The Life and Times of Outfitters & Guides

[Cindy Wamsley]

Best of luck to all of you.

 

[robby denning]

Only 12 hours to first light of opening day bull elk season.

We've got two camps with 5 hunters each ready to go. Tyler and Matt found a decent buck last night, so might get a buck out of that camp, too.

Scouting with my group tonight, one hunter saw a "huge" bull with 5 cows a mile below camp. It might be the wide bull I videoed the other morning. I'd love to show you all that bull on the meat pole. He is a dandy!

Daryl and I got back to where we saw that good buck yesterday. He was out until the first rays of the sun touched him then went in the thick stuff. Although today was the last day I can guide Daryl, he elected to hunt the buck tomorrow on his own rather than try a push (which rarely work anyway.) Really the only way to get this buck is at close range as he heads into his bedding area at daylight. Daryl said he's going to "injun" in at first light. That is as good of strategy as any and sometimes the only way to kill these brush country bucks. I did get a better look at him this morning and he's not even 24" but has good mass, decent forks and pretty basket frame. Daryl still hasn't got to see him, but thinks, based on my description, that he wants him. Man I'd love to see him get this buck.

 

[robby denning]

Opening day! My hunter Tim started off the morning off with a quick shot at one of our herd bulls of which he promptly missed. pretty tough shot at 350 with really no good way to get steady. Around the same time, my hunters and I were watching that same country I saw the great bull in last week and Ryan and I spot that shooter buck Daryl and I have been looking for. finally got a good look at him. he s only 25-26 wide but good backs and nice mass, he's pushing 180 so a good buck. I was hoping to bed him and get my new deer hunter Don on him, but No sooner had that thought crossed my bean and I saw dirt fly over his back! now I knew I was the only one with a deer tag in the area so I had to have a TRESPASSER! Sure enough, I glassed up that mangy dog shooting at the one buck We ve been searching for 6 days. long story short, I made a mile dash across a nasty canyon and confronted the lawbreaker. he immediately resorted to personal attacks on me and my mom and even accused me of voting for Obama! I hope he doesn't like his hunting license because he's going to lose it. Fish and game was here in an hour and promptly wrote him a fat ticket. Fine by me, I grew up in this country and I didn't knowingly trespass.
Next, my other hunters promptly missed 2 other bulls so our winning streak continued. With a little shooting luck, we could have been 3 out of five tags filled! if you follow my writings, you know I talk about "real world shooting conditions"? well I can say these guys are good shots with good equipment! But in the real world, it ain't easy to make a killing shot. maybe tomorrow?

 

[Mckinnon]

Maybe everyone just had to get the jitters out! Good on you getting that guy out of there, sounds like he knew what he was doing, boy that rubs me wrong. Good luck tomorrow

 

[belly-deep]

Bummer about the trespasser and missed shots.

As a former fly fishing guide, I can sympathize with those days when everything seems to go wrong. As you know, the only thing to do is get up tomorrow and try again.

 

[tstowater]

Good on you getting that guy out of there, sounds like he knew what he was doing, boy that rubs me wrong. Good luck tomorrow

I'm betting that taking the license won't make a difference. The "hunter" obviously knew that he was where he didn't belong, so why would we think he would stop just because he doesn't have a license. "Hunters" like that give us a bad name and reputation. Unfortunately, this guy probably feels screwed over because he was "entitled" to hunt wherever he wants and Robby just is a temporary interference. Also bet he has been there before and just didn't get caught. If this was public property, different deal as I suspect this is private ground that the owner has the right to do with as he sees fit. Too bad this isn't the only place for this to happen.

Good luck and shoot straight.

 

[dotman]

We have the same thing every year on our two ranches in MT, always locals that very well know the property lines. Sucks that people think the have a right to private property.

 

[Becca]

Enjoying this thread Robby, but sorry to hear your opener didn't go better. Glad F&G was able to respond promptly...what a headache!

if you follow my writings, you know I talk about "real world shooting conditions"? well I can say these guys are good shots with good equipment! But in the real world, it ain't easy to make a killing shot. maybe tomorrow?

I think this is a really important reminder...real world shooting conditions are often not much like the way we practice, which can really increase the degree of difficulty when we as hunters are in the field trying to seal the deal. When possible, I have been trying to shoot some in the backwoods during our off season backpack trips to get practice that more closely simulates "real world" shooting. Making a good shot at an animal is rarely like shooting off a bench at the range...

 

[Mckinnon]

I'm betting that taking the license won't make a difference. The "hunter" obviously knew that he was where he didn't belong, so why would we think he would stop just because he doesn't have a license. "Hunters" like that give us a bad name and reputation. Unfortunately, this guy probably feels screwed over because he was "entitled" to hunt wherever he wants and Robby just is a temporary interference. Also bet he has been there before and just didn't get caught. If this was public property, different deal as I suspect this is private ground that the owner has the right to do with as he sees fit. Too bad this isn't the only place for this to happen.

Good luck and shoot straight.

I agree, but I still hope it will make a difference. It does give us hunters a bad name who do it by the book every-time, and that just sucks. Anyway, I think we are on the same page tstowater.

 

[rumrzr]

Team Hear No Evil See No Evil on the other lease of Robby's checking in. opening day was a little slow tyler and two of the hunters glassed up fifteen head of elk at daylight just of our property we can hunt. Later in the evening one of the hunters had a 25-26 inch buck at 60 yards but did not feel comfortable with a frontal shot and never got a better opportunity at a better shot. Today so far has been a wash due to the rain. Hopefully this evening or tomorrow the weather will break.

 

[robby denning]

You all gotta know why we call them "Team Hear No Evil See No Evil".
Tyler has bad eyes and Matt has bad ears, but put them together and you have a killing machine! Good luck guys.

 

[Drummond Lindsey]

now I knew I was the only one with a deer tag in the area so I had to have a TRESPASSER! Sure enough, I glassed up that mangy dog shooting at the one buck We ve been searching for 6 days

Maybe you should hire him to guide for you


I'm kidding of course, I hate trespassers and poachers as well

 

[robby denning]

Drummond, you got a point!

 

[robby denning]

[video=vimeo;51575741]http://vimeo.com/51575741[/video]

Oh yea, we're zero to 10, the elk are ahead.

 

[belly-deep]

Rough luck Robby. What is that Bible verse you like to quote about time and chance? Apparently, this year is not your time or chance.

 

[robby denning]

"I returned and saw under the sun that— The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all." Ecclesiastes 9:11

good to hear from you buddy.

 

[bearguide]

sometimes it is just better to get lucky

 

[ScottR_EHJ]

I know how that goes Robby, keep it up, it will pay off soon.

 

[muleyman]

Just what we hoped for clear, calm, & cold this morning. We teamed up to try and put this buck our hunter has been chasing on the ground, I took a vantage point low with the big glass and Matt took the hunter in close with hopes I could find him in the thick brush and walk them in with hand signals. Right off the bay buck was found and the last thing I heard was BOOM! Just waiting for word on a hit or miss.

 

[robby denning]

Tyler! We need some tags punched! We're counting on you!

Good morning for us. Saw a great bull, just a tad farther than the hunter felt comfortable shooting which is fine by me!

Glassed up a mature buck in the 24" range, not a great buck, but Don, my other deer hunter wanted to try. We did, we failed to find him after he got in the quakies.

This is longest we've ever gone in 10 years without taking a single elk! Things are gonna change soon, though, as we're seeing them. Hope so.