2021 MT Combo Hunt

[Netherman]

This will be my fifth year hunting out west and doing a write up. I really enjoy doing them and getting feedback from the more experienced guys. This year I’ll be hunting the MT combo license with a friend and then hunting CO deer with my dad and brother. The plan will be to archery elk hunt in September and then head back out for the gun opener with the same big group as last year. We'll be staying in an Air B&B (bringing the tipi as a spike option). Also, I’ll be “guiding” my dad and brother on a second season CO deer hunt.

Day 0

We ducked out of work early, loaded the truck, and took off. With two drivers we always drive straight thru to maximize out hunting time. 24ish hours later we arrived around 4pm exhausted and excited to start hunting even in the unseasonable heat. We decided to do a quick road trip to assess the local hunting pressure. Shockingly we didn’t see a single camp setup at either of our preferred access point on the national forest. With the extreme heat and drought in the west we began to worry that the NF was closed (we checked on the drive and it was under type 1 restrictions). On our loop we passed a guy riding his horse with a dog in tow and decided to turn around and see if he knew something we didn’t. He said it was kind of early for a lot of people and that the heat probably was keeping the locals away, but that he didn’t know of any camping restrictions that we might have overlooked.

He mentioned that the elk weren’t talking and suggested we head to another access point. Almost felt like he wanted us out of this area. We thanked him for the information and headed back into our planned area (against his advice). On our way back in the trail passes the parking lot and we were flagged down but the horse rider. He then told us he saw some fresh sign in the area we were planning to go. I don’t know if he changed his mind about wanting us out of there or just gave us the info since we were heading that way. we thanked him again and were back on our way.

We quickly set camp and set off into our hunt zone. We made a loop thru an area we had seen elk before but received no answers to our calls and only found old dried out sign. With daylight gone we headed back to camp disappointed in the sign and lack of calling. Were the elk even around? On our hike out we noticed the smoke in the air as our headlamps made it readily apparent.

Lessons Learned: Be nice to everyone they always give you information and it’ll be up to you to interpret it. They might tell you something useful either right away or later.

Questions: N/A

 

[Netherman]

Day 1

Waking up coughing we realized that having the tipi guyouts lifted for ventilation wasn’t ideal in smoky conditions. It allowed the smoke easy access into the tent rather than being forced thru the mesh top vent. Not wanting to go on a long hike in the smoke we decided to go glass another area we were expecting to see elk. One spot could be glassed from the road and the other after a short one mileish walk. From the road glassing spot, we spotted two groups of elk on private. One group of four smallish bulls and another group of cows with a nicer bull. We filed that piece of intel away and moved on to our next glassing location. As soon as we started looking, we saw a group of three bulls slipping into the timber as the sun began to cover the landscape and heat things up. We decided to try and get behind them and see if we could call them in the timber or at least stalk in on them. (so much for not hiking in the smoke) On our hike up we spotted a bear working his way down the same cut we were walking up. We stopped and watched him mow down on choke cherries and then take a swim in a stock tank.

With our sightseeing tour over, we got back to the task at hand. As we reached the timber, we found out it was incredibly thick stuff. To the point where we couldn’t see more than 50 yards in front of us and couldn’t shoot more than 20 feet. With the elk being non-vocal we decided not to continue pushing into the timber. Instead, we would get into a small meadow on the edge where we had a good wind and do some cold calling. A few hours and naps into the calling set, it finally started cooling off.

Suddenly, we heard elk talking above us. We quickly split us to better cover the meadow if they stepped into it and did some light calling. It seemed like they were interested but hung up on the edge of the meadow. In an attempt to pull them down I started walking away and downhill calling. As I reached the edge of the timber, I saw a bear (probably the bear from earlier) running up the drainage and headed our way. Not wanting to take my eyes off the bear I decided not to move back into my previous position and wait for a shot. Instead, I moved below my friend and made a few more calls hoping to pull the elk toward his area of coverage. The bear never stopped and at 150 yards I decided he needed to know where we were and that he needed to go somewhere else. I started by waving my arms and bow at him with no effect. Then I got more stern with him and began yelling “hey bear” and “go on bear”. That got him turned and headed across the cut.

At this point my buddy angrily comes out of the timber and informs me that the elk were the same group of small bulls and that they had just stepped into the meadow at 75 yards when I began yelling. Obviously, they didn’t stick around after that. After that encounter we decided to move towards where we had seen the elk move into the timber and see if they popped back out. We were able to glass from that point as well but never saw any elk before darkness fell. After a 2.5 mile walk back to the truck and a 45-minute truck ride we were home. Back at camp the wind was ripping. Not wanting to be blown away we decided to batten down the hatches on the tipi. Instead of fully re-pitching the tent we tried just re-staking the loops to the ground rather than the guylines. It wasn’t the best plan as it did not result in a tight pitch, so we were forced to listen to the tipi material flapping all night long.

Lessons Learned: Be more aggressive in deterring bears. I think if I had gotten more aggressive with my waving and running down the hill into the opening I might not have had to yell. I don't think the bear was acting in an aggressive manner. He probably just wanted to get out of that hot sun and into the timber where the choke cherries were. Ensure your shelter is pitched tightly as flapping is tough to sleep thru. Even if it means re-pitching.

