Labor Day Combo Hunt

[HellsCanyon]

Brock, Trevor, Justin, hope you guys don't mind me piggy backin onto your thread...
[video=youtube;zOyOlEupwxY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOyOlEupwxY[/video]

Mike

 

[littlebuf]

No problem. That's a heck of a red beard you got going there. I didn't know you didn't have a soul

 

[HellsCanyon]

No problem. That's a heck of a red beard you got going there. I didn't know you didn't have a soul

I deserve my own category for the beard contest... you guys are just at a disadvantaged genetically! Haha

Mike

 

[Ryan Avery]

Red beard!!!

 

[HellsCanyon]

Red beard!!!

You forgot the 'in da house!' Part...

 

[Justin Crossley]

Our story

Our trip started with us showing up at the trailhead Thursday night at 10:30 p.m. to very heavy rain. Due to the nasty weather we decided to nap in the truck until 3:00 a.m. when we grabbed our packs and hit the trail for our adventure.

The rain stuck with us for most of the hike but the sun finally came out and started to dry us out. We hiked until daylight and started glassing as we headed to camp.

We arrived at camp just after 7:00 a.m. and set up our tents and tarps. After setting up and throwing on some dry clothes, it was time to start looking for some animals. With our spotters setup and our butts parked in comfortable spots we went to work. After just a few minutes we had a couple deer spotted. Turned out to be a smaller 3x3 and a spike. Tough to get a good picture in the early light.

We watched them for a few minutes while looking for some more bucks. We were of course looking for a special buck. After glassing for awhile, littlebuf says "I've got a good buck". Sure enough, it was the buck we were looking for. He was feeding right were we had hoped to see him. After watching this buck for seven years now as a 4x4 he still amazes me. He is just an absolute stud deer. We all sat and watched him feed while dreaming of the chance we hoped to get on Sunday.

We watched him until he bedded for the day and then decided to hike to another basin and see if we could find a bear to shoot. Or maybe another good buck. We hiked for a couple miles and set up to glass. We couldn't find anything in the head of the basin so we started glassing down the ridges and lower in the basin. Finally we start picking out some deer. First a few does and a couple smaller bucks then littlebuf finds this unique buck feeding up a shoot until he beds for the day. He had really big front forks and super short G2's.

Well, we couldn't find any bears so we decided to hike back to camp and keep tabs on Mac-D. It didn't take long to find him feeding in his favorite meadow. We put him to bed, ate our Mt. house dinners and went to bed happy. The next morning we of course started off by checking up on Mac-D while we drank our coffee and ate breakfast. After he fed for awhile and bedded down for the day we decided to hike 4.5 miles to yet another spot where we hoped to get a chance at a bear.

After hiking for about an hour and a half we got to the spot we wanted to glass. We spread out along the ridge to get different vantage points and started looking for bears. We glassed for probably a half hour when Brock signaled me and said he had a bear feeding in a small meadow a little over a mile away. The bear was in a spot that would be pretty tough to get to without spooking him so we decided to wait and see if he would feed into a better spot so we could try and get a shot. As the day warmed up he fed into the trees and we couldn't see him for about an hour or so. Finally he popped back out in a lower meadow where could get a shot at him.

We hiked to the closest spot we could get and ranged him at 720 yds. We found a suitable rock and I set my pack on it for a rest while Brock and littlebuf set up to spot the shot. I got comfortable and dialed my scope up. As I was setting up, the bear fed into some trees and we lost sight of him. After about a fifteen minute wait he finally popped back out and gave us the chance we wanted. I steadied my gun checked my breathing and squeezed off the shot. The bear ran to the right into a small group of trees and littlebuf said "I think you missed". We sat there waiting and after just a minute the bear fed right back into the same spot. Once again I got steady and slowly squeezed off the shot. This time littlebuf could see the vapor trail in the spotting scope and said "the bullet went right over his back". The bear ran back into the trees and I adjusted my scope to correct the elevation. At this point I figure the game is over and I just screwed up on a nice bear. Well after a few minutes the bear feeds out of the trees to the right this time and gives me one more shot. I let out my breath and shoot again. This time littlebuf says "you hit him but the shot was back and high". The bear runs across the meadow and into the timber.


