The SpongeROB Chronicles: The 2024 Elk and Deer 🦌 Hunt with the Avery’s and Cash

robby denning said:
There’s 6 of us hunting this ranch and we’re all trying to cover different parts of it, my son couldn’t go this morning (test at school) so I was the scout and sure enough, I was the only one that had bulls within range, but everybody was seeing elk. Tanya and Ryan made an impressive mile climb to get to me but the bulls had made the timber. Before I saw those, they made a play on a herd but they got in cover. Lots of that here.

And then tonight with the storm coming in nobody saw or heard an elk. It’s kind of got them shut down right now. Big full moon tonight too. Gonna get wet cool and maybe a little snow next few days. It will certainly help vs the record temps we’ve had.
Click to expand...
Not even a chipmunk tonight!

But I did find a moose shed.

4cac585e365ee213a1d086416e23df67.jpg
 
Cash’s last evening just wrapped up. Gotta go back to school. He hunted 5 of the 6 days he had. We saw elk everyday just never made the right play on them to get a shot. We had a hoot though. He definitely understands that cow elk here come easier than bulls.

IMG_9027.jpeg

IMG_9024.jpeg

Tanya’s hunting her tail off. Hasn’t missed a morning or evening yet. Like Cash, just need something to go her way. They had a chance at a herd bull today but no shot.

I gotta buck story when I have time to write it. It’s not simple!
 
Buck(s) story:

I'd scouted these properties we are hunting about 4 times this summer but didn't see any good bucks, but I've learned to have a deer tag during the combined elk/deer season because you never know.

So I had my resident tag and had picked up a turnback tag because again you never know.

Ryan and Tanya both had deer tags too. We were seeing deer every day but just does and small bucks, but you never know.

So Saturday, the 5th day, Ryan and Tanya knew the ranch well and and had been hunting on their own just fine (actually seeing more elk than Cash and me.).

James had already got his bull and David knows the ranches better than I do, having hunted with us for 8 years.

Cash was tired and just wanted to hunt the evening hunt, so I was free to scout some evening elk for him and check a bucky spot that hadn't been hunted right.

I parked the truck a mile back and glassed the first minutes of legal light to sunrise. I found some elk in a new spot and thought maybe Cash could hunt them starting in the afternoon.

I left the truck and walked in on a two track a half mile right as the sun rose behind me.
I got to the place where I've seen a few good bucks over the years. It's tall serviceberry mixed in with bitterbrush and sage, It's got some W/NW aspect so can hold bucks a little longer in the morning than the E facing stuff. It's probably less than 10 acres.

I slowed way down and still-hunted a little rise that let's me see above the brush. I wasn't moving super slow and had covered about 150 yards in 30 minutes, just taking a few steps and looking around or maybe glassing ahead and below with the 8x. I cleared some brush on the rise in front of me slowly and there they were...

...a nice looking non-typical upper 20s wide and an OK 4 pt, less than 90 yards.

Even though I'd moved slowly, they pegged me and were preparing for launch. I had a neck shot at the bigger buck so I quickly took it. After ,the recoil, I saw both bucks turn and bolt left.

"Missed?!! Arggg!!!"

I sprinted about 10 yards to my left and they both jammed on the brakes in a shooting lane in the brush. I could see the bigger buck on the right and the smaller on the left. This time I had his shoulder and I quickly took the shot. He piled up and started kicking.

"Woot!!!!!!"

I put another catridge in the mag so I had two ready, because you never know.

I slowly walk down and there lies a decent 4 pt buck, but no non-typical points.

"WTH?!!, No way! I know I saw a hook cheater non-typical! Did I shoot the wrong buck?!!!!"

I was really confused for a few seconds then got some clarity and backtracked 30 yards to where I'd first seen them staring at me...

and there lies there the non-typical, neck shot, DOA, but I'm thinking:

"But when I shot the 2nd time, he'd been 30 yard down the hill with the other buck?!!!"

It took a few minutes to sort out what happened.

I finally realized there had been 3 bucks. When I shot the non-typ, he fell and there was a third buck—a smaller buck,—but probably a 4 pt, below him.

So when I saw two bucks bolting away I thought I'd missed.

Then when those two bucks hit the brakes, one was bigger (I think it was the original 4 pt with the biggest buck) and one smaller so I thought I was shooting at the big buck again.

Thank GOD I had two tags! or that would have been one uncomfortable call to the game warden (ask my friends, I would have called!).

It took a few more minutes to get over the nervousneess of what had just happened but then I got excited.

Heck ya I'd rather have let that 4 pt grow up, but that's not what happened. So anyway, to the best of my understanding in the heat of the moment, that is what happened.

Here they are:

Screenshot 2024-10-21 105359.png
Screenshot 2024-10-21 105108.png
Screenshot 2024-10-21 105157.png

Praise the Lord, eh?

Even if you've scouted an area a few times, never assume you've seen them all, like this story proves. And don't be too judgy until you've been in the fray, things get confusing in the heat of the moment.

Tanya and Ryan made there way over to me and we got both bucks out within a few hours. They are both at the meat locker and I paid for 14-day hang to get a good dry-age on them.

I pulled the front bottom teeth for lab aging. The non-typ was noticeably bigger in the body, but we'll see what the lab says.

I'll euro the skulls.
 
Last edited:
sndmn11 said:
Is that Tanya's rifle or did they play a trick on you?

