I headed up to some familiar country Friday to go look for a deer worth packing out of a coulee. This is the second time I've hunted for deer in the district and I'm starting to get a good understanding of how it's all put together. It's an area that has a lot of Block Management, State, BLM & BuRec lands, and while it does get some significant pressure, it can hold nice bucks.
Friday, I arrived and made camp on a section of state land that I've seen deer, pronghorn and sharptail on. After a couple of cocktails and dinner, I turned in. Saturday morning, the wind was blowing steadily around 20 mph. I had a leisurely breakfast and around 10 went for a walk. 5 miles later, no deer were spotted, although a couple of surprised song dogs made a hasty retreat once I popped over a coulee. On my way out, I was greeted by a couple of good old boys racing across a wheat field at 30 MPH (State land). A few minutes later, they busted back out the same way, fishtailing and creating some havoc with the lesee's winter wheat.
The next day, I picked up camp and moved on. Further exploring the unit, I found a type 1 BMA that looked promising for both birds & deer. I loaded up the pack, put 2 #6's & a 200 grain Woodliegh in the old Guild made Drilling and went for a walk. At 300 yards from the truck, two forkies busted, heading over the hill. Either one would have been a chip shot at 50 yards. (Photo from last year).
I walked another 3 miles and pushed one more forkie before getting back to the truck to grab some lunch.
Afterwards, I headed to another Type 1 BMA that had state land on it, and was open for camping. Parking the truck, leveling the camper and getting camp set left me with about an hour left. As I was finishing up, I noticed 3 does about 150 yards to my east. I grabbed the binos and spotter and set up by the truck. They were coming to me, no need to gear up and head out. After a few more minutes, ears were popping up out of the coulee 270 yards from me. Five does & fawns, another forkie. Something caught my eye to my right. I turned and saw the world's smallest 4 point buck, just barely hitting the inch mark on each new tine. He had good mass for a young buck, and if he makes it 3 or 4 more years, he'll be a shooter. I turned back and at 273 yards was a tall 4x3. He was a little spindly at the bases and if it weren't opening weekend, there would have been a 225 grain TTSX on it's way to his boiler room. I watched until dark, giving my new binos a chance to prove themselves in low light.
I was not disappointed. Due to the truck needing new tires, my original plan for alpha glass didn't pan out. Since I've dealt with Schmalts before, I knew to trust his judgement. I ordered the Theron Questas 10x42's. I am duly impressed with these binos. Clarity at low light was incredible. edge to edge clarity is very good and the definition is crisp and clear. This was a good purchase and anyone in search of glass that falls in to the price point around $700 - these should be on your list & they'll save you considerable coin.
The next morning, dawn broke like the yolk of an over-medium egg. Slow & not terribly runny.
I walked another 5 miles, pushing a few deer here & there. More forkies, a lot of does, but no shooter bucks. On my walk back to the truck, I noticed movement in the coulee I had walked 20 minutes earlier. Another couple had moved in and had spotted something. Not wanting to blow their stalk, I circled upwind and as far away from the edge as I could. When I hit the section fence, I heard two shots and holler. By the time I got back to my truck about 3/4 of a mile away, I saw their rig come in to load their prize. I never saw the deer the shot, but I was glad it was someone investing shoe leather in finding one, rather than the illegal road hunting I'd been witnessing all over the place.
I love this country. There's something about it that makes you feel free. High, wide and Handsome is often associated with Montana, and especially this corner of the plains. I think that description is apt.
That evening, I was back in position to watch three coulee heads simultaneously to catch anything worthwhile as they fed out on to the native prairie grasses. To my dismay, only three does fed out, all on land I didn't have permission to hunt. So it goes. I headed back to the truck, packed up and went to Chester. The Lions Park in Chester offers a free RV dump, fresh water and electricity. After 4 nights of boondocking, I was in need of all three. I made my donation to the RV dump, and a cash donation to the Lions Club for their hospitality, charged the battery for a few hours and retreated to City Park to grab some sleep.
The next day, I had reserved a type 2 BMA that has a great mix of river bottom, coulees & native grass plains. I pulled up to a spot and was soon greeted by the local resident herd of slow elk. As I was getting my gear ready in the truck, I felt the camper starting to rock back and forth as the cows decided the RV dump spigot was some kind of Turkish delight they needed the fight over to lick. A few minutes of cowboying sent the herd on it's way.
4 more miles with only a couple of does who winded me when the winds shifted. As I turned to move on down the coulee after watching the deer stott over the horizon, I almost had a heart attack as a covey of sharptail flushed 5 feet in front of me. Luckily for them, I was carrying the .338 and not the drilling. Hitting the end of the coulee, I walked back to the truck in a direct line. Drenched with sweat and smelling like a rotten cheese curd, I took an hour or two for a leisurely lunch, secured the camper & gear and pulled up stakes for home to get a much needed shower and do some laundry.
We're headed back out to the Rocky Mountain Front tomorrow in hopes of finding some elk and a decent whitetail or mule deer buck. Wolf tag will be in the pocket as well. As I plan the rest of the season, that little 4x3 will be the one that makes me kick the dog when I'm in a bad mood, especially if he's really gone when I go back to the spot in a week or two.
The amount of poor sportsmanship and illegal driving was significant this weekend, lots of herd shooting, lots of illegal driving. It's too bad because this country is small enough that if you walk, you'll find critters. In 4 days, I passed on roughly 40 legal animals, and at least one buck that would make a fine last week trophy.
