Trad Gang
Topic Archives => Memorable Hunts => Topic started by: Jeff Holchin on September 26, 2006, 02:20:00 PM
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Just got home from over 3 weeks of bowhunting adventure in Colorado, Alaska and Montana. Pretty tired from two 17 hour days of driving, and I'm back at work......what a letdown. It was great to see my family again, however! I'll load some photos into Photobucket and begin the story tomorrow. Got to get this cape in the freezer first........
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Good to you made back safe.
I'll wait patiently for the pictures and story. :campfire:
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Can't wait!!!! I'll put the coffee on in the morning and await the story!
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Cape?Whutta tease! :D
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This could be the best, most well documented, fall season ever on Tradgang. These threads are fantastic! The people over at Photobucket must be scratching their heads!
Bring it on!
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Jeff I'm glad to see you are back safe and sound, and I am looking forward to this one. I just spent the weekend with Jeremy in the same area you shot your moose, and while it is great country it pales in comparison to the places you and others have been recently.....bring it on my friend.
David
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Can't wait to read the story.
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Well??? You've had all of 17hours....now get on with it man! ;)
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:campfire:
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:readit: You write, we read.
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I'll try not to bore you all, nor tease too much.
Last year I made the wise choice to substitute a family vacation for the usual western bowhunt, and my wife and 3 kids loved the 3 weeks we spent in the rocky mountains. It was part of my plan to show them why I must return every fall, in hopes of moving there someday soon. To make up for that missed hunting (well, I did sneak the bow along under the seat and got in 2 days of antelope chasing in Colorado - I couldn't help myself), I began planning a big September at the beginning of 2006.
I really wanted to bowhunt for elk and mule deer somewhere in the rocky mountains. I was already committed to my first Alaska bowhunt for the second week of September, for Sitka blacktails on an island near Kodiak with some PBS friends, so I applied for elk tags in Utah and Wyoming in January. I knew I had little chance in Utah and Wyoming told me in February that I was unsuccessful, so I next applied for the Montana elk/deer combo tag in March. I assumed that I would be unsuccessful (supposedly 40% odds) there also so I applied for a second-choice deer tag in Colorado just before the early April deadline, knowing that I could buy an elk tag in Colorado over the counter. Imagine my surprise when I found out that I had drawn both the Montana combo tags as well as the Colorado deer tag. I found out in time to not apply in New Mexico and Arizona as I had planned. I would be bowhunting 3 states, solo in Colorado and Montana but with 5 other bowhunters in Alaska.
Much planning and coordinating followed, but I still found myself unprepared on August 31, the day I was supposed to leave. I am an enginner by training and a former boy scout, so I'm usually well prepared for these hunts. But we had recently moved to a new house, a small farm actually, with many things to get done before I left. My work was very busy and the timing was bad, but I demanded and received permission to take all of September off (working weekends, overtime, night shifts and holidays all year helped). Also, school started for my kids the next day and I had traditionally taken them to their first day of school. With all my gear scattered across the garage floor, an empty truck and frustrations building, I had no choice but to delay my departure for a day. This was not a good start of a month long bowhunting adventure!
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I had planned 5 days of hunting in Colorado, 8 days in Alaska and up to 2 weeks in Montana. I had considered a dozen options, but ultimately decided that the best one was to drive to Colorado with my truck full of gear, then up to Bozeman, Montana. Then I could fly to Kodiak Island and meet my buddies there, carrying on some gear and finding the remaining gear pre-shipped at the floatplane service. Upon returning to Montana, I would then have my truck and a pretty open schedule. I had also found out that a friend-of-a-friend rancher on the Mussleshell river would let me chase antelope on his ranch, so I had applied for and received the statewide archery antelope tag. I planned to stop there for 3-4 days on the way home from SW Montana, where I would hunt elk and deer.
COLORADO
I finally got on the road on friday, September 1 at noon, after taking the kids to school, saying goodby to the wife, and stopping at the UPS store to ship some gear to Kodiak Island. That last stop didn't go well, as they wouldn't accept my used cardboard box and the price was twice the one I was quoted a week earlier! Once I got that sorted out and tried to pay with my credit card, it wouldn't work! My last stop before leaving Hickory, NC was the bank to fix that problem. Twelve hours later, I was in the middle on Missouri headed west and spent the night in the truck. I drove all day saturday and got to Granby, Colorado near dusk. I was finally in the rocky mountains!
I was hunting an area recommended by another bowhunting buddy who had seen some big mule deer there. However, his directions were a little vague and I was shocked to see all the other hunters. It was Labor Day Weekend and every turn-off of the forest service road had one or more trucks and quads parked. I finally found a place to park and got some needed sleep.
This is the view that greeted me on Sunday morning, after a hike up the nearest "hill".
