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2008 Deer Hunt - pics |
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lucznik
Optics Master Joined: November/27/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1436 |
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Posted: September/29/2008 at 16:01 |
Well it’s back to work again after a very nice backcountry trip after mule deer. I had to cut this year’s trip down to just the weekend because we’ve been having some major drama at work this year part of which involved me being promoted (a good thing) but has also meant that I have had to either cut short or even totally cancel three separate trips that I had been planning for this year (a bad thing). My good friend Curtis and I took off on Friday about 2:30 PM and drove the two hours to the trailhead. Our camp site is located only 2 miles in but, the terrain is so steep and rugged that it takes about 2 ½ hours to cover the distance. When we arrived we found that our buddy Phil (who had been at camp with three other guys since Wednesday) had just that morning shot a nice 6x6 bull elk. It was going to be dark within a half hour so; there was no point in trying to go find anything that night. We spent the evening talking about what they had seen so far and eating elk steak and potatoes – a definite step up from the freeze-dried options we had brought with us. Saturday morning Phil, Curtis, and I were up early to hike another ½ mile in to the spot from which we like to glass. The other guys stayed in bed because they had flat wore themselves out over the previous three days. We found deer almost immediately and the best part was that there appeared to be a couple of decent sized bucks. They were another mile and a half away feeding in an avalanche chute. |
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lucznik
Optics Master Joined: November/27/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1436 |
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We packed up our gear and closed the distance. When we got to about the spot where this next picture was taken, we watched the two bigger deer bed down in the little grove of trees marked “A.” The rest of the deer moved off to the East. Our game plan was to have Phil hike up to a point just east of the stand of trees where we had watched the bucks bed down and to try to push that stand of trees. In the mean time, I would hike to a spot somewhat lower where I could glass all around the trees in hopes of catching them if/when they busted out. Curtis went lower toward the East side in case they were to attempt an escape in that direction. When Phil and I reached the spot marked “B” to our great dismay, a couple of hunters who we had seen earlier came walking across the mountain face and passed just below the stand of trees where the bucks were bedded. These hunters never stopped, never glassed anything, and consequently they never knew they were within 25-30 yards of the deer. We were not happy, thinking they had just blown our chance. Having seen them a little before we did, Curtis started climbing up to meet us. As we discussed what to do next Phil got thoughtful for a second and said, “You know, I’ve been on the other side of this mountain and the back side is unbelievably steep. I don’t think the deer would go that way unless they were really pushed hard. Do you think maybe they just sat where they were and watched those two guys walk past?” I answered that I had always been told that bucks would do that very thing. So, we decided that since we had already come this far, we might as well go ahead and give our plan a try. We waited until the other two hunters had moved on out of sight and then I walked over to the spot marked “C” and sat down on a log to wait while Phil moved up and to the right to begin making his push. By this time Curtis was about 150 yards to the south of me and was glassing a couple of new bucks. All of a sudden, the two bucks came busting out of their beds running toward the West. I grabbed my rifle, ran forward about twenty yards to keep them in view and whistled at them hoping they would stop. They did, at the spot marked “D.” I raised my rifle and found that I was just too tired to hold steady enough for an off-hand shot. I sprinted about 10 feet forward where there was a fallen log with a little branch sticking up, laid down prone and rested my rifle on the branch – much steadier. I put the crosshairs on the bigger of the two deer and fired. At the shot the deer crumpled down, but then with his last bit of life left he kicked himself up and then slid about 200 or so yards down a horribly steep avalanche chute before (thankfully) coming to rest (at “E”). This entire final sequence happened in something like 30 seconds. |
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What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?
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lucznik
Optics Master Joined: November/27/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1436 |
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In the end he is not the 30” monster buck that everyone dreams of and sees in magazine pictures. Nonetheless, he’s a nice buck with a 25” outside spread. I went into this hunt with an expectation of shooting “nothing less than a 4-point” and he qualifies. Considering I had only one day to pull it together, I’m happy. |
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What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?
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lucznik
Optics Master Joined: November/27/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1436 |
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Because of the steepness of the terrain, it took us about 3 hours to bone out the meat and get ready to leave. Just before lugging on our packs we each drank the last bit of water we were carrying. That meant a 2+ hour, 2 mile hike back to our camp with nothing to drink. To say we were parched by the time we arrived would be a gross understatement. Arriving at camp I absolutely slammed 3 quarts of water and would have drank more except that I wanted to have some left for the hike out to the trucks. |
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What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?
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lucznik
Optics Master Joined: November/27/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1436 |
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Between us we had one elk and one deer and six guys to pack it all out. I’m pretty sure I had the lightest pack of the group and mine was at least 80 lbs. With my rifle, binoculars, etc. added to the total, I was carrying about 90+ lbs. (Remember, I only weigh 130 so that’s 69% of my body weight.) Phil’s pack, with those heavy elk antlers, was pushing 130#. When we finally made it to the trucks, I had three blisters on my feet and four of my toenails have blood blisters formed underneath them from slamming into the front of my boots on the steep hike down. But it was worth it. Give me a few days to recover and I’ll be going right back. I’ve still got an elk tag to fill. |
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What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?
