jeremy.b
Well-known member
Going to be a busy day tomorrow...
Family Man's 2024 hunt log
- Thread starter jeremy.b
- Start date
jeremy.b
Well-known member
Monday morning found me parking at the ridge system that our whole crew hunted last Sunday and where I had the encounter with the X-ray vision raghorn.
Simple plan, hike in and bugle the lower ridges, and then do something dumb and cross the main drainage (which is a hole) to check the other side and bottom if nothing turned up.
No answers on the way up until I hit the adjacent lower ridge. I got an answer, sounded like the next lower ridge over, but could have been in the draw between that ridge and I. Wind was horrible if he was down in the draw so I eventually circled up the draw a good bit, and crossed over to the other side.
I took a couple pauses on the way hoping for a unsolicited bugle, but no luck. After reaching the top of the ridge I bugled over to the NEXT drainage, no answer.
Snagged a quick nap/rest still hoping for a bugle, still being disappointed. Finally settled on going back over my starting ridge and my original plan. Shot off a quick bugled, and got a faint response almost sounding like he was in the ridge I came up.
Head out on a sub ridge and bugled again with a response, and it was clearly still down on the original ridge I heard him on.
I had a fairly steady wind across the ridge, so I dropped in and snuck down on the backside of the ridge I figured the bull was on.
I had a guess where he was bedded and closed to within 200 yds of that spot. About the time I started thinking about finding a spot to setup I heard a crack, and he bugled just over the ridge from me within 60 yds. I had not called at that point and he had to have heard me sneaking along the back of the ridge (it was dead quiet)
I scrambled and got to cover with some shooting lanes to my right. Kept hearing the occasional footstep and finally the bull popped out at 30 yds behind some cover. He took a few steps towards my first shooting lane, and as he went behind a tree I raised my bow to draw. He heard my pack rustle a little and froze up.
After a good 5 minutes of me trying to not move a muscle he turned back a couple steps and stopped again for another 5 minutes. At this point my trying not to move was getting super uncomfortable. Finally he moved off slowly back over the ridge.
I took the chance to let out a couple soft cow mews and moved positions further over the back of the ridge a bit to get my limbs (feet mostly) working normally again.
After waiting it out for a fair bit, and assuming the bull left the area, I went up and checked where he walked through and moved up the ridge. I planned to go back to my original plan but to be safe, let off a bugle, which was responded to immediately, and he was still within 70 yds, just down over the ridge a bit.
I ripped a couple aggressive bugles and chuckles and spotted the bulls rack working back up towards me.
I found a spot to kneel with some cover and watched as he closed to 35 yds looking for the source of the calls.
With no shots I just waited, although he did stare me down when he caught me moving my head a tiny bit. Finally he turned and started heading away slightly away but really mostly parallel to me.
He got behind some trees and I stood up looking for an opening but no luck where he stopped. He took a few more steps and I shifted a little and found a wide open lane with him quartering away
I don't even remember drawing the bow, but I absolutely remember thinking "he's 40, line it all up and watch the arrow through the sight"
Settled the pin on the back of the vitals and touched it off. It was so quiet I could hear the arrow hiss all the way to him. Arrow passed completely through right where I wanted it.
He took a few steps and stopped him with a bark. His head went down, he got unsteady and then fell over right there. I backed over the ridge to give him a few minutes to expire and grab my stuff and heard a little bit more crashing.
After doing everything I could to give him 10 minutes and hearing no more noise after that last set of crashes as I backed out, I grabbed the bow and snuck down to check blood. Found where he had gone down, but he got his feet and made it another 15 yds before going down for good.
Entrance was on 2nd-to-last rib, exit was right behind the off-side shoulder. Couldn't have asked for a better shot or outcome. Also, fun note, it was one year to the DAY and almost to the HOUR that I shoot my bull last year.
Fired off a few in-reach messages to Hope, BiL Brian and my buddy Josh, grabbed some pics and went to work.
Just as the sun dipped below the ridge I wrapped up hanging the quarters, loaded up the backstrap and tenterloin and headed out. I dropped into the drainage immediately below me to see if it was worth taking the rest out that way. I can say it was absolutely NOT a good idea. I made it out, and it was only 1/3 mile from the road, but man that was a hole.
Got back the the truck and back to civilization and rallied the troops to see who could help pack out.
Simple plan, hike in and bugle the lower ridges, and then do something dumb and cross the main drainage (which is a hole) to check the other side and bottom if nothing turned up.
No answers on the way up until I hit the adjacent lower ridge. I got an answer, sounded like the next lower ridge over, but could have been in the draw between that ridge and I. Wind was horrible if he was down in the draw so I eventually circled up the draw a good bit, and crossed over to the other side.
I took a couple pauses on the way hoping for a unsolicited bugle, but no luck. After reaching the top of the ridge I bugled over to the NEXT drainage, no answer.
Snagged a quick nap/rest still hoping for a bugle, still being disappointed. Finally settled on going back over my starting ridge and my original plan. Shot off a quick bugled, and got a faint response almost sounding like he was in the ridge I came up.
Head out on a sub ridge and bugled again with a response, and it was clearly still down on the original ridge I heard him on.