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9930.jpg)
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The first day or two of hunting each fall is usually pretty rough, as I find out which items I had forgotten, figure out the area and adjust to the high altitude. I usually get a headache for the first day or two, but my summer exercize program eventually kicks in and helps my sluggish legs and lungs. It was cool at night and hot during the day. I learned that most of the hunters were after elk and that few deer had been seen. I found this part of an abandoned cabin on the second day....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9932.jpg)
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Although I saw a nice 4x4 bull elk cruising through the aspens minutes after taking the above photo, I was unpleasantly surprised at the lack of deer in the area. I had seen 1 doe doe far! However, there were plenty of range cattle. That evening I ran into a bowhunter who was scouting for moose as he elk hunted, because his buddy had a moose tag and they would return later in the fall for moose. The next morning I climbed the highest hill in the area and glassed for deer at dawn. The view was great but I only saw 2 more mule deer - both does....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9935.jpg)
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Seems like where ever I go, I get checked by a game warden and this time was no exception. I asked him about the local deer population and he said that this unit doesn't have a lot of deer, but a fair number of elk and some moose. He recommended an area which I hunted that afternoon and I snapped this photo of it....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9938.jpg)
I finally encountered some deer on the way to the above meadow. Last night in the tent, I heard some elk in the pines on the north side of the mountain, and detoured through those pines on the way to the top and the meadow. The wind was good and I saw a deer ahead of me on the trail. It was a spike buck but I could hear more deer nearby and assumed they were bucks too. He fed closer and my arrow was ready. Given the lack of deer in the area, this spike was looking pretty tasty. I had passed up spikes on previous mule deer hunts, but the pickings were pretty slim here. However, just as I began putting tension on the string, the wind swirled and the three deer crashed away. No animals except range cattle appeared in the meadow that night, and I returned to camp increasingly frustrated. Tomorrow I would try another area.
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I had walked through another area on the first day that looked promising, and saw some moose sign in the willows and ponds of the area. There was a high ridge with a great view, so I was there at dawn after a little fun with frosted shale and slick boots. Here is the view from the top......
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9944.jpg)
After hours of glassing, the only thing spotted, beside cattle, were a small 3x3 bull moose bedded in the willows near the ponds and a mule deer doe about a mile away. This area, thought pretty, just didn't have many deer. There were still plenty of elk hunters around, but I had only heard I bugle and that was at night. I spent the day driving around the remaining portion of the unit but couldn't find anything that looked better. I spent the last few hours of the day walking some state land, but only saw some coyotes. This first part of my September hunt was a bust, regarding mule deer. Now I saw why I had drawn this tag as a second choice. I did gain another preference point but learned that considerably more research was needed before I select my next Colorado unit.
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I was scheduled to fly from Bozeman to Anchorage late on September 7, so I headed that way via NW Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and finally SW Montana. Did I mention that I like to drive? I love those rocky mountains and soaked in as much scenery as possible. This area of NE Utah, near the Flaming Gorge reservoir, was particularly beautiful.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9950.jpg)
So ends my Colorado adventure - not as I had hoped but better than nothing. The next hunt in Alaska was more promising, as it had been planned by my friend Terry Receveur and the island definately held deer.
I'll post the Alaska story and photos tomorrow. You will definitely see some animals in those photos.........
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Now THAT'S what we're talkin bout! Lookin great so far...
Dang, a whole month. I can't even imagine it.
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Warming up another pot of coffee... keep it coming!!
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Alright! This one is shaping up to be another epic! I know what you mean by the Rockies - they have a magical power to pull your heart back to them time after time. All the work to get in shape beforehand, all the huffing and puffing while you're there. It's all forgotten when fall starts rolling around. I'll do anything to return year after year.
Keep the great stories coming! :thumbsup:
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Great! Looks like we're in for another incredible adventure-a-long! Keep it coming.
-Brian
www.bowyersjournal.com (http://www.bowyersjournal.com)
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Waiting for tomorrow's installment, tick-toc, tick-tock.....
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This is getting good. Beautiful pics! :thumbsup:
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Good morning, bowhunters. I'm glad you like the stories and photos - it is fun to relive the adventure and avoid the reality of my job. Here goes......