We hiked over to where we last saw the bear and found a couple drops of blood. The bear continued to side hill through the timber and we were finding a drop of blood about every ten feet. Not good. After about 200 feet the bleeding had slowed and we were finding drops about 30 feet apart. We ran out of blood 550 feet (using a gps) from where I had shot the bear. We circled until we were certain we had exhausted all possible routes the bear could have taken and had to give up. This is the first animal I have shot and lost and I am very disappointed that we were unable to find him. It was a long hike back to camp that afternoon. We arrived at camp at 7:30 Saturday night just in time to see Mac-D feeding until dark.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Sunday morning we awoke early and started glassing right away. We glassed for an hour or so and couldn't find Mac-D so Brock decided to go check another spot while littlebuf and I hiked to a higher vantage point to see if we could find him. After glassing for a couple more hours Brock came back and we still hadn't seen the buck so we headed back to the basin where we had seen the buck with the big fronts two days before. All we saw was a few does so we headed back toward camp. On our way back I spotted a bear feeding in a meadow about a mile away. We hot footed it down off the mountain and headed for the meadow. Littlebuf stayed back with a spotting scope to guide us while Brock and I went after the bear. This one Brock would try and get with his bow. We hiked around and got above the bear. Brock and I got to the top of the meadow just in time to range the bear at 107 yds. and watch it feed into the trees.

We decided to sit and wait for awhile and after what seemed like forever, Brock says "there he is". We ranged the bear at 80 yds. and Brock said "I want to get to 40 if I can". So while the bear fed Brock slowly closed the distance to 52 yds.

We could hear some hikers talking loudly in the distance and the bear started to sniff around and get nervous. Brock knew that this was his chance so he waited for the bear to turn broadside and let his arrow fly.

Because of the steep slope his bottom bow cam bumped his knee as he released his shot and caused his arrow to hit in the dirt right in front of the bear! The stalk didn't end the way we had hoped but it was Brock's first archery stalk and first attempt at a bear so we had a great time anyway. Littlebuf got to watch the whole thing through the spotting scope while munching on ripe blueberries. After fetching his arrow Brock and I headed back to camp.

That night we sat and ate dinner while hoping Mac-D would show up. About an hour before dark littlebuff says "he's back out!" and ran to get his gear ready. He and Brock climbed the very steep hill that Mac-D was feeding on while I guided them into position for a shot. With the sun going down fast and clouds moving in we all knew that we only had one chance at this. As Brock and littlebuf climbed up the hill a doe fed into a spot that would ruin everything. No stopping now though. As the guys got closer I told them that they were within a 150 yds. and to drop their packs. Littlebuf notched his arrow and they crept to the edge of a rise that would hopefully put them in bow range. As they were closing the distance the doe fed out of the way just in time. Brock poked his head up and right back down again. "I can see him" he told littlebuf. Brock slowly poked back up and ranged the deer, "65 yds. on the dot". Littlebuf draws back and raises for the shot. He shoots the arrow, it looks to be a perfect shot, until it clears the rocky outcropping between them and the wind blows the arrow just past Mac-D on the left. Brock tells littlebuf what happened and they try again. This time the range is 70 yds. Littlebuf corrects for the wind and shoots again. Once again perfect shot until the arrow is almost to the deer and the wind blows it to the left. At this point Mac-D had heard enough and walked to the top of the ridge. He stopped and looked back at the guys with velvet hanging from the bottom of his antlers and then walked over the ridge.

Even though we didn't end up tagging a single animal, this was a trip that I won't forget. We had a great time with great guys and couldn't ask for more.

 

[fillthefreezer]

sorry to hear that boys, sounds like an adventure though

 

[HellsCanyon]

Great story and great hunt! You know you're doing something right when you get shots off on 100% of your archery stalks!!!

Mike

 

[Justin Crossley]

sorry to hear that boys, sounds like an adventure though

The only real bummer was that the first bear got away. I know it was a shot that I should have made though and we did everything we could to find him. It really sucks bad to lose an animal. That one will sting for a long time.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Thanks Mike!

 

[HellsCanyon]

Here's my "After Action Review of my stalk"... memory card filled up right at the end... but basically the story ends with "Let 'er fly! Arrow looks good but misses high right over his back! Of course the buck busts out and turns out the big buck was indeed that buck bedded behind the tree just to the left... Over the hills they went never to be seen again. Hate it when a perfect stalk turns into something that gets rushed right at the end. I went and grabbed my rangefinder and turns out I was 63 yards from the buck and slightly downhill. 60 yard pin would've been perfect... Oh well that's bowhunting and I feel pretty great about the stalk. I just traced my stalk on Google earth and it was right at 3.56 miles long and down about 1200' in elevation and up another 1300' in elevation with 800' of that right at the end climbing up to them. Feels good to be able to close to distance to bow range on a stalk like that even if it didn't work out like I hoped!

