Montana 1st deer, hits, misses ,and more..

[kramman]

Got back last night just having spent 7days in eastern Montana. Had a great trip went 7 for 8 0n filling of tags and the one we didn't fill is my father who's looking for the biggest buck of his life.

After a 16hr drive from Tacoma my first priority after setting up camp was getting my 12yr. old son[Logan] his first deer. Day 1 a.m finds us spotting numerous deer and a few bucks on public land nothing bigger then a 2pt. So we hike back to truck and just as we get there I spot a group of deer 1/2 mile out with a nice buck in it so we go after him using coulees and ravines to close the distance. The group is gradually feeding away from us at about 250yds and I can't spot the buck, we r crawling thru the sage when the buck steps out at 285 yds its a big 3x4! A few of the does have us spotted and the group is getting nervous. I ask my son if he's ready to shoot his first deer; his response ohyeah! So I quickly set up the shooting sticks and range him at 287 yds he's looking right at us and I tell Logan when he turns aim high on the shoulder. The buck takes a couple steps turns and Logan fires, deer scatter in every direction. I watch the buck thru binos as he heads up and over the ridge in front of us with no obvious wounds, man he was flying up the ridge. Logan and I talk about his shot, and he confirms what I expected he was shaking from a case of buck fever. We head over to look for a blood trail but just as I thought a clean miss.

We wake up on day 2 with a light dusting of snow. .I tell Logan today is the day the deer should be moving with the cold front moving thru. He grins and states I know because I wont get buck fever today. Out to the blm land we go getting there at first light we park and walk not 100 yds when we spot a group of deer in the ravine in front of us. I quickly spot 2 bucks in the group and off we go after them. The deer spot us and watch us as we walk right at them closing the distance to 302 yds on the range finder. My brother sets up the shooting sticks and I spot a wide 2x3 in the back of the group I tell Logan which one is the  buck and asks if he wants to take him once again I get an oh yeah! So he sets up with his uncles help as I watch the buck thru the bino's. When ever your ready Logan he's told, what seems like mins.  to me as I watch then boom! The buck jumps, hit runs off 30 yds then stand there I can tell he's hit hard. Now Logan's adrenaline is getting to him and he has trouble working the lever on his 308 winchester model 88 I continue to watch the buck as his uncle and Logan get set up again boom this time the buck goes down!I don't know who's more excited me, my brother or Logan.

After showing LOgan how to clean the deer out, the only thing that bothered him was the smell,my brother and I start dragging the deer to the truck when Logan states I want to do that so him and I take our time making the drag  he wouldn't let anyone else help. I was so damn proud I still am.

I will attempt to post some pics later and the rest of the story including a couple misses and some observations about hunting in eastern Montana..... Kramman

[Buckmark]

Thats is awsome Mark, looking forward to seeing some pics..
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I remember when your other son asked " Dad can you hear my heart??" a few years back when he got a chance at that whitetail buck.... love that stuff..

[BOWHUNTER45]

sweeeet ...now some photos 

[jrebel]

Great story...glad he connected on a buck.  Can't wait to see the pics.   

[kramman]

I promise to post photos tonight when my kids are home and can help this computer dumb old man

We get back to camp[ rv campground] and are telling our partners about the hunt when the owner of the campground[Bill] walks over to admire Logan's deer. After awhile I state that im going to town to take the deer to the butcher's. Bill looks at me and says why the hell would you do that when we can hang it in his garage! Wow what a nice jester and by the end of the week all 7 deer would hang in that garage.

Day 3 we wake up to clear but cold windy conditions. Logan and granpa sleep in as having ate to much backstrap the night before. The 13 degree temp may of had something to do with it too. I tell myself today I hunt for me. My brother Jeff and hunting partner Gary who tagged out the night before on a 24in wide heavy horned 3pt. head back out. We hike in spotting deer from a mile or more away, but nothing really big that Jeff or I wanted. So once again we head back for the truck, and once again just as we get there we spot a group of deer with a decent 4pt. in it down in the flats around 800 yds off. Gary looks thru the spotting scope and says yes its a good buck. We are hunting blm and state land surrounded by private where the farmers and outfitters patrol their properties[more on that later].After determining with g.p.s that this deer is in fact on public land off I go right at him. the buck just watches me as I walk right at him 500yds 400 then at 350 I am able to slip behind a 4ft high knoll crawl to the top and peer over and there he is still standing there quartering away looking in my direction range him 322 take my pack off lay it on top of knoll lay down chamber round calm myself squeeze trigger Boom! nothing buck just stands there. Wth that shot felt great start over now my adrenaline is catching up to me put crosshairs on him and nail him! He rears up on his hind legs like a horse and tumbles over. I gather myself give it a few mins. and head over I get to within 20yds of him he's bedded down i'm coming up from behind he tries to stand and I put one thru the neck. Alright Now the work begins. Jeff and Gary come down to congratulate me and help with dragging and cleaning they tell me they were both able to watch both the deer and I thru their binocs said it was pretty cool. I was just happy for the help..