I had a fairly steady wind across the ridge, so I dropped in and snuck down on the backside of the ridge I figured the bull was on.
I had a guess where he was bedded and closed to within 200 yds of that spot. About the time I started thinking about finding a spot to setup I heard a crack, and he bugled just over the ridge from me within 60 yds. I had not called at that point and he had to have heard me sneaking along the back of the ridge (it was dead quiet)
I scrambled and got to cover with some shooting lanes to my right. Kept hearing the occasional footstep and finally the bull popped out at 30 yds behind some cover. He took a few steps towards my first shooting lane, and as he went behind a tree I raised my bow to draw. He heard my pack rustle a little and froze up.
After a good 5 minutes of me trying to not move a muscle he turned back a couple steps and stopped again for another 5 minutes. At this point my trying not to move was getting super uncomfortable. Finally he moved off slowly back over the ridge.
I took the chance to let out a couple soft cow mews and moved positions further over the back of the ridge a bit to get my limbs (feet mostly) working normally again.
After waiting it out for a fair bit, and assuming the bull left the area, I went up and checked where he walked through and moved up the ridge. I planned to go back to my original plan but to be safe, let off a bugle, which was responded to immediately, and he was still within 70 yds, just down over the ridge a bit.
I ripped a couple aggressive bugles and chuckles and spotted the bulls rack working back up towards me.
I found a spot to kneel with some cover and watched as he closed to 35 yds looking for the source of the calls.
With no shots I just waited, although he did stare me down when he caught me moving my head a tiny bit. Finally he turned and started heading away slightly away but really mostly parallel to me.
He got behind some trees and I stood up looking for an opening but no luck where he stopped. He took a few more steps and I shifted a little and found a wide open lane with him quartering away
I don't even remember drawing the bow, but I absolutely remember thinking "he's 40, line it all up and watch the arrow through the sight"
Settled the pin on the back of the vitals and touched it off. It was so quiet I could hear the arrow hiss all the way to him. Arrow passed completely through right where I wanted it.
He took a few steps and stopped him with a bark. His head went down, he got unsteady and then fell over right there. I backed over the ridge to give him a few minutes to expire and grab my stuff and heard a little bit more crashing.
After doing everything I could to give him 10 minutes and hearing no more noise after that last set of crashes as I backed out, I grabbed the bow and snuck down to check blood. Found where he had gone down, but he got his feet and made it another 15 yds before going down for good.
Entrance was on 2nd-to-last rib, exit was right behind the off-side shoulder. Couldn't have asked for a better shot or outcome. Also, fun note, it was one year to the DAY and almost to the HOUR that I shoot my bull last year.
Fired off a few in-reach messages to Hope, BiL Brian and my buddy Josh, grabbed some pics and went to work.
Just as the sun dipped below the ridge I wrapped up hanging the quarters, loaded up the backstrap and tenterloin and headed out. I dropped into the drainage immediately below me to see if it was worth taking the rest out that way. I can say it was absolutely NOT a good idea. I made it out, and it was only 1/3 mile from the road, but man that was a hole.
Got back the the truck and back to civilization and rallied the troops to see who could help pack out.
Last edited:
jeremy.b
Well-known member
I had 3 other folks answer the call to help pack meat today, Josh, our buddy Aaron who is half elf, and Joe who helped pack out my bull last year (and was eager to hear it wasn't 3.5 miles and 1000 ft into a hole).
We met up mid-morning and headed into the spot. Starting the climb in at noon.
Now part of the ridge has an obnoxious swath of reprod on it that I had encountered 2 years prior (and hence why I tried the creek route out the night before). With that said, we were able to navigate the mess without too much issue and made it to the quarters in 40 minutes.
We were able to find my arrow stuck into the dirt a good 10 yds past where the bull was standing at the shot. We re-arranged the meat bags a bit to even out the loads, told the story and loaded up and headed out. The reprod still sucked on the way back through, but Josh had tracked our route and we got through it without any drama, finally dropping back down the to truck, making out at 2:30, so only 2 1/2 hrs to go in and pack out.
Back home, meat nestled into our shiny new-to-us 3 door commercial fridge for processing later this week.
Josh and I head back out for his last hurrah for archery elk this weekend, so we'll see how that goes!
We met up mid-morning and headed into the spot. Starting the climb in at noon.
Now part of the ridge has an obnoxious swath of reprod on it that I had encountered 2 years prior (and hence why I tried the creek route out the night before). With that said, we were able to navigate the mess without too much issue and made it to the quarters in 40 minutes.
We were able to find my arrow stuck into the dirt a good 10 yds past where the bull was standing at the shot. We re-arranged the meat bags a bit to even out the loads, told the story and loaded up and headed out. The reprod still sucked on the way back through, but Josh had tracked our route and we got through it without any drama, finally dropping back down the to truck, making out at 2:30, so only 2 1/2 hrs to go in and pack out.
Back home, meat nestled into our shiny new-to-us 3 door commercial fridge for processing later this week.
Josh and I head back out for his last hurrah for archery elk this weekend, so we'll see how that goes!
targetpanic
Well-known member
Great job! Congrats!
jeremy.b
Well-known member
Final Saturday of archery elk
Josh and I headed back out to the general area we called the bull in for him a couple weeks back.