On to week 2.
Friday, I arrived and made camp on a section of state land that I've seen deer, pronghorn and sharptail on. After a couple of cocktails and dinner, I turned in. Saturday morning, the wind was blowing steadily around 20 mph. I had a leisurely breakfast and around 10 went for a walk. 5 miles later, no deer were spotted, although a couple of surprised song dogs made a hasty retreat once I popped over a coulee. On my way out, I was greeted by a couple of good old boys racing across a wheat field at 30 MPH (State land). A few minutes later, they busted back out the same way, fishtailing and creating some havoc with the lesee's winter wheat.
The next day, I picked up camp and moved on. Further exploring the unit, I found a type 1 BMA that looked promising for both birds & deer. I loaded up the pack, put 2 #6's & a 200 grain Woodliegh in the old Guild made Drilling and went for a walk. At 300 yards from the truck, two forkies busted, heading over the hill. Either one would have been a chip shot at 50 yards. (Photo from last year).
I walked another 3 miles and pushed one more forkie before getting back to the truck to grab some lunch.
Afterwards, I headed to another Type 1 BMA that had state land on it, and was open for camping. Parking the truck, leveling the camper and getting camp set left me with about an hour left. As I was finishing up, I noticed 3 does about 150 yards to my east. I grabbed the binos and spotter and set up by the truck. They were coming to me, no need to gear up and head out. After a few more minutes, ears were popping up out of the coulee 270 yards from me. Five does & fawns, another forkie. Something caught my eye to my right. I turned and saw the world's smallest 4 point buck, just barely hitting the inch mark on each new tine. He had good mass for a young buck, and if he makes it 3 or 4 more years, he'll be a shooter. I turned back and at 273 yards was a tall 4x3. He was a little spindly at the bases and if it weren't opening weekend, there would have been a 225 grain TTSX on it's way to his boiler room. I watched until dark, giving my new binos a chance to prove themselves in low light.
I was not disappointed. Due to the truck needing new tires, my original plan for alpha glass didn't pan out. Since I've dealt with Schmalts before, I knew to trust his judgement. I ordered the Theron Questas 10x42's. I am duly impressed with these binos. Clarity at low light was incredible. edge to edge clarity is very good and the definition is crisp and clear. This was a good purchase and anyone in search of glass that falls in to the price point around $700 - these should be on your list & they'll save you considerable coin.
The next morning, dawn broke like the yolk of an over-medium egg. Slow & not terribly runny.
I walked another 5 miles, pushing a few deer here & there. More forkies, a lot of does, but no shooter bucks. On my walk back to the truck, I noticed movement in the coulee I had walked 20 minutes earlier. Another couple had moved in and had spotted something. Not wanting to blow their stalk, I circled upwind and as far away from the edge as I could. When I hit the section fence, I heard two shots and holler. By the time I got back to my truck about 3/4 of a mile away, I saw their rig come in to load their prize. I never saw the deer the shot, but I was glad it was someone investing shoe leather in finding one, rather than the illegal road hunting I'd been witnessing all over the place.
I love this country. There's something about it that makes you feel free. High, wide and Handsome is often associated with Montana, and especially this corner of the plains. I think that description is apt.
That evening, I was back in position to watch three coulee heads simultaneously to catch anything worthwhile as they fed out on to the native prairie grasses. To my dismay, only three does fed out, all on land I didn't have permission to hunt. So it goes. I headed back to the truck, packed up and went to Chester. The Lions Park in Chester offers a free RV dump, fresh water and electricity. After 4 nights of boondocking, I was in need of all three. I made my donation to the RV dump, and a cash donation to the Lions Club for their hospitality, charged the battery for a few hours and retreated to City Park to grab some sleep.
The next day, I had reserved a type 2 BMA that has a great mix of river bottom, coulees & native grass plains. I pulled up to a spot and was soon greeted by the local resident herd of slow elk. As I was getting my gear ready in the truck, I felt the camper starting to rock back and forth as the cows decided the RV dump spigot was some kind of Turkish delight they needed the fight over to lick. A few minutes of cowboying sent the herd on it's way.
4 more miles with only a couple of does who winded me when the winds shifted. As I turned to move on down the coulee after watching the deer stott over the horizon, I almost had a heart attack as a covey of sharptail flushed 5 feet in front of me. Luckily for them, I was carrying the .338 and not the drilling. Hitting the end of the coulee, I walked back to the truck in a direct line. Drenched with sweat and smelling like a rotten cheese curd, I took an hour or two for a leisurely lunch, secured the camper & gear and pulled up stakes for home to get a much needed shower and do some laundry.
We're headed back out to the Rocky Mountain Front tomorrow in hopes of finding some elk and a decent whitetail or mule deer buck. Wolf tag will be in the pocket as well. As I plan the rest of the season, that little 4x3 will be the one that makes me kick the dog when I'm in a bad mood, especially if he's really gone when I go back to the spot in a week or two.
The amount of poor sportsmanship and illegal driving was significant this weekend, lots of herd shooting, lots of illegal driving. It's too bad because this country is small enough that if you walk, you'll find critters. In 4 days, I passed on roughly 40 legal animals, and at least one buck that would make a fine last week trophy.
On to week 2.
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