Questions: Would it have been better to push into the thick timber after them in the morning and hope for the timber to open up? We were worried about blowing them out of the area. Will elk bed in super thick brush? It felt more like whitetail bedding than elk (though that is coming from a MI whitetail hunter).

 

[Netherman]

Cool chocolate color phase black bear.

 

[Netherman]

Day 2

With a close encounter the previous day we decided to go back to the same area and see if we could glass them heading into the timber. Not wanting it bump anything in the dark we hiked in to the first good vantage point and waited for first light. After a bit of scanning, I spotted what we think was the same group of smallish bulls. They were about a mile away and dropping into a bowl just in front of the timber. We decided against going straight at them as there was no cover between us. The best path was a 2.5 mile hike thru and adjacent cut and patch of trees. With the sun quickly consuming the landscape we opted to see where they entered the timber and then decide on how to go after them. While watching them we also spotted another lone bull on private moving towards the timbered public, but to get there was at least a 3 mile hike and not feasible this morning. Around 10am with all the action for the morning behind us we decided that rather than hid from the sun with the rest of the game we’d hike out and do a bit of road scouting for our upcoming deer hunt. We drove around looking at new areas, parking spots, and collecting BMA maps.

Around 3pm we were back at our hunt location and started the hike in. It was miserable 80* and nothing but 2 miles of sun, sage, and dust between us and the timber. We decided to leave the group of small bulls alone for the evening and go after them next morning. That left the lone bull on the public private edge. Without much rut activity or calling we decided on a similar setup from the previous day. We hiked into a small meadow on the edge of public/private and started some slow calling. After an hour or two we heard some elk calling above us. We continued making the occasional call as the real elk moved down the cut between the public and private. At the head of the meadow, they decided to walk down on the private side. A bull and three cows stepped into the open and we got a look at them and heard a choked-out bugle from the bull, but none made a move to cross over to the public side. we tried bugling and getting aggressive but never got a response from the elk as they moved further into the private and presumably into the food plot the local rancher/outfitter had planted.

With that opportunity gone, we decided to move up on a ridge to glass for other elk that might be working their way out of the timber. None ever did. We did spot another or possibly the same bear working up a cut scarfing down choke cherries. We didn’t walk out on that cut but were a bit more aware on our walk out. Back at camp we re-pitched the tipi to make sure everything was tight and as flap free as possible.

Lessons Learned: I like to think there’s always something we could have done better. On that evening set maybe moving further off the meadow or calling more aggressively could have got them moving our way. Hindsight is 20/20 all I really know is that what we did didn’t bring them close enough. Drum tight pitches are ideal for noise free sleep.

Questions: Any advice on dealing with quite bulls that run into thick, thick timber at first light? Maybe the Corey Jacobsen “find an elk that wants to die” strategy would have made more sense. I just have a hard time leaving elk to find elk.

 

[Netherman]

Day 3

Having seen that group of three bulls move into the timber at the same spot we decided to get up extra early and hike all the way up to the timber and stay one drainage over to account for the mornings falling thermals. From there we would hopefully see the elk working their way up to be and be positioned to either come at them cross hill or potentially from below. Best laid plans and all that led to them not being in that valley. Did we bump them in the dark or were they never there to begin with? I doubt we’ll ever know. We walked in by moonlight and up a different drainage, so I think we did everything right from that standpoint. Our only other option might have been to stay in “their” drainage and stop lower than we expected them and try and glass as soon as we had light.

Not wanting to stay out there until dusk we decided to hike out and check out another timbered area that was hopefully more open than where we had seen elk so far. Hiking into our new area we started seeing old sign but nothing fresh. We did see horseshoe tracks, presumably from guy on the horse when we arrived. Further on, we started seeing fresher sign and more open timber. Eventually we spotted some elk about 150 yards away moving thru the timber and headed downhill. We got behind a few small pines for an ambush, got a few ranges, and started looking around for better options. Then surprisingly (at least to us), the elk stopped and bedded in a small opening about 100 yards away. With a good wind we started looking at paths to get close enough for a shot. In an instant that “good wind” swirled against our backs and our hearts sunk as the lead cow picked her nose up. Like someone yelling fire in a building the group of elk burst into action and hightailed it out of there.

Bummed, we figured we’d try and keep moving either to reposition on them, find new elk, or at least some promising sign. Finding none of these things we eventually made it to the top of the ridge. Looking down we spotted a few groups of mule deer one of which had a deer with a significantly larger body. Really wish we had brought the 15s or spotting scope… Frustrated with elk hunting and with deer tags in our pocket, we decided to hike down and check them out. We made it down there with about a half hour of light left. The deer had moved down out of the bowl we had seen them in and into the treeless flat land below. In one group there were 4 4x4 mule deer. One of which was a 140ish buck that either of us would be happy to hang our tag on. Unfortunately, there was no path to get in front of them. We stuck around watching them from the last tree covered ridge, hoping that they might move back to the bowl. Darkness came for us before they ever made a move in that direction. Hiking back in the dark our headlamps revealed that the smoke was back. Hopefully sealing up the tipi would help keep the smoke out.