I know two folks in the last four years who had to make that, "I shot two bulls on one carcass tag" call to CPW due to dropping #1 where he stood. Glad you had two tags.
Click to expand...
hahah, good eye, yes that is the HOG! She took the pic and left it behind me. Says it wasn't intentional. Ya right! Trying to steal the CA 270WSM thunder.

how did the CPW treat your friends?
 
robby denning said:
Buck(s) story:

I'd scouted these properties we are hunting about 4 times this summer but didn't see any good bucks, but I've learned to have a deer tag during the combined elk/deer season because you never know.

So I had my resident tag and had picked up a turnback tag because again you never know.

Ryan and Tanya both had deer tags too. We were seeing deer every day but just does and small bucks, but you never know.

So Saturday, the 5th day, Ryan and Tanya knew the ranch well and and had been hunting on their own just fine (actually seeing more elk than Cash and me.).

James had already got his bull and David knows the ranches better than I do, having hunted with us for 8 years.

Cash was tired and just wanted to hunt the evening hunt, so I was free to scout some evening elk for him and check a bucky spot that hadn't been hunted right.

I parked the truck a mile back and glassed the first minutes of legal light to sunrise. I found some elk in a new spot and thought maybe Cash could hunt them starting in the afternoon.

I left the truck and walked in on a two track a half mile right as the sun rose behind me.
I got to the place where I've seen a few good bucks over the years. It's tall serviceberry mixed in with bitterbrush and sage, It's got some W/NW aspect so can hold bucks a little longer in the morning than the E facing stuff. It's probably less than 10 acres.

I slowed way down and still-hunted a little rise that let's me see above the brush. I wasn't moving super slow and had covered about 150 yards in 30 minutes, just taking a few steps and looking around or maybe glassing ahead and below with the 8x. I cleared some brush on the rise in front of me slowly and there they were...

...a nice looking non-typical upper 20s wide and an OK 4 pt, less than 90 yards.

Even though I'd moved slowly, they pegged me and were preparing for launch. I had a neck shot at the bigger buck so I quickly took it. After ,the recoil, I saw both bucks turn and bolt left.

"Missed?!! Arggg!!!"

I sprinted about 10 yards to my left and they both jammed on the brakes in a shooting lane in the brush. I could see the bigger buck on the right and the smaller on the left. This time I had his shoulder and I quickly took the shot. He piled up and started kicking.

"Woot!!!!!!"

I put another catridge in the mag so I had two ready, because you never know.

I slowly walk down and there lies a decent 4 pt buck, but no non-typical points.

"WTH?!!, No way! I know I saw a hook cheater non-typical! Did I shoot the wrong buck?!!!!"

I was really confused for a few seconds then got some clarity and backtracked 30 yards to where I'd first seen them staring at me...

and there lies there the non-typical, neck shot, DOA, but I'm thinking:

"But when I shot the 2nd time, he'd been 30 yard down the hill with the other buck?!!!"

It took a few minutes to sort out what happened.

I finally realized there had been 3 bucks. When I shot the non-typ, he fell and there was a third buck—a smaller buck,—but probably a 4 pt, below him.

So when I saw two bucks bolting away I thought I'd missed.

Then when those two bucks hit the brakes, one was bigger (I think it was the original 4 pt with the biggest buck) and one smaller so I thought I was shooting at the big buck again.

Thank GOD I had two tags! or that would have been one uncomfortable call to the game warden (ask my friends, I would have called!).

It took a few more minutes to get over the nervousneess of what had just happened but then I got excited.

Heck ya I'd rather have let that 4 pt grow up, but that's not what happened. So anyway, to the best of my understanding in the heat of the moment, that is what happened.

Here they are:

View attachment 779890
View attachment 779891
View attachment 779892

Praise the Lord, eh?

Even if you've scouted an area a few times, never assume you've seen them all, like this story proves. And don't be too judgy until you've been in the fray, things get confusing in the heat of the moment.

Tanya and Ryan made there way over to me and we got both bucks out within a few hours. They are both at the meat locker and I paid for 14-day hang to get a good dry-age on them.

I pulled the front bottom teeth for lab aging. The non-typ was noticeably bigger in the body, but we'll see what the lab says.

I'll euro the skulls.
Click to expand...
Absolutely fantastic buck. Hard work Robby.
 
robby denning said:
how did the CPW treat your friends?
Click to expand...

Street level plea bargain with the Wildlife Officer and were written a single violation (illegal harvest maybe?) with a verbal agreement to plead guilty, rather than being written for the 3-4 potential violations.

They both had to field process and move both animals' edible portions out of the field to relinquish one animal's worth to CPW. One had cell service in the field, and the other sent an inReach to his spouse to self report right away. That helped quite a bit.
 
sndmn11 said:
Street level plea bargain with the Wildlife Officer and were written a single violation (illegal harvest maybe?) with a verbal agreement to plead guilty, rather than being written for the 3-4 potential violations.

They both had to field process and move both animals' edible portions out of the field to relinquish one animal's worth to CPW. One had cell service in the field, and the other sent an inReach to his spouse to self report right away. That helped quite a bit.
Click to expand...
Well, sounds like it worked out.

I’d rather throw myself at their mercy than commit another violation trying to cover up the first one.

What say @mtwarden ?
 
robby denning said:
Well, sounds like it worked out.

I’d rather throw myself at their mercy than commit another violation trying to cover up the first one.

What say @mtwarden ?
Click to expand...
For sure, I think going the cover up route there's a likely additional 2-3 violations and probably ends up exceeding the nts available before long term revocation.

Do you feel more accomplished sticking a buck like that when you have scouted him and have days' of effort into the result? Or when (like this one) you bank on your experience/knowledge to hunt habitat and kill an unknown?
 
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