Drove to Bumping 356 on Friday of last week. I had spent time in there this summer scouting and saw lots of good animals. Traded PMs with a few on here too.
I was in nice looking cows on Saturday (5), Sunday (9), Monday (2), and Tuesday (1). One cow and I stared at each other for 10 minutes before she pranced off. One cow barked 5 times so loud, I thought my ears were going to pop. I was only 30 yards from her. I could have had great shots every day, except my tag wasn't valid until Wednesday. I saw a nice bull, a Billy goat and his mate on the East face of Goose Prairie rock outcropping, and a heck of a lot of miles. In the eight days I was out, I put on almost 80 miles. There is a lot of great hunting ground in Bumping and I only saw a fraction of it. Found multiple kill sites, from other hunters and a nice lower jaw from a herd bull someone got and was planning for a euro mount. I'm bummed - skunked for the season. My boy was rear ended in August while driving to work. He still can't turn his head much. That hurt as I expected to spend time together on this hunt. It's hard to work the area by yourself and feel you did it justice.
Wednesday morning there was a hard frost, everything was crunchy or frozen. I bumped a cow at near 50 yards. I wasn't prepared and I blew an opportunity - that stunk. It was like being in a Looney Tunes cartoon. She was spinning around and running in mid air, all while I'm trying to get my gun ready and leveled for a shot. I felt like Wylie Coyote and she was the roadrunner.
Thursday, it rained like crazy. I had two cows across a ravine at what I thought was 300 yards. Turned out I underestimated the distance at over 400 yards and I undershot. I didn't know at the time, so I decided to go check and as I climbed the hill she was on, she climbed the hill I came from. Dang animals. I should have just waited.
Friday, I bumped three cows in the dark thick trees with no visible way to shoot. Sounds like a freight train the woods sometimes. Can see a blur of brown, branches cracking, and rustling trees, but no visible sign of the creature.
Today, I was skunked. As soft as the ground was and wet, it was optimal for walking through the woods. I put in about 4 miles of great terrain. Perfect tracks, sign, but no animals anywhere.
Every time I got busted from Wednesday on, it was my movement that did me in. I just can't believe I'm done. Wife's birthday, so I came home to take her and the kids out. Good luck to you still out there.