Lessons Learned: N/A

Questions: How patternable are elk? With not much rut activity going and no pressure other than ours in the area we expected that those elk would repeat their previous mornings activities.

 

[Netherman]

Day 4

Having seen elk further up the ridge and in the timber the previous day we decided to try and get in between them and their beds. Hiking in on the same path as before we walked until we found a fresh trail going downhill from the previous night. From there we go on the downwind and uphill side of the trail about 100 yards and waited for sounds or sights of elk. As we started running out of morning, we made a few cow calls hoping to draw a response or at least get something going. It never happened. In the sake of learning the area more we decided to make a big loop around the ridge. Hopefully we would be able to walk in on some elk, but we’d at least get a better feel for the area and the terrain/thickness. It was mostly open pines with one area of thicker stuff next to a small burn being the most promising. It had beds, rubs, and generally felt elky. However, none of the sign was less than a week or two old.

Once the midday heat set in, we decided to hike back out, eat, and try and set up on that big mulie from the previous night. We made it back to camp, got some lunch, shot our bows, reloaded on water, and headed out for the evening. We got set up to glass from at the downwind end of the bowl we had seen them in previously. The plan was that if we saw them move into the bowl, we could creep around the perimeter ridge and get setup to shoot as they crossed over to reach the flatlands. We’d get set up 50 yards or so apart and leapfrog along making sure we had the bowl covered wherever they chose to cross. It was a great plan that I think could have been executed if the deer had bothered to show up. Fortunately for them they never did. Instead, we saw a coyote and a big old angus bull. Neither of which were shooters. We did spot three elk at the top of the ridge about two miles away, but by the time we did they weren’t reachable in daylight.

Lessons Learned: N/A

Questions: N/A

 

[TexasIcon]

Thanks for sharing. Good luck up there. I'm headed up for my first MT hunt in a few weeks. Can't wait.

 

[Netherman]

Day 5

With the elk still silent, but some promising areas to check when we come back with rifles, we decided to change gears and deer scout and hunt closer to the air B&B that we’d be staying in for the gun opener. It will be in a new area to us, so getting a feel for the area and roads was high on our list ahead of coming with modern weaponry. It was about a two hour drive to this new area so we got an early early start, packed camp, and started the long drive to our first hunting/scouting location. The first spot was a bust, so we continued on to a chunk of state that looked like rolling hills of sage butted against a creek. We spotted a few mule deer doe (were expecting to see whitetail with the creek bottom so close). As we were getting ready to leave a hard rain started and pushed a nice 4x4 buck out of his hidey hole. As he trotted for the cover of the few trees in the creek bottom, we got a good look at him. Unfortunately, he picked a tree that was on private which kept us from ever making a move on him. Continuing on, we glassed into a few more areas spotted some more deer and small bucks of both species but nothing worth making a move on. One other 4x4 but he looked to be a 2.5 year old without much mass.

Midday we decided to check into the local motel for the final two nights. After we got settled in the room and truck repacked, we headed out for the evening with plans on checking more areas and potentially making a stalk if we spotted something promising. This time we ran thru some areas with lower deer densities and all the water/promising looking habitat being locked up on private. Scratching that area off our list we decided to walk into the area we had spotted the small 4x4 earlier in the morning. The area was some timbered hills that opened up into sage and continued to fall into a creek bottom. Our hope was that the deer would feed out of the timber and work their way into the bottom. Along the way there were some deep cuts that would allow us to make an obstructed move if we saw something. Our plan kind of worked as we did see a few deer move thru but nothing of note. Also, we spotted a lot of deer down in the bottom that must have bedded there all day. On our way back we decided to stop in the local bar and get some real food. I had a giant bacon cheeseburger, and it was disgustingly delicious.

Lessons Learned: N/A

Questions: N/A

 

[Netherman]

Day 6

Feeling bad for switching to deer hunting and with a cold front forecast for the morning we decided that we needed to give the elk one more try with the bows. Our plan was to go back to the area we had been glassing, work partially up the main drainage, and glass around for the elk that had been using the area previously. As the sun started to cover the ground, we decided that the elk were no longer walking in at the point we had seen them previously. With nothing to lose we hiked up to the edge of the timber and began working our way over to the next cut. Once we got there, we started seeing deer not elk. Does and fawns at first then further down the cut we spotted some small bucks. We decided to get a closer look at then, so we scooted out of sight, got into the timber running the outer ridge of the cut and crept closer. At around 500 yards cross-cut we spotted a few forkys and 3x3 but nothing that interesting. As we continued to watch them, they all suddenly stopped and began looking further down the cut. Out stepped a wide framed buck who was given space by every other deer in the area. Man. It would have been really nice if we had brought the 15s or spotting scope. We had elk on our minds and wanted to be as fast and light as possible. We moved closer and at 300 yards were pretty sure it was a 4x4 it just didn’t have deep forks which made it tough to tell. Glass or no glass though we knew this was a buck we needed to go after. A light side dark side rock toss later had me watching as my friend crept down the cut and worked his way towards the ditch we had identified as the best route to their current location. Watching the group of deer, the big buck started getting nervous and eventually moved off into the timber. A few minutes later I realized why as a doe went streaking across my view. It turns out my friend had bumped her moving thru the bottom thinking that all the deer were up above him. Bummer.

