Post by: 3nails on November 25, 2018, 04:18:23 PM
This is when things went sideways fast. Out of nowhere I blew a disc in my lower back requiring surgery. The disc was pressed against a nerve eliminating the feeling in my left leg from my knee to my ankle. Praise the Lord I still had full use of my ankle and 25% of my knee. Both early hunts were out of the question now and so was the high country for my late hunt. The tricky part now was to keep this info to myself. There is another local hunter who knows where I hunt and I feel would "sneak" into there if he knew I wouldn't be there. :chuckle:
My son decided to skip the high hunt and hunt mid-range for general. It was very tough not going with him! He passed a couple of bucks up and that season ended with him still having a tag. I was surprised because he hunted almost every day. I took the whole late season off from work and was just starting to feel healed enough to get out. (ish) Since we had the Weyerhauser permit we decided to hunt the higher elevation clearcuts as my son had killed a dandy there a couple years ago.
The first couple of days were pretty slow with warm weather and only 1 deer sighting. My son did find a nice 5 pt elk shed however. His first.
Post by: 3nails on November 25, 2018, 04:20:04 PM
Post by: 3nails on November 25, 2018, 04:26:49 PM
Post by: 3nails on November 25, 2018, 04:27:51 PM
Post by: teanawayslayer on November 25, 2018, 04:34:10 PM
Post by: blackveltbowhunter on November 25, 2018, 04:37:51 PM
Post by: grundy53 on November 25, 2018, 04:47:09 PM
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Post by: 3nails on November 25, 2018, 04:48:55 PM
My son and I both decided we needed to look at another area to see if we could find a rut hot spot. About 1 pm on the 8th day we headed to a new area. We drove a few miles up a new road and came to an intersection of 2 skid roads. I told my son to walk one for 15 minutes and look for sign while I'd walk the other. 50 yds from the truck I poked my nose into the brush. There standing 30 yds away to my left was a 2 pt facing me. With my back situation I was not about to pass this little porker so close to a road! One shot straight down the middle and my tag was filled. We had him gutted and in the truck in about 30 minutes. Last year I killed a booner blacktail but I think I was more excited about this one than that one! God is SO good to me! So thankful He gave me one like that.
Post by: 3nails on November 25, 2018, 04:50:50 PM
Post by: bobcat on November 25, 2018, 04:56:44 PM
Post by: Odell on November 25, 2018, 05:08:47 PM
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Post by: wildweeds on November 25, 2018, 05:14:32 PM
Post by: 3nails on November 25, 2018, 05:15:44 PM
I was so excited for him and a bit bleery eyed I wasn't thinking clearly when I made the hour plus drive up there the next morning with him to drop him off. Why did I do that? He's 20 years old and has his own truck! We laughed about it and I told him I was going home for a nap. I told him I'd come back at noon. If he was there, great. If not, nap #2. :chuckle:
It was a loooong 5 hours with the rain pouring down and the rut still goingl strong. After my nap I couldn't get back up there quick enough. Driving back up the road every corner got me more excited. Coming around the last corner and leaning forward into the steering wheel I couldn't locate him. As I slowed the truck he suddenly stepped out of the brush with both hands raised high. I knew what this meant! Somehow I mannaged to stammer "how big?" With a big, drowned rat smile he said "big!". To say I spun out for the next 10 minutes would be an understatement. He said it was a couple miles and 6 to 7 hundred feet down. Too far for me to help him. We had to go back to town into cell range to recruit help but it was killing me to not see it!
