Idaho Bucks taken in the High Country

mtnwrunner

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Well, I'll try to keep the stories somewhat short but my brother and I have had a great time in the Idaho high country chasing muley bucks. Opening day found us backpacked into a remote canyon and we immediately started seeing deer. My brother Jeff spotted a feeding buck across the canyon so we watched him for awhile and he bedded down. After about 3 hours or so, he got up, turned around and bedded back down. We headed for a rock pile and set our gear up for a long shot---812 yards. He finally got up and Jeff missed him 3 times and shot right of the buck as the wind was tough to call as it was across canyon. Elevation was perfect.
We both have a couple of deer tags so we were after meat bucks primarily on this trip and we would concentrate later in the season on the big boys. After Jeff had shot, the deer just walked down the draw and then bedded down again in a thick brushy aspen patch. We watched this for a couple of hours and I decided to go for him and see what would happen. So, off I went, down the canyon, across the other side and got to about 70 yards of where he was last seen. I looked back across the canyon and my brother gave me the hand signal that we use----arms out extended----that he was still there somewhere. I got ready, bleated, talked, bleated, wolf howled, etc., trying to get him up. Finally, he blew out of the thicket and I was able to take a running shot and got him with my 6.5 saum. Meat buck down.
Jeff had seen the whole thing so he went back and got both of our camps while I processed the buck. He backpacked out both camps to the bottom of the canyon I was in and then joined me in packing out my buck.

Randy
 

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mtnwrunner

mtnwrunner

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Well, my brother was feeling a little bit down after missing a couple of nice bucks. I decided to head to a canyon that I have always seem bucks, deer and elk and for whatever reason, it just seems to hold game. I didn't take my rifle as I had already connected on a meat buck even though I had another tag so he was going to be the shooter. (DAMN IT)
We hiked in about 2 miles and sat up on a ridge glassing across the canyon looking in the finger draws and brushy patches. We had sat for about 30 minutes when I spotted a buck feeding up a draw and I could tell he was a buck as he was rubbing his horns on a bush. I told Jeff about it and he says, "that's a pretty nice buck" as he looks through his spotter. I have a really nice zoom camera so I zoom in on him and the first thing I think is "shit, I wish I had my rifle." I ranged it at 865 but we were on a really steep hillside and had absolutely no place to shoot from. About 300 yards across a shale slope was a rock pile which would put us about 300 yards closer but we were exposed to the buck. We had no choice as the sun was going down so we went for it. When we got there, I glassed him and he was bedded and ranged him at 610. We set Jeff up, dialed in his dope on his creedmoor and got ready for the shot. 15 degree uphill, no wind----8.0 moa with his rifle and 140 sst's. Now, you would have to know my brother but he still gets excited so he told me to shut up when I kept saying that it was a really nice buck:) He is pretty deadly on rockchucks with his rifle so I told him to relax and just pretend it was a rockchuck. He kept repeating---"it's just a chuck, it's just a chuck.............."
At the time, I couldn't tell if he was standing or bedded but it was a good broadside shot so he went for it. At the shot, he hunched up as he stood up and took a couple of steps forward and stood on a rockpile in the setting sun. I could tell he was hit bad but I've always had the philosophy that if they are still standing, I'm gonna keep shooting. I told Jeff to send another which he did and it anchored the buck. Wow, what did we just do. It was getting dark and we had quite a hike ahead of us. I kept my eye on where he fell while we got our gear ready and he was down for the count so we scooted across the canyon and climbed the other side. We arrived right at dark. I had tears, patted the big ole boy and thanked the lord. Man, what I don't do for my brother but I love the guy.
We caped him, quartered him and took out the cape, fronts, backstraps, misc. meat and got home at midnight. We're headed up shortly to retrieve the rest but it does suck getting old.........Just could not get the entire thing on my back.
On an equipment note-----we both have the new EXO 3500 mountain packs and I can't say enough good about them. Great packs and they haul meat great. So, now, the photos.......... And yeah, I know, I can't get the guy to smile on any of his photos----he was pretty whooped.

Randy
 

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KHNC

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Nice bucks! Yours is pretty nice for a scrubby ol "meat buck"! lol

Congrats on some nice shooting as well!
 

Shrek

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Congratulations on the bucks ! You must really love your brother ! I hear you about getting old. You just don't rebound like you do when you're younger. I remember being able to recover from just about anything with a couple of hours rest . Now it's a couple of days and if I've really pushed myself it will be close to five before I'm good to go. I'm only 46 so I don't even want to think about 60.
 
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mtnwrunner

mtnwrunner

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Wow, that's a great looking buck, especially for a rockchuck! That's funny.

What's with carrying the tent with poles in?

So, he decided that when he went back to break camp, he would just throw all my shit inside the tent and carry it that way down the mountain. He carried it that way for a mile and a half. I never said he was smart.............:rolleyes:

Randy
 
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