag shots right in the chest from 30 yards and she never even flinched.
There was a yearling bull but he was probably 500 pounds lighter than the old cow. I wanted a large rug and tons of meat so the decision was easy.
A wolf pack was howling the whole time I was taking care of the buff!
There are some super fun sledding hills between west yellowstone and the madison river for kids when you are waiting for buffs.