Nice cool damp morning...
We hit the first ridge and bugled a bit into the next draw with no answer. We played the patient card and waited it out a good bit, finally hearing a bugle touch off. It was hard to nail down a direction, so we waited a bit longer, and finally I bailed to go retrieve a camera from one of the new-to-us wallows (which had remained unused since we put the camera up) in the draw.
Just as I huffed my way back to the ridge the bull piped off again and Josh got a solid direction. He was located out on a sub-ridge off our current ridge, seemingly over top of the main road in the area.
Off we went, taking our time, got to the first sub ridge, waited a bit, finally called, zero answer. Waited longer, bull bugled on his own, probably on the next ridge over.
Snuck over to the next ridge, we didn't have a super solid bead on the bull, so we stayed high and waited...
And waited more....
I climbed to the top of the ridge above us and called, but I heard nothing. Josh said he might have heard something down in the draw below us, not on the sub ridge, but either way not a direct response.
Debating our options, we decided to keep playing the patience card again. By all indications we were within 2-300 yds of this bull, and had the wind, so why leave elk to find elk (and we were right over top of the main road, which we did weigh into the decision for retrieval purposes).
After a couple more hours, around mid-afternoon I heard some cracking over the side of the ridge from us that pulled me out of a very comfortable nap. Not sure what THAT was, BUT immediately I picked up noise 100 yds below us. Got Josh up (apparently he was enjoying a nap too...) and we listened to (what appeared to be) a full herd cross the ridge below us, just out of sight beyond a screen of re-prod.
We moved closer, and heard them continue to move down off the ridge to our left. We couldn't tell what got them up, and there was zero calling, and they were moving kinda quick. We guessed the wind swirled on us, OR the fact there were a group of side-by-sides ripping around on a set of adjacent roads bothered them enough to move.
We made a guess on where they were headed and snuck off in pursuit. Ultimately though we struck out on finding them and we were getting close to our punch-out time.
Headed back to the truck found yet ANOTHER wallow (also unused).
Good day, we have debated if we should have pulled the plug to go find a responsive bull that day. BUT we were close to those elk, and the whole situation could have easily shifted to give Josh an opportunity, so hard to tell.
Moving on...
I'm pulling cameras out of our elk spots prior to rifle season and will shift them to a few of our local whitetail spots. Got a chance to take my oldest along on one of those trips which was really good, its been a while since he wanted to come along.
Josh and I headed back out to the general area we called the bull in for him a couple weeks back.
Nice cool damp morning...
We hit the first ridge and bugled a bit into the next draw with no answer. We played the patient card and waited it out a good bit, finally hearing a bugle touch off. It was hard to nail down a direction, so we waited a bit longer, and finally I bailed to go retrieve a camera from one of the new-to-us wallows (which had remained unused since we put the camera up) in the draw.
Just as I huffed my way back to the ridge the bull piped off again and Josh got a solid direction. He was located out on a sub-ridge off our current ridge, seemingly over top of the main road in the area.
Off we went, taking our time, got to the first sub ridge, waited a bit, finally called, zero answer. Waited longer, bull bugled on his own, probably on the next ridge over.
Snuck over to the next ridge, we didn't have a super solid bead on the bull, so we stayed high and waited...
And waited more....
I climbed to the top of the ridge above us and called, but I heard nothing. Josh said he might have heard something down in the draw below us, not on the sub ridge, but either way not a direct response.
Debating our options, we decided to keep playing the patience card again. By all indications we were within 2-300 yds of this bull, and had the wind, so why leave elk to find elk (and we were right over top of the main road, which we did weigh into the decision for retrieval purposes).
After a couple more hours, around mid-afternoon I heard some cracking over the side of the ridge from us that pulled me out of a very comfortable nap. Not sure what THAT was, BUT immediately I picked up noise 100 yds below us. Got Josh up (apparently he was enjoying a nap too...) and we listened to (what appeared to be) a full herd cross the ridge below us, just out of sight beyond a screen of re-prod.
We moved closer, and heard them continue to move down off the ridge to our left. We couldn't tell what got them up, and there was zero calling, and they were moving kinda quick. We guessed the wind swirled on us, OR the fact there were a group of side-by-sides ripping around on a set of adjacent roads bothered them enough to move.
We made a guess on where they were headed and snuck off in pursuit. Ultimately though we struck out on finding them and we were getting close to our punch-out time.
Headed back to the truck found yet ANOTHER wallow (also unused).
Good day, we have debated if we should have pulled the plug to go find a responsive bull that day. BUT we were close to those elk, and the whole situation could have easily shifted to give Josh an opportunity, so hard to tell.
Moving on...
I'm pulling cameras out of our elk spots prior to rifle season and will shift them to a few of our local whitetail spots. Got a chance to take my oldest along on one of those trips which was really good, its been a while since he wanted to come along.
duckhunt
Well-known member
Monday morning found me parking at the ridge system that our whole crew hunted last Sunday and where I had the encounter with the X-ray vision raghorn.
