Big Bucks for Josh II Photo Safari

[Timber]

To refresh everybody's memory, last May I won the Big Bucks for Josh II auction for a day with boneaddict photographing big bucks. Well, we met up on the 19th of November and headed out. We started out rattling for whitetails and on the first try, bone had two bucks come crashing in to us. They finally stopped when they were about 15yds away. Unfortunately, it was too dark for pictures. Bone's other good whitetail spots either had been logged recently or were currently being logged, so we moved on to mule deer. Right away we got into some nice bucks and Bone even let me use his 400 2.8 lens (now I think I am going to have to buy one for myself).

These first 3 pics were taken with bone's lens.




As you can probably tell, these were taken with my 400 5.6 lens.



We ran into some bonus moose. This guy sure looks out of place.


We rounded a few corners and ran into these calves.


This buck has a lot of character. I would like to see him in a few years


These were the last nice bucks we saw. The bottom buck was the dominate buck. He kept running the other buck away from the does.


The bigger horned, subordinate buck.


Considering the nice weather we had, I think we did pretty good to see the amount of bucks that we did. All in all, it was a blast hanging out with boneaddict, learning from him and hearing some good stories. And oh yeah, he really does beat the living crap out of his truck!

[agchawk]

GREAT PICS! Looks like you two had a great time out there!

[Michelle_Nelson]

Great Post, thanks for sharing Timber!

[boneaddict]

Sweet man you did get some great pics!  I am glad you had a good time.  It was very much a pleasure spending the day with you as well.  I'll see what I can do to adding to the pile of pics.  We went out yesterday, Hound and I for round two.  Same weather and almost the same story.  The whitetails were NOT cooperating.  FInally on about the 8th and last rattling set, we got one to come in.  Saw the  little moose again and this time MOM was with them.  I am glad she was fine.  We saw one JIM DANDY, about 300 yards down the hill from where you and I saw sticker buck.  Same situation.  I just said you are entering big buck alley, if you see a buck here he will be a big one.  3 seconds later  We had multiple views of him, but he had been shot at before.  He wanted nothing to do with us.  We played tag back and forth.  He went down the mountain, so did we, the we pushed him back up.  He was solo, so no does to distract him.  He was pushing thirty inches.  I figured about 29.5.  He was a little weak in the forks, but had one hell of a frame.  A good 170 buck I bet.   I told Hound to quit trying to get him on film and just enjoy him as he was in the thick and would never hold still.   That was probably a highlite of the trip.  We rattled in that whitetail and that was exciting.  He also wanted to see some moose and dang if we didn't.  I told him he would have a much better chance seeing elk, and we didn't see a one.  I still don't know what is up with the whitetails.  Not many rubs either.    We ended the day with 23 bucks, three moose, 6 coyotes and 2 bobcats, acutally 7 coyotes if you count the one I tagged with my truck on the way there.    Timber and I lost count on how many bucks we saw, we were haveing so much fun.   
Great pics!

[boneaddict]

By the way, I had a great time out there....Both trips.  I am not sure if I should have two threads, one for each trip or go with it all in one, since it was one auction.  I am almost thinking of two threads just because they will be so photo heavy.  Man I love the sun or shine on that guys antlers.  I am thinking you should get a new lens and then we will try it again. 
here are a couple of the moose.
VERY COOL that we found this guy.  Timber spotted his antlers and said there is one.  I saw the bone and thought HOLY CRAP thats a big one, but I thought he was hiding in front of a stump.  You have to realize there was alot of sage and its not like he was in the wide open.  In fact I thought he was bedded, but he was standing.

[boneaddict]

Then after that was exciting I couldn't believe it when we ran into these guys down the road.  I was like HOLY MOLY!

[boneaddict]

Give him about 5 years......

[boneaddict]

his twin sister...

[boneaddict]

Taking one last look before departure.   On a side note, Hound and I found them again and this time mom was there.  They were about 200 yards around the hill.

[boneaddict]

.

[boneaddict]

I had trouble with this buck.  Shadows I think. 

[boneaddict]

.

[boneaddict]

put your head up little snapper......

[boneaddict]

No not you.     There was a 4 point in the bush with a broken main beam on one side.  We were trying to sort them out in the tall sage.  These two wanted to play but where was the bigger one?

[boneaddict]

We chased him through the bush for a bit but lost him.  the rest of the deer came out in the open but he was nowhere to be found.  We decided to head back tot he truck but I wanted to do a little drive in the deep stuff in case he was waiting us out.  Instead of him we found something else......