Average Joe's 2018

[sn.outdoors]

NSTR so far. (That's, "nothing significant to report" for you non-abbreaviated folk out there.)

Yesterday afternoon, through my spotting scope, I watched 2 bulls getting packed out by successful hunters. So congrats to them. One of them was a stud of a bull. I also had a cow come out to say hey right at last light. No bulls though.

I spent most of today under various fir trees trying to stay as dry as possible. The morning was clear, but pretty windy. I didn't see a single elk, unfortunately.

I ventured down into the canyon today, maybe a bit further than my bum knee would have liked, but I found some promising sign. They've been here before, and I imagine they'll be back again.

The afternoon sit was basically useless, as you see in this pics...

So much for having a good view. Haha. Oh well. Tomorrow is another day. So far the level of misery is almost appropriate.

"Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you." ~Mike Rowe

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Good Night sleep and back at it for the kill tomorrow stick with it Mike!...I still have a mustache lol!Good Luck!

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Last evenings hunt was fun. No deer yet, but it was a wonderful first day.

There wasn’t much action until the last 30 minutes of the hunt. The only thing I had seen was a rabbit playing over near me. Around 6:32 a coyote came in and offered a 30 yard shot. I don’t often shoot coyotes, but he was coming after my little rabbit friend so I shot and missed. Those coyotes are quick!

My arrow found a nice tree though

Final shooting minute was 7:02, so I stood up, took off my arrow, took off my wrist strap, hung it too my limb, turn around and there is a giant buck standing in the soybeans at 25 yards. I just laughed!
A lot of people try to give me crap about the way I do things and this is one. When the hunting day is done then I’m done!

So all in all is was an amazing day.



Now it’s a nice cool morning and I’m going to a stand I’m SUPER excited about. I’ve got a good feeling about today.



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[Lostinthewoods]

Yesterday was another phenomenal sit.
I saw 16 does and this buck

None of the does presented any shots, but it’s crazy seeing this kind of numbers in just one sit!

Then last night I had a doe pull a slip on me because it was so windy and once I saw her she was already about half way through my shooting lane.


Morning stand

Evening stand

I’m having so much fun. It’s only a matter of time!


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[Lostinthewoods]

I figured I’d share my set up while I’m out here too. My buddy was nice enough to put me in his trailer and let me use his “toy” to drive around. He’s lived here for 62 years, so everyone knows him. It’s easier parking in these farms with a familiar vehicle verse an out of state one.

Where I’m packed

Then I’ve been making sure to “support the local economy”. Mom and pops shops are a must on hunts...

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[sn.outdoors]

Yesterday was one of those days you'd rather not have.

The morning started out like this....

It was pretty obvious that glassing wasn't going to be effective. So I burned a bit of boot leather in hopes of sneaking up on something.

Around 10am the weather turned to snow and the clouds got even thicker. But while I was sitting under a fir tree, imagining what the view would look like without clouds, a gap in the fog opened up and there they were.

A large group of elk were feeding in a clearing across the drainage and within range. It was so foggy that I had a hard time figuring out if any of them were bulls. After a few moments I determined that the herd consisted of 13 cows and calves, a spike and a tiny raghorn. I wouldn't say I necessarily passed on them, but in my effort to find a mature bull in the surrounding area, I didn't hurry to get a shot off. And as quickly as the fog cleared, it swept out my view again. They were gone.

(The elk were scattered across the clearings below the light cloud)

I stayed put, hoping the fog would clear, and wishing the elk would still be there when it did. But after an hour of fog, my hope went with it. They weren't it the open.

I caught them cruising over the top of the distant ridge around midday and decided to go after them.

This is when things didn't go quite as planned.

As I was following their tracks across a very steep and slippery, grass covered hillside, I made a wrong step and fell....

I tried my best to fall into the hill, but I just couldn't get it. I tumbled 20-30 yards down the hill before I finally arrested myself with my right ankle in mess of alder bushes.

After all violent motion ceased, I took an inventory of the situation. I was pretty lucky to have caught that bush, but my ankle might not agree. A few more feet and I would have been into another steep clearing, and who knows what would've happened after that. All of my gear seemed to be ok, and I was able to stick my rifle perfectly in the spot I slipped.

I sat and texted Dan and my wife to let them know what happened. I wasn't looking forward to the 1800 foot climb back up to my truck.

