Montana Limited Entry Mule Deer

[Western Traveler1]

I drew a Limited mule deer tag this year. A couple of members here know where. I was pretty excited when I was notified as it took years to draw. Finally for a change I wouldn’t need to travel out of state to have a decent shot of a representative buck. From the beginning that was my goal. I had an opportunity to travel to the area with my bride this summer a couple of times to get a feel for the area. What was not surprising was the checkerboard of private and public land. Thank goodness for OnX. We saw a few resident bucks and whitetails scattered through the area. I didn’t expect much different as this tag is a migration hunt. September was taken up with getting ready for a ML elk hunt in CO which turned out to be a long distance camping trip at 8500 feet. October rolled around and I headed out to find a place to camp or find lodging which I did. I wish I had taken a few photos at the time as it is great to witness the changing of the seasons around here.

 

[Western Traveler1]

I was excited enough to head out there during the regular season which began in Late October. I managed to take the time snap a few photos.

 

[Western Traveler1]

Sunrises were pretty special.

 

[Western Traveler1]

As November arrived I had another chance to head out to the area. Doe’s were beginning to arrive along with a spattering of small bucks.

 

[Western Traveler1]

My next trip out brought bigger bucks which started running the little guys off. I started seeing a fair amount of 4X4’s in the harems over the two days I was there but I wasn’t seeing the class I was hoping for. Keep in mind some of these photos are taken looking out onto private ground. I headed back home and waited the arrival of a buddy from Billings.

 

[Western Traveler1]

When he arrived we headed out hoping for magic. I had found lodging not far from the area. We scouted for another day not quite ready to pull the trigger. The first night there it snowed then the temperature dropped to 6 degrees. We were smiling now as there was a big change in the class of deer we were seeing though it was difficult getting many photos of them. We were too busy glassing what we were seeing.

 

[Western Traveler1]

We had established a few things we wanted to find in a deer. Mass, no broken tines, developed eye guards and character. We glassed up a lot of deer, both in the open areas and amongst the jack pines. Bucks were rubbing trees, fighting and posturing running off the smaller. Some of the tallest we saw had a very narrow distance between tines or something broken. The tallest we saw was a 3X3 and a pass. The widest we saw looked to be a younger deer with little mass and also a pass. We saw a gorgeous 4X4 that was heavy, no broken tines and had character but was only about 20” wide. He was a maybe. Just before the end of shooting time I put a stalk on a nice looking buck with some junk but as I crested a small coulee I got busted by a doe running with him and he ran down a fence line and up over into private. End of that day.

 

[Western Traveler1]

We arrived in the dark in the same area the next morning looking for the buck from the night before. As dawn began we could see deer already out from the jack pines feeding. I started down a coulee to put the sneak on what appeared to be a decent buck running a doe. They were a good distance off. The doe turned and started to cross the ridge in front of me left to right and as if on cue stopped about 200 yards out the buck broadside behind her. At the shot I heard the 180gn Accubond hit and the buck jumped over the ridge and out of sight. When the doe started milling around I knew what I would find close by. Still when I crested the hill it was a relief to see the buck down not 50 feet from where he was shot. Just behind both forelegs at the upper part of his heart. This buck wasn’t the biggest we saw but he met the criteria and I could not be happier!

 

[Deleted member 38069]

Great buck!

 

[Western Traveler1]

Here is the kicker that absolutely made the trip. My hunting partner of over 20 years was all in for my hunt and sitting on his whitetail tag the whole trip. We had both driven to the area because we were concerned with the dirt road conditions. It had been pretty sloppy on the last of the scouting trip and we wanted the option to travel in a pair to pull one of us out if stuck. I suggested I drop him at his truck while I took my buck back to my place to hang in the barn and cape and he go hunt some river bottom that we had seen. We had very limited text ability occasionally where we were. We prearranged where to meet on my return and I would help him get something out if he connected. About an hour from his location I reached out to him. He said he needed help getting his buck out. I was thrilled. Even more so when I arrived and saw his deer....

 

[Western Traveler1]

One other thing. Thank you to the member that mentioned in a post about his lightweight sled! This place is a wealth of information. Every little thing helps at my age. 72 in a week.

 

[JLS]

Cool hunt.

 

[MT.PERCHMAN]

First to you both Congratulations!
The Bucks are Awesome but the Friendship just trumps them 100% !
Thank you for sharing a wonderful hunting Season!

MT.PERCHMAN

 

[LCH]

Wow, couple of great bucks there!

 

[Hem]

Great job fellas!! Clearly age is a non factor. Massive bonus points for packing out.
What? No e-bike? F-ing ey!

 

[elkrchr]

Great job on two great bucks!

 

[PsRpOiGrRiAtM]

Congrats to you both on some great deer with mass and character! Glad the sled worked out for you, too. My only experience with a sled was a bust--it didn't work out so well along sage and dirt; ended up just plowing a furrow into the ground, and burned a hole through it. Ended up picking up about 8-10lbs of gravel by the end of the drag out. You've got me reconsidering getting another one, just to have for snowy conditions.

 

[Western Traveler1]

Great job fellas!! Clearly age is a non factor. Massive bonus points for packing out.
What? No e-bike? F-ing ey!

Congrats to you both on some great deer with mass and character! Glad the sled worked out for you, too. My only experience with a sled was a bust--it didn't work out so well along sage and dirt; ended up just plowing a furrow into the ground, and burned a hole through it. Ended up picking up about 8-10lbs of gravel by the end of the drag out. You've got me reconsidering getting another one, just to have for snowy conditions.

First to you both Congratulations!
The Bucks are Awesome but the Friendship just trumps them 100% !
Thank you for sharing a wonderful hunting Season!
MT.PERCHMAN

We both normally travel with Alaska style frame packs for hauling meat. The sled was something I thought we should try. We made a point of getting the nose up to avoid plowing. It was so slick it passed us by at a couple of downhill spots. My partner kept joking that I should ride it like a toboggan.

MT.PERCHMAN You are correct about the importance of friendships. It has been great for all these years. We laugh often at the memories of past hunting trips. Horse wrecks, mice in the middle of the night, wishing the wind would stop only to have the temperature plunge to 20 below zero when it did. Getting a call to come help pack out an elk a 1/2 mile in, only to discover it’s another 2 1/2 miles after hiking in a mile. On and on....
As happy as I am with the deer I got, I am Thrilled at his accomplishment (being 15 years my junior he’s like my younger brother).

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Great thread, loved the pics.

 

[ashersdad]

Two very beautiful bucks with a great adventure along the way. Congrats to you both.