Got it done on the last day solo in the backcountry ouch!

[savagehunter]

Well my son got his buck opening morning. Me being stubborn figured  I would  go in and hunt the last day so as to not waste any precious hunting days. Honestly didn't think I had much chance kind of a spur of the moment decision. I hiked in and set up camp around 3pm and Glassed til dark and saw nothing. Woke up at 6 am to a balmy 27 degrees and Glassed til 10am seeing only one doe I figured I had chosen the wrong meadow. I climbed into my sleeping bag chilled to the bone and to rest my tired eyes. I decided then that if nothing moved I would come off the mountain at noon. After 15 minutes I opened my eyes and noticed a new brown spot on the hill. Binocs confirmed buck, spotter confirmed legal, range finder set ot a 417 yards. I had neglected to have looked for anything to use as a rest and there was nothing within 100 yards. Ended up using my spotting scope as a rest. First shot was a hit and he headed up hill second shot at 460 put him on his butt. Now the possibility of a buck had become reality and the reality was I could either take a load out and head down the mountain to cell service and call for backup or do it all solo. I have done alot of young man work logging,firefighting,roofing and being stubborn I decided to just do it. 10.5 hours later and two trips out deer and gear were stowed in the suburban. Hardest thing I have ever done bar none. Never again by myself too much for this 50 year old smoker. As I set out for the 3.5 hr drive home I was thankful. Thankful for getting the deer thankful for getting off the mountain but mostly thankful for darrick my son who at 16 years old all he wanted was to hunt the high hunt. Thankful he got me to pick up hunting after 17 years off. Thankful for the opportunity to see him get his first deer last week. Thankful for the hours spent in those beautiful high spots that bring a peace like no other. Thanks darrick I am so proud of you. Next year you are deffinatley carrying my deer off the mountain.

[elkboy]

Thanks for sharing!  Congratulations to both you and your son on returning with venison, antlers, and a great set of memories!   

[savagehunter]

Pic

[2MANY]

Damn kid.

[savagehunter]

Where he lay

[yakimanoob]

Nice work!

[Ridgerunner]

Congrats on your high country double this year.

[WaltAlpine]

Awesome story!
Congratulations to you both!
Quit smoking and do the same thing next year.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

[Igor]

Fantastic hunt and thanks for sharing your story.  What a great way to spend quality time with your son.  Congratulations to you both !!

[teanawayslayer]

Congrats! Would have been less painful with one trip. . I am a one trip guy for deer. Gear and deer. May take longer but no way am I going back.

[Mark251]

Congratulations!  Great work 

[savagehunter]

Thanks all yeah I may have been to thorough getting the meat off my buck. I did load everything into my pack 50 pounds of gear and gun a head and meat all told just over 200 pounds . I actually got it on my back after falling over twice. Made it 250 yards I would have done it , but I hadn't ate my Wheaties that morning.  Doesn't help that I brought the big spotter and my heavy rifle. Though I needed that gun for that shot. But deffinatley too much gear for an overnight.also brought the golite teepee with bug hut instead of the big agnes ultralight. Foolish on my part but another year down another lesson learned.

[Watimberghost]

Congrats on a burly hunt! And hats off to you and your boy for both harvesting bucks on the high hunt. Thats quite the feet!

[savagehunter]

Took five years and countless hours and miles to finally pay off in meat, but the memories are worth every penny and every ounce of sweat or should I say gallons. As with anything practice makes perfect and patience is invaluable.  Like with fishing you don't catch an ything unless your line is in the water. If I've learned anything it is to hunt hard always glassing  cuz you never know the next time you look at that island of buck brush or rock or cliff the big one could be standing there and if you are not looking you won't see him.

[Brushbuster]

Congrats on your buck!! Good story thank you for sharing. 

[pianoman9701]

Beautiful buck. Well done. 

[boneaddict]

Nice Job guys.   Yeah, I don't think it ever gets easier getting them off the mountain.

[Whitenuckles]

Nice. Sounds fun

[teanawayslayer]

Thanks all yeah I may have been to thorough getting the meat off my buck. I did load everything into my pack 50 pounds of gear and gun a head and meat all told just over 200 pounds . I actually got it on my back after falling over twice. Made it 250 yards I would have done it , but I hadn't ate my Wheaties that morning.  Doesn't help that I brought the big spotter and my heavy rifle. Though I needed that gun for that shot. But deffinatley too much gear for an overnight.also brought the golite teepee with bug hut instead of the big agnes ultralight. Foolish on my part but another year down another lesson learned.

it all sucks one trip or two! Hell even the hike in sucks  . That's what keeps us going back! Congrats again!

[Tbob]

Bad a$$ man! Congrats to you both!

[KFhunter]

Nice write up, grats on your success    nice buck

[h2ofowlr]

Congrats.  Those pack outs can be brutal and be felt for weeks after.

[Jason]

Congrats glad you went up and tried it again. It was good meeting you and your son up there, I'll see you guys next year.

[savagehunter]

Thanks Jason met alot if great guys this year and everyone was really respectful of each others space . Never felt crowded we'll be back as long as my knees and lungs can handle it.

[Oh Mah]

great job. 

[huntnphool]

Congrats

[Sandberm]

 

Nice writeup. You really make the reader feel your joy.

 Ive done physical labor my whole life and am almost your age and I know exactly what you were thinking and feeling when you tackled the job of getting yourself and the deer off the mountain....I'm not that old...I'm tough, I can do this...heck Ive done tougher jobs, thats what would have been going through my mind before. After, I would have been thinking, Is that what it feels like to almost have a heart attack? 

[savagehunter]

You made me lol seriously that is exactly what was going through my mind.

[Kit Carson]

Congrats! 

[MrE4853]

Great buck and great story! Which wilderness area were you in?

[savagehunter]

I was up in the glacier peak wilderness

[Skyvalhunter]

Why not the Henry Jackson Wilderness

[savagehunter]

A usually do hunt the henry m jackson per your advice usually after we spend 4 days in glacier I head back over the hill. There is a huge Benchleg on the north side of two that I cannot seem to put sights on but have put eyes on he's over 250# and a huge rack but very nocturnal and in some of the hardest terrain I've ever hunted. It is closer to home and I usually get some Chantelles on my way back from elevation.