Kramman

[chukar58]

I am enjoying the stories of your montana hunting experience with your family.  Hope
To read the next chapter soon! 

[kramman]

Days 4 and 5 see another heavy horned 3pt and a smaller 4pt go down I was with neither of these hunters but the 3 was a big deer and the 4 rather small, that hunter was happy to put him down as he hunted alone and hard every day having missed the same bigger 4pt 2 mornings in a row.

Last day 3 tags left and it is obvious that my father will not be taking a deer. The older mature bucks were just not there this year. Most of the bucks we saw both public and private were 3.5 yr olds. Whether that's due to increase in hunting pressure? Which there has been since we had last been here [4yrs ago]. Or a harsh winter a couple yrs back that almost wiped out the entire antelope population along with the older deer i'm not sure. All I know is we had hunted this section of blm in the past probably 6x's in the last 12 yrs and this year we saw more pressure and not one fully mature buck, usually at least saw a couple every year. Anyways back to the hunt

Last afternoon its not looking good for my bro we can't seem to find one he wants and as we get out to our spot[1230 pm] and get ready to hike in we spot a atv barelling thru our planned hunt area, we watch as the guy goes up over the ridge we r standing on and continues off road out to the main road. WTH. Now we r bummed and I've got to talk Jeff into going out. So we set off thinking this is more like an afternoon stroll then a hunt, well we make across the bowl and as we come upon a gate we need to go thru to get to another large bowl we jump 2 does and 2 spikes. Cool that guy didn't run all the deer out of here. So onward we go its a beautiful warm afternoon so we stop to take a break I throw up my binocs and right away spot 8 does and a small buck 3/4 of a mile away. Now its about 2pm so we r trying to decide what to do when Jeff spots a deer working its way towards the group in a sage covered draw, its a small  4pt so we decide lets put a hunt on him we know he's headed for the doe group so we side hill over to about 250 yds undetected and watch as the buck goes straight thru the group and into the ravine in front of us and we lose sight of him. Its now after 3 and were almost 2 miles from the truck according to the gps, and dark happens at 445 so we just decide to sit on this group for 1/2 hr then head back. Not 5 mins later the 4pt pops up side hill to us 200 yds away and now he has his older brother with him.We lay down in the sage and crawl 50yds to a little knoll we get a good look at the bigger buck and my brother decides he'll take him. He lays down gets set asks for yardage 164 and boom one shot 7mm down he goes. We decide that i'll walk to truck and Jeff will gut deer and I will come back and get as close as I can on the trail maybe 1/2 mile not more. By the time I get back its pitch dark and if Jeff was not standing on a small ridge with his headlamp on strobe mode I wouldn't of been able to find him. Not the biggest buck but well worth it.

Get back to camp and the other tag holder shot a 4pt. not what he was looking for but the freezer is full and you can't eat antlers..

Kramman

[bowhunterwa87]

Did you forget about us? 

[kramman]

Here's Logan's buck

[bowhunterwa87]

 

[kramman]

Buckmark I absolutely remember that it still brings a smile to my face.... I talked to Logan about how if this doesn't make your heart pound and you don't get that rush [buck fever] then this probably isn't for you.... I get it every time I see an animal I can shoot whether I do or not 

Thats is awsome Mark, looking forward to seeing some pics..
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I remember when your other son asked " Dad can you hear my heart??" a few years back when he got a chance at that whitetail buck.... love that stuff..

[Widgeondeke]

Great story (s). Post up some more pics please. Need my fix.

[kramman]

Couple more

[kramman]

Here we go

[bowhunterforever]

Nice bucks