Hawaii Idaho deer hunt.

[Scott85]

Day 5

Opening day!!!!!!

We head to a nice glassing spot that we named 4 way. Deer are up and on their feet. We see a nice little 3x3 chasing a doe. That was the only bigger buck we saw. Once deer activity died down I got the urge to roam again and the truck was at a half tank of fuel. I wanted to try to make a big loop and fill up the truck and a propane bottle.

Well we couldn’t do the loop I wanted so we went on into town. Filled up the truck, propane bottle, and my stomach and headed back to the unit.
There is a nice glassing point close to camp where we can get a different view of the basin we have been glassing at. We get set up and a short time after that I decide to move a little bit to see some different country on the other side of the ridge. As soon I get set up a spike comes running out of the mahogany and I thought I had somehow spooked him because he was only 400 yards away. 2 more butts appear I throw the glass up and it’s the 3x3 from this morning still hot on the heels of a doe. Right before dark Paul coming rushing over to be and told me he has a really good buck on a ridge. Well that ridge is 5 miles away and by the time I get the glass up he’s gone. Well that’s opening day and no deer were harmed.

Deer count: 63

 

[Scott85]

Day 6

That buck that Paul spotted yesterday deserved a closer look. We decided on a bare ridge that we will call windy ridge. We got set up on the ridge before daybreak. The wind was blowing real bad on the side we parked the truck. We had a little reprieve from the wind but it didn’t last long. We soon found ourselves taking shelter in the rocks. We planned to stay at this spot all day but the weather kept getting worse and it looked like we were about to get dumped on. We packed up and went for a little drive in our part of the unit.

Deer count: 22

 

[Scott85]

Day 7

The morning was perfect. We had set up at 4 Way. Just waiting on the sun to rise to see what we can see. It wasn’t very long until Paul came to my side of the ridge and told me he had a pretty good buck with a doe. I go over and check it out, not big enough. I go back to my side and a short time after Paul comes back over and tells me he’s got a really good buck. I go and look at the buck in the spotter; real good buck about 170”!! Let’s go!!!!

In order to get to this buck we need to drive roughly 10 miles around him to get the wind in our favor. We tear out of there, hey the truck doesn’t ride too bad when you are going 30 down a 2 track! We arrive at a good parking spot downwind and the hunt is on.

We slowly made our way to the last know location of the that buck. As we get really close we can hear 2 guys talking loudly something about a big deer. We take a few more steps and BUCK!!!! We freeze, I lift up the gun click off the safety, not the big buck and he’s skylined. Safety goes back on, the 4x4 around a 140” goes off away from us.

We ease up to a small draw we see a buck with 4 does working there way from us. Can’t see how big the buck is but he heavy and looks like a good buck. Well we could never locate those deer again. We ended up bumping 3 does out of a steep draw but no buck. Time to take the 4 mile hike of defeat back to the truck.

We head back to 4 way to glass the evening. Bucks everywhere!!! The evening produced 7 bucks but all were too far away to make a play on that evening. We also spotted the second biggest deer of the trip on private land chasing does.

Deer count: 45

 

[44hunter45]

Loving this write up and pics.

 

[Scott85]

Day 8

We found ourselves back at 4 way. It was in the 30s but the wind was really blowing. The sunrise was awesome and Paul was tucked into the rocks.

Paul spotted up a good buck and it was probably the same buck last night chasing a doe on private about 100 yards from public. There are about 11 does with this buck and he runs off a competitor and that deer was really red. They kinda move deeper onto private so that’s going to be a no go. The only thing I glass up is a couple of sage grouse on the same ridge we are on. Paul also got a few second glance of a monster of a buck crossing a ridge with a group of does. He said it was so big he was just happy to see a buck that big!!

We decided to go get a closer view of that buck. We get to a spot and the wind is blowing right at them so we stay in the truck but they must have moved around the ridge.

I still got that itch to explore and the wind is blowing about 15mph with gust up to 20. We drive to a new part of the unit and everything looks like good country. We come across this gate on the road crossing private ground.

I told Paul I think if we get on the one ridge we might have a shot at that buck if he comes down on public this evening. So we head back to where that buck was. We climb a ridge about 300 yards from the spot that buck was last seen and sure enough there is a 4x4 in there with does. It takes forever for the hot doe to get up and when she they started to kind to move towards public. We crawled up over the ridge and we spot another buck!! He is a tall narrow heavy 3x3. The 4x4 and his doe are about 100 yards from the 3x3. I think we are about to see a fight. For whatever reason the 4x4 and does took off leaving the 3x3 and some does. I told Paul I’d shoot that 3x3, but it never came close to public. On the way back to the truck we talk it over and we don’t think the 4x4 was the same big buck this morning, he looked more red like the smaller buck. So we don’t know what happened to the bigger buck.

Deer count: 66

 

[kansasdad]

You all are seeing lots of deer, and I like the post ending with the day's deer count

 

[Scott85]

Day 9

Sunday found us back at 4 way. It was cold and windy!!! Paul spotted a few deer far away but nothing close. I saw nothing, I started to get into a little bit of a funk. We had been seeing a ton of deer and bucks chasing does and now we are seeing nothing.

We decided we haven’t drove to the west so we drive west and don’t see anything we really like. Paul suggested that we go to a bigger ridge that we haven’t glassed from yet.

