Well On Saturday we left the truck at 5:00 and began the walk up the mountain with big deer on our mind. We got up to around 4000 ft. and could start to see that there was snow on the ground. We continued walking knowing about where I wanted to be at first light. Well first light came and shortly after we seen a small group of about 6 deer filing through the timber, no bucks. So we continued up the trail.
So we arrive at the top of the hill at about 8:30 and to our surprise there was no one as far as we could see. We galssed the area and decided to take a quick water/snack break. We then split up and I continued up and he was going to walk out a ridge nearby. Well I started getting into snowdrifts up to my knees and decided to turn around. When I got back to where we had sat for 20 minutes there was a spike buck standing in the EXACT location we had just been sitting.
Well my buddy calls me on the radio and said that he had a pretty good spot to glass from. So I work my way over and he leads me to his vantage point. Well the wind was whipping about 30 mph so circled below a big rock face to get out of the elements. Well as we were walking my buddy spotted a deer, it was a buck but with the fog rolling in and out we couldn't really put any third point on it. Well it feeds back in the timber then two deer come out,both bucks. Still cant tell. Well after watching for a while we decide to make our way down 20 more feet and sit. Well as we started walking I spotted a third deer trotting out of the timber instantly I knew it was a shooter. We both darted over to the rock confirmed it was legal and my buddy shot, I got to watch the deer crumble in my scope. Now we are high fiving and working our way down to his buck when three more bucks run out of the same piece of timber. My buddy indicated that the first deer was the biggest and I took him as he headed up the other side of the chute. The deer ended up laying within 10 feet of each other.
The fun was over and know the work begun, skinned them out hung them in a tree and hiked back in on Sunday to get them. 24 miles total, 6 miles with 124 lbs on my back. I would not trade this trip and memories for anything in the world.
My 20" 4x3
My buddies 26.25" 3x3 w/eyeguards
Me posing with both bucks