After that excitement we decided to head back to the truck eat lunch and continue our scouting mission. We marked and scratched off a few more areas and ended up in another creekbottom for the evening. We had spotted another smallish 4x4 mule deer but with little light left we decided to try and work in on them and see if he got any bigger. We crossed the creek, which was really easy with the drought that has been going on in the west. Worked our way to the creek bank and started looking around for some cover to get us closer. A deer blew at us and tore off into the field the rest of the deer were in and pushed them all to the edge of the field under a tree just below a ridge. Shit, we really need to get better at not bumping intermediary deer. Fortunately, the commotion had moved the deer from the middle of a field to a very stalkable position. We just needed to follow down the creek, get up on the ridge, and keep ourselves from yelling “death from above” as we peek over the ridge down on them 30-40 yards away. Perfect. Or so it seemed. As we got most of the way thru the creek a dog went blasting thru the field and blew all the deer out from under the tree. It looked like a sheep dog but we didn’t see any sheep around. Just one angus bull.

With that opportunity gone we decided to watch the far side of the field and see if anything interesting popped out. we ended up spotting a basket rack whitetail 8. We were both unsuccessful in talking the other guy into going after it. Disappointed we couldn’t get anything going we hiked out. to add insult to injury we got back to the truck with a flat tire. We got the spare on and hit the road, our plans for a morning hunt prior to heading home crushed as we needed to get the tire fixed before making the long drive home.

Lessons Learned: Be extra careful to look for satellite deer when moving in on a stalk. Carry a spare spare tire so you aren’t so nervous once you replace one. We’ll also be looking at updating our recovery gear and packing strategy.

Questions: N/A

 

[Netherman]

Trip and Gear Report

Trip Thoughts: You get to look at a lot more animals with a bow than a gun. We were within 150 yards of shooter elk, deer, and a sweet color phase bear (will probably get a tag next time). Can’t say I never wished for a rifle, but I do enjoy the interacting with the animals in a way that you typically don’t with a gun. The saying “the bow hunt begins where the rifle hunt ends” was quite appropriate for this trip. Other than that, I think I’ve really got my gear dialed for my style of hunting. The only things I think I might cut would be my multi-tool (never used it) and anker power pack (might just throw in some AAAs for the headlamp). I’d also try and go later in the season for hopefully cooler weather and more calling action. I think we were 1-2 weeks early and the heat put even more of a damper on things.

Noteworthy Gear: The Montana bow sling was far and away the star of the show this year. My friend didn’t have one and was constantly jealous of how comfortably I could hike and glass. I don’t feel it was a hinderance if needed quickly either. I set mine up with the hook up front and quick release in back. I could release it, unhook it, and be ready to shoot in less than 30s. There were some cases where I would keep the bow in my hand, but as the trip progressed, I was doing that less and less as I could use my binos so much quicker and efficiently with two hands. My friend will be buying one and if something happened to mine, I’d be replacing it asap. The worst thing I can say about the montana bow sling is that I never used the disconnect SR buckles and could see how they might clank against something unintentionally. I see where it could be useful to get them out of the way or allow you to create a sling if you drop your pack, I was just never in either of those situations. Not much of a knock…

Binos are another area of note. We used my friends 15s a lot when glassing and they were awesome once we had covered the 10s maximum range. In the past I would have been trying to break my brain glassing thru a spotting scope rather than using it just for confirmation of what I had found. Using the 15s really took away the strain when looking with 10s or only one eye thru the spotter. Unsurprisingly, I got some zeiss victory SF 10x42s last year and they are amazing to look thru. The only downside is that now I feel the need to replace my spotting scope with something better. Early morning at about a half mile I could see deer with better clarity in my 10s than I could with my Vanguard 65 spotting scope. Once the sun comes up it is serviceable, but the early morning first light stuff isn’t ideal. Even my friends 15x56 vortex vultures left a lot to be desired in terms of light gathering and clarity when compared against the zeiss 10s.

Disappointing Gear: As mentioned above I’m becoming an optic snob. I’ve really lost a lot of appreciation for my spotting scope, particularly in low light. I also thought that my friends 15x56 vultures weren’t very usable in early light. Other than those two things I thought everything else worked well.

Gear to Buy/Consider: After loving glassing with 15s and being disappointed in my spotter I’m now in the optics market. Still trying to decide where to end up quality-wise. Do I really need Swaro/Kowa/Zeiss level or would I be ok with vortex/maven/meopta. Additionally, I’m trying to decide on straight vs angled and 65 vs 85. I currently have an angled 65 but am leaning towards the straight 65 for speed of change over from tripod mounted binos, packability, and the 65 to stay lighter as I will be packing it more than using it from the truck. Next question would be whether to get the 15s or spotting scope first? Both are probably a year plus out but am thinking it probably makes sense to get the bookends (10s and spotter) first and then fill in the gap (15s).

Also, need to look at our truck tools/offroad recovery gear. Currently have a decent tool set (socket set, screwdrivers, pliers, fuses, zipties, duct tape), a 4-way, jumper cables, tire chains, tow strap, round point shovel. Thinking about adding an extra spare tire, hi-lift jack (fancy one that can be used as a come-along), snow shovel, 12v tire inflator, any other things to consider?