We get there around noon and the wind is still blowing so we decided to wait a while so we didn’t have to freeze for so long. Right when we were going to get out and start climbing 5 does came out of the trees and almost fed right to the truck, the truck spooks one they take off.

We climb up to this knob and the wind is howling. I find a nice spot mostly sheltered from the wind and Paul does the same on the the other side. We glass for about 1.5 hours. Paul comes over and checks on me. He tells me deer are starting to come out of the trees but I’m not seeing crap. I go check on him and he’s still seeing deer and I’m not. He comes back to show me a little buck and I’m still not seeing anything. He comes back over at 1650 and shows me a good buck. I look it over and one more time. I tell him I’ll kill that buck!!!

He goes back over to grab all his crap and I stow all mine. I head over to Paul. He points out the spot the buck and doe were at. It’s 1200 yards away and it’s now 1700, we got one hour to get it done.

We tear off in the direction on the deer. The wind is perfect, it’s a cross wind! One thing that I haven’t talked about is I’m taller than Paul and I’ve always walked fast to the point he is always rushing. Well I put it in high gear and by the time we cleared 800 yards we were both breathing heavy. As we are approaching the last line of trees we bump 3 does… well crap.

We ease up to the last known location; no deer. We ease around to another clearing, no deer. Well this really stinks, they just upped and disappeared. We move around to another big opening and nothing. I told Paul we will just ease around and start heading back to the truck. We pass one tree and I look left; Shit!!! Deer!!! A doe was 168 yards away upwind looking at us, I don’t see the buck. Paul is to my right, he tells me to side step to the left to see if I see the buck. One step nothing, second step, I left up the gun and look at the doe then to right. Buck!!!! He is facing us at about 170 yards!!! I click off the safety take a deep breath, aim at his chest and squeeze the trigger. First time hunting with a suppressor and I barely hear the gun go off but the twack of the bullet hitting flesh is a sound I’ll never forget. By the time Paul clears the tree the buck is down and doing his final kicks. I look at my watch, 1749! We walk up on a great great buck I couldn’t be happier with. We high five and take pictures.

We get him all processed and look at onX 203 yards to the nearest 2 track. Paul makes a way point to come back to gather up the head and a trash bag. We grab all game bags to carry them to the road (don’t ever do that!! It sucks!!) We get to the 2 track. I tell Paul I’m going to get the truck and he can go back for the head.

I look at onX and take off at a very brisk walk. The direction onX said I was going changed and I had to do a 90 degree turn to get back track. It’s very dark and everything looks the same. I hit a cow trail that’s going back to the truck more or less. I start waking even faster. It’s just over a mile from the 2 track where I left Paul to the truck, I made it in 10 minutes! I get in the truck fire it up and hit the horn thinking Paul might hear it and know I made it to the truck. I’m real thirsty and I know I got bottles in my pack with Paul. I get to Paul in record time all the time thinking about that water.

I get to Paul waiting at the 2 track. He tells me he can’t find the deer head. That onX messed up his location when he set the way point. I say no problem, we threw the meat in the cooler and the packs in the truck and we head off to locate the head. We get to one spot and nothing. I look at onX and mark a location that I think the deer was at. We walk near the spot and nothing. Hey, that tree looks familiar!! Ok that doe was 168 and the buck was right behind her. Get to that spot and start searching. Bingo!!! Paul found it, it was like 5 yards from where I marked the location I thought it was. Paul tells me we been looking for the head for over an hour! The trip back to the truck was uneventful. We got back to camp and we had our celebratory beer. We packed up and drove home yesterday fighting wind the whole way!!

Deer count: 33

Total deer count for trip: 356!

 

[StrongmanHuntsBigGame]

Congrats on a beautiful buck!! Great write up!

What caliber are you shooting and what suppressor are you running?

 

[BackofBeyond]

Congrats again man, y’all definitely roughed it out through the wind and the cold and the general suffer fest.

One thing, did you find any deer or did Paul cover most of that.

 

[Scott85]

Congrats on a beautiful buck!! Great write up!

What caliber are you shooting and what suppressor are you running?

It’s a 7 mag and the suppressor is a banish backcountry.

 

[Scott85]

Congrats again man, y’all definitely roughed it out through the wind and the cold and the general suffer fest.

One thing, did you find any deer or did Paul cover most of that.

I found deer but I think he out spotted me probably 10 to 1.

 

[nhenry]

Awesome write-up and buck, Scott!

 

[kansasdad]

I really like the B/W photo of your deer.

Congratulations gents!

 

[trb]

Man that sounds like an awesome hunt! Congrats on a great buck!

 

[Scott85]

I really like the B/W photo of your deer.

Congratulations gents!

Thank you! Paul was the photographer!

 

[targetpanic]

Great buck! Congrats!

 

[Sask hunter]

Congrats!

 

[BAKPAKR]

Congrats!

 

[p_ham]

It was a great week in the hills, it's always a great time watching deer! The company was fair too, even though he runs everywhere.

On the hoof:

 

[p_ham]

I wanted to add:

Scott spent an enormous amount of time researching and planning this hunt. He was very well prepared and accommodations were spectacular. It's nice to hunt with someone who takes the game so seriously. I can tell he truly loves the outdoors.

When I heard that his usual hunting partner wouldn't be able to make the trip I immediately jumped at the opportunity. He's a world class individual. Thanks for a good trip buddy.