gjflyfisherman
Member
Sounds great. Something I have been trying to do with my 84 year old grandpa for one last hunt too. Hopefully this show will inspire him to let me take him out next year.
Montana Deer - Most important hunt of the season
- Thread starter Big Fin
- Start date
2rocky
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2010
- Messages
- 5,137
Randy I read you loud and clear. Growing up I never knew about Public land. We had neighbors who let us hunt their place and it always seemed like something you did for your friends.
In college I knocked on doors and developed relationships with landowners. I don't ever recall getting turned down. To me that is an OYO approach.
In college I knocked on doors and developed relationships with landowners. I don't ever recall getting turned down. To me that is an OYO approach.
smalls
Well-known member
Ole? As in Ole, going to hunt over some hand carved canvasback blocks Ole? Are he and Neil do the heavy lifting on the post-hunt scotch?
Perhaps the biggest "character" I had the pleasure of meeting in my time in Montana. Even got to spend opening day of duck season with his group one fall, the most fun I've ever had duck hunting.
Perhaps the biggest "character" I had the pleasure of meeting in my time in Montana. Even got to spend opening day of duck season with his group one fall, the most fun I've ever had duck hunting.
stillkickin
Well-known member
Good luck guys, I will be rooting for you!
dmserpa
New member
Sounds like one of the best yet of OYOA.....You sure made me feel like one of the old guys???? I'm 66 but I figure to be hunting for another 20 years, God willing and still having a good mule to get me to the hunting grounds. I'm grooming my grandsons to make sure I can get into the mountains!
Yup, the infamous Ole Olsen, custom decoy carver extraordinaire. Ole informs me that when waterfowl hunting, he has to be home at 4PM, as that is when he takes his one drink of Scotch and then an afternoon nap. He claims he can make an exception for two days of deer hunting.
Spent the day building a blind that will serve as a second home, if need be. Looks like a logging operation took place down in the cottonwoods. Figures I better build a decent blind for a pair like those guys. If they can find one flaw, they will make an entire episode out of critiquing my blind building skills.
Could have shot my deer today. Having two doe tags and a buck tag would have made it easy. Just didn't seem like the right thing to do, knowing my real purpose of being there was to get the blind in order, scout, and lay plans for how I will push deer in front of those two characters for the next couple days. So, one of the nicest 4X4 whitetails I have seen in Montana is enjoying another cold night in the cottonwoods. Hope Ole shoots him tomorrow.
Gonna be tougher than I expected. Deer numbers are down from past years, by a big margin. And, they seem to be enjoying the windswept south and west hillsides as much as the cottonwood bottoms. If they stay on the ridges, they will be safe.
Not sure how the day will unfold. That is the fun of hunting. Might show up and there will be deer near the blind and done by noon. Or, we might sit around and tell old hunting stories for two days without even raising a rifle. Whatever the outcome, I am excited to spend the days with these guys.
Will have pics and stories tomorrow night, whether any tags get filled, or not.
Brandenbowhunter
Well-known member
Stay warm! Looks like some warmish weather is moving in
Randy49er
New member
Big Fin, your fan club is growing by leaps and bounds, good on you, and good luck to your "experienced" hunting partners.
Bowhuntrben
Well-known member
Good luck getting those guys on some big deer!
Nemont
Well-known member
Neil as in Neil Severinson?
Should be a great hunt to film,
Nemont
Should be a great hunt to film,
Nemont
nidahunter
Well-known member
This will be a great episode whether or not anything is killed. Some of my favorite Jim Shockey episodes are the ones with his elderly father and father in law in them. It sounds like the two you are hunting with will make it a great time regardless of the outcome, and will be fun to watch!
Horn Seeker
New member
I'm not watchin! Traitor!!
hehehe... Good luck Fin! I bet its fantastic episode!
hehehe... Good luck Fin! I bet its fantastic episode!
MNHunter
Well-known member
Sounds like great episode Randy, good on you!
Got some great pictures to post when I get home!
Brisco
New member
Sounds like the day was a success cant wait to see the photos!
Brandenbowhunter
Well-known member
Nice...get home fast, but safe!
Intothewindoutdoors
New member
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2011
- Messages
- 104
Can't wait to see them!! Hurry!!
bowhuntmontana
Well-known member
Favorite live thread of the season. Hope things went well and I am sure we are all looking forward to the pictures and stories.