Simple plan, hike in and bugle the lower ridges, and then do something dumb and cross the main drainage (which is a hole) to check the other side and bottom if nothing turned up.
No answers on the way up until I hit the adjacent lower ridge. I got an answer, sounded like the next lower ridge over, but could have been in the draw between that ridge and I. Wind was horrible if he was down in the draw so I eventually circled up the draw a good bit, and crossed over to the other side.
I took a couple pauses on the way hoping for a unsolicited bugle, but no luck. After reaching the top of the ridge I bugled over to the NEXT drainage, no answer.
Snagged a quick nap/rest still hoping for a bugle, still being disappointed. Finally settled on going back over my starting ridge and my original plan. Shot off a quick bugled, and got a faint response almost sounding like he was in the ridge I came up.
Head out on a sub ridge and bugled again with a response, and it was clearly still down on the original ridge I heard him on.
I had a fairly steady wind across the ridge, so I dropped in and snuck down on the backside of the ridge I figured the bull was on.
I had a guess where he was bedded and closed to within 200 yds of that spot. About the time I started thinking about finding a spot to setup I heard a crack, and he bugled just over the ridge from me within 60 yds. I had not called at that point and he had to have heard me sneaking along the back of the ridge (it was dead quiet)
I scrambled and got to cover with some shooting lanes to my right. Kept hearing the occasional footstep and finally the bull popped out at 30 yds behind some cover. He took a few steps towards my first shooting lane, and as he went behind a tree I raised my bow to draw. He heard my pack rustle a little and froze up.
After a good 5 minutes of me trying to not move a muscle he turned back a couple steps and stopped again for another 5 minutes. At this point my trying not to move was getting super uncomfortable. Finally he moved off slowly back over the ridge.
I took the chance to let out a couple soft cow mews and moved positions further over the back of the ridge a bit to get my limbs (feet mostly) working normally again.
After waiting it out for a fair bit, and assuming the bull left the area, I went up and checked where he walked through and moved up the ridge. I planned to go back to my original plan but to be safe, let off a bugle, which was responded to immediately, and he was still within 70 yds, just down over the ridge a bit.
I ripped a couple aggressive bugles and chuckles and spotted the bulls rack working back up towards me.
I found a spot to kneel with some cover and watched as he closed to 35 yds looking for the source of the calls.
With no shots I just waited, although he did stare me down when he caught me moving my head a tiny bit. Finally he turned and started heading away slightly away but really mostly parallel to me.
He got behind some trees and I stood up looking for an opening but no luck where he stopped. He took a few more steps and I shifted a little and found a wide open lane with him quartering away
I don't even remember drawing the bow, but I absolutely remember thinking "he's 40, line it all up and watch the arrow through the sight"
Settled the pin on the back of the vitals and touched it off. It was so quiet I could hear the arrow hiss all the way to him. Arrow passed completely through right where I wanted it.
He took a few steps and stopped him with a bark. His head went down, he got unsteady and then fell over right there. I backed over the ridge to give him a few minutes to expire and grab my stuff and heard a little bit more crashing.
After doing everything I could to give him 10 minutes and hearing no more noise after that last set of crashes as I backed out, I grabbed the bow and snuck down to check blood. Found where he had gone down, but he got his feet and made it another 15 yds before going down for good.
Entrance was on 2nd-to-last rib, exit was right behind the off-side shoulder. Couldn't have asked for a better shot or outcome. Also, fun note, it was one year to the DAY and almost to the HOUR that I shoot my bull last year.
Fired off a few in-reach messages to Hope, BiL Brian and my buddy Josh, grabbed some pics and went to work.
Just as the sun dipped below the ridge I wrapped up hanging the quarters, loaded up the backstrap and tenterloin and headed out. I dropped into the drainage immediately below me to see if it was worth taking the rest out that way. I can say it was absolutely NOT a good idea. I made it out, and it was only 1/3 mile from the road, but man that was a hole.
Got back the the truck and back to civilization and rallied the troops to see who could help pack out.
That's a great bull. I give you archery elk guys a lot of credit, it can't be easy getting in that close.
jeremy.b
Well-known member
Honestly, I think its easier than spot and stalk deer of ANY flavor, but possibly harder than treestand/ambush hunting deer.
Elk make noise, and as long as we as hunters make elky noise in the woods, we can get away with ALOT of movement. Add on the rut, and you have situations like this bull who came to something because he thought it MIGHT be another elk.
Also having a pretty broad play-book is super helpful. We'll sit wallows if they are hitting them and not talking. We'll go straight at bulls if they are fired up, or like this year, we'll get a location and sneak in tight.
All said though, I am SO very grateful to get to chase them each year. Every season continues to improve our knowledge of spots, techniques, learning how to adapt etc. We're getting our main area mapped out nicely now. Now we need to expand to at least 2 - 4 additional spots to get experience in to give us a broader range of options to hunt, but that takes time, which can be hard to come by!
jeremy.b
Well-known member
Rifle Deer hunting
I grab some cameras to go put up in our closest whitetail spot yesterday. Was WAY warmer that I'd like, but for opening weekend, I saw ZERO people as a result. Bumped a really good sized doe with a couple yearling fawns and a grumpy momma moose along the way.
