IN N OUT BUCK
2019 SOLO HUNT
It was supposed to be a 5 day solo backcountry trip of glassing and solitude. I packed in all day and got camp set up. It took a while to recover with some electrolytes and food but after an hour I was ready to set out for an evening hunt. The hunt only lasted 50 minutes.
As I was still hunting the timber I thought I heard horns rattling. I didn't believe it and dismissed it as the wind or woodpecker. It happened again about 5 minutes later, the sound of horns rattling. There was no wind and no woodpeckers. It must be a hunter with rattle antlers trying to call deer... but I was sure no one was around. I couldn't locate where it was coming from but continued on. I heard it one more time as I neared the top of the ridge and I was sure Id find some guy sitting and rattling. I rounded the corner of some trees to look in to a rock basin and I found a buck staring at me at 40 yds.
He was boned out and back at camp with in 2 hrs. I packed camp up and headed down the hill the same night, grabbed a energy drink in town and got home at 3 am. It was kind of bitter sweet. I was looking foreword to mountain time but I'm glad to have the tag filled .
I was pretty sore the next 2 days packing in and out the same day.