DeerFest 2015!!! year in review

[Karl Blanchard]

Well I can't really call it slayfest this year because, well....thus far the season has been rough.  Elk season was a rough one.  I took a nasty fall hunting with RT on his bull tag opening weekend, which resulted in an equipment failure, which resulted in not one.......not two.......but THREE missed shots at the same cow!!!!   After that I took off to Idaho for 9 days of chasing elk with my baby brother.  We had high hopes for a couple of bulls but it turned out to be possibly the worst elk hunting spot on in Idaho   9 days and I never saw a tan body, or heard a single bugle.  Those who have hunted with me know it was not for a lack of effort, or a lack of elk knowledge.  We had a fantastic week of hard hiking, lots of laughter, and also found my new early archery deer spot

[sagewalker]

Looks like a blast!

[Karl Blanchard]

More

[Karl Blanchard]

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[Karl Blanchard]

Muzzy deer season was spent in the Colockum helping a buddy and his son in law with their cow tags.  Lots of missing, but no elk blood to be had

[rtspring]

I seem to remember watching that fall.... 

[Mark251]

Even without an elk it looks like you had a great experience....

[Karl Blanchard]

So along comes general Idaho deer season.  I take off friday afternoon and sleep in the truck at the trailhead.  Bright and early I start the 7 mile hump up to our meeting place.  It was a nice cool 80 degree day, made for a real fun hike   The following day, my buddy Jeremie and his 10 year old son also made the treck up the mountain.  Jeremie headed back down to get another load of gear so I took his son up the mountain for the evening.

Let me tell you all something, I have seen some impressive stuff in my time, but this 10 year old was something else!  He hikes 7 miles, all up hill, then turns around and climbs another 1000 feet and then drops a couple thousand feet down into a basin with me.  We find a little buck and get a good shot opportunity and he flat drops the hammer!  I bone him out, load him up, and up and out we climb.  Kid is tough as they come and will be a deer killing machine in a few short years I am sure of.

[Karl Blanchard]

I seem to remember watching that fall....

Ya that sucked a lot!!!!  I thought my knee was done for!

[Karl Blanchard]

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[Karl Blanchard]

So another days go by with a few decent bucks spotted but nothing worth burning calories over.  Tuesday is an early wake up and a LONG walk in the dark to be in position by first light.  The spot I intended to glass from turned out to be not quite what I was expecting so I ended up working my way down this long ridge looking for a better vantage point.  In a long shallow draw I spot 4 doe's feeding, but something below them keeps catching their attention.  I kept that in the back of my mind as I worked my way along.  Sure enough, as the doe's fed off, I took another look back and there he stands. 

I looked him over for a while, and at first I wasn't going to shoot him because of how narrow he was, but as he headed up the slope he was on, he hit the sunlight and those forks lit up so beautifuly, I couldn't resist.  He was 380 yards but the slope was steep so I shot it for 300 right on the money.  He landed flat on his face with his front legs out in front of him! 

I knew it was gonna be hot so I didn't waste much time with pictures.  Let me tell ya, trying to get pics with your cell phone, when alone, is the most difficult task there is on the mountain   I got him broken down and loaded up in the Kifaru and off I go!  Down down down down into the bottom of the most god forsaken, deadfall infested, drainage in all of Idaho!!!  Then the fun begins!  3300ft up the other side, back to my tent!  The last stretch is a 40* slope!  I tried to be a man but the last quarter mile, with the temps reaching 80, I made the decision to ditch my rifle, 85mm Razor spotter and tripod, to lighten the load.  I made it to camp and got the meat (which was still very cool) in trash bags and put in the creek that ran right below the tent.  I downed a couple nalgene's, got some calories in me and headed back down to fetch my things.  Jeremie also scored on a good buck that day about the same time I did.  Not a bad double!!!  That night was spent a thousand feet above camp glassing for bucks and soaking in the views.  I also made a fire, which I almost never do!  Burned some trash, cooked some tenderloin, and just enjoyed the night.  Nothing better than a nice little fire.

The next day we glassed for more bucks and mid morning I packed camp up, ditched food, loaded meat and antler and started the long haul back to the truck!  Lord did that suck!!!  I had the bright idea of taking the "shortcut" down the mountain   It was definitely shorter, and I got to the truck more quickly but the pain and suffering probably didn't make it worth it .  My right thigh is still literally numb!  Like "Mr. Deeds black foot" numb   I messaged Kifaru about it to see if maybe I had the pack adjusted wrong or something and they told me it is due to the heavy load sitting on my leather belt, which pinched the nerve that sits on my hip bone.  They said next time I'm hauling like that, sag like a gangster a little bit or ditch the belt.  Who knew right!?!

All in all, a fantastic trip.  Next up is general deer season here in washington with the wife, then its off to Colorado!!!!!!!

[Karl Blanchard]

Buckmasterwa (Dan) will add his Idaho buck on here when he gets a chance.

[Watimberghost]

Love the write up! Some great memories and some well earned animals

[grundy53]

Nice work!. Way to be a great mentor. Oh and awesome buck!

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[SemperFidelis97]

Great bucks, and fantastic write-up BLRman