Good Luck Bud            

Its obvious to see that following these hunts are a lot of fun for many of us here on the Trad Gang.  I like many others can't wait to see some new pictures or hear of the events of the day.

Chris

How's that "Hobblin' Gray Goblin" doing? Is the "hitch" gonna slow his "gitalong" too badly?

Brian... we haven't dragged out the decoy yet. Not sure the timing is as good as it could be.

Gary... Vance is on the mend, but his boss is around the ranch and I've noticed he's limping more than he was yesterday.  

I know what it's like to hunt goats on a ranch with too much water.  I've been playing the game for 8 half day hunts these past few weeks and I'll just say I'm glad Elk/Deer season has arrived.    

I'm starting to take it personal.  :mad:  

I wish you guys better luck than me and I'm enjoying the stories so far. Beautiful country.

Dang, That one pic 2nd from the last looks like Mr. Green.... LOL

Nice morning filled with wilderness and wild expectations........


 

   

   

   

   

More later, Charlie and I are headed out again.....

Go get em fellas!  

Charlie and I did a lot of hiking this morning, and mule deer sign was sparse....but we did see a lot of elk sign.

The air was aroma therapy with mixed pine scents tickling our nose.  Nothing much to report but the great scenery, and one spot I found.

Charlie and I split up, as he was going to parallel some tall timber on the edge of some bordering short pines, and I was going into the tall timber to an opening I saw, and parallel Charlie's route.

I got to my opening, and saw another one more appealing higher up, so I trekked up to it and started paralleling Charlie's path, only to be lured into yet another opening.  As I came up to this flat, I froze in my tracks as I peeked into the glacial pan.

What a beautiful place at the base of a big rocky mountain, and the trails leading into and out of this trampled spring had me looking for an animal, any animal behind every tree and rock.  It was like an oasis, and a 1st stop for any big game that was hanging and running in the last layer of forest at the timber line.  It was covered UP in elk sign.

I could peek over knoll after knoll, and just new I would soon see something.....yet I did not.  But I sure was on point for some time till I made my way down to try and meet up with Charlie.

After I met up with Charlie I told him what I'd found, and he wanted to see it for himself....as he's been hunting this area for decades, and this was a spot he'd somehow missed....

Here's a few pics.....


Trampled spring #1

 


Trampled spring #2

 


One of the many rolling knolls, and well trodden trails


 

Keep up the good work guys. I'm sure there will be meat on the pole in no time at all.

Ah, my morning hunt through the mirical of the web. Much refreshed, I head out to the new shop to work on wiring. Thanks brothers

Man this whole thread makes my heart ache!!

Thanks to all for sharing, this is exactly the kind of stuff that continues to get me out of bed and put one foot after the other every day.  

Last night I had some mulie action....went in to another area and jumped one not far from the truck, and one doe come into the funnel I found and walked right by me on one of the many trails at 15 yards....then a pine squirrel ran up right behind me and started raising cane, and the doe got curious and came right at me. At 12 yards she bolted and 'po-goed' off....cool watching that.

Then another doe came down another trail and she 'pogoed' off at about15 yards as well....too bad I didn't have a doe tag....but it was exciting anyway...and I'll be back in there again before the hunt is over.

Had a little fun this AM...no mule deer, but I did bring home a tasty lunch, and saved one for the smoker this eveing...more later...as we are assessing this evening's plan.

This AM I arrived at my area just at short shooting light....15 yard max viz...and there were some grouse right where I was to set up...I tried to get a shot, and chased him for about 35 yards trying to get in that 15 yard range.  He bailed off a hill, and I let him go...as I came back to my spot, I bumped a mulie about 75 yards up the hill.  Least I think it was a mulie, not much else it could have been as elk shouldn't have been in the area.

With the moon phase as it was, I left at 9 AM to climb and see what I could find up high.  I found some great scenery for sure, and still hunted a few areas along the way, but no mulies to be found.

Here's a few pics....

 

 

 

 

I have a great deal of scenic pics, and I'll post more later.

As I returned back to my 'spot'...the grouse were back.  I took a male ruffed with a judo, and grabbed a Wensel Woodsman as another one danced down a log.  I couldn't shoot till he got to the end due to some little saplings, and I was at full draw when he danced to the end, but he took flight.  I swung with him and nailed both wings.  He never even made on flop.  As luck would have it, both breasts were unmarked....doubt I'll ever do that again!

 Man to these birds taste good!  Thanks for the frying Vance, and putting your chef touch on the young one.   We plan on smoking the larger one tomorrow.  

 

 

Nice pics Terry. Congrats on the grouse!

Congrats Terry. Ruffed grouse sure are tastey!

Nice shooting Terry! congrats on a nice brace of grouse.

Looking at the pictures, seems I can feel the cool breeze, and smell the pine in the air. Makes my heart ache a little, with a smile on my face.

For those of us waiting for our season to begin, and others that it has started. Thanks for sharing the hunt with us. We all wish we could be there.    

                  Brent

Ok guys, where is the update?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well guys this has been a whirlwind week with an ending to match.
As I sit here in Vance's log home, the wind lashes wickedly out of the west, spilling in great sheets of horizontal water from the face of the Wyoming Range of the Rocky Mountains.

Vance and I had watched it come, looming dark and angry in the west. Long crooked fingers of light crashed on the mountains crown and temperatures dropped like a rock.

We'd let Terry out down stream a mile or so to stalk an area of river bottom where'd a nice buck had appeared. Patterning and watching narrowed the hunt area down to a half mile of willow bottom maze.

Fifteen feet high in places and often closing to empenetrible green walls. A guy can't get through that very easilly (if at all). Certainly not as well as the deer and moose that call it home.

I know its been hard on ya, hunting everyday. Spending time visiting,catching up, then having us winey, wheres the story wanna be's. Dang glad that wind finally blew ya outta the willows   :D  

So whats up doc? I mean what happened?           Prey Tell

                Brent