I made it back just in time to watch the sun go down.

Not exactly the turn of events I was hoping for.

Coincidentally, I got a call from work saying I needed to come back for something extremely important. Additionally, someone messaged me to buy something I've been trying to sell for a while... I decided it would be best to take the day off, regroup, take care of a bunch of work and personal stuff at home.

I'm almost finished up and will be heading back to the mountains shortly. I'm going to relocate to an area with a few more roads, but it's much thicker. I don't think the elk are too keen on hanging out in the open, and it doesn't help that I can't see very far most of the time anyways.

I'm pretty sure my ankle will hold up ok, but I'll play it safe and try not to push my luck.

"Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you." ~Mike Rowe

 

[Lostinthewoods]

So yesterday morning while walking into my stand I walked up to about 20 yards from a skunk and almost got sprayed. Little did I know, but that was foreshadowing my hunt for the day... I didn’t see a thing!
It was unusual weather from what I had been dealing with; cloudy, humid, not too hot, but not too cold, and low winds in the AM until the winds shifted and started bringing in a cold front.

No biggy though. I had some wonderful sits, pigged out again, and today is going to be killer..... I’ve always wanted a Halloween day buck! Let’s see if it happens!

Mom and pops place’s version of a homemade cinnamon roll... with icing and butter...

Today I am taking my climber and setting up in a creek bottom near where a lot of does are bedding. With the moon going down from being full the 24th, cloud cover last night, temps dropping, and the rut nearing... I have a feeling that some bucks may start cursing these areas soon.

We shall see!


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[sn.outdoors]

After taking care of everything at home and work, I checked the zero on my rifle (it was fine), and made it back to the mountains around 930.

So far today has been a lot of this...

At least it's not raining yet...

"Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you." ~Mike Rowe

 

[sn.outdoors]

I'm really far from the truck...

This'll be fun.

"Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you." ~Mike Rowe

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Ok Gettr' done.

 

[sn.outdoors]

Long night last night, and a long walk back to the truck today. A buddy of mine is coming up to help get the meat out.

I'll do the full write up once I get back to my house. Plus the story isn't finished writing itself yet... Many miles of packing still to come.

"Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you." ~Mike Rowe

 

[sn.outdoors]

Teaser pic.

"Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you." ~Mike Rowe

 

[Lostinthewoods]

So it looks like I’ve been hunting the wrong side of one property because each evening they have been at this other spot.

So I decided I wanted to set up there for yesterday’s hunt. The trouble was the winds were going to go from NW, to WNW, to W, to S all in the last two hours of the hunt when they come in. So I decided to get a little crazy and hunt from the ground. I snuck down the slope of a creek bed because it was sheltered from the wind and my thermals would be pushed into the creek.

I cleared some lanes and was set! Around 5 I heard some movement in the creek.... a doe had walked in and started making her way towards me! I had a nice window that gave me a 20 yard shot, but just like always... she didn’t read the script and walked up the opposite side before she hit my window.

I ended up seeing two bucks and five does the rest of the night, but they were on the opposite side of the creek heading to who knows where. One of the bucks was a GIANT!

So now I’m a tad frustrated with a “first world problem” because I have to leave Kansas to go to New Mexico for my mule deer hunt. Sounds silly I’m sure and I even feel silly saying it. However I’m having such a great time here in Kansas and it’s only going to get better! The only plus side is by the time I get back it should be crazy and a lot more big bucks running around!

Little shot of the pond before I leave for NM


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[sn.outdoors]

Who cares if the sun's not out, still going guns out for the pack out.

#woahbroyoutakingroids?

"Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you." ~Mike Rowe

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Boots on the ground before the rain comes down.

 

[sn.outdoors]

Oh... It's been raining the entire time. Haha

Boots on the ground before the rain comes down.

"Never follow your passion, but always bring it with you." ~Mike Rowe

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Well H3LL nothin like mud wrestling a downed "animal."

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Blown motors are fun


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[realunlucky]

Blown motors are fun


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Damn that'll end a trip. Hopefully it's less dramatic than that

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[Lostinthewoods]

Damn that'll end a trip. Hopefully it's less dramatic than that

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My buddy in Kansas is coming with his truck and trailer.
I’ll go back there and finish out my whitetail hunt. Then I’ll either buy a new vehicle there or rent something to get home and buy a new one!
Never a dull day haha