2pointslayr
New member
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2006
- Messages
- 297
well well Randy finally closed the deal maybe 
Finally got some pics loaded to the computer. Think it took longer while I tried to recover from all the laughing today. Amazing amount of fun, for something so simple.
The morning started exactly as planned. As is always the case, Neil was punctually early. Riding shotgun was Ole. Though it was 7:00AM, they were in classic form. Already making jokes to each other at this early stage of the day told me it was going to be a good one.
We drove to the property and started to get ready. I found the manager and got the lowdown on what, where, and any other instructions he might have.
We loaded all the gear in my truck and headed toward the blind. On the way there, we saw the tall tined 4X4 from last evening bedded in some willows about 200 yards from the ranch road we were on. I asked Ole what he wanted to do. In normal fashion he replied, "You didn't come and build that blind yesterday, just to have me poleaxe one from the road. Get goin' Sport, or we're gonna be too late!"
When we got to the blind, another buck was chasing a doe. I asked Ole what he wanted to do. He said he wanted to go check out the blind and see if it was up to snuff. The buck and his doe went on their merry way while we unloaded our junk and hauled it to the blind.
Ole was committed that if he was going to shoot a buck he was going to do it from the blind. Fine with me.
Before sitting down, Ole had to inspect my handiwork. Neil liked what he saw and was quick to tell Ole to get his old butt in the chair so we could start hunting. I handed Ole my .308, as he had not been out shooting his rifle much. He made some remark that he only kills stuff with a .270. I told him to take the two bullets I had brought with and be happy he had something to shoot.
The plan was that I would be the bird dog, so much of what happened in my absence is a recount from Neil and Mason, the camera guy. I did inspect some footage to verify whether Ole or Neil had the correct version of events.
I was gone the better part of an hour, when I heard a shot near the blind. I had bumped a nice buck that was headed toward the blind, but it seemed to be a long time between when I bumped him and when I heard the shot.
About an hour and a half later, I made my way toward the blind to find Ole with a big smile on his face. He was pretty fired up. Neil was serving as the moderator and interpreter as Ole gave his version of events.
Seems the buck had come down the creek toward the blind. Ole shot him with one shot, or so Ole told the story. I looked at the footage to see what had happened. That was of no value. Ole wasted no time with camera details. When the buck walked out from behind some trees, he pulled the trigger. The camera was getting focused. All we have footage of is the buck running off and disappearing, followed by Neil giving Ole some ration of BS that he probably missed, rebutted by Ole that if he had a .270 the deer would have fallen where he stood.
Funny stuff, for sure. Long and short of it, it only took Ole about an hour and a half, and he had shot a buck. For thinking his last deer hunt was behind him, it didn't take him long to fill his buck tag. And he could not have been more happy.
Ole was as excited as I had seen in many years. In the while it took me to get to the blind, the shot has almost doubled in distance. According to Neil it was close enough that the buck suffered powder burns. Ole's recount was that it was so far, the buck had bloated by the time they were able to finally get to him. I suspect it was about 175 yards.
I did a bullet inventory and it did only take one shot, so big kudos for Ole. He had not shot a rifle for four years. He was shooting a new rifle, sitting in a blind, and made a great shot. Perfect front shoulder. The buck traveled about 50 yards before giving up the ghost.
Seeing Ole with this childish grin and cackling laugh was the greatest gift of the entire season. Neil and I were both smiling and laughing at the good fortune of our plan coming together so perfectly. Neil offered to make sure Ole could get here and volunteered to be Ole's spotter and gunnery sergeant in the blind. Without Neil, this hunt would not have happened. He was as excited as I was to see Ole having such a great time.
I make another post that tells the rest of the day;s events. Neil's doe, them chewing me out for passing so many animals, and a level of humor that is hard to capture on film with only one camera. If we can capture 20% of the true essence of this hunt, it will be a classic.
Ole's wife, Mary, told him to behave himself. As is the case with most of my family, colorful language is Ole's specialty. Mary threatened him with some punishment if he didn't use his best words. Well, he tried for the first half hour, but after that, it was more Ole. The beeper button at the editing bay is going to be worn out by the time this episode is finalized. Guys like Ole are best when they can be themselves. I don't want him to be anyone other than who he is, so when he looked at me after a word slipped out, I told him to "let 'er rip" and I would try to resolve of any issues such word created with Mary.
Here is a couple pics of Ole and his buck. I wish I had a pic of him and the buck where it came to rest, but by the time I got there, the guttin' and gillin' was over. It was all I could do to get him to pose for the few pics in the back of the truck.