Also found a wallow and some elk rubs, which is interesting, we've never known elk to rut in this spot. They do occasionally show up during late season though.
Cameras up in some new spots, we'll see what crosses their paths as the season moves on, especially since we're finally expending some weather at the end of this week.
I grab some cameras to go put up in our closest whitetail spot yesterday. Was WAY warmer that I'd like, but for opening weekend, I saw ZERO people as a result. Bumped a really good sized doe with a couple yearling fawns and a grumpy momma moose along the way.
Also found a wallow and some elk rubs, which is interesting, we've never known elk to rut in this spot. They do occasionally show up during late season though.
Cameras up in some new spots, we'll see what crosses their paths as the season moves on, especially since we're finally expending some weather at the end of this week.
jeremy.b
Well-known member
Headed out yesterday afternoon to wander through back up through my close by whitetail spot. Made it all of 5 minutes from the truck and bumped into 3 guys pulling 2 game carts up an access road. Turns out it was 2 older guys + 1 solo dude coming in to help 2 OTHER guys that had put down a nice bull and a cow elk that morning.
Changed my plans and I helped drag the carts up to where the 2 elk and guys were at. Cool set of guys, and its been a LONG time since I'd seen elk in that early in that country, which was cool.
Myself and the solo dude (Scott) decided to work together and see if we could turn up any of the remaining elk for him (there were apparently a decent sized group with the cow and bull the other guys got).
Great time with a solid dude, but no luck turning up anything besides a tiny whitetail spike.
Changed my plans and I helped drag the carts up to where the 2 elk and guys were at. Cool set of guys, and its been a LONG time since I'd seen elk in that early in that country, which was cool.
Myself and the solo dude (Scott) decided to work together and see if we could turn up any of the remaining elk for him (there were apparently a decent sized group with the cow and bull the other guys got).
Great time with a solid dude, but no luck turning up anything besides a tiny whitetail spike.
jeremy.b
Well-known member
Headed out to pull the last of my two cameras from our main elk spot yesterday with a chance of bumping into a whitetail.
First batch of snow came in this weekend, was good to get out in it (even with getting soaked when it switched to rain later on).
No fresh deer sign, did find some fresh elk sign on the way out, but nothing major to report other than a couple interesint pics from the cameras.
First one is this nice 3-4 yr old 5x5 whitetail messing around (he was playing with 2 other smaller bucks) and this really interesting (and I assume old) bull.
First batch of snow came in this weekend, was good to get out in it (even with getting soaked when it switched to rain later on).
No fresh deer sign, did find some fresh elk sign on the way out, but nothing major to report other than a couple interesint pics from the cameras.
First one is this nice 3-4 yr old 5x5 whitetail messing around (he was playing with 2 other smaller bucks) and this really interesting (and I assume old) bull.
jeremy.b
Well-known member
Josh and I went up to our closest whitetail spot today. Jumped a couple does, got completely soaked (again), and checked some cameras.
Phuma 3L rain pants are legit though, just saying. Probably going to pick up a 3L jacket to go with it (ye ole Jetstream gets alwful heavy when soaked!).
Nothing serious to report beyond that though
.
Phuma 3L rain pants are legit though, just saying. Probably going to pick up a 3L jacket to go with it (ye ole Jetstream gets alwful heavy when soaked!).
Nothing serious to report beyond that though
.
jeremy.b
Well-known member
OH i totally forgot, got a text late this afternoon from my BiL Brian, he and his "buddy" (aka my SiL) are in for a long night!
jeremy.b
Well-known member
2024 Idaho Whitetail deer hunt
Last Thursday (11/7) I headed down to for the annual whitetail deer hunt with friends/family.
Due to weird scheduling, the folks at camp were split between this last weekend, and this week, so not all of us got to hang out together on this go-around.
With that said, my BiL Brian joined me and we had my buddy Tim and his son come up for a short weekend as well.
Thursday 11/7:
Thursday Brian and I made it to camp mid-morning. Before I showed up to camp, Brian had time to check a couple cameras we had soaking since August. One had a ton of good pics and intel on it, the other was fairly empty.
We setup camp and headed into a spot we now call the "hole" to check a couple more cameras. This is a spot we discovered last year and wondered what it would produce. We saw enough to stick around for the rest of the afternoon
No deer showed up before dark, so we crawled out of the hole and headed back to camp.
Last Thursday (11/7) I headed down to for the annual whitetail deer hunt with friends/family.
Due to weird scheduling, the folks at camp were split between this last weekend, and this week, so not all of us got to hang out together on this go-around.
With that said, my BiL Brian joined me and we had my buddy Tim and his son come up for a short weekend as well.
Thursday 11/7:
Thursday Brian and I made it to camp mid-morning. Before I showed up to camp, Brian had time to check a couple cameras we had soaking since August. One had a ton of good pics and intel on it, the other was fairly empty.
We setup camp and headed into a spot we now call the "hole" to check a couple more cameras. This is a spot we discovered last year and wondered what it would produce. We saw enough to stick around for the rest of the afternoon
No deer showed up before dark, so we crawled out of the hole and headed back to camp.
jeremy.b
Well-known member
Friday 11/8
Based on what we had on the cameras in the hole, we went right back in again Friday morning.