Arriving in Anchorage around midnight on September 7, I find my partners at the Alaska Airlines gate but our flight to Kodiak is not until 6:00 am. I find my partner, Jim McInteer from Iowa, as well as the group leader, Terry Receveur. I meet the 3 other bowhunters, all from Indiana, including Herb, Eddie and William. We finally arrive in Kodiak on friday morning to rain and fog - no real surprise. My luggage didn't arrive with me, causing some anxiety but it arrived later and by afternoon we were all ready to go. Here is the Bushhawk floatplane that will get us to our island....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0018.jpg)
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The weather clears slightly in the afternoon and the first group of 3 bowhunters, including me, take the hour plus flight over Kodiak and out into the Pacific. We saw deer, goats and over a dozen big brown bears while flying low over Kodiak - a beautiful island....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0016.jpg)
We arrived on our island and quickly unloaded. There were 2 rifle hunters at the lake, who had been waiting several days for their plane. They had killed 5 nice bucks and those racks got us pretty excited. Our pilot agreed to take them out and off they went, back to Kodiak for the other 3 bowhunters. Since we had several hours until those guys returned, we took a walk with our bows. We saw some eagles feeding on dog salmon at a stream, I made a lucky shot and killed my first ptarmington, and we saw a few deer. We returned to the lake when the floatplane returned and made our plans. With lots of wind and rain predicted, and a cabin available from the island's only resident, four of us decided to rent the cabin and its woodburner, while 2 of the more hard core guys headed out with their heavy backpacks. Here is our home for the rest of the week.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9953.jpg)
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We had all planned to backpack hunt, so at first I felt a little wimpy for choosing the cabin. However, as the days passed and the rain poured down, that feeling faded in the dry and toasty cabin. This whale skull was neat to see...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9951.jpg)
Saturday morning dawned relatively clear and Jim and I headed out in one direction while Terry and Eddie headed in the other direction. The hills up away from the beach were not that tall (the highest we climbed was 1400 feet) but relatively steep.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9955.jpg)
Soon we saw deer and Jim got the first stalk. Amazingly, the 5x5 buck Jim approached turned out to be the best one he saw all week, but he was rusty and the stalk ended at 40 yards. The deer were not too spooked, probably 15 in all with mostly does and fawns, so we got on the downwind side of them, along this main drainage - we were on the left side....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9956.jpg)
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We eased along and kept on seeing more bucks. We came to a little draw and I motioned Jim to ease up the side after I peeked over the edge and saw 2 little forkies bedded at the bottom. I saw Jim move forward, stop and draw his Black Widow longbow, and release the arrow. The I saw one of the forkies crash down the draw and I hoped he was down for good......but he wasn't ready to give up just yet. We found that these blacktails were pretty tough, and this first buck was only marginally hit, through his front left elbow and the brisket. We watched him descend the slope, cross the stream seen in the above photo and climb the opposite slope. I motioned Jim to stay put and signal for me, and I took off after him. It took over an hour and some anxious moments, but I ended up 12 yards away and surprised the buck in his bed.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9958.jpg)
Jim was happy and we had our first deer on the hunt. Two interesting things happened while I took care of the deer. I used the "gutless" method for the first time and loved it, except I did make a slight mess trying to get the tenderloins out. The second was the red fox peering over my shoulder at 5 feet, licking his chops in anticipation! He wasn't the slightest bit afraid of me and my errant shots at him proved that he had little to fear from me. Turns out the island had lots of fox with various color phases, including a beautiful blue - we saw them every day but just couldn't get one with an arrow.
Jim's excitement of killing the first buck was muted somewhat the next morning, when he discovered that all the meat was gone! Luckily we had cooked some backstraps on the wood burner the previous evening, but somehow the rancher's dog had gotten the door open and now wore a very guilty expression and displayed a bloated belly!
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The rain resumed on saturday afternoon and sunday was a soggy day afield. Jim and I tried another area and saw a few deer. I am always looking for shed antlers and found the first of 5 today......
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9960.jpg)
Terry and Eddie hit the jackpot, finding a bunch of deer and getting several shots but without luck. I tried stalking a small buck in his bed but arrived to no deer, after the wind had shifted. The deer on this island were more spooky than expected and it was clear that getting a nice buck would not be easy. Later in the day, I finally spotted a nice buck bedded on the side of a slope away from the 15 or so other deer scattered across the broad ridge top. It took almost an hour and I had to go around several does and fawns along the way, but I was finally within 10 yards of the nice 5x5 buck with those richly dark antlers. My problem was that he had backed up against a vertical mound of dirt and I didn't like the offered shot, because a hit above the spine would get only 1 lung. In hindsight, I should have tossed something past him and distracted him, but instead I tried backing up to angle the shot forward from the rear. The wind was brisk and a errant strap on my Catquiver pack made a noise at just the wrong moment. He whipped his head around, spotted me and quickly launched from his bed. My arrow sailed past him and down the canyon - Jim watched the whole thing and claimed it was the most beautiful miss he ever saw. Small comfort to me. We slowly worked ourselves back to camp at dark and I mentally kicked myself over and over. How can one stand 10 yards away from a beautiful and unsuspecting buck, and not get him???????? Turns out I found many different ways to ruin these stalks over the hunt. This spot and stalk hunting ain't nothing like treestand hunting those silly whitetails back home.........
More to follow later today, I had better pretend to be actually working for a while!
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Jeff,
Thanks for the stories and photos. Another fine Holchin adventure. Hope to see you tomorrow.
Bill
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Sure, you had to mention work.. :thumbsup:
I'll check in for more later.
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Great pics Jeff, and looks like you guys had a pretty good time so far. Nice job on the buck too.
David
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For some reason I am anxiously awaiting MORE "island" photos. Keep 'em coming!
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Just a little more before my 1:00 meeting. This will have to do for a little while, as I have to take my mother-in-law back to PA tomorrow and that is 15 hours of driving in one day!
Monday was to be our fishing day, as Terry, Eddie and I decided to hike around to the north side of the island, fish for salmon and then hunt our way back to camp. Jim was more sensible and stayed back, closer to camp. It took over 2 hours to get to the proper salmon stream, but the walk was worth it. Check out these fish...
Here is Terry:
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9972.jpg)
I got to show off this one:
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9985.jpg)
We ate this one 15 minutes after catching him, on a driftwood fire right there on the stream:
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9979.jpg)
Life was good. When we finally looked at our watches, it was mid afternoon already! Yikes, we had better try a little deer hunting.