 

[beejwest]

Great write up-thanks. Liked your input on lessons learned. I also carried a multi tool two years in a row and didn't use it. Ditching it to save the ounces. Same with my bow repair "kit". Those two items are right at a pound weight that can stay in the truck if needed. I'll trade the potential need for a 2-3 mile hike to the truck to get em.

 

[Netherman]

Here's part two with boom sticks.

Day 0

We both ducked out of work early and started the drive around 5pm. Driving thru the night we arrived at the B&B with enough time to get a local deer scout in. With temps in the mid 60’s we didn’t see many deer. We did see a lot more hunting pressure than we had seen before hunting other areas of MT. On the plus side we were planning to target elk on the opener in the mountains we knew and were about 2hrs away from. Back at the B&B we had a team meal and quickly hit the sack to get ready for our 3am wake up.

Lessons Learned: Long drives suck, but are worth the extra scouting time and being able to hunt first light of the opener.

Questions: N/A

 

[Netherman]

Day 1

3am came wayyyy to quickly. After a long drive and a mile hike we were sitting near a burn we had seen elk in the past, waiting on legal light. As the sun crept over the hills, we began to get disappointed as we were seeing more orange than brown and tan. Three pairs of hunters glassing up at us and one pair of hunters on horses moving along the trail we had walked in on. At least we were first in line… As the morning progressed, we moved along the ridge peering down into the series of burns that scarred the hillside.

Around 11 with higher temps and the sun really hammering us we stopped to eat some snacks. Thinking the elk wouldn’t want to be stuck out in this heat we decided to do a thick timber walk and hopefully stumble into them. We got the wind in our face and started hiking the series of elk trail carved into the steep hillside. Eventually we came across some “fresher” tracks. Arguing about whether to drop lower or try and maintain our elevation we stopped for a drink. Water bottle in hand, I spotted something streaking thru the trees about 80yds away. It was two cows and a calf. We tried to get ready for a shot, but it never came.

We quickly agreed to continue heading the direction they had come from (below and into the wind). We hadn’t taken two steps and my friend tells me he sees an elk on the same trail. It was a spike, and my friend had the first right of refusal since I had the first elk shot last time. Having eaten a lot of elk tags over the years he wasn’t holding out. at 50yds the elk was broadside and he let the 300 RUM eat. It looked like a good shot, but it trotted a few yards forward and remained standing. Not wanting to take a chance he shot two more times one thru the lungs and the third in the neck as it stepped behind a tree after shot number 2. On number three the elk did a front flip and never got up.

As is often said, “now the work begins”. We got it quartered and hung in game bags. It was quite a task to get it processed on the steep hillside. We ended up tying it off to a tree and trying somewhat successfully to keep it level on the closest elk trail. My friend’s brother and cousin were hunting in the area, so we enlisted their help getting the elk off the mountain. Being pretty far from the truck we decided to have them drive to a closer trailhead (2 miles away) and we’d meet them with the first load of meat.

Thinking maintaining our elevation would be best we started the sidehill death march. After about a mile we met them, swapped packs, and headed back for the rest of the meat. With the area very steep and thick we didn’t try and get the meat hung too far from the carcass. That could have been a big mistake. When we arrived at the kill site, we bumped a black bear off the gut pile. Thankful it wasn’t brown we loaded up the packs and got the hell out of dodge.

The second pack out was even worse. Our feet trying their hardest to push blisters thru callous on the steep side hill, we trudged on as darkness began to fall. Thankfully we got off the steep sidehill and onto the home stretch with minimal headlamp time. Back at the truck we still had a looong drive back to the B&B.

Lessons Learned: In high hunting pressure areas and unseasonably warm temps, go where the elk feel safe and cool. In the thick we couldn’t see 20yds in some places and the longest we could see/shoot was easily inside 100yds. Move the meat away from the kill site even if visibility doesn’t improve. We had left the meat in the kill area as it was relatively open in that area, but the bear seemed to have keyed in on the gut pile and hopefully would have been there rather than on the meat. I’d add a mile of pack out before doing 2 miles of steep sidehill. Blisters never made it to the outside of my feet, but I could feel them trying.

Questions: N/A

 

[Netherman]

Day 2

Our lives being pain from the previous day we decided to take it easy and do a local(ish) deer hunt. With the drought conditions across the west and our minimal scouting during archery season, we figured we needed to key in on locations with water. The morning had us overlooking a large oxbow in one of the many “dry creeks” that was in fact not dry. As we typically see with mule deer, just as we start to think there aren’t any deer around, they start popping up left and right. A new problem for us, how to get to the bucks on the far side of the creek without blowing all the other deer along the way.

With the sun rising both the sky and the temperature we decided to drop into a crack that would get us into the very low creek and hopefully across undetected. In the middle of the bottom we came across two doe in our way. Suddenly, a young 4x4 buck popped out in front of us. Having the first right of refusal and being the second day of a six day hunt I opted to pass. He eventually got nervous and trotted off, with a bigger 3x3 in tow. The 3x3 was a shooter in my book for this area so I tried to creep up for a shot, I had a close call around 200yds with a willow in the way and then another at 400 that was just too far. From there we went on a big walk in the sage hills getting a feel for the area and possibly jumping one up.

