Well to begin the 2009 season I found out that I had successfully drawn a great Muzzleloader Bull tag. That was a surprise since I only had Two points. I then drew a good late buck tag in Idaho, and to top it off I drew a multi-season deer tag. It was looking like it might be a good year.
Well on the Third day of ML deer season I hiked into a new area and took stand. I was hanging out next to a huge pine tree, trying to stay out of the 30 mph winds. When the wind died at about 0800, a couple bucks appeared below me in the canyon. I radioed my hunting partner that I had two legals below me and I was going after them. Rather then go into detail I will just say that I missed the smaller buck and then I missed my opportunity at the bigger buck ( about a 22-24 inch 4x5). Next time I will have a range finder with me.
After missing both the bucks. I sat there beating my head on the tree and out came a medium sized black bear. I couldn't believe that 15 minutes after I just shot at two deer, a bear would appear out of the same canyon. He just grazed his way up the hill and my hunting partner missed him at 133 yards (he had a range finder). So that was my most exciting day of ML hunting ever.
Now on to my ML bull hunt. On opening day Two of my hunting partners and myself hiked about Three miles into a roadless area. We were calling every so often and had not got a response yet. Finally at 1100 we got a response. The bull came in to about 90 yards and when I finally got a glimpse of him it was a glimpse of his back side as he ran off. Then we got a couple more responses and nothing came into range. It was now about noon and we were heading back towards the truck to go try another area. We were hiking through some really thick stuff and were making a fair amount of noise. My hunting partner (Wazzuhunter) was letting out a few hoochie mamma calls on our way towards the truck. Then all of a sudden about 150 yards above us a bull lets out a scream. I move forward 10 yards and Wazzuhunter and Ryan stay back and let out some more hoochie mammas. The bull comes running down the hill and stops at 35 yards. I notice that he is just a big 5 point ( just what I didn't want to see). I couldn't hold back and let him have it. Seven hours and two trips later we had the bull packed to the truck.
Then opening weekend of Rifle deer season Wazzuhunter, Ryan and BLRMans 8 month pregnant wife all got there bucks. The second weekend of rifle season. I got my buck and while packing it to the truck my dads buddy drops the front half of my deer off his shoulders and throws up his gun. I look 100 yards to my right and notice a buck staring at us. I confirm that the buck has a legal eyeguard and Tim gives the buck a dirt nap. Tim hadn't shot a buck since he was 18 and he was now 48 years old ( talk about a dry streak). Then on the last day of the deer season I told Clockumelk (Aaron) that there was one other legal buck in the group of deer that I got mine out of. He hiked over a couple of ridges spotted the group of deer and harvested his first buck.
Then during the late season I took a buddy of mine over to the property I hunt and he killed his first buck, a decent three point whitetail. And my two other hunting partners also got there bucks on my property in the late season. We ended up getting 9 bucks this year. Only two hunters didn't kill bucks this year.
I havent yet got pics of my Idaho buck on the computer so I will do that in the next couple days. Enjoy the pics.