The smile on his face says more than any words can provide.
The morning started exactly as planned. As is always the case, Neil was punctually early. Riding shotgun was Ole. Though it was 7:00AM, they were in classic form. Already making jokes to each other at this early stage of the day told me it was going to be a good one.
We drove to the property and started to get ready. I found the manager and got the lowdown on what, where, and any other instructions he might have.
We loaded all the gear in my truck and headed toward the blind. On the way there, we saw the tall tined 4X4 from last evening bedded in some willows about 200 yards from the ranch road we were on. I asked Ole what he wanted to do. In normal fashion he replied, "You didn't come and build that blind yesterday, just to have me poleaxe one from the road. Get goin' Sport, or we're gonna be too late!"
When we got to the blind, another buck was chasing a doe. I asked Ole what he wanted to do. He said he wanted to go check out the blind and see if it was up to snuff. The buck and his doe went on their merry way while we unloaded our junk and hauled it to the blind.
Ole was committed that if he was going to shoot a buck he was going to do it from the blind. Fine with me.
Before sitting down, Ole had to inspect my handiwork. Neil liked what he saw and was quick to tell Ole to get his old butt in the chair so we could start hunting. I handed Ole my .308, as he had not been out shooting his rifle much. He made some remark that he only kills stuff with a .270. I told him to take the two bullets I had brought with and be happy he had something to shoot.
The plan was that I would be the bird dog, so much of what happened in my absence is a recount from Neil and Mason, the camera guy. I did inspect some footage to verify whether Ole or Neil had the correct version of events.
I was gone the better part of an hour, when I heard a shot near the blind. I had bumped a nice buck that was headed toward the blind, but it seemed to be a long time between when I bumped him and when I heard the shot.
About an hour and a half later, I made my way toward the blind to find Ole with a big smile on his face. He was pretty fired up. Neil was serving as the moderator and interpreter as Ole gave his version of events.
Seems the buck had come down the creek toward the blind. Ole shot him with one shot, or so Ole told the story. I looked at the footage to see what had happened. That was of no value. Ole wasted no time with camera details. When the buck walked out from behind some trees, he pulled the trigger. The camera was getting focused. All we have footage of is the buck running off and disappearing, followed by Neil giving Ole some ration of BS that he probably missed, rebutted by Ole that if he had a .270 the deer would have fallen where he stood.
Funny stuff, for sure. Long and short of it, it only took Ole about an hour and a half, and he had shot a buck. For thinking his last deer hunt was behind him, it didn't take him long to fill his buck tag. And he could not have been more happy.
Ole was as excited as I had seen in many years. In the while it took me to get to the blind, the shot has almost doubled in distance. According to Neil it was close enough that the buck suffered powder burns. Ole's recount was that it was so far, the buck had bloated by the time they were able to finally get to him. I suspect it was about 175 yards.
I did a bullet inventory and it did only take one shot, so big kudos for Ole. He had not shot a rifle for four years. He was shooting a new rifle, sitting in a blind, and made a great shot. Perfect front shoulder. The buck traveled about 50 yards before giving up the ghost.
Seeing Ole with this childish grin and cackling laugh was the greatest gift of the entire season. Neil and I were both smiling and laughing at the good fortune of our plan coming together so perfectly. Neil offered to make sure Ole could get here and volunteered to be Ole's spotter and gunnery sergeant in the blind. Without Neil, this hunt would not have happened. He was as excited as I was to see Ole having such a great time.
I make another post that tells the rest of the day;s events. Neil's doe, them chewing me out for passing so many animals, and a level of humor that is hard to capture on film with only one camera. If we can capture 20% of the true essence of this hunt, it will be a classic.
Ole's wife, Mary, told him to behave himself. As is the case with most of my family, colorful language is Ole's specialty. Mary threatened him with some punishment if he didn't use his best words. Well, he tried for the first half hour, but after that, it was more Ole. The beeper button at the editing bay is going to be worn out by the time this episode is finalized. Guys like Ole are best when they can be themselves. I don't want him to be anyone other than who he is, so when he looked at me after a word slipped out, I told him to "let 'er rip" and I would try to resolve of any issues such word created with Mary.
Here is a couple pics of Ole and his buck. I wish I had a pic of him and the buck where it came to rest, but by the time I got there, the guttin' and gillin' was over. It was all I could do to get him to pose for the few pics in the back of the truck.
The smile on his face says more than any words can provide.
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