A season for Grandpa

[orionthehunter1]

As some members on here know I lost my grandpa this summer shortly after his 90th birthday. He was a salt of the earth kind of guy that fought and survived World War II, he survived open heart surgery, and three bouts of colon cancer. He was a fighter and a great role model and he left a big void in my life. While my grandpa's body was shutting down I would visit him daily and we would always talk hunting. He taught me how to reload, shoot trap, and many other skills I have honed in the outdoors. Ever since I was a little kid I would always get teamed up on family elk hunts with grandpa. He always took time to teach me things, especially patience. As I grew older and ventured more on my own I would always drive over to my grandparents house and tell grandpa my stories and show him my pictures. He would always light up and give me a "good job bud." My grandma and him also enjoyed some of the meat from my harvest to help them get through winter. During one of our conversations before he passed he asked about what tags I had and I told him I had four antelope doe tags in Wyoming, a muzzleloader bear tag, 2nd season bull tag, and 3rd season buck tag for my home state of Colorado. I also had a good friend coming out archery hunting for deer. Upon telling my grandpa about my tags I also told him that I was going to fill all eight of them for him.

 

[orionthehunter1]

Up first was my buddy's archery deer tag. My buddy arrived a few days before the archery opener and we found the bucks I had been watching. There were three exceptional bucks that we found and my buddy decided he would go after the second best buck, mostly due to the fact that the largest buck was in an absolute hell hole and we figured we had a much better chance of killing the second best buck due to his location. We watched the bucks for the next couple days and on opening morning my buddy perfected a perfect 4 hour stalk and killed the buck in his bed from 35 yards.

 

[orionthehunter1]

194 inches loaded in the Kifaru Nomad

 

[orionthehunter1]

After packing out of the high country I was on my way to Wyoming for the September doe season. I didn't draw a buck tag, but decided to grab some tags to get some meat in the freezer and my landowner buddy wanted some does thinned out. I drove up and ended up killing four does in one day up there and just beat that giant September snowstorm that dumped over 20 inches the next day. I also got home for my son's 6th birthday and a couple days before the muzzleloader opener in Colorado.

 

[orionthehunter1]

After unpacking from Wyoming and getting some things caught up at the house the muzzleloader season was upon me. Opening morning I missed because my son had a flag football game and then a birthday party. I did sneak out that evening, but did not see a bear. The next morning I knew that spot I wanted to be at and headed there. It is a secluded canyon full of chokecherries, oak brush, and a spring fed pond that always has water in it. Seeing that it was supposed to be fairly hot I decided to sit all day knowing that eventually a bear would show. I got in there a little after sunrise and got settled in. As the hours passed I knew I just had to stay patient and something would show. At about three o' clock I noticed a deafening silence in the woods and my sixth sense kicked in. I slowly sat up from my laying position and low and behold about twenty yards below me on the pond bank was a good sized bear. He was walking from my left to right and was working his way up the pond bank. I slowly settled my muzzleloader on my shooting sticks settled the sights on his front shoulder and squeezed. I heard the bullet hit and saw the bear drop instantly. I got up and begin calling my friend to see if he would mind coming to help when the bear started trying to gain his feet. I dropped the phone and thought WTF to myself as I reloaded and shot him again. This time he cartwheeled into the pond stone dead. I called my buddy back and he said he could be there in about an hour. I told him great I might have him out of the pond by then. I about gave myself a hernia but I got him out and had him about half processed when my buddy showed up and helped pack him out.

 

[orionthehunter1]

Another load for the Nomad

 

[orionthehunter1]

Six tags down, two to go. I had a little time to rest, cut some meat, and think about all the things that have occurred so far before elk season.

 

[orionthehunter1]

Elk season came and I gave it a great effort. I hunted all day everyday from above timberline to the scrub oaks. I saw deer, turkeys, and multiple cows, but never laid eyes on a legal bull. It was frustrating and heartbreaking to me to not fill that tag, but it is hunting and sometimes it just doesn't happen. I knew deep down that I didn't disappoint my grandpa, but I had an aching feeling inside me that somehow I had. I figured the only way to alleviate that feeling was to make sure and kill a good buck during the 3rd rifle season.

 

[bbrown]

Great write up and congrats on the season so far - looking forward to reading about the rest!

