2018 hunting season, few good laughs few good memories

[ninjahunter]

New to the site, so I want to start off and say thanks for all the info and advice I’ve gotten from reading many posts. I’ve read a few posts of people talking about their hunting season, so I decided I wanted to share mine. By far not the most glamorous but few laughs and a few first for me.
   Started my year off by switching to single, so that freed up more time then I have ever had before in previous hunts! Very good hunting buddy of mine and I decided to start scouting for mule deer in eastern Washington, later then we normally like to for modern season, late start for sure but we still went. Having permission to hunt on a farmer’s land we knew where we could get average mule deer but decided to venture off onto some public land. Grass is always greener on the other side situation!! Checking the same spot over the next few weeks, and I’m happy with the public land choice, seen some shooters that got my attention, that being said, I haven’t been hunting many years (6 years actually), so anything with more then 3 points had my attention. 2 days before opening morning here comes family wanting to go hunting with me, well I couldn’t say no, just wanted to be nice. But in my head, I kept thinking to myself WTF am I thinking I have a hard-enough time staying quiet and still, why did I say yes to someone more novice then me coming with me!! OPENING MORNING, damn I’m excited, drive out to the spot and start walking in at 4am, I wanted to make sure all the noise my new hunting partner was going to be making, wouldn’t scare off all the deer. Boy was I wrong on all counts. 2 mile walk in, sitting in the dark finally settled and now we wait. Sun coming up beautiful morning I’m getting more excited by the minute, and then felt like I was in the middle of Florida orange field, I thought I was the deer for a minute, 100% surrounded by other hunters. Annoyed knowing I couldn’t stay here regretting my choice to hunt public land, I gather my things and walk out. Opening morning busted only thing to do is drive to town and eat breakfast. For the next week I felt like I was in the Clockum hunting elk. More hunters everywhere then I have ever seen before. last day of the season. My experienced hunting buddy and I decided to try the farmers land one more time, he came in from the backside I walked in from the front side, later in the afternoon we met up in the middle where he had spotted some deer 2,000+ yards away, me being out of shape and tired told him I wanted a break, so he took off scouting a head, well at this point I decided it was a good time to eat, sat down had my meal and got a call from my buddy saying there was a few shooters. SO HERE I GO, tired from a week of it just not going my way, not even thinking about what was in front of me. I start walking around a draw up to where my buddy is at, I see him sitting, slowly sliding down the hill and what do I do!? I Turn into the newbie!! From my angle he was looking down the draw at deer, I never saw the monster 5x5 straight across from him, BUT he sure saw me, the level of *censored* I felt right there was new to me. The look my buddy gave me said I was about to be his next wall mount! After scaring the deer off, my buddy had been trying to shoot I gave, I turned around and went home. Opening season BUSTED.

[ninjahunter]

Fast forward to modern elk season. My now pissed off hunting buddy can’t come with me with his family being sick (not sure if he just didn’t want to be with me lol).  He tells me I need to go to what we call “elk canyon” where we see elk often and I have shot a spike before. Same family member wanted to tag along, no tags just wanted the experience. Day before opening morning I have him stay at my place, better then waiting for him in the morning. Still feeling *censored*ty from deer season, I was not in the mood to elk hunt, I woke up pissed off walked out of my room and told my cousin I don’t want to go, still going through all the motions and getting my gear ready. We left my house at 5am with me still complaining, while we picked up breakfasts still complaining, complaining while filling the gas tank. On the road I looked at my cousin and said “if we don’t see any elk by noon I’m going home. We get to the spot I want to hunt and start walking in the 3 miles. We sit down about 7:45 sun slowly coming up 15mins in this spot was just uncomfortable, so we go another 20yards to a nice rock ledge. I feel we are in a great spot I can see down the draw and up the draw perfect, wind blowing in my face I finally start to relax, I hear rocks move behind me, I think with my luck this year I’m not even going to turn around and look, figuring it’s another hunter coming in. not 5 minutes later I heard a noise that sounded familiar but wasn’t sure what it was, to lazy to look behind me I ask my cousin to look, as he turned and looked, the noise finally clicked in my head, it was a damn cow calling!! I can hear in my cousins voice a panic and excitement, I turn around slowly and see a small herd coming over the hill down the draw!! After all my *censored*ty attitude and all my luck during deer season, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing!! I grabbed my range finder, any of the elk would have been a pop shot at 220 yards, taking my time glassing through all the elk, I spot a tall true spike with hour glass shape, I wanted him bad, but he never left the side of the big branched antlered bulls, I couldn’t risk the shot. I kept glassing and see a bigger bodied smaller spiked coming in (more meat for the freezer). I follow the direction he is walking spaced out from the herd, I know I will lose sight of him behind a small dip in the draw but will have a great clear shot when he comes around, everything for some reason is working out!! Trying to stay relaxed, I can feel my chest beating hard, he comes out of the small dip, clear shot, spike down!! All this happening felt like hours looking at my phone to call my buddy 8:30am. For elk, this was the luckiest year I have ever had I couldn’t be happier. The first things I do is call my buddy. He knew the moment he answered his phone “you got one.” I said yes. The guy that I screwed out of a great mule deer, the guy that couldn’t make it because of sick family (which was true) drove the 1.5hrs (made it in 1hr didn’t ask how lol) to come help me pack out my elk. Between him, my cousin and myself, one trip packed out the elk. Back home by noon talking about the great memories made that morning.

[ninjahunter]

Since I shot the elk my mood towards hunting had finally changed. So, I decided to give late season white tail a try. I have never gone out for white tail before. Again, I was going to be relying on my hunting partner for his experience and advice. I joined his camp on Friday night. Saturday we went out, he helped me find a great spot and he went off to his spot. From sunrise to sunset I sat in the blind we had made, saw more spiked deer and does then I can remember. Decided to call it and headed back to camp. Sunday morning, I wake up beat up and tired (again I’m out of shape). I tell him I’m not going to make it this morning I’ll be out later, so he decides to go out to where I had setup Saturday. Here comes my luck again, he walked out with a nice 4x4. I made the trek up to help him pack out, which he refused the help, he wanted me to stay and look for another buck. The rest of Sunday was a bust. Monday morning, I tell myself if it has horns its coming home with me. Buddy and I walk in sat down, 30mins later, a small fork and horn snuck in 80 yards from us, quick shot quick pack out and my season is done.
It was a year of first for me
1st year shooting a deer and an elk the same year
1st time ever shooting a white tail
Looking back at the year, I laugh at everything I did and said. I know there is no guarantee when hunting, but just for myself I know I need to keep a better attitude for all situations, I wouldn’t change anything that happened, minus screwing up my buddy’s hunt. It all makes for great memories and I’ve already started planning out my 2019 hunt.

[Sandberm]

Awesome writeup! 

Single, out of shape, screwing up your buddies hunt, dumb luck....GOOD STUFF! 

By the way...I loved your guitar work in when you were in Soundgarden.

[MerriamMagician]

Welcome to the site.  Thanks for sharing your story, good luck planning next years hunt!

[Brushbuster]

Cool story Ninja! You keep killing stuff you'll be in shape in no time!  Thank you for sharing your hunts this year. 

[ninjahunter]

Awesome writeup! 

Single, out of shape, screwing up your buddies hunt, dumb luck....GOOD STUFF! 

By the way...I loved your guitar work in when you were in Soundgarden.

Thanks! you would think with all the Soundgarden money i would get some guided hunts 

[JakeLand]

Well you got a freezer FULL and some awesome memories !!! Good times !