Started up the trail Saturday morning, it took about 5 hours to get to where we set up camp. Did not do much hunting that first evening as I was saving myself for the next morning.
Woke up early and started up the mountain, it was a torturous jungle approach through slide alder, then the going got real tough grabbing whatever I could while pulling myself up another thousand feet in elevation, by this time it was about 10:30 am and I was alone on the mountain thinking how one false move and I could be falling to my death. I hadn't seen anything and was questioning what I was doing (I could be hunting a nice easy lowland spot), when I heard a thump thump in front of me and saw a deer's ass through the trees!! Dang it I thought I had blown my chance! I moved to my left about 10 yards to try and get a look at it when a heard a loud snort followed by another. All of the sudden a nice one horned buck comes trotting in front of me at about 60 yards, BANG, one shot from my trusty 30.06 pump was all it took and he was down.
Wow, it was by far the biggest bodied buck I have ever laid eyes on. Now the work begins. Being that I was alone up a very steep slope and the buck was missing one antler I decided to let the buck tumble down the mountain to where it wasn't so steep. The buck would fall about 100 yards at a time until getting hung up on something, then I would work my way down to him and do it again.
Finally got him down to where I could quarter him up and hang the sweet meat in some tall slide alder to cool. I got back to my spike camp with my Eberlestock full of backs trap tenderloins and one shoulder. Boy I was tired and glad to see my dad and good buddy at camp, especially because they could help me pack meat.
The next day we all went to get the rest of the meat, got it back to camp then loaded all of the meat and all of camp for the long trek down the trail. My pack was at least 100 lbs (might think about taking two trips next time). Finally made it to the truck at about 6:00 pm, had a cold beverage and waited for my dad and buddy. Well my buddy came about 20 minutes later but by 8:00 pm still no dad!!! So back up the tail with just a head lamp to try and find him. Had to go up almost 2 miles in until we finally found him, he had hurt his ankle so I took his pack out the rest of the way for him.
As I write this my legs still hurt so bad I don't want to move them but I only have about half of him cut and wrapped so its back out to the garage to finish him up.
The venison will feed my family all winter which makes me feel good. There is NOTHING like a high country hunt.
