Buffalo hunt

[deadwoodbuck]

Two years ago when my brother  and longtime hunting partner, Kioti was diagnosed with cancer...we decided to fill his freezer one last time by harvesting what our ancestors have fed on...Buffalo.  Last year my brother died before we could get a hunt together.  In his spirit my son, best friend and I traveled to the plains of SE Montana to the heart of the once great buffalo herds for the hunt.  Doug Stange of Crazy Woman Bison Ranch owns 5500 acres with a free roaming, self sustaining herd of buffalo.  We stayed in the town of Ekalaka, pop.200, where Denise of the guest house was so nice and the cabin was great for the three of us.  2  restaurants a general store and the guest house ARE the town.  22 miles SW on a oil and gravel road then 7 miles back in on a dirt road we were at the ranch.  After proving that we could hit the broad side of a barn...we mounted his "steel stead" and bounced off across the prairie to find the herd.  We were able to position ourselves close to the herd for a nice 75yd shot...BOOM. The first yearling goes down...then gets back up while the rest of the herd looks around wondering what just happened.  Then the whole herd slowly walks away led by the bull I shot...180gr. 30.06, noslier partition OK.  Watching the herd walk over a small knob, we ride over to a key spot where they were.  In the process my best friend fell off the "steel stead" with his rifle...damaging the scope.  BOOM the second shot drops the yearling cold.  BOOM my son grinning ear to ear drops a second yearling cold.  I gave my rifle to my best friend to use.  "Now that one take it" says Doug as my bud raises the rifle to shoot...CLICK...forgot to jack in a round.   The herd moves a bit, so now...BOOM...then the whole herd moves to the right.  All I see is the four legs of a buffalo sticking up in the air.  "What are you looking at" he says "the bull is down over there."  Well we did not know that my brother, Kioti, was with us and wanted his buffalo too.  The yearling bull stood on a small knob, just behind him and down looking straight at the yearling was another buffalo...that nobody saw.  The 06 went through the first bull...blew out both his lungs...then straight into my brothers bull, which was hidden from view, straight down the neck into the heart...two-fer with one shot.  With all the eyes on the bull, nobody saw that one coming.  Doug had to eat that one but said stuff happens...sorry.  Once the buffalo skinner skinned, gutted and quartered the animal, we loaded up the heads, hide and 1200lbs of meat in the meat wagon.  My head and hide is being treated by Dave Hale Taxidermy in Whitewood, SD...a real expert in buffalo.  My son sent his hide off to Speciality Leather in Iowa...the only place you are guaranteed to get your hide back as leather.  Smokey Ridge Butcher shop in Chewelah cut and wrapped at a reasonable price.  Mine was 375lbs, the sons 385lbs and my buds 370lbs...enough to fill  hole in the freezer.  Great memories with a remembrance of buffalo, his ashes and rocks to my brother on the high plains. Over a 1000lbs of meat, 7 days on the road, $6.75 a pound in the freezer...memories priceless.

[deadwoodbuck]

OH...what I did for my 65th birthday

[deadwoodbuck]

one more...why there are not more bison on the range than cattle is beyond me.   Best pot roast I have EVER eaten...and my granola friend went back for more meat only not veggies when they come over for dinner.

[Woodchuck]

Very cool. I remember being amazed at how big they were the first one I walked up on, especially when I was told it was a "young meat bull"

[Buckblaster]

Very cool!  I'd love to shoot one someday, I absolutely love the meat!

[Falcon]

Great post.

Happy that you had a great hunt and made some great memories

[C-Money]

Sounds like fun. Congrats! I'd sure like to hunt one sometime.

[carpsniperg2]

Sounds like you guys had a lot of fun. I'm sure he was watching down on your guys and enjoyed the hunt in his memory.

[Remnar]

  and

[gunnarnewt]

 

[ShaneTyTrey]

Great way to pay tribute to your brother.  Looks like an awesome time, congrats!

[cbond3318]

Awesome! Great memories I'm sure and your brother will be at the heart of them!! Thanks for sharing with us all!

[follow maggie]

awesome

[follow maggie]

I'm thinking of doing this, rather than buying 1/2 a beef, this year. Deadwood, would you go back?

[Stickerbush]

Great way to tribute your brother