The spot that had the action was a community scrape down on an open ridge.
We setup watching it, trying to get a good view and still have a decent wind since we were really close over the spot.
We're setup on a little side ridge the drops into the draw to our left and it is open for 50-60 yds as well.
We sat for a bit, and a little button buck popped out on the ridge below us, between us and the scrape. He was followed by two does. The whole group got a little edgy and stomped and snorted for a good 10-15 minutes before ultimately moving back into the timber. We assumed our wind wasn't QUITE as good as we wanted, and so we moved down our side ridge a little bit, and this time grabbing some trees/branches to setup a little blind.
After a couple hours I catch movement down the ridge to our left and a little forky buck steps out. He's safe for the day and he crosses below us, catches our wind then and trots off.
We make it to mid-day and decide to hike around the area to look for more sign to see get a more complete picture of where the deer and moving through. We find a fair bit of transient scrapes and trail usage, but nothing as well established as what we were setup on.
We bail out of the hole.
Edit: forgot this part!
As we were climbing out of the hole we took a break and ended up having a couple bucks chase a doe into the draw next to us. The back buck stopped when we voice grunted at us and stuck around for a bit. He was a little 4x4, but never gave us a clean shot before moving off. Fun encounter!
We finished the climb out and headed back to camp and check on a spot much closer to the camp. We see a few does, and setup a camera on a ridge near by to see what it picks up.
Our buddy Tim and his son show up that evening and get their camp settled in and we catch up a bit.
Based on what we had on the cameras in the hole, we went right back in again Friday morning.
The spot that had the action was a community scrape down on an open ridge.
We setup watching it, trying to get a good view and still have a decent wind since we were really close over the spot.
We're setup on a little side ridge the drops into the draw to our left and it is open for 50-60 yds as well.
We sat for a bit, and a little button buck popped out on the ridge below us, between us and the scrape. He was followed by two does. The whole group got a little edgy and stomped and snorted for a good 10-15 minutes before ultimately moving back into the timber. We assumed our wind wasn't QUITE as good as we wanted, and so we moved down our side ridge a little bit, and this time grabbing some trees/branches to setup a little blind.
After a couple hours I catch movement down the ridge to our left and a little forky buck steps out. He's safe for the day and he crosses below us, catches our wind then and trots off.
We make it to mid-day and decide to hike around the area to look for more sign to see get a more complete picture of where the deer and moving through. We find a fair bit of transient scrapes and trail usage, but nothing as well established as what we were setup on.
We bail out of the hole.
Edit: forgot this part!
As we were climbing out of the hole we took a break and ended up having a couple bucks chase a doe into the draw next to us. The back buck stopped when we voice grunted at us and stuck around for a bit. He was a little 4x4, but never gave us a clean shot before moving off. Fun encounter!
We finished the climb out and headed back to camp and check on a spot much closer to the camp. We see a few does, and setup a camera on a ridge near by to see what it picks up.
Our buddy Tim and his son show up that evening and get their camp settled in and we catch up a bit.
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jeremy.b
Well-known member
Saturday 11/9
Brian and I decide to split up on Saturday. Tim and his son were going to roam around looking for grouse and a maybe a doe for Tim. Brian went down to the "killin log" ridge where he first checked cameras when we showed up Thursday, and I headed down to watch over a drainage where I shot a nice buck in my whirlwind hunt in 2021.
Beautiful morning, but had a hard time seeing through the sun angle and the steam coming off the hillside below me.
I had a few deer cycle through down in the bottom of the draw. I couple I wasn't able to see well, but looked like does, a lone doe later on (who eventually fed up past me at 30 yds never knowing I was there) and a small forky buck.
About 10 AM I heard a shot over on the ridge where Brian was setup. Exchanged some inReach messages, confirmed he had shot a buck and I crossed the draw over onto his ridge and met up with him.
When I got over to him he was on the track but hadn't found the buck yet. Tt was heading down into the draw (which turns into a TRUE hole where he was at) and I have to admit my heart sunk a bit with the thought of following it down that hole...
Thankfully about the time I drop my pack Brian sees the buck! We drag him up to the ridge and get to work.
Brian had 14 deer cross his setup before this guy showed up, so it was a very productive morning for him.
Then, while we were breaking down the deer, I see a small fawn cross the ridge in front of us, we have a doe and a fawn wander in to 20 yards, then right at the end of cutting we have a doe and a really small basket 4x4 show up above us on the ridge. The decision is made to stash the meat and sit for the rest of the afternoon.
Unfortunately nothing else shows and we head back to camp and exchange stories with Tim and his son and catch up over the evening.
Brian and I decide to split up on Saturday. Tim and his son were going to roam around looking for grouse and a maybe a doe for Tim. Brian went down to the "killin log" ridge where he first checked cameras when we showed up Thursday, and I headed down to watch over a drainage where I shot a nice buck in my whirlwind hunt in 2021.
Beautiful morning, but had a hard time seeing through the sun angle and the steam coming off the hillside below me.