As the heat fully set in around noon, we hiked the two miles back to the truck (so much for the easy day) and headed back to the B&B for lunch. Back at base we were met by the dad and friend who hadn’t seen any deer that morning. I think they were doing a lot of driving and not a lot of looking. Having found a good spot we offered to split up and hunt with them there that evening. Unfortunately, when we got there someone else was already in the best glassing spot. Already being late in the day, and not wanting to mess up their hunt we decided to head further down the creek and see what we could turn up. Without much in the way of elevation we opted to split into two groups and still hunt both sides of the creek bottom.

My buddy went with his dad and I got the friend. Still being hot the deer weren’t yet on their feet, so we crept along glassing into likely bedding spots. After a mile or so we spotted a doe bedded against the steep bank of the creek. Hoping to see more nearby we started picking apart the surrounding area. In the background I noticed my friend and dad setting up for a shot. Hoping they might spook some deer our way after the shot we bumped the doe away from them and moved into a hopeful mooching position. after a literal 15min later a shot was fired. We watched a few doe bounce out of the area along with a small fork buck. With darkness approaching and not wanting to extend our walk we decided to head over and see if they connected.

They had and it was a nice 4x4 that had died on the edge of the creek. We got the deer onto land and my friend and I began the caping and quartering job. Spotting scopes and tripods in the old guy’s packs and half a deer each in ours we began the 2 mile hike back to the trucks. Back at the trucks there was a cooler full of beer as a reward. (those old guys must be doing something right).

Lessons Learned: I’ve learned this one a few times, but “always be ready”. I should have been watching for the second buck and not dismissing the group with the small 4x4 as soon as I saw it. I’ve had bigger bucks step out before and I should have been ready for it. I don’t love my spotting scope (Vanguard 15-45 x 65). At first light when we were seeing deer, I could see them and tell they were bucks with my 10s but once I got the spotter out, I couldn’t get a clear picture on any power (15-45).

Questions: For those of you with quality spotting scopes do you see better with 10s at first light than with your spotters? Would I benefit more from a quality scope or larger objective. Obviously, both would be ideal. I’m kicking around the idea of buying a STX65 but this experience has me wondering about an 80. I’d say I’m leaning towards becoming a bit more of a trophy deer hunter and the first light clarity has me interested. That said I try hard to keep my pack as light as possible because I spend more time walking than glassing.

 

[Netherman]

Day 3

Tag a Day. Looking at our number of days to hunt we needed to average one animal a day to fill our four tags and help the elders fill their buck tags. The old guys wanted to head back to the “well with water” so we found a similar spot along the same creek further south that required a mile walk just to start glassing. Hopefully we wouldn’t run into anyone else back there. At first light we were glassing into the bottom and after the first 15 min of fake first light we started seeing deer. Less than in the previous spot, but they were around… Our first spot was two deer down against the creek feeding on some nice-looking grass. One looked bucky to me but we couldn’t tell with the spotting scope. Without confirmation I was hesitant to make the mileish walk and risk bumping other deer that we hadn’t seen yet. As daylight grew, we continued to check back on the bucky deer and eventually it turned into a small 4x4. With the “tag a day” mantra in my head we started their way. just as we were getting there the buck hopped over the lip of the creek and into unknown territory. Not sure where the other deer was, we crept in and peered over the edge where they were feeding. Only a small doe remained. Now I had a problem, with the doe on my upwind side from the buck I either needed to swing way around both or risk bumping the doe. With the buck on his feet and not sure if he’d be feeding on the other side, I opted to let my wind hit the doe. Maybe I was elevated enough and the wind strong enough to blow over her head. Neither of those things were true and rather than bumping the doe away from me and the buck it spooked and ran at me then over the top and towards the buck. This spooked the buck who hopped out of the bottom and was on the opposite lip.

Too far for a shot we waited until he walked behind a cottonwood and the chase was on. We jogged up to the bank and peeked over the lip, but the buck was no where to be seen. Not sure what to do now we stopped and while formulating a plan the buck appeared in the sage. I quickly ranged him. 230. Perfect. I got set on the bipod for a sitting shot over the sage, got steady and let one fly. Back in the scope the deer was off running and didn’t look hurt. My friend said that he had watched dust fly below his feet. In hindsight I remember thinking that the deer looked awfully far for 230. I think what happened is that my rangefinder had hit some sage much closer than the deer had actually been. Bummer.

We went and looked for blood or some other sign that the deer had been hit and after an hour or so we headed back to the truck to wait out the heat with some food and e-scout a new area. We ended up checking out a few new areas looking for water but found neither water nor deer. On the plus side the elders got it done on a 3x3 that morning. With the tag-a-day in our heads we decided to make a long drive to an area we know well and were confident in shooting a buck.

Lessons Learned: In sage take multiple range readings especially if the distance doesn’t align with your perspective.

Questions: N/A

 

[Netherman]

not getting much done at work today...