[video=youtube;18bsC8iaWBY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18bsC8iaWBY&feature=youtu.be[/video]

Mike

 

[Brock A]

To give people an idea of the shot we had on Mac d. Pic is taken from where littlebuf shot. Mac d was up towards the top. There is 1300' of steep ass hill below us

 

[littlebuf]

ill give my prospective of the stalk. Justin covered the trip pretty dang well.


6:20 I spot the deer from camp. just like Justin said I sprang up saying "he's out!" I think I had my boots back on before Justin even had him in his spotter, I was movin. Brock and I got our gear together and went over the plan real quick with Justin and shot out of camp. we started our stalk just at 6:30pm. roughly a hour and a half of day light left, not a lot of time to get where we needed to get. the stalk was 1400 vertical feet of avalanche shoots. this hill is straight freaking up. I would say the angle averaged around 45-50 degrees with areas of 90 degree spots we would need to scramble up to get to the next "walkable" section of the shoot. all the while running out of daylight quickly. Brock kept me going and with he and I grinding our way up there and Justin in the radio guiding us in two shoots over form mac-D we finally reached even with the deer on that damn slope. and so the second stage of the stalk begins

Justin tells us were just over 100 yards from the deer but theres a doe between us that could blow the whole thing. no matter, its 7:30 now, the sun is just about behind the mountains and this is it, this is our shot. we start our side hill across a pretty wicked (now looking back) rock face on a game trail these deer use to cross it. now were just on the other side of the chute's ridge to where mac-D is. just tells us to drop our pack and knock a arrow. 7:45 when Brock peeks over the ridge, he pops back down telling me "he's in range and the does down and left" I move just below Brock and can see the deer. velvet hanging off his antlers every where, head in the brush raking like mad. Brock ranges him twice, "65 yards" I move up, full draw. my sight picture is a world class mule deer thrashing his antlers fully broad side with the wind right in my face. literally the stuff dreams are made of. I was completely calm, every thing stood still like it does in those moments before the kill. pins on, release is solid, arrow flying strait for a kill shot. 15 yards from the deer the thermals coming down that shoot make my arrow take about a 6 foot left hand hook. the buck whirls and turns left, again broad side looking right at us. Brock calls out the rang "70 yards!" I correct for my best guess at the wind. basically aiming at his ass, let it go for 70 and pass his brisket at about 4 inch's. the deer had enough at that point and headed for the saddle up on top about 100 yards away. before he jumped over he turned at the very top, on the rocks, and gave me and Brock on last look.

as I stood there watching him jump over, I think maybe Brock didn't know what to expect from me for a reaction so it was quite for a minute. a huge grin crossed my face and I looked at Brock and said "do you realize what we just did?" we were ecstatic to have just experienced that.

I know a few things form that stalk. 1- I put a mentally and physically taxing stalk on a world class mule deer that will be one of the dearest hunting memory's Ill ever make. 2- I left it all on the slope. I went up there and took my shot at the king of the mountain, I gave him my best. and he walked. ive no shame in that. most guys will never have a deer like that in there bow site much less take two shots at him. and 3- ill go up any hill any where with Brock. that is a stand up dude right there and a guy id be proud to call my friend. he gets it, he knows what and why we hunt.


oh and if any one could tell me how to practice throwing 6 foot curve balls with my bow im all ears. shot the same arrow today at 65 and it was a bulls eye.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Glad you added that Trevor.

It was amazing how the three of us couldn't get the grins off our faces that night after the stalk. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to hunt the high country knows it's not about coming home with full packs and notched tags but rather great memories and surreal experiences.

 

[Brock A]

Thanks for the kind words littlebuf. And thank you both for inviting me. It was a blast. Can't wait to do it again!

 

[mtbshark]

Awesome story, thanks for sharing!

And yet another positive review for how stand up roksliders are! Very few sites can claim that, in any arena.

 

[7mag.]

Great write up and pics. Sounds like you guys had a blast. They way you guys described your experience, is exactly what I try to convey to the people who question my obsession with hunting the back country. Justin, I don't know if you have ever lost an animal before, but it has happened to me twice. Both times were horrible experiences, that bothered me a lot, but I learned about the shots I take and about myself, then I moved on. I hope you guys get another crack at Mac-D, he's a hell of a buck.

 

[Liljozie495]

Sounds like you guys had a blast! Great story and great trip it looks like! Hope someone gets Mac-d lol

 

[Rizzy]

What a great hunt!
I'm beginning to think Washington is a sleeper state for Deer, you guys have been posting pics of some nice Deer.

Mac-D has the body of a horse and his rack still looks huge. I hope you are able to get him this season, sounds like your ready