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Keep going Jeff... great stuff!! :thumbsup:
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don't give in yet...good job!!! :thumbsup:
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Yes Steve H, you do seem more interested than usual!
We split up, with Terry and Eddie headed up one ridge and me on another. I soon found a little 3x3 buck asleep in a draw - way too small for me! With so many deer, I could be picky, right? Ha!
We walked and walked, seeing more does, fawns and small bucks. We reached the head of several ridges and decided to head back to camp. I impressed the guys again with my keen eyes, snatching first a small shed antler in front of Eddie and than a nicer, 5 point shed antler right out from under Terry's boot!
We came up on a group of deer and Terry spotted a nice little buck with forked G-2 tines, so off he went. Unfortunately the herd spooked and we had us a deer rodeo, but I managed to keep his buck frozen in his tracks with the ol' "bow over the head" trick. That buck just hadn't seen many "caribou" on the island (nor goofy bowhunters) and stood gawking at me while Terry oozed closer. Finally the spell was broken when I began the whitetail grunts and the deer departed quickly! Then we spent another 15 minutes hunting my binoculars. Oops.
Terry commented that maybe I should be looking for bucks as hard as I was looking for shed antlers, so I raised my eyes and spotted a VERY nice buck ahead, bedded on a bench on the slope. It was still in velvet and had numerous points. Both of my friends declined the stalk so off I went, promising to be done in 15 minutes as I circled behind and above the bucks. An hour later the rain stopped briefly and a double rainbow appeared over the buck - I took this as a sure sign from Above and moved in for the kill. At 30 yards the buck, a beautiful 5x5 with thick bases and forked G-2s that I wanted very badly, saw me and stood. I just can't shoot accurately that far, but he let me get 5 yards closer before swapping ends and preparing for a retreat. I drew and committed that error so familiar by now - I forgot to pick a spot! Of course the arrow only cut a few hairs under his big chest and he took 2 steps and stopped. There was my "rainbow buck" still close, so maybe I should shoot again, right? Except......I had taken off my Catquiver 30 yards back and didn't have another arrow! Now I really regretted my decision to get rid of my bow quiver! "My" buck slowly walked out of my life, and I was not a happy camper as I joined my buddies for the long walk back to camp. What a buck, and I had blown it!
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Neat story. How were the bears?
Thank you!
Bill
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:( ;) :thumbsup:
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Great, now I'm not getting anything done today, monitoring this post. Come on Jeff, keep it coming!!!
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Great read and great pics..golly what self respecting bowhunter would carry only 1 arrow on a stalk :rolleyes: :saywhat: :bigsmyl: are you coming up in November?
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Hang in there, the story gets better, I promise. I'll have more by saturday morning.
Mickey, I am still coming up to Ohio in November but my Georgia buddies can't make it and I'm not sure about Dave Kretchmar (still coming, Dave???). Daniel wants another big Buckeye buck and I wouldn't mind some meat in the freezer! I REALLY want to meet up with you this fall!
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Jeff - where are you coming up with this?
This is nothing like what was told at the dinner table back in Kodiak!
I've gotta get Terry and Eddie's version printed up. It was a lot more entertaining - especially the details about the bow over the head stalk!
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More Saturday????? Geeeesh! :mad:
Ferret - "what self respecting bowhunter would carry only 1 arrow in a stalk" - Terry and I know Holchin as "Lucky Jeff". That's what kind of *#$% bowhunter would only carry 1 arrow! ;)
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Jeff lucky? Jeff is knowledgable, determined, patient, persistant and prepared. Jeff makes a lot of his own luck.
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Uh oh....I was afraid I'd get caught. Mr. Higgins was one of the hard core guys who tented out in the rain the whole trip, while us softies cuddled up with our blankies in the cabin! Keep me straight, Herb.
No bears, Bill. Heck, possums scare me so we didn't want to deal with bears. Worst carnivore on the island was that darn rancher's dog!
Me lucky? I used up most of my luck on that Texas hunt, but maybe, just maybe I had a little luck left for this hunt. I will say, the ending turned out pretty good........
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ahem! :campfire:
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Another tease!
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Originally posted by Jeff Holchin:
This spot and stalk hunting ain't nothing like treestand hunting those silly whitetails back home.........
You said it all there brother....but that's what makes it so alluring to us who've spent our hunting careers perched high in a tree!
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Is it tomorrow yet? Patiently waiting or awaiting!
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Anxiously awaiting the next installment!
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My wonderful wife had her hands full while I was gone, juggling the 3 kids, their school, sports, scouts, church, and her job, so I made sure her mom came to visit and help. Yesterday I had to take her back home to PA - 15 hours driving but I'm back. Where was I?????? Chad, shouldn't you be hunting? I know today is Ohio's archery opener.
