Repeat in Redemption

My season has come and gone…much to my chagrin – still trying to get used to these short seasons compared to Idaho’s 3 month season – but really I shouldn't complain (although I am still hoping to get my hands on a couple of elk tags). Elk season last year was 5 days and I hunted 4 of them. After missing opening day again this year I somehow knew that my last and 4th day of hunting would be the best for me…again.

It has been dry here so I was worried that it would be a repeat of my humble pie day two weeks ago, so I rigged up some quiet walking with two pairs of socks and inserts from my boots. I started hiking about an hour before shooting light so I could sit on a trail I felt might be promising – wrong. But as I hiked in the dark I jumped a herd of elk and was able to see a satellite bull right at first light that had stuck around to look for stray cows. And after sitting at the trail I hiked, ever so slowly, up the mountain to sit in the area I should have shot at the buck last week. While sitting there from noon to about two, I was visited by some elk, 5 cows and a spike that decided to graze about 15 to 30 yards from me for a couple of minutes until a cow got a whiff of me. Fun, but I can’t shoot an elk. After deciding that the deer weren’t going to pass through there again, I headed back to the other side of the mountain.

Now, it was nearing 5 o’clock and I had yet to see a deer. Slightly beginning to fear being skunked on the last day, I kind of said a little prayer in my head “Please, Heavenly Father give me another chance, all I need to see is one buck. If I screw it up again, I will just have to live with that.”

As I worked down between two openings I stopped in a deer bed on a bench. As I stood there contemplating that a deer was probably bedded there that morning, I caught movement down hill from me, the movement carried antlers. “That’s about forty yards” I said, as I attached my release, pulled back anchored and released. The shot looked good and I watched him run about 50 yards and stop where I could just see its hind quarters. Did I hit him? I thought I saw my arrow fly through the air after two bounds, so I figured yes, I’d hit him but it must have been in the shoulder. As I watched him through the bino’s he turned as if to walk away, but then he stumbled and fell out of my view. I couldn’t believe it; I had just killed a buck with my bow. I looked up, uttered a grateful “Thank you Heavenly Father” and took out the cell phone to call Morgan – in a whisper of course. This all took place in a minute and a half or less - seeing the deer to watching it fall. After whispering to Morgan and Sage, I walked down to find out what I had shot – a young 3-point still in velvet. The shot was just on the back side of both front quarters, ruining a little meat, but I couldn’t have been happier.

Chukar Hunting

I went to scout a couple of areas to chukar hunt on opening morning along the salmon river with a friend and his son. When I got ready to leave Kara wanted to go because she was having contractions, so we loading up and went. We found about 15 bird along the river due to the little rain for the last 2 weeks. We then went straight to the emergency room the have the kid. Had Jacob Gleckler at 12:55 and went home at 2:00am to sleep. Wife woke me up at 5:55 wanting me to still go chukar hunting. When I got up a wet cold front was moving through. Went to the areas that we had the night before and found nothing. I can't hike well because of my knee, so it looks like I will not be shooting very many birds this year.

Close, but...

Once again I wish I had an elk tag. I had an easy shot on a nice 5-point and a little 3-point was past weekend, and probably could have made stalks on 2 maybe 3 other bulls, 5-point and better - but alas I am deer hunting... I did get to see a really nice buck though. He was only about 30 yards from me when I spotted him, but he had seen me already - needless to say, our encounter was short lived. This thick aspen I am hunting is great for getting close, if I could just see them first. I also had a small 3-point still in velvet that I probably should have shot at but I wanted to get closer. When I decided to take the shot, he turned and walked away from me, never presenting another opportunity. So another stellar wildlife viewing day, but nothing to hang a tag on. I will only be able to hunt one more day - wish me luck.

Nice shed

I just found this shed today while working - now if I can only find a deer with sheds like these on his head!

Humble pie doesn't taste so good.

After such a great opening day, this past Friday and Saturday was a wake up call. I hunted all day Friday and Saturday morning and only saw about 10 deer, 3 elk and a bear. The bear was really the only thing that didn't know I was around - everything else was already on the alert when I saw them. It is amazing how fast things dried out and I couldn't take a step without making any noise. It was neat to see a bear at only 15 yards (man I wish New Mexico had a "sportsman package" because that would have been an easy shot). So, here is another huge mulie - Randy Ulmers '08 Nevada buck - to get you excited.

Huge Arizona Strip buck - 322 gross green score

Here is a picture of a huge non-typical that came from the Arizona Strip. If you half this buck you might get what the buck that I saw looked like.

What is, and what should never be.

Lets start with what should never be. You should never be surrounded by elk on all sides without a elk tag in your pocket, especially when a nice 5-point bull bring up the rear of his 40 some odd cows and is within 40 yards. You should never spot a nice three by four buck bedded down some 25 yards away and fail to get a shot off or not even see the huge non-typical that was bedded about 10 yards from him. And you should never place the bottom of your bow on your leg when you fire your bow and see your arrow go off course.

What is... well I don't know why it is but it seems I always have to miss before I can shot something. What I missed was a little 2-point in velvet (in fact all four bucks I saw were still in velvet). I spotted the 2-point with a spike and was stalking them when they turned toward me, I then got caught in a little opening and had to sit down. Thus, when it came to shooting I had my bow on my leg and the rest is a leason learned.

So needless to say I saw a ton of animals and had a nice 13 hour hunt (which my shoulders are still sore from since I had not carried my bow around at all before the hunt). And since I don't have a picture of the buck I should have shot, here is a picture of an antelope skull that I found yesterday at work. I hope your hunting is going better than mine.