Shrek's big adventure

[ssliger]

Details and pics, so happy for you!

 

[Jager]

They are all trophies Shrek, good on you.

 

[DEW]

Good job Shrekster way to stay with it. Congrats , can't wait to here the story!!!!

 

[Shrek]

I had a great time with Jonboy and George this morning. We were hunting a small piece of state land and had seen a bunch of nothing. We had reached the back on one side and were working back. I split off and went to look over one ravine while Jonboy and George went to another. We had been seeing what looked like elk droppings but that couldn't be because there are no elk in the area....until today. As I skirted the timber looking down into the ravine I heard elk running behind and to my left down wind of me. I moved around a little and see them a third of the way down the opposite hill at 358 yards. I sat down and got the crosshairs on a cow but I couldn't tell if she was on state or private land. I traked them as they worked along the hill but I ended up holding fire. It was soooo hard but I just couldn't tell. Even after they were gone and I could really study the gps I couldn't tell.
After the elk were gone we worked back towards where the elk had come and then back towards the truck. We were about out of places to check and started back across a lower field. I split off about 50 yards so I could catch a glimpse of the ravines we had looked down earlier. I looked ahead and picked up some movement. I threw up the binoculars and saw the tips of antlers moving along in the grass of the upper field about 250 yards ahead. I couldn't see any of his body so I didn't think he had seen us. I hurried forward and then slowed as I climbed the incline. As I started to clear the grass I spotted him ahead about 100 yards and threw up the rifle. There was no reaction to the first shot so I cycled another round and took a couple of steps forward to clear the grass better. He was trotting away quartering when I drilled him wth the second shot. It was a solid hit and I was very confident of it. He jumped and ran toward a ravine. Jonboy and George came up and we followed in the direction he ran. As soon as we crested the rise and could see down the ravine George spotted him. His eyes were closed and he moved a little so I drilled him again for good measure.
He is a small 3x4 and I feel a little bad. He was a very young deer with good genetics . I'm running out of money and time so I had decided to shoot the first legal deer I saw. When I saw the points through the grass I had decided to shoot. If I had time to study him and had been seeing deer might have passed...or maybe not.
If the elk had been thirty yards closer I would be icing down elk right now but it was just not meant to be. I have some western mule deer to eat and I have met and hunted with some really great guys. I'll hunt an area known to hold elk now and then in the morning and maybe the evening and then I'm on my way home.

 

[DWarcher]

Shrek, nothing to feel bad about there...congratulations on your first muley!

 

[2ski]

Nice work. Meat is meat. Especially on public land. I think its mostly whitetail hunters with managed private areas that worry about genetics and what a buck will grow to. Enjoy the meat.

 

[Darren Best]

Congratulations Shrek, way to stick it out.

 

[Jager]

A big well done mate.

"I had decided to shoot the first legal deer I saw".

That is all that matters. We all learn from every single deer we harvest, always learning and enjoying, great stuff mate.

 

[Shrek]

I haven't cleaned a deer on the ground or gutted a deer in many years. We debated whether to gut the deer and take it back to bone out or do it on the hillside. First decision was to gut it . I hadn't done that in years and I'm sure I don't want to do it again for many more years. When we got it to the truck I thought about it and decided to bone it out right then. Boning it out on the trailgate was okay but I made an absolute mess of it. There is hair on it and it's all hacked up. I should have done the gutless method from the start and I would have been much better off but hindsight is 20/20. I have to say that the cleaning rack back at my old club sure is nice !

 

[Matt Cashell]

Nice deer Dave.

Congrats!

 

[Shrek]

A few thoughts. First , I'm pretty sure I hit some grass on the first shot. The crosshairs were on when I squeezed it off so something went wrong on the way. I didn't touch him.
My Nikon Monarch Gold 1200 rangefinder is good to 600 yards on most anything but it's sketchy past that. Longest read on a tree has been 987 yards. Not terrible but not impressive either.
I can't emphasize enough how valuable good glass is out west. My Bunton Eternas were adequate but I'm going to have some hd alpha glass next year. Probably the Meopta 10x42 hd's. They look to be the best value. I think the Meopta's are about as good as the swarovski's at half the price.

 

[muleman]

Congrats, way to push through to success. Hope you can sneek an elk into your crosshairs before you have to leave.

 

[Shrek]

I'm just thinking about my trip so far and going to throw some out. NW Montana is a tough place to hunt ! There are some great bulls up there but you better know what you are doing. It's no place for a rookie. I loved the Sapphires but you better be in shape ! Eastern Montana is great country and has the old western movie feel to it. It's moderate terrain and fun to hunt. Not the best place for elk but great for deer. Not as easy to hunt from a public land private land perspective but enjoyable. Hunting small school trust lands is rewarding but you really have to pay attention to the lines. Passing on the cow elk was really frustrating. Most of all I'm so glad I have done this trip !

Btw , there is almost no nightlife in Montana . At least not where I've been. They were breaking down the bar at Texas Roadhouse at 8:45pm yesterday and there was no single women there at all. Not what I'm used to at all.

 

[Shrek]

Muleman , it would be like getting struck by lightning but there wasn't supposed to be any elk where I was today so who knows ? I know that I'm leaving having had the crosshairs steady on an elk and all I needed was a few yards to make her solidly legal. I'm also sure that if I had been in the shape I should have been I could have found an elk.

 

[Shrek]

And... bring several pairs of gloves and beanies . I lost both and I couldn't find any replacement merino liner gloves or beanies in bfe Montana .

 

[Tag stew]

Congrats!!! Not everyone would have stuck it out like you have, you have nothing to feel bad about. If anything you should be proud of what you have done!! We all are!!!

Jon boy your a good dude!!!

 

[Jon Boy]

A few more notes from Shrek and I's adventures.

Berger bullets are freaking devastating...like soft ball size exits on both shots.

Just when you think you got an area figured out, you dont...The spot we took Shrek was George and mines premier honey hole for deer, we've hunted it the last two seasons and have done very well there for deer. Its where I shot my buck last year and George has seen some nice ones. Never seen the slightest sign of elk, till today.

All in all it was a lot of fun and Dave is a great guy. Glad I could help him out. Sorry we couldnt get him an elk but thats hunting and we both know it.

Now onto my next adventure starting Monday.

 

[Cranny]

Great job! It's been a blast reading about your trip.

 

[tstowater]

Shrek. Great job and glad you had a successful ending. Have a safe trip home.

 

[rhendrix]

Hell yeah buddy! First trip out west and you bag a 3x4!!! Well done dude! And way to stick with it!