Oh yeah, day 4 of the sitka blacktail hunt. The day dawned clear and cool, so Terry and Eddie headed for Buck Ridge while Jim and I decided to cover the ridge where I had missed those 2 bucks - I hoped for a rematch with either buck. It was a bluebird day, the only one of the trip...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9993.jpg)
We set up where we could watch about a dozen deer, as the does, fawns and little bucks liked to hang out on the ridge tops. We could also see into several drainages, where the bucks liked to hide. Jim eventually grew restless and made a stalk...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9990.jpg)
Meanwhile, it was THE day for Terry and Eddie, as Eddie executed his patented "tundra flop" to move in and kill this nice buck.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/EddieBuck2.jpg)
while Terry claimied his first sitka blacktail...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/TerryBuckVertical2.jpg)
They had a lot of work, getting those bucks back to camp and we celebrated their good fortune with a meal fit for kings: very fresh deer chops, grilled salmon, beans, corn, bread and desert. Here is the salmon being grilled...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9995.jpg)
The wind and clouds moved in that night, promising a change in the weather.
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Two lessons learned so far were, (1) keep the dog away from the deer meat and (2) have more than one arrow available with the bow, so I borrowed a bow quiver from Jim and left the Catquiver behind, as seen above. By the way, I'm shooting an old Brackenbury Drifter with 50# limbs, carbon arrows and Snuffer heads.
Day 5 dawned rainy and foggy, so Terry and Edddie stayed in camp to take care of the meat and capes, while Jim and I headed for Buck Ridge, which was about an hour's walk from camp. We soon reached the top of the ridge and encountered a huge flock of ptarmington, maybe 50 birds. These are the first animals I ever shot at, that laugh at you when you miss. We each carried only one judo-tipped arrow, so when those arrows lay harmless on the ground in the midst of 100 laughing birds, it got a little frustrating!
The wind began to blow, I mean REALLY blow, from the east and Jim and I split up to cover several big drainages, as the deer where down out of the wind. Jim ended up with several good stalks, coming very close to killing a very nice buck, while I had several stalks blown by the swirling wind. It was obvious that I had MUCH to learn about spot and stalk hunting - it was hard to resist the urge to charge right in after a bedded buck, and to realize that the wind does all kinds of contrary things in those drainages. Each stalk ended in frustration, even my rematch with the "Rainbow Buck". I found him bedded with a nice 3x3 buck, and I looked the situation over and thought I understood the wind direction. But when I peeked over the last little ridge, expecting to see 2 bedded bucks about 10 yards away, I saw instead the rear end of a rapidly departing rainbow buck, about 300 yards away! The 3x3 went the opposite direction. I was making my fourth and final stalk of the day when the rain started, and when I finally got back to camp 2 hours later, there wasn't a dry spot on my body!
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WOW! Congrats on the two bucks! Looks like tough country to stalk in. CK
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Great stuff,congrats on the bucks!!
Great pix of another awesome adventure :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Cool stuff Jeff. Just read it all from the beginning. Looking forward to the rest, keep it comin! :thumbsup:
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Day 6 started out even uglier than the previous day. Several of the guys were getting anxious about getting out, as a big storm had been predicted and was obviously here. The plane service was contacted but said that there would be no flying today, so Terry and I headed out to find me a buck. The first stream crossing was an indication of the kind of wet day we would have...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9997.jpg)
Terry and I hunted hard all day, as the wind, rain and fog continued. Terry is a more experienced hunter than me and worked to show me the proper way to hunt these deer. My first chance was at a very nice in-velvet buck, but his does saved him. Sonn after that, I found a nice 3x3 bedded just below a knife-edge ridge. I eased to about 20 yards when he detected me and stood. This was it! I drew the bow but discovered a problem - I couln't see out of the right lense of my glasses and he didn't wait until I had cleared the lense! Darn my luck! By then we were soaked to the skin, tired, and hungry - perfect!
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/100_9998.jpg)
We decided to check out the side of the big drainage on the way out and only saw a few does and fawns. On the last ridge, I motioned for Terry to pose for a photo, to document our "maximum effort". As he posed, he glanced down the slope and spotted a nice buck bedded near the bottom. He moved closer, than motioned for me to move in from the bottom and get the buck's attention. I did, the buck stood and Terry's arrow flashed to the buck. The buck must have ducked, because the hit was only a flesh wound in the neck and I watched him walk away, seemingly unharmed. There were only a few drops of blood and we followed the trail for several hundred yards uphill, until determining that the buck was still healthy. Now it was Terry's turn to mentally kick himself, because that was his last chance of the trip. Just to make sure we got good and wet, the last stream crossing was made on the run and we arrived back at camp soaking wet. That wood burner sure was nice!
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Herb, add in photos of your buck if possible, because I don't have any.
Day 7 was supposed to be our last day of hunting, as the plane was scheduled to pick us up the very next morning. The plane service was called and they said that they would try to get the first group out later today, weather permitting. Since the four of us had no idea where Herb and William were, it was decided that Jim, Terry and Eddie would leave today if possible, while I hunted today and them fly out the next day (or whenever) with Herb and William. So I headed out for my last chance at a buck while the other guys packed up and headed for the island's only lake.