 

[orionthehunter1]

As third season approached I had a game plan and headed there in the pre dawn hours of opening morning of the 3rd season. I arrived at my first glassing spot before first light and as the sun rose I began to glass. I had not seen anything so I decided to drop down and climb another ridge where I could glass a huge west facing slope. As I was walking the ridgeline I found a nice spot to sit and glass and begin to dissect the opposite hillside. As the hours passed and still not having seen anything I checked my watch it was 8:30. I told myself to glass for another half hour and if I hadn't spotted anything I would back out. Shortly after that I was scanning that opposite hillside and I spotted a lone buck. He was a shooter, so I settled in to see what he was going to do. I quickly ranged it and it was a little over 600 yards, not being a long range guy I knew I would need to cut that distance in half.

 

[orionthehunter1]

As I watched the buck he slowly made his way into some mixed cedars and pines and proceeded to bed down. I checked my watch and it was about 9:30. I figured he might be down for the day, but decided to sit tight to see what he was going to do. As I cranked up the spotter on him I noticed his chin was on the ground and his eyes were closed. I figured this was the time and decided to make my move. I gathered my gear, took in some landmarks and slowly started creeping to the bottom of the drainage. As I slowly crept towards the bottom I would stop and glass occasionally, the buck had not moved.

 

[orionthehunter1]

As I made the bottom I slowly crept up a dry creek bed and began making my way up the side the buck was on. He was bedded below a huge dead snag that stuck out like a sore thumb. It took me over an hour, but I was now 190 yards below the buck. My only problem was now the angle had changed and I could no longer see him from where I was at. As I sat there contemplating what to do next I was having a pretty heated argument with myself. Should I wait for him to stand and move? If I do that will I even be able to see him or get a shot? Should I throw a rock down below to get him to stand? Over and over I was trying to decide what to do. Over an hour passed before I had last seen him and I was at a loss. I could sit here all day and never see him again. That is when I decided what I would do.

 

[Retterath]

Great story and pics. Sounds like u have some great memories with your grandpa that will last a life time. Sorry to hear about his passing

 

[orionthehunter1]

While making some mental notes on landmarks I had noticed a large rock outcropping at what looked like a 150 yards to the left of the buck. I decided I would drop down make sure the wind was still good and make my way to that rock outcropping. I figured I would have a shot from there if the buck was still there. I gathered myself, and my gear and started creeping back down to the dry creek bed. I crossed the creek bed and slowly started picking my way through the oak brush. I was going slow and steady and was almost to that rock outcropping when I looked up towards where the buck had bedded. To my surprise the buck was standing there looking my way. Had he heard me? was he getting up to move I don't know, all I know is I raised my rifle, settled the crosshairs and fired. I heard the thwack of my bullet smacking home and saw what I thought was the buck dropping. I waited a couple minutes and did not see or hear anything moving from his direction. I ranged the shot and it was 189 yards. I marked the spot I shot from and slowly worked my way to where the buck was. On my over my foot got caught in some rocks while my body kept going. I felt a sharp pain in my left calf. I thought I had pulled or torn a calf muscle so I carried on and made my way to the buck. He had died instantly.

 

[orionthehunter1]

as he lay

 

[orionthehunter1]

I boned him out loaded him in the Kifaru and started working my way out

 

[orionthehunter1]

As I was working my way out I realized something was seriously wrong with my left leg. My foot wouldn't move right and my calf was killing me. I was about two miles from my truck so I limped on. I called a couple buddies who gave me some crap, but said they would come help. I think deep down they knew that I wouldn't have called unless I really needed it. I met them on the trail about a 1/2 mile from my truck where they took all my gear and I slowly worked my way to the truck. I got home and iced my leg, but by Monday morning it wasn't getting better so I went in to Urgent Care. That is where I received the news that I had torn my Achilles tendon and would need surgery. It was a major blow to me, but I am on the mend and hope to be stronger than ever.

 

[orionthehunter1]

I hope my story doesn't come off as bragging because that was not its intent. I haven't been on here a lot lately and I just wanted to type out my personal journey of a promise I had made to someone who meant the world to me. It was something I set out to do for myself to honor my grandpa. It was fun, hard, emotional, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it and remember to always cherish the moments we share with friends and family because you really don't know how special those times are until those people are no longer with us.

 

[velvetfvr]

Congrats man! I know what it's like to lose a grandparent and almost lose my grandpa to cancer to his 4th battle with it. I almost didn't get to kill my first archery Buck when he got real sick, but I got it and he is still here. They sure do inspire

 

[Jager]

A sterling effort mate, your Grandpa would certainly be proud of you.