Post by: 3nails on November 25, 2018, 05:45:18 PM
Post by: 3nails on November 25, 2018, 05:47:01 PM
Post by: 3nails on November 25, 2018, 05:49:52 PM
Post by: High Climber on November 25, 2018, 05:56:58 PM
Post by: 3nails on November 25, 2018, 05:58:33 PM
Post by: blackveltbowhunter on November 25, 2018, 06:00:37 PM
Post by: 3nails on November 25, 2018, 06:01:17 PM
Post by: Old Man Yager on November 25, 2018, 06:03:11 PM
Post by: 3nails on November 25, 2018, 06:08:01 PM
Post by: TVHunts on November 25, 2018, 06:28:23 PM
Post by: grundy53 on November 25, 2018, 06:30:58 PM
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Post by: teanawayslayer on November 25, 2018, 06:31:47 PM
Post by: X-Force on November 25, 2018, 06:55:32 PM
Post by: lewy on November 25, 2018, 07:06:15 PM
Post by: meatwhack on November 25, 2018, 07:13:25 PM
Post by: millerwheeler on November 25, 2018, 07:27:52 PM
Post by: elkrack on November 25, 2018, 07:29:15 PM
Post by: JakeLand on November 25, 2018, 07:30:13 PM
There needs to be a story about the goats !
Post by: coonhound on November 25, 2018, 08:09:28 PM
Post by: Harbor_hunter on November 25, 2018, 08:45:11 PM
Post by: Ridgerunner on November 25, 2018, 08:46:30 PM
Post by: skagitsteel on November 25, 2018, 09:00:28 PM
I was able to get ahold of Skagitsteel fairly quickly and after getting permission ( :chuckle:) he was eager to load up his goats and come get the buck out. We got a bite to eat and headed out to quarter it up. Finally I got to see it. He is a very old heavy dark antlered regressed buck. Not a big frame but gigantic mass! This buck is everything I dream about. So thankful my son was blessed by the Lord so greatly!
Fantastic buck! I’m glad the timing worked out that I was able to help. Getting a call to help pack out becomes fun when none of it ends up in my pack :chuckle:
Post by: Birdguy on November 25, 2018, 09:15:09 PM
That is pretty cool to see the goats loaded up! Awesome you were able to help out Skagitsteel :tup:
Post by: Tradhunter on November 25, 2018, 10:13:34 PM
Post by: fishnfur on November 25, 2018, 10:58:09 PM
Post by: deerhunter_98520 on November 26, 2018, 07:34:54 AM
Post by: Matth on November 26, 2018, 07:40:46 AM
Post by: pianoman9701 on November 26, 2018, 07:42:58 AM
Post by: lipripper on November 26, 2018, 07:46:30 AM
Post by: DeArBuCK4me on November 26, 2018, 08:30:12 AM
God is Good All The Time!!!!
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on November 26, 2018, 09:01:04 AM
Post by: Seabass on November 26, 2018, 09:07:01 AM
I have been blessed to share some epic adventures with my boys....this will be something that neither one of you will ever forget.
A few years back, I read an article about a guy who was using goats as pack animals. It sounded interesting but this is the first time, since that article, I have heard any more about them...very cool.
Post by: Old Man Yager on November 26, 2018, 10:07:44 AM
Post by: shotguunar on November 26, 2018, 03:41:38 PM
Post by: skagitsteel on November 26, 2018, 04:05:48 PM
Nice job little 3 nails looks like you been listening to dad. the billy goat picture is awesome. The facial expression on your sons face is priceless. just curious how much weight can a goat haul?
My biggest goat can haul 70-75 ibs as a max load. 50-55 ibs is an all day type of load for him when he's in shape (he weighs about 250). 50-60 ibs is a typical max weight for a good sized (200+ ibs) in shape fully mature pack goat. 1st photo is my big goat when i got him, 2nd photo is once I got him in shape. Goats are basically the super cub of pack animals, they have some disadvantages if you want to pack in wall tents on a trail, however the worst possible terrain you can imagine, a goat is right at home, not to mention no leashes required (for hiking), no food and in our mountains a week without water. Don't mean to hijack the thread, maybe i'll do another one soon all about goats, still in the early stages and just starting to dial it in.
Post by: 3nails on November 26, 2018, 04:15:17 PM
Post by: Watimberghost on November 26, 2018, 05:28:04 PM
Post by: MADMAX on November 26, 2018, 06:01:45 PM
Post by: brokentrail on November 26, 2018, 06:28:26 PM
Post by: h2ofowlr on November 26, 2018, 06:38:54 PM
Post by: Turner89 on November 26, 2018, 07:49:15 PM
Hope your back heals quickly :)