Day 4

After the early wake up and long drive we were on top of a ridge in the dark waiting for a bit more light before hopping from cut-to-cut glassing as we went. Just as it was getting light enough, we spotted a group of deer further west. Still to dark to identify whether they were bucks or not we crept closer waiting for more light. On our way we spotted more deer down in a valley below us. In the group were 10+ doe and two decent bucks. With less than three days lest to hunt and two deer and an elk tag on the docket I decided to shoot the bigger of the two. Moving closer to get setup we quickly realized that the steepness of the valley would prevent us from getting much closer than 300yds. I still felt confident at this range, especially with a bipod and pack to use as a rear rest. After the shot the herd of deer sprinted up the head of the valley leaving one buck behind. There was a strong crosswind and the bullet had landed a bit far back. Right on the diaphragm line. I hurriedly fired two more shots trying to end it. Both of which went wide by a good margin. After recomposing myself I made a good double lung shot buy accounting for more wind than my first.

All’s well that ends well, but I can’t help being disappointed in myself for getting flustered and sending two shots without proper focus. On the way down to the deer I slipped on the wet slope and threw my rifle scope first at a rock. Nice work, gonna have to check that zero… Down at the deer we snapped a few pictures, and I sent my friend off in search of a second deer. If he got one today, I’d still only have two days to fill my elk tag. If past experiences are any indication that would be a tall order. I got the deer quartered and packed out all in one load. Luckily it was under a mile and almost exclusively downhill. Then I drive over to the pre-arranged pickup point slammed some water, called the wife, and waited for a call for help. That call for help never came, just a “on my way” message that the deer had laid down for the day.

While waiting for my friend a FWP officer stopped by. He checked my tags, deer, and cooler of meat. Then we talked hunting for a bit with neither of us wanting to share information on where one might find elk, but freely discussion deer movements in the area. I’m sure he has way better intel than I do, but “they are where you find them”… He was a really nice guy and was jealous when I told him I’d be heading to CO in a few days. Once my friend showed up, he asked what he’d seen and took off after hearing about the pile of doe.

Midday we ran into town to get gas and swing thru a few whitetail spots we had hunted in the past to see what the pressure looked like. Not loving the WT world, we decided to head back to a spot we had seen elk during the archery season. Hoping for a shot at either elk or deer. Half the place was loaded with sheep so at lest our options were narrowed. We decided to split up with my friend walking up some cuts we had seen deer in the past and me heading to a glassing point and looking for elk and deer.

At the glassing spot I found a doe that looked to have been shot in the neck and left. (wish I had that FWP officer’s number). It messed up my glassing spot as well as being an asshole move. I didn’t like that it was blowing at me when I had limited visibility downwind. This area doesn’t have a large grizzly population, but they are around. With an hour or so left of shooting light I glassed up a group of deer about a half mile away. Once again a few of them looked bucky, but the spotting scope was again a letdown.

The friend made it to the glassing point. He had seen a group of deer with a few forks that he couldn’t talk himself into shooting. With nothing else visible and impending darkness we decided to go after the bucky deer and see what they were. After we got closer, we spotted a bedded doe in the same area, but remembered seeing more than one deer. Still hoping I stayed high while my friend dropped down to see get closer. If I spotted something, I would wait for him to look back and try and wave him into it. Right at last light I spotted three bucks moving out of the timber. I started to plan how I would signal him in when I noticed him getting the gun set. (Whelp guess that didn’t matter). Minutes go by and he picks up the gun and moves to a new setup spot. Suddenly the deer spook and he starts walking back.

He said there was a really nice buck in the group, but he couldn’t get a good shot without other deer, skyline, or darkness being an issue. Bummer, but with a buck in the truck we were still on the tag-a-day schedule. Now just a long drive remained between us and a warm bed. Back at the B&B we realized my friend had left his bipod either on the ground or back of the truck after talking to the FWP officer.

Lessons Learned: When you have a long shot in windy conditions make sure to assess the impact on your bullet. I’ve taken the time to shoot in windy conditions and have printed a drop/drift chart on the side of my rifle. I just assumed holding on the front of his shoulder would get me where I needed to be. Additionally, if you hit a deer but not quickly fatally take a breath and take your best shot. I hurried two shots and if it had been my 300RUM I would have been out of bullets and needing to reload.

Questions: Has anyone successfully gotten actionable intel out of a FWP officer? Any tips / tricks? I’m sure they’ve got tons of valuable intel as they get to go around interrogating other hunters for sightings and spots.

 

[Netherman]

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[Netherman]

Day 5

Another day another deer. Hopefully we can keep the streak going. We decided to head back to the “well with water” as we knew there were shootable deer in there. With high winds predicted for the afternoon we planned to make this a ½ to ¾ day hunt and spend the rest of the day boning meat and prepping for the ride home (or in my case to CO).

Feeling the added pressure, it was a big let down when after the first hour of light we hadn’t seen a single deer. Had we pressured the area too much? Was the impending wind keeping them bedded? Without seeing deer, we decided to walk out into the bottom and then up in the hills and see if we could stumble upon a buck. Moving thru the bottom we spotted a lone doe bedded in the sage on a leeward hillside. Figuring there was likely more than one we made a loop around to get a better look.

