Ok guys, I'm into better service now. Lots of deer spotted, with a few good bucks around but with the cold, and very squeaky snow (very chatty 7yo too
), it was a bit tough. We were glassing some bigger country from the warm truck when I found a really nice 3pt. Dark, decent mass, 25" wide, and mature, I figured it was game on! There was a group of about 80 elk out there too. About halfway to the buck I hear a rifle shot and here they come! 80 elk run right through that buck
! Since I was on the hill I just got right back to glassing. Wasn't long before I found some doe's up and feeding. Closer inspection turned up a rack. Short on time and standards being low, I hardly even looked him over. He looked decent so I didn't give it any more thought.
So I always bring a backup gun on my hunts because you never know what can happen. Like the reticle in your scope rotating when you adjust the power. So with my trusty .243, and a virgin load in the chamber, there I am, out of real estate, with deer that know something is up. I prone out, check yardage, figure out my dope and settle in. Trigger broke clean and the 105gr VLD found its mark! Buck back pedaled in a circle and flopped over dead!
Didn't waste much time because as the sun went down it went from 14° to "oh my god its cold" really fast! I promised a friend I would get him a cape so that was an added chore on top of an already challenging task. Meat and cape froze as I was cutting it off. I post holed my way up and out to the truck where a warm cab and a very tired and excited little boy and my dad were impatiently waiting.
He is gonna tape in the low 160's with one G4 being over 14"
Long drive but an amazingly fun trip with lots of game seen, and quality time with three generations of Blanchard men. Although I'm thankful for the opportunity to take Hunter hunting and teach him about the ways of the mountain, it's also saddening because it should be Aaron taking him out on his first hunt, his first kill, hunters ed, and everything else on his way to being a skilled woodsman.