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Author Topic: Another Montana Story  (Read 3818 times)

Offline gramps

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Another Montana Story
« on: November 23, 2009, 05:32:04 PM »
First, it was nice to spend 3 weeks plus in my home state…mostly hunting, but visiting, sightseeing and some genealogy also.

I didn’t see any bucks the first three or four days, but enjoyed some spectacular country I had not been to before.  I did see a Big Horn ram that could have been the brother to the 200” +/- ram taken in August.  According to the locals, I was within a few miles of where he was taken.  Later that day I saw 5 rams together and took some pictures thru’ a spotting scope.  They are not very good as I was holding a small digital up to the eyepiece of the scope.

Moved across the big river to a large chunk of property that belongs to some old friends of the family.  Passed on several bucks and after another 5 or 6 days, I was regretting that decision.  In 15 days of hunting, I walked farther than I have in 10 years for a deer.  I am not complaining…actually I am very excited about it…’cause a few years ago I could hardly walk across the room.  (Bofire, I and a few others here have had vertebra fusions..multiple times in my case).

One evening, I spotted some deer and with light fading I could make out a buck.   Headed out in the dark the next morning and saw 14 does…no buck.  Went back to a convenient knob of high ground that evening and saw him again…no shot opportunity tho’.  Same story the next morning.  Third morning was the day.   Finally spotted him with a single doe.  The rut had not really started, but he was following a doe some.  They moved out of sight into a small draw..(Coulee for you other natives) ..about ¾ mile away and as I was figuring out how to be in a better spot the next morning, I decided I would try to make a stalk from here.  Had to cross a creek twice and with some large sagebrush for cover, I had a good view.  Spent 20 minutes glassing before I spotted antlers in the sage…cool..except there was 300 yards of a flat grass meadow between me and him.  It looked like his head was down like maybe he was asleep so I started to crawl across the meadow.  I moved a yard or so and looked thru’ the rifle scope ‘cause I was moving it ahead of me with the bi-pod down trying to stay low to the ground.   I had made it about 50 yards across the grass, looking every yard, when it looked like he was looking at me, but I could not for the life of me tell where his body was and no way to shoot at what little I could see at that range.  So I lay there for 35 minutes looking thru’ the scope…my eyes were killing me…when he stood up…stretched….turned broadside and ½ second later my 30 yr. old baby Weatherby went boom and I heard a reassuring whop.  Long hunt over.  Not big by any stretch, but typical of the area.

I had not even unloaded the 4-wheeler from the pick up in 2 + weeks, but with permission from the landowner, I gladly used it to haul him the 2 miles to the rig.

Spent several days walking the sage where a large heard of Antelope had been hanging out looking for sheds without any success and visiting with the current owners of the place where my granddad homesteaded and where I spent my youth.

I didn’t keep track, but it seemed everywhere I looked there was a pickup with Washington plates….lots of ‘em. 

And on the warm afternoons of 5 & 6 Nov, the rattlesnakes were out, Prairie Dogs also
PS…wool pants provide zero protection from cactus and yucca leaves.

Spent 6 weeks total over there this fall and enjoyed every minute .. Headed back in a few months.


It never changes, but it is always different.

Offline gramps

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Re: Another Montana Story
« Reply #1 on: November 23, 2009, 05:33:51 PM »
Couple more pictures...
It never changes, but it is always different.

Offline Jason

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Re: Another Montana Story
« Reply #2 on: November 23, 2009, 05:36:41 PM »
Awesome pics and great story! Congrats!!!

Offline NWBREW

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Re: Another Montana Story
« Reply #3 on: November 23, 2009, 05:36:54 PM »
Sounds like a great trip.....nice pics of the sheep and a good looking buck. That snake doesn't look very friendly.
Just one more day

Online Woodchuck

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Re: Another Montana Story
« Reply #4 on: November 24, 2009, 01:12:06 PM »
Congrats gramps
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Offline Pathfinder101

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Re: Another Montana Story
« Reply #5 on: November 24, 2009, 11:09:13 PM »
Great buck Gramps!  Damn, I hope you took that snake's picture with a zoom lens... that's close... :yike:
Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.  That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

Offline washelkhntr

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Re: Another Montana Story
« Reply #6 on: November 24, 2009, 11:17:56 PM »
Congrats. That's a dandy buck!
"Once a Chief, always a Chief. Retired and Proud."

Offline GWA Hunter

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Re: Another Montana Story
« Reply #7 on: November 24, 2009, 11:55:43 PM »
Awesome pictures and thanks for the great story! I'm jealous. I have always wanted to go hunt Montana!

Offline mtndew

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Re: Another Montana Story
« Reply #8 on: November 25, 2009, 12:38:50 PM »
Nice pictures. Is the hoist in your receiver the Monarch from Cabelas? If not, where did you get yours? I have been thinking about getting one of those. Looks like it works pretty slick.
One shot, one Deer. Two shots, maybe one Deer. Three shots, no Deer

Offline spur_ride

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Re: Another Montana Story
« Reply #9 on: November 25, 2009, 12:42:10 PM »
awsome buck and great pics. congrats

Offline Buckmark

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Re: Another Montana Story
« Reply #10 on: November 25, 2009, 12:49:51 PM »
Sounds like fun, nice buck..
To hunt and butcher an animal is to recognize that meat is not some abstract form of protein that springs into existence tightly wrapped in cellophane and styrofoam.

Offline gramps

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Re: Another Montana Story
« Reply #11 on: November 25, 2009, 01:06:42 PM »
Thanks everyone.
No telephoto on the snake...never expected to see snakes and I nearly stepped on this one.  Was walking along looking everywhere but where I was walking and heard the buzzzz and jumped a few feet before I even knew it.  So much for figuring out where they are before you move stuff one reads about.  Saw 4 total and all were a little slow and small, but 3 rattles can make a lot of noise and they would strike.

I welded up the skinning pole from some tubing and angle iron...will add some pieces for braces instead of the rope to the corners of the bed.  Put a small winch in the front of the bed for another use and it worked for this too.
It never changes, but it is always different.

Offline eastside boy

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Re: Another Montana Story
« Reply #12 on: November 25, 2009, 07:07:16 PM »
Sounds like a great time!!!!  Nice buck and pics...thanks for posting. :)
Be Vewy Vewy Quiet!!

Offline Pathfinder101

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Re: Another Montana Story
« Reply #13 on: November 26, 2009, 12:29:13 PM »
Gramps, you oughta sell those pickup-hitch-deer-hanger-thingys.  I sure as heck could have used one out there.  I skinned mine on the ground.  In fact, I am waiting for Tom to send me a picture of me caping out my buck's neck.  He was rigor-mortis'ed, and we laid him on his back with only his rump and his antlers on the ground, and crawled under him like I was working on a car :P.  It's hard to describe, I'll post a picture when he sends it.
Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.  That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

 


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