The weather was no better today and I was soaked by the time I got to Buck Ridge. I got the feeling all day long that the wind hated me, because no matter which way I went, the wind would shift and blow from behind me. I spotted several small bucks in a little draw, and while circling around to get the wind better, spotted a really nice buck in velvet, down in a the botom of a ravine. At first those bedding locations seems like poor choices to me, but they turned out to be great in the end. This buck was dozing but his nose was up in the air, working hard and certainly not asleep! I didn't even get to within 50 yards before the swirling winds betrayed me and that stalk was over. As the day wore on and I became more and more desperate, it seemed that tagging a buck wouldn't happen. Knowing that I was about 5 miles from camp, and that I still had to pack up and get to the lake tonight, I initially planned to quit at 6:00 pm. Once 6:00 arrived, I moved that time back to 6:30 as I checked "just one more ridge", and then finally 7:00 pm. At 7:15, I swore that this next spot was the LAST ONE and peeked over to the benches below. Wait, there was a bedded buck, and he hadn't seen me! Please GOD, let me have one more shot..........
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This time, I forced myself to stop and really look over the situation. The buck was about 150 yards away, so I determined the wind direction, the best route and took off out of his sight. When I peeked at him again from about 40 yards, he was still there! Finally I dropped my pack and eased forward, now in full view if he looked behind him. He was bedded on a bench looking down the slope, and the wind was strong. I got to 30 yards pretty easily and then began sliding on my butt down the slope, closer and closer. I wanted to be so close that the shot would be high percentage, as there was certainly no time for tracking a wounded buck here. At 20 yards, my boot squeaked and he turned his head to the left - oh no! He relaxed and then I made another noise with a twig under my leg. Again he turned his head and I knew it would be over if he just looked my way. Then I decided that if he relaxed and looked away, I would have to shoot from here. After the longest 2 minutes of my life, he finally relaxed and looked away. I slowly rose, drew and PICKED A SPOT, right behind the shoulder and the arrow was away......exactly to that same spot! He jumped to his feet but immediately staggered. This is the bench he was on, at the left side of the photo.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0001.jpg)
And here is my reward for a little persistance, as well as fervent prayers. I would have returned home a happy man anyway, just experiencing Alaska after all these years of dreaming, but this Blessing sure was sweet.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0003.jpg)
A beautiful 4x5 buck. By now I only had an hour to get him into my pack before dark, and than I had over an hour's hike back to camp. Somehow, I didn't mind!!!!!!
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Good going Jeff, that is a really NICE buck!
It's early in Alaska and I got up early just to see if you had posted yet--THANKS!!!!
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Jeff you amaze me...I've seen you do this too many times since I first met you, great job and way to stay with it. What a great looking buck, you certainly earned it. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
David
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Good Stuff Jeff! Congrats on a great adventure!
Ernie
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Jeff,
Congratulations on a great buck. The pictures are really awesome. Those arrows look familiar. Hope to see you this fall.
Bill
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Really great story thanks for sharing.
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Jeff, Congrats on the buck. Blacktails on Kodiak is a hunt i would like to make one of these days. Yep season opened this morning. I had to work last night so no morning hunt for me. The evening hunt wasn't much better. It was nice to get in the woods again.
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Did you go to Montana??? :0)
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Wow!!
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Jeff,
Is that a hole in that buck's neck?
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Way to go Jeff! Your stories of the hunt are mesmerizing, but it's even sweeter when we taste the success with you!
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I'm back! Jeff is correct, I barely noticed it when butchering the deer, but during the caping process the next day while waiting for the plane, we realized that this was the same buck that Terry hit on Thursday! Not a lucky buck, I guess.
We all got back to Kodiak by the afternoon, checked into a nice hotel and hit the showers for the first time in 9 days. After packaging and mailing home some gear, we headed out for a big meal of Halibut and all the trimmings.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/SixonSitkinak.jpg)
The rest of the gang was going to take it easy the next day and explore Kodiak Island, but I had a 6:00 am flight to Anchorage, where I planned to do some exploring of my own in a rental car, since my next flight wasn't until midnight. I headed south, per the recommendations of Tradganger "John from Alaska", into the Chugach NF.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0035.jpg)
The views were super as I headed south and then east along the Kenai peninsula.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0029.jpg)
Eventually I made it to Cook Inlet and had a nice lunch. Then I headed back and took some old gravel roads to hopefully see some animals. I didn't see a lot of animals, but I did see a black bear crossing a snow patch, some caribou, and finally, 2 dall sheep way up on a ridge - really 2 white specks but definitely sheep. Here is another great looking area...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0024.jpg)
This area was great and I hated to leave. One area was neat because I could see salmon headed up a big stream, while pieces of a glacier floated downstream. I can't wait to return to Alaska.
On to Montana.......
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Correction, I headed WEST along the Kenai peninsula. My overnight flight wasn't restful at all, but it was interesting to listen to the hunting stories as many of the passengers were hunters. And I knew somebody on the SLC to Bozeman flight so that flight was more interesting.
