Hirshey's Idaho 2014 and 2015 hunt

[actionshooter]

watching

[hirshey]

With roughly 3 hours of daylight left to burn, Jeff and I crested a small ridgeline that exposed the next basin. We were formulating a plan to attack the terrain when some movement down in the bottom of the timbered basin caught my eye: I put my binoculars up just in time to see the caliber of buck I was looking for push a doe back into heavy timber.
Some expletives were voiced in my excitement, as well as my frustration for not being able to show Jeff this great buck. “If you saw it, and it was good, Kari… let’s go after it!” was my friend’s reply at just about the same time we heard rock fallout; the undeniable sound of a buck chasing a doe across the rock scree that adorned the very nose of a small sub-ridge in the bottom of the basin. This was enough to provide the encouragement I needed; we were committing to a huge elevation loss to go after this mystery buck.
After roughly an hour of negotiating technical terrain, we had arrived on the timbered sub-ridge identified as the source of the noise. Dropping our packs and everything aside from the necessities, we crested the terrain feature to reveal a multitude of does feeding across the hillside as well as two small bucks sparring. We sunk into the hillside to continue surveying, looking for my buck. The shadows were growing longer, and the only addition to animals we had found was actually a tragic one; the two small bucks stopped sparring briefly to examine a very nice buck… he was dead and bloated.
I looked over at Jeff and shrugged. “Are you ready to call it? We have about a 6 mile hike back to camp at this point, and it’s getting late.” As we started to stand, my vision settled in on one deer I hadn’t seen before. He was 30 yards above all the others, thrashing a bush. I found him in my binoculars, for the second time that day. As my heart raced, I looked at Jeff wide-eyed and stated, “BUCK! I WANT HIM!”

[JJB11B]

I can never see the photos in your threads

[hirshey]

I ranged him at just under 250, but knew I wanted to be within 200 for my shot. I spied a snag with the perfect rest about 40-60 yards below me, so made quick and efficient work of getting into position. Jeff went to work taking photos of him thrashing the bushes, but I only offered him one before pulling the trigger. I was shaking, both from being cold (we had started that survey in the sunshine and 70 degree weather, but it was now quite frigid) as well as excitement from shooting my best buck to date. He was stunning, heavy, and wide!
Jeff and I clamored across the hillside after collecting our packs, and started the process of getting this beauty back to camp. Once we had him boned out, we hiked him back across the landscape to a full moon and frosty slopes. We decided to make the push all the way back to base camp, and finally had the meat hung by 2 AM. We were beat!

[hirshey]

[hirshey]

[hirshey]

We spent the next day exploring terrain closer to base camp and trying to find where those wily wapiti and wolves were hiding before deciding to help Travis and Brandon find their deer. We agreed to go back to the area I had the opportunity at the nice four point at 200 yards; both Brandon and Travis would be happy to harvest that animal. As we navigated a now VERY solid hillside in -20 degree weather, Travis and I encountered a small group of does. We hunkered down and waited for Brandon and Jeff to arrive to allow them time to settle into the next bit of terrain in case there was a good buck with them. When Brandon arrived, we all agreed to let the two with open tags continue into the next fold of the hillside. It had been about 20 minutes, and we figured those does were probably back to normal behaviors at that juncture. Our assumptions were rewarded with a single muffled shot!
Jeff and I waited a few moments to ensure the job was finished, and could hardly contain our excitement and curiosity… what had they found? As we slowly circumnavigated the mountain, we spotted a buck tumbling down the steep slope before coming to rest against a log. Travis gave out an uncharacteristic holler of excitement as we all converged on the animal (after Travis confirmed the deed was done, of course). What a beauty! We dragged it down the hillside, and I gave a brief tutorial on the gutless method and caping an animal. The meat bags were filled quickly and although it was dark when we started our hike out, our spirits were quite light. We made it back to spike camp and enjoyed a meal worthy of calling it artistry; peppered deer heart complimented by lemon-butter chanterelles. The whiskey and company both were on point that night.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Great looking bucks. 

[hirshey]

[hirshey]

[hirshey]

(the photos only get better!!)

[hirshey]

[meathunter]

OK your killing me!!   

[hirshey]

[hirshey]

At this juncture, Brandon was our last unfilled deer tag. We spent the remainder of the days (four of them) getting wolves to howl at us in stormy weather, taking photos of bighorn sheep in blizzards, and looking for a buck for him to match the caliber of ours. He had a few opportunities both passed upon and missed, but ended up taking a smaller buck than those he passed earlier on the last day of our hunt. He was still thrilled about the experience and was by far the one that pushed his physical conditioning to the limits. No elk were taken, and in the end the only ones we witnessed were well into our travels out of the wilderness.

I am so grateful for the friends I have made, and that trip was the perfect way to end a noteworthy season. Thanks, fellas, for going to the wild places with me!






(yes I know there are does in the background of that one... )