Along the way we bumped into a group of deer with a 3x3 and small fork fighting. Normally neither of these deer would garner much interest, but on day 5 of a 6 day hunt they got a 20-50 bump. Actually, more with a range inside 250. Without a bipod (my bipod and his aren’t interchangeable) he got set resting the rifle on a berm/dirt hill just in front of us. Suddenly a doe came running in from a cut below and made the group nervous. Crack. The shot went way low, and the deer blew out of there without a second chance. Talking to the friend he had to hand hold the rifle to be above the sage and rushed a bit when the doe got them on edge.

Without any other prospects down by the creek we decided to go after the shot at deer. After a mile or so without seeing the deer we looked at our maps and noticed some AG on private bordering the public we were on. Heading over towards there to see if there were deer hanging around the food, we spotted the same group of deer feeding on the private. We got as close as we could crawling thru the sage and ended up 300 yds from the private. The waiting and hoping game is miserable. Particularly when you’re in the middle of nowhere and there’s an imaginary line between you and your target. Not wanting to shoot on the wrong side of the line we measured repeatedly and decided that the deer needed to cross out of the ag and be within 250 before shooting. After what felt like three hours and multiple close calls the deer finally stepped across our red line. No mistakes were made, and he shot it right thru the heart. It ran downhill about 50yds luckily deeper into the public (it would have been a mess and nearly impossible to get a hold of the land owner).

We got our pictures and quartered out for the packout. On our way out the wind really picked up and likely reached the predicted 40-50mph gusts. Back at the B&B we started cutting and packing meat to put in the B&Bs chest freezer. It took a few hours, but we got done with enough time for an early bedtime. We needed it as the elk spot was hours away and would require an early wake up.

Lessons Learned: N/A

Questions: N/A

 

[Netherman]

Day 6

Long drive to the elk spot with the same plan as opening day. Not much sign in the burns so we quickly got high and glassed around. Down on the private we spotted a group of ~30 elk that looked to be headed to the timbered public to bed. Jackpot. They just needed to make it thru a band of pine, and we’d start beating feet down to intercept them. Out of nowhere we start hearing barking and watch as three sheep dogs begin “guarding” the tree line and turn the elk around. We didn’t see any sheep in the valley or general area which had us wondering if these might be elk dogs. It’s tough not to think it’s too much of a coincidence after the accumulated things we’ve seen in this are over the years. (round bale on the NF at the private border, SxS “checking fences” when the elk move towards public, ect).

Bummed we get back to glassing and spot a few deer but no more elk. Without much time left we decide to go on a final timber sneak and see if we can repeat the first morning’s success. Moving thru the timber we’re disappointed that we never hiked thru here in archery season. Lots of September sign and the close proximity wouldn’t be an issue with archery equipment. We made our way along some fresher trails and ended up on a rocky bench that overlooked the bottom we had seen the elk earlier. Elk dogs were still at it. Glad we hadn’t tried to make a move down there… around 11:30 we started talking about making it another mile thru the timber then heading back to the truck. I still needed to repack the truck and split up some stuff to send back with the friend.

Abruptly, I spotted a calf running away from us. Being slightly ahead of my friend I quickly whistle a cow call to get him to stop walking and start looking. There were somewhere around 7 elk all in front of us. I quickly scanned for a bull without success. Looking at the cluster of elk there was one off by itself and broadside with an open backdrop. Its head was behind a tree, but with a good back drop, only 4 legs below it, and an “any elk tag” it was the one for me. Using my friends’ rifle without a bipod (still hadn’t reconfirmed my zero) I fired off hand at 70yds. The hillside exploded as the elk ran away. All but one cow. Wanting to make sure I didn’t shoot two I started glassing the cow looking for a bullet hole. I saw something that didn’t look right but wanted to be sure. My friend took my pack as I snuck closer for a better look. As I got closer, I thought I could see blood, but it trotted off. Looking sick I assumed it had been shot so I kept on it. Now on it’s trial I saw drops of blood. Good to confirm but bad that it was still on its feet. I got back on it and with it’s back facing me I shot again and dropped it, ran up and put one more thru its lungs to make sure it stayed that way.

With that rodeo out of the way now we had to figure out how to get this cow back to the truck. We didn’t have the brother and cousin on speed dial, so we decided to debone and try and get it all out in one go. Even on the steep slope we flew thru the cutting process. I think largely due to the daily practice we had been having. We got the pack strapped up and on our backs. The hike was mostly downhill and around 2 miles. It. Sucked. We eventually made it with shaking knees and aching backs we started our long ride back to the B&B. Sore but excited that 100% of our MT tags were filled. Now to reload and head to CO to meet my dad and brother for their hunt.


Lessons Learned: Get a better rest whenever possible. The autopsy showed it to have been a liver shot and it would have died, but shorter track jobs and quicker kills are always the goal. I didn’t like taking the facing away shot, but with one bullet already in it I didn’t want to wait. Next time we’ll be making sure we have interchangeable bipods as well as practicing finding better field rests.

Questions: Have you seen or heard of such as thing as elk dogs? I’ve seen private land owners / outfitters go to a lot of trouble to keep the elk on their land, but this seems almost a bridge too far.

 

[Netherman]

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