best hunting trip of my life and we didnt get a deer

[savagehunter]

First off I would very much like to thank the members of this board that helped me and my son do our first high country hunt your advice was invaluable ; and because of that advice we were in a great area and fairly well prepared. Saturday morning we left at 430 am and arrived at the trailhead around 8 am. including my gun and my pistol I had about 90# of gear and my son had about 70# I know a lot of weight but we wanted to be ready for anything. 5.5 miles and 4 hours later we set up camp in a very spectacular place and immediately met a group of six hunters camped next to us. They also were very helpful and full of good info when I informed them that my sons birthday wish was to do this high hunt. They shared water with us and let us use their MSR filter pump which was much better then our treated water. Over the next three days we hunted hard dawn to dusk with an occasional nap. We spotted 24 deer in three days and on Wednesday spotted a couple of bucks at about a 1000 yards we proceeded to make a stalk that over an hour got us within 70 yards of the bucks who proceeded to bed down in some brush so we could not tell if they were legal we stood on a rock slide for two hours waiting to see if this one buck was legal.Looking back down into the basin imagine my surprise to see 6 hunters watching our stalk.We had an audience and the buck finally got up two forkenhorns no brow tines not legal disappointed but not discouraged we took back up our spot and sat til dark seeing a few more does but no bucks.  Arriving back at camp we noticed Chad and his "Posse" had packed up and left. I thought o well back to treated water .Imagine my surprise when walking into our camp I see two bags of freeze dried meals and an MSR pump sitting next to our stove.i walked back over to where they had been camped and asked the young couple if they had seen the guys who had been camped there and they said yes and asked if I was Darricks dad I said yes and they said the hunters had left him some birthday gifts tell him happy birthday and keep hunting hard. WOW!! My son killed his first grouse on this trip freehand at 50 yard with a 308 head shot. we saw 24 deer a huge mountain goat many marmots and tons of beautiful scenery but the greatest part of this hunting trip was the hunters next door the hunters on this forum and the time they took to make the time I spent with my son the best hunting trip of my life SANS deer.Thank you so much hunt WA. and Chads hunting posse.

[huntnnw]

  wow..what a gesture and great group of guys..Sounds like you guys had a fun trip

[Skyvalhunter]

Well lets see some pictures of the adventure. Love to see the smile on your sons face being out there.

[jackelope]

Wow. 24 deer. That's awesome. Congrats on a great trip.

[savagehunter]

I will post pics as soon as I pull then off my phone I had a reg camera first pic I took no memory card lol a few little snags and the biggest loudest wrest thunderstorm sunday night incredible

[sneakyjake]

Good on you for taking your son out there.   Great memories.

[MtnMuley]

Sounds like a perfect hunting outing to me.  Glad to see you ran into a great group of people.

[boneaddict]

WOW, that is extremely classy.    I am glad to hear there are still great people out there in the woods.   Sounds like a great trip with your son.   

[skeeter 20i]

That's awesome, sounds like you made memories for a lifetime!

[JLS]

WOW, that is extremely classy.    I am glad to hear there are still great people out there in the woods.   Sounds like a great trip with your son.   

X inifinity

[DOUBLELUNG]

 I am so glad your son's first backcountry hunting trip included positive encounters with classy people.  Awesome!

[janttihunter]

This is what it's all about.

[savagehunter]

i think most people who hunt just care they care about the land the animals their kids importance is placed on the future to keep this kind of experience available for generations its not a ME ME ME attitude . we as a community are the minority but i did find lots of acceptance from the tourists and the hikers almost everyone of which wished us luck and seemed curious not scared or offended. i am so impressed with this board and the way you respond in a positive manner with encouragement and kindeness and sharing.As a community everyone here should be so proud of your fathers and grandfathers for making you guys the people you are; because you are the cream of the crop the kind of people i hope my kids will grow up to be the kind of man i try and be . THANK YOU.

[boneaddict]

There is a lot more to hunting than killing.   Its obvious you have figured that out.   I am looking forward to any photos you can share so we can enjoy your trip along with you.   

[JLS]

i think most people who hunt just care they care about the land the animals their kids importance is placed on the future to keep this kind of experience available for generations its not a ME ME ME attitude . we as a community are the minority but i did find lots of acceptance from the tourists and the hikers almost everyone of which wished us luck and seemed curious not scared or offended. i am so impressed with this board and the way you respond in a positive manner with encouragement and kindeness and sharing.As a community everyone here should be so proud of your fathers and grandfathers for making you guys the people you are; because you are the cream of the crop the kind of people i hope my kids will grow up to be the kind of man i try and be . THANK YOU.

We all have opportunities to be ambassadors for hunting to the non-hunting community.  Thank you so much for being a positive image for all of us.  It does make a difference.