Anyway, the first thing I did in Bozeman was find a taxidermist and have him
examine the "Maximun effort" buck's cape - he pronounced it good and I
had him freeze it and the skull until I returned. I drove west to the
mountains along the ID/MT border and organized my gear. I was happy to
see a frosting of snow on the mountain peaks, and I finally headed up
the trailhead in the late afternoon. I'm not sure if the problem was
the 50# pack or the jetlag, but I only made it a mile before the sun set
and I realized I wouldn't make it in about 3 miles to the planned
camping spot. I was pleased to hear some bugles as I made dinner (MH
spagetti - yum!) even though they came from the Idaho side. This area
was the playground of my two Bowsite buddies, BB (aka Bill Allard from
Utah - probably the best bowhunter I know personnaly) and Hornseeker (aka Ernie McKenzie) from Montana; I appreciated
that they were sharing such a good spot. The area consisted of two
major drainages just north of the continental divide, one draining to
the east while the other drained to the west, where they joined and
flowed north. My buddies highly recommended the east-draining area so I
headed there first. I encountered 2 backpack hunters on the second day,
after I had slept in to midmorning. They reported good elk activity but
they were headed out. I set up camp...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0040.jpg)
and began exploring, but ran into a
guide and his 2 hunters on horses. They reported that the weekend's
snow had quieted the elk activity, and indeed I didn't see an elk that
whole day or even the next day. I headed up towards the top of the mountain - definitely some bear in the area.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0042.jpg)
I got a little carried away with my
exploring but couldn't help myself - the area was beautiful.......
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0048.jpg)
but I ended up spending the night curled up next to a log in......um.....well.....Idaho!
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I was now using my 61# limbs on the Brackenbury and 800 grain hickory shafts, again tipped with Snuffers but at 145 grains.
While on my little walk about, I bumped into a big bull moose right at dark - he had the right-of-way and knew it, so I
went around him! This area held some moose, like these ones I saw later....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0055.jpg)
Oh well, it only took 3 hours to get back to Montana and I wanted to see some of Idaho anyway! So after 3 days in Montana, I
was wondering where the elk were.....I did walk out to the truck because
I needed more food and had promised to call home on Wednesday. I had to
drive out, closer to town before getting reception, and it was obvious
that my wife and kids were really missing me. I promised to call again
on Saturday night.
I woke on the fourth morning to 5-6 inches of snow with more falling,
and bugling nearby! I hurried breakfast and took off after the noisy
bull elk. By noon I had followed the elk up the ridge, getting right in
among a small herd of 2 small bulls (one a 2x2 w/o brow tines and one a
3x3 with brow tines, but I couldn't get closer than 30 yards with the
wet crunchy snow), several cows and calves. That was fun, as I love hunting in snow.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0062.jpg)
I finally could see the loud mouth bull that bugled so much on the opposite ridge,
a nice 5x5 that was being pestered by a bigger 6x6. I wanted to go after them but the wind was bad and they were a good 6 miles from the
truck! After lunch some nasty thunderstorms with high winds moved in and I went back to camp, making a hot lunch and reading my Bible. A
bull bugled slose to camp about an hour before dark, so I went out for him and had a close encounter. I set up several times and cow called. Finally I bugled and he squealed in response, only 100 yards away. I
moved forward a few yards, set up behind a pine tree and got ready. I
heard branches breaking and then........nothing! I waited until dark
but I think the swirling winds betrayed me.
That night the winds picked up and were about 30-40 mph in the morning of my fifth day. Breakfast was hot coco and a cookie, again...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0070.jpg)
I finally decided to pack out to the truck and try the other drainage - a decision that I should have made sooner, because after a hot lunch at the truck...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0093.jpg)
I began walking to the east and encountered a herd of 15 elk at 3:00 pm, feeding on the sage and into some aspens right on the ID/MT line. I watched them for an hour, until they disappeared into Montana. I headed after them, eyeing the fat cows that were legal with my tag. I still hadn't seen a mule deer buck yet, and had decided that any legal elk would be fine with me. I didn't realize that there were other elk present, and being focused on the elk at the top of the ridge, blundered right into another group of 15 elk.
I had some cows at about 25 yards briefly in the initial confusion, but wasn't comfortable with the shot. They began moving out and I bugled at
the 4x4 bull, getting him to respond and causing the herd to think that another bull was the cause of the commotion. I followed closely and was beginning to think I would get a shot, when finally they saw me clearly and busted out of there and into Montana. I headed up to the high point of the ridge and glassed the big drainage, seeing elk scattered
throughout the area. What a view....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0084.jpg)
This was where I'd hunt tomorrow, which would be
my last day here because I had decided that I needed to be home before my older daughter's birthday on Thursday, 9/28. With 2 days of driving from Montana and a hope to hunt antelope and mule deer in eastern Montana, I needed to get out of these mountains by the night of the
sixth day! The north wind was fierce but I hoped it would blow out
overnight.
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I had a hard time going to sleep that night, with all those mixed feelings keeping me awake. I was really missing my wife and kids. I had already missed my son's birthday, and his first home run in baseball. Both daughters had asked how soon I'd be home, and my wife let me know that the basement had flooded, the mower was broken and that she needed some help.
Then my selfish side reminded me that I might not get back to Montana soon, that I had found the elk and they were active, that I had permission to hunt a 5000 acre ranch on the Mussleshell River in eastern Montana, and my tags for antelope and deer were unfilled.
Although I didn't HAVE to report to work until October 2, I could tell that it was almost time to head home. I had tried to include too much hunting (never thought I'd say that) and I was wearing down.