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lucznik
Optics Master Joined: November/27/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1436 |
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Some random thoughts: Boots
Backpacks
Optics
Food
Edited by lucznik - September/29/2008 at 16:14 |
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What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?
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supertool73
Optics God Superstool Joined: January/03/2008 Status: Offline Points: 11814 |
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Great pics and hunting story, thanks for sharing.
That is a dandy buck as well, I glad you had good success. |
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Lifetime warranty and excellent customer service don't mean a thing when your gun fails during a zombie attack.
"A Liberal is a person who will give away everything they don't own." |
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mike650
Optics God Joined: May/14/2006 Location: West of Rockies Status: Offline Points: 14569 |
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Nice!!!
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“A hunt based only on trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be.” – Fred Bear
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Steelbenz
Optics Jedi Knight ROLL TIDE ROLL Joined: January/03/2006 Location: Heart of Dixie Status: Offline Points: 5153 |
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Man, I am Green!!!!!
Good for you Bro. Beautiful country, good hunting, friends what more could you ask for. |
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"Don't argue with a fool! From a distance you can't really tell who's who!"
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martin3175
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: January/19/2005 Location: Maryland Status: Offline Points: 3773 |
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Excellent....thanks for taking us there, |
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swtucker
Optics Master Joined: September/03/2008 Location: Low Moor Status: Offline Points: 1430 |
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Great Pics and story! You were in God's Country for sure! |
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8shots
Optics Jedi Knight Lord Of The Flies Joined: March/14/2007 Location: South Africa Status: Offline Points: 6253 |
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Thank you for a great story. Sounds like a nice hunt and a plan that came together. The hard work allways makes it more memorable.
Your comment on the scopes are exactly what I believe. On average glass is very difficult to separate with the naked eye test. Other factors such as repeatability, adjustment etc play a far more important role in the mid to upper priced scopes then quality of glass for the average hunter.
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Glock
Optics Master Joined: November/06/2005 Location: South Africa Status: Offline Points: 1430 |
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Great story and pics, love the countryside
Regards Chris
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Ed Connelly
Optics Retard God of no Chihuahua Joined: December/16/2007 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 24225 |
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Fantastic story and pics and John Madden-type diagrams!!! Thanks!! Great deer!!! Long walk........
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cyborg
Optics God Gaseous Clay Joined: August/24/2007 Location: North Georgia Status: Offline Points: 12288 |
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Man, that's great!!!!!! I am happy for you. Envious, but happy.
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With Freedom comes great responsibility, you cannot have one without the other
An armed public are citizens. A disarmed public are subjects. OATH KEEPER #8233 Support us, and join our cause. Cyborg |
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3_tens
Optics Jedi Master Joined: January/08/2007 Location: Oklahoma Status: Offline Points: 7853 |
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This is a good story accompanied with Arlo Guthrie type photos from Alice's Restaurant with circles and arrows and a story on the back describing the scene of the crime. EXCELLENT!
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Folks ain't got a sense of humor no more. They don't laugh they just get sore.
Need to follow the rules. Just hard to determine which set of rules to follow Now the rules have changed again. |
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RifleDude
MODERATOR EVIL OPPRESSOR Joined: October/13/2006 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 16337 |
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Great posts, lucznik! Thanks for sharing your hunt with us and for diagramming the sequence of events so thoroughly!
I couldn't agree more with the equipment observation, especially dealing with boots and socks. I think if you don't take care of your feet first and foremost, everything else matters little.
Congratulations on a nice buck! I hope you get your bull.
I will be heading out for my Colorado elk hunt on Oct. 15th. Being public land, it is very hard to bag a respectable bull in most places, but it's still fun to go, and I love being in the beautiful high country!
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Ted
Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle. |
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Kickboxer
MODERATOR Moderator Joined: February/13/2008 Status: Offline Points: 23679 |
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Great story lucznik.
Best of success on your hunt, Ted. No luck needed, just good hunting.
"In hunting, the finding and taking of game is after all but a part of the whole. The free, self reliant, adventerous life, with it's rugged and stalwart democracy: the wild surroundings, the grand beauty of the scenery, the chance to study the habits of the woodland creatures- all these unite to give the career of the wilderness hunter it's peculiar charm. The chase is among the best of all national pastimes." Theodore Roosevelt
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Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.
There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living |
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Tip69
Optics Master Extraordinaire Tip Stick Joined: September/27/2005 Location: Nebraska Status: Offline Points: 4155 |
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Thanks, can't wait to hear about the Elk hunt!
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take em!
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Ed Connelly
Optics Retard God of no Chihuahua Joined: December/16/2007 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 24225 |
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yes.....about feet and boots.....I always get boots that are one size too big....then I just wear two pairs of socks so when I walk downhill my toes do not touch my shoe leather. I have been doing that for thirty years....it works. Also the more laces one has ( down toward the toe ) the better ankle-twisting protection you have, and the boots don't get so "bent-up" from regular old walking movement. Again, a superb post with great OUTDOOR LIFE type photos!!!
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