Well still have my tag in my pocket but had one hell of a trip into the back country!!! The first day up i was a lil upset being it was a Wed and there was alot more people up high then i was expecting to see! So as we walked in on the trail I seen two hunters in front of us stopped! I tolded my dad pray they dont go down my trail as there is 2 different trails to take. Of course they take my trail!!!
( there is a lil story about my trail i have seen the same 2 bucks for the last 4 years!! I first seen them when they were spikes and watched them grow over the years. Last year 1 was a 2x3 and the other was just a big 2x2 both around 22" wide. So going in this year I knew they would at least be 3 or even 4 pts. The one buck has a double white patch on his neck is why I know its the same 2) So back to the guys that were on my trail. We got a plan that hopefully the bucks wouldnt be in the sam spot which they always were but maybe they werent so we started on a trail below them. Didnt go more than 300 yards and BOOM BOOM!
Of course I looked at my dad and he gives me the old wise advice "shoulda got up 10 minutes earlier". I never went up to see as I didnt want to know if it was one of my boyz. So I continued hunting along and hiked in to my other spot that i liked to hunt. Only seeing small bucks on the way there i was thinking for sure there would be a couple good bucks in my meadows. As i came to the top of the pass I see a camp and I got sick again. Here someones in this spot i thought but then thought positive that just maybe they will help push the deer around. So I hiked into the base of the meadows and started glassing. Wasnt long and I spotted a few deer around 1000 yards out. I notice to the left of them a decent shooter buck so I played it out in my head how I was going to sneak into a shooting position. I started down the valley and stopped to look back at the buck and he was still standing in the same spot. As I was glass him he dropped like he got hit with a sledehammer to the head. Then I heard the boom. 2 other hunters had came from above him and musta noticed him standing there and took him
. So I decided I was going to look for some new ground and i would just hike the 9 miles back to camp through some country I've never been through! I seen a couple small bears in the area but no deer! So when I got back to camp the old man of course was taking a nap we talked awhile and decided to go do some grouse hunting. So we packed up and started down the hill. We went up a few roads and I shot a lil yote with my .17 but no gouse ever did pop there head out. So it was right about 20 mins before hunting hours were over and heading back to camp I notice a monster black object across the canyon. Assuming it was just a cow I kept driving. I got to the last switch back and got a real good look and it was a bear. A monster bear out there about 500 yards. Its almost dark and i got a good rest and had him in my crosshairs. I'm putting this bear no less than 400 lbs he was huge. As i looked at him in the scope my dad reminds me of the terrian that he is in. Super steep and super rocky. The rain had started and it was damn there dark. I let the bear of a lifetime go!!!! I kept thinking to myself just shoot and we will come back in the morning but the outdoorsman in me wouldnt let me pull the trigger. I'm glad I didnt shoot because he will be back there again and nobody in there right mind is going over there to get him as we went back the next day and it looks like hell. So we got up the next morning and went back out. I could barly move and when I was looking at the map I noticed that I had walked right around 17 miles the day before. So needless to say I didnt hike in very far. The rain was just coming down and I was sneaking throught the woods not seeing much but chipmunks. So I decided to pull out the good ol primos predator call and try calling in a coyote, bear, or bobcat. And of course thats not what came. I put the call out about 80 yards and put myself under an old blow down. I Started in calling. Nothing for about an hour. I figured the rain wasnt helping. My leg fell asleep so i stood up to stretch it out and kinda gave the area a once over when in the corner of my eye i caught something running away. It was a cougar running up the hill. That thing was walking down the same blow down that I was on. Seeing me musta of scared him but reactions made me grab gun but he was gone. Then of course went through my head cougars not even open. I guess thats a get out jail free!!! So hiked back out and went to camp. The next morning was our last day and the old man had enough so he dropped me off back up top and hiked in for one last hunt. Seen 6 deer one very small 2x3 which i sure hope someone doesnt shoot it hes super little. Hiked out and packed up camp. We headed out that afternoon stopping by one last time to see if my bear was there!!!
We will meet again in October my friend!!!!