I had a few deer cycle through down in the bottom of the draw. I couple I wasn't able to see well, but looked like does, a lone doe later on (who eventually fed up past me at 30 yds never knowing I was there
) and a small forky buck.About 10 AM I heard a shot over on the ridge where Brian was setup. Exchanged some inReach messages, confirmed he had shot a buck and I crossed the draw over onto his ridge and met up with him.
When I got over to him he was on the track but hadn't found the buck yet. Tt was heading down into the draw (which turns into a TRUE hole where he was at) and I have to admit my heart sunk a bit with the thought of following it down that hole...
Thankfully about the time I drop my pack Brian sees the buck! We drag him up to the ridge and get to work.
Brian had 14 deer cross his setup before this guy showed up, so it was a very productive morning for him.
Then, while we were breaking down the deer, I see a small fawn cross the ridge in front of us, we have a doe and a fawn wander in to 20 yards, then right at the end of cutting we have a doe and a really small basket 4x4 show up above us on the ridge. The decision is made to stash the meat and sit for the rest of the afternoon.
Unfortunately nothing else shows and we head back to camp and exchange stories with Tim and his son and catch up over the evening.
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jeremy.b
Well-known member
Sunday 11/10
We made plans for me to return to the hole again, and Brian to tag along with Tim and his son to see what they can turn up down on the "killin log" ridge where Brian had got his deer the day before.
I drive up to the access road to head into the hole only to find a truck had beaten me there. Bummer, but most people make that a fairly quick hunt so I planned to check on it later that morning. I returned to camp and dropped back into the draw I watched the day before. Unfortuantely nothing was moving that morning. The only exciting thing that happened was the local wolf pack lit up and howled a bit in an adjacent drainage.
I made a decision to hike in the "long way" into the hole which involved a different set of much older closed roads and would work around anyone using the other access.
Off I go, turning up lots of smoking hot sign on the way (right near camp of course).
As I work in on the older road systems I jump a few bedded does and a couple does on the main old road I was using to get in.
Finally I was within 1/4 mile of our spot over the scrape and had slowed down a ton, but bumped a doe and the wide and tight 4x4 from our cameras in a super dark big timber draw below my road.
I voice grunted at them and they stopped. Obviously the hadn't really seen or heard me enough to completely blow out. I was able to find the doe in the tangle of trees and limbs and watched her for a good 15-20 minutes. She eventually settled down and started moving off.
I found the buck as he started following her, and had a possible hole to thread a shot through, IF he would stop. Of course he didn't and they moved off out of the draw.
I went into 50% legit still-hunt pace and slid the last 1/4 mile into our little blind setup from the days before. I checked my camera on the way in and a different (smaller) 4x4 had come through an hour earlier, so things were looking good still!
The wind was pulling up away from the ridges so was perfect for the day.
An hour or so goes by and I hear a couple deer running down in the dark timber in the draw below me, I assumed a buck chasing a doe. We had a similar thing happen on the climb out two days before.
I voice grunted at them once, but they didn't stop.
Then maybe 15 min later a doe pops out below me on the ridge I was sitting on. She doesn't see me and crosses over to the main ridge and wanders out. Right after she showed up I kept watching for a buck to show up, but nothing did and contented myself with watching her disappear out the ridge.
Then I glance back down below me and a buck is staring me down standing broadside 50 yds down the ridge!
He's good enough for my last full day of the trip, and I swing over and start getting lined up for the shot.
This is where my "hurry to not let him get away" and me knowing "I need a tiny bit more time to aim" go to war with eachother. I had the crosshairs mid-body and needed to just move 4-6" over towards the shoulders when the hurry part of my brain took over I and took the shot. It was totally a mental lapse and I knew it as soon as the shot broke.
The shot was liver/paunch, the buck took off back into the dark timber headed down the draw and heard him crash off a ways before all went silent.
I fired of a status update to Brian via InReach and settled in to give the buck some time, not wanting to bump him. I ate some lunch, grabbed our cameras and finally after 30 min headed to to try to pick up the track.
Initially I couldn't find any blood, hair or even definite tracks where the buck was standing. I took a guess and dropped into the timber going slow, looking for ANY sign, turning up nothing. After about 30 yds I thought I heard something stomp or move off faintly down the draw, paused, and decided to hit the reset button. That bottom is fairly open, but dark timber and I really didn't want to bump that deer hard in there.
Backup to where I took the shot and on the way up I saw tracks that might be the bucks. I verify my position at the shot, the bucks position at the shot, and also use the Compass mode in OnX to set a pin in the direction where I last heard the crashing after the shot.
Back down, there are no other tracks to follow but the ones I saw on the way up and I head off following them. They pitch across the creek and onto an ancient skid trail. After about 50 yds I finally find blood, and after another 40 yds the buck is right there in the old road bed!
Talk about a emotional rollercoaster, the worst part being that it was probably completely preventable if I had just slowed down and taken another 5 seconds on the shot..
Anyway, really nice 2 1/2 year old buck with split eyeguards, and one we had on camera the morning of 11/7. He only made it 120 yds from the shot too, so really it could have been a much worse track job...
