Nephew Perma’s 100 Day Challenge

Sorry all, I haven't found the words to come up with a story for anything except that I failed to fill the tag. I had some great advice and encouragement from some amazing folks on here and got within stalking distance of a good bull, it just never happened. That marks 13 years for me of elk hunting with nothing to show for it. Extremely upset with myself and borderline appalled that I can't seem to make it happen.

I'll probably end the thread early this year early even though I have a cow hunt and an ID deer hunt. I just really want to focus and finish the season strong rather than focus on the story.
Hang in there Perma! Focus on the tags ahead. You got this!
 
Keep your head up buddy. Once it happens it just gets easier every year! Good luck with the rest of the season.
 
Well a lot of folks want a wrap up, and I’m a man of the people, so a wrap up you shall receive.

I drew this tag in ID out of sheer luck. I had no real intention of drawing it because I’m the world’s unluckiest person. But on my way back from Denver, I get an email from IDFG stating that I drew my coveted deer tag. I had to pull over and grab a chili burger to celebrate. The research began in a restaurant in Northglenn.

I immediately received two hands to offer advice which I promptly took. I also committed to scouting the unit since I’ve never been that far west into ID. The scouting trip was decent, but was battling smoke from fires they were having. I let that dog lie for a long time until last week when I got hyper focused on the hunt.

I departed Sunday due to some weather on I80. I got to my AIRBNB that evening (don’t judge me, I’m over flappy tents this year) and scout my map one more time. A report I read said to go look for deer in very high brush, so that was the plan.

I’ve been a little absent from my marriage these last few months, so my wife asked the question “when are you gonna shoot one”? To which I replied “I’ll know when I see it”.
 
I wake up the next morning full of piss and vinegar. I jump into my truck and start down the road. I get to a spot that I scouted when I was here. I walk to an edge of a cliff and have a great view of some folds and a mountain in front of me. The wind was ripe but not too cold. I glass for 2 hours and turn up nothing. I hit the panic button right away cuz I assumed I’d see deer right away. I start to hike a bit further in and find a few recent signs they were walking through here. I thought maybe go down the road further and maybe the bucks are still back here.

I drove down the road and at the end of the intersection I see a single spike buck pacing through the brush. I sit and watch him only to realize that he’s eating the top part of the sage. Bingo.

To my left, I notice a weird shift in the brush, I glass it and it turns out to be a 4 point buck. My heart raced immediately as I saw his eye guards but realized his back forks were awfully short. I ZOLEO my wife and inquire on the buck and she replied “if you’re already seeing them, keep looking”.

I drove off and wrapped around and started to second guess my eyes. I decided to relocate him to really make sure I wasn’t missing anything. A guy in a 4 wheeler told me he took off above the fence line, so I drove down there to find him. I hiked a steep rocky hill in the wind only to find nothing. I had lunch and decided I wasn’t going to wrap back around and go to the top of another hill and take a nap.

As I drive back, I notice another shift to my left. It was two does eating the same brush. All of this sudden, a third pops out. It’s this very large eye guard buck, and he has eyes on me. I glass him up and said “he’s the one”.

I get out of my truck after backing up and plan the stalk. The wind is terrible for me and blew me out to them. They didn’t run far, I wrap around a bump and find them in a small little decline on the hillside. I glass him one more time and decide this is the one I’m shooting. He sees me but the does don’t so he doesn’t move. I hit the range at 150 yard and hold zero. The doe is behind him and they’re not moving so I hold my position for what felt like an eternity. Once she moves, breathe in, breathe out.

Boom, *THWAP*

He stands there and acts like nothing happened but blood is running from his lung. I load another.

Boom, *THWAP*

Still standing there after a lung shot. WTF!?

Boom ,*THWAP*

STILL STANDING THERE! And he even walks down towards me, but he’s mortally wounded. I lost sight of him so I decided to sit for a few minutes. I then decide to go back to my truck and make the lap around to get closer. I get out and make my trek to find him. Piled up next to some lumbered trees.

Season. Over.

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