Sent off inreaches to my wife and Brian and got to work. Got word that Brian was on his way and he made it when I was wrapping up the first half of the buck.
We finished the other side, loaded the packs and climbed out of the hole and headed back to the rig. Met a group of guys driving their UTV on the closed road (always a disappointing situation, especially when they are half sloshed too).
Our buddy Rod had arrived earlier in the day and we hung the meat and called it a hunt for Brian and I!
Shared our intel with Rod the next morning, packed our part of camp up and headed home.
Time will tell if anyone else returns to the hole and turns up one of the bigger bucks. I know that our trail cam pics got EVERYONE a little excited in our group chat.
We made plans for me to return to the hole again, and Brian to tag along with Tim and his son to see what they can turn up down on the "killin log" ridge where Brian had got his deer the day before.
I drive up to the access road to head into the hole only to find a truck had beaten me there. Bummer, but most people make that a fairly quick hunt so I planned to check on it later that morning. I returned to camp and dropped back into the draw I watched the day before. Unfortuantely nothing was moving that morning. The only exciting thing that happened was the local wolf pack lit up and howled a bit in an adjacent drainage.
I made a decision to hike in the "long way" into the hole which involved a different set of much older closed roads and would work around anyone using the other access.
Off I go, turning up lots of smoking hot sign on the way (right near camp of course
).
As I work in on the older road systems I jump a few bedded does and a couple does on the main old road I was using to get in.
Finally I was within 1/4 mile of our spot over the scrape and had slowed down a ton, but bumped a doe and the wide and tight 4x4 from our cameras in a super dark big timber draw below my road.
I voice grunted at them and they stopped. Obviously the hadn't really seen or heard me enough to completely blow out. I was able to find the doe in the tangle of trees and limbs and watched her for a good 15-20 minutes. She eventually settled down and started moving off.
I found the buck as he started following her, and had a possible hole to thread a shot through, IF he would stop. Of course he didn't and they moved off out of the draw.
I went into 50% legit still-hunt pace and slid the last 1/4 mile into our little blind setup from the days before. I checked my camera on the way in and a different (smaller) 4x4 had come through an hour earlier, so things were looking good still!
The wind was pulling up away from the ridges so was perfect for the day.
An hour or so goes by and I hear a couple deer running down in the dark timber in the draw below me, I assumed a buck chasing a doe. We had a similar thing happen on the climb out two days before.
I voice grunted at them once, but they didn't stop.
Then maybe 15 min later a doe pops out below me on the ridge I was sitting on. She doesn't see me and crosses over to the main ridge and wanders out. Right after she showed up I kept watching for a buck to show up, but nothing did and contented myself with watching her disappear out the ridge.
Then I glance back down below me and a buck is staring me down standing broadside 50 yds down the ridge!
He's good enough for my last full day of the trip, and I swing over and start getting lined up for the shot.
This is where my "hurry to not let him get away" and me knowing "I need a tiny bit more time to aim" go to war with eachother. I had the crosshairs mid-body and needed to just move 4-6" over towards the shoulders when the hurry part of my brain took over I and took the shot. It was totally a mental lapse and I knew it as soon as the shot broke.
The shot was liver/paunch, the buck took off back into the dark timber headed down the draw and heard him crash off a ways before all went silent.
I fired of a status update to Brian via InReach and settled in to give the buck some time, not wanting to bump him. I ate some lunch, grabbed our cameras and finally after 30 min headed to to try to pick up the track.
Initially I couldn't find any blood, hair or even definite tracks where the buck was standing. I took a guess and dropped into the timber going slow, looking for ANY sign, turning up nothing. After about 30 yds I thought I heard something stomp or move off faintly down the draw, paused, and decided to hit the reset button. That bottom is fairly open, but dark timber and I really didn't want to bump that deer hard in there.
Backup to where I took the shot and on the way up I saw tracks that might be the bucks. I verify my position at the shot, the bucks position at the shot, and also use the Compass mode in OnX to set a pin in the direction where I last heard the crashing after the shot.
Back down, there are no other tracks to follow but the ones I saw on the way up and I head off following them. They pitch across the creek and onto an ancient skid trail. After about 50 yds I finally find blood, and after another 40 yds the buck is right there in the old road bed!
Talk about a emotional rollercoaster, the worst part being that it was probably completely preventable if I had just slowed down and taken another 5 seconds on the shot..
Anyway, really nice 2 1/2 year old buck with split eyeguards, and one we had on camera the morning of 11/7. He only made it 120 yds from the shot too, so really it could have been a much worse track job...
Sent off inreaches to my wife and Brian and got to work. Got word that Brian was on his way and he made it when I was wrapping up the first half of the buck.
We finished the other side, loaded the packs and climbed out of the hole and headed back to the rig. Met a group of guys driving their UTV on the closed road (always a disappointing situation, especially when they are half sloshed too).
Our buddy Rod had arrived earlier in the day and we hung the meat and called it a hunt for Brian and I!
Shared our intel with Rod the next morning, packed our part of camp up and headed home.
Time will tell if anyone else returns to the hole and turns up one of the bigger bucks. I know that our trail cam pics got EVERYONE a little excited in our group chat
.
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