Sleep finally came and I easily awoke at 4:00 am and peered out to a brilliant, starlight sky and no wind! I could easily see the full Milky Way, Big and Small Dippers and even several satellites crossing the sky. I ate a quick breakfast, filled my backpack and headed east for the 90 minute walk to the high point of the ridge. If I was going to fill my elk tag, I had to do it today.
Initially I was expecting lots of
bugling at dawn, but I didn't see but 2 cows way off in the distance and didn't get a response to my bugle until the sun rose and it was from Idaho. I bugled again 5 minutes later and he was hot and coming fast. I scrambled some and left those darn binos behind. The big bull and several cows came blasting close by and into Montana. It was then that I reached for the binos - gone! I had to spend the next
15 minutes hunting binos instead of the bull elk that was chasing a cow, screaming and snorting. Yes, I am pathetic but I found them and was off
after the bull! So began my most exciting day of elk hunting ever. On the way after the first bull, a satellite bull screamed at me and then
responded to my cow calls. He was on a open sage covered hill and I cut the distance in half, cow calling. His next bugle was closer and I got ready behind a pine tree. Then I saw his BIG 5x6 antlers floating over a pine tree only 20 yards away - he stopped, the antlers swiveled left and right, time stood still as I willed him to take 2 steps forward and
expose his chest.......but instead he raised nis noes, inhaled deeply and whirled away from my scent. I slowed him down with cow calls
and covered his bark with a bugle, but the game was over for he and I.
Then I moved after the first bull, who was in the pines with the cows. I slowly approached and soon caught glimpses of the cows and eventually him. I got to within 40 yards of the bull, before 2 hunters behind me began calling and bugling - this got the elk alert and moving and I following this good sounding bull all morning, along with several satellite bulls
that I'd see and try for occaisonally. I love this game...
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0072.jpg)
The highlight of the day came after lunch, after a lull in activity. I was laying on my back, enjoying the view.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0089.jpg)
and resting some.....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0090.jpg)
when the I bugled and the big bull finally answered several hundred yards away, followed by one and then another bull. I closed in and my next bugle was answered first by the big bull, within 50 yards, followed by another big-sounding bull 100 yards to my front, and then another bull who only chuckled (at me???) behind me. I could hear all 3 bulls walking and breaking brush as they converged on me, and fully expected a shot.......I could even
hear the big bull breathing, they were so close.....but nothing happened and I decided to wait them out. Somehow the magic spell broke and they all drifted away. It was late now and I had about 2 hours walking back to the truck, so I headed out, seeing 2 moose and a pine martin chasing a squirrel around and around a tree, along the way.
What a day, I was considering staying another day but killing an elk in that drainage meant a full day or more of packing. Instead I took one last look......
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0043.jpg)
and headed out of the mountains. The aspens were turning golden....
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/SCJeff/west%2006/101_0095.jpg)
I finally got cell phone reception and after talking to my family, decided that I had had my fun and needed to get home, instead of spending several more days antelope and deer hunting. I was relieved to know that I'd be holding them tight in my arms in two days. Two days of hard driving, but I enjoyed seeing the land change from the mountains of Montana, to the rolling plains, to the fields of the midwest, and finally into the hills of the Carolinas.
What fun I had. I love Montana. Wish I had moved to the second drainage sooner. I called the rancher friend and cancelled my hunt there, but we talked about bringing my son, who will turn 12 next September, back out to Montana in 2007. The new longbow in my truck, specially made by a Tradganger from Washington for the rancher's sons, will be mailed in time for Christmas. I can't wait to return to Montana!
I hope you all enjoyed the photos and stories.
Jeff
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Jeff awesome story and pictures!!! You mentioned BB ... your photos and stories remind me of some fo the incredible ones that BB has done in the past!!! Keep um comin!!! Dan
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Wow Jeff! I guess I was posting at the same time you were finishing up your story!!! Great job!!! I was really pulling for you to make it happen on a last minute bull. Of course it just gives a guy something to look forward to next time!!! Thanks for sharing with us! Dan
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Gosh what an adventure. Can't wait to hear some of these stories around a campfire in person come November. ;)
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WOW! What a trip. Thank you for sharing.
-Brian
www.bowyersjournal.com (http://www.bowyersjournal.com)
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Great pictures and stories Jeff. I'd add some more photos if I only knew how. I have several of you that would fit in nicely with your journal notes. Great buck from AK and I would like to blame the high wind and steep angle for my errant shot, but can honestly only chalk it up to not picking a spot. The buck was in fine shape and it is a testament to your stalking ability because I'm sure he was on high alert from the lesson given the evening before. Thanks again for a great time.
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Awesome hunt Jeff...thanks!
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great job jeff, This was a great adventure to read I can only imagine what it was like to live it!!
thanks for shareing,
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Thank you for sharing the adventure!
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Sure enjoyed taggin along Jeff, thanks for the hunt :thumbsup:
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Yep, goes for me too Jeff, great job! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Now that's what I'm talking about! Some great elk hunting.
I'm glad it worked out Jeff, that is just how I remembered that area...wish I had gone up there with ya! Next year I'll be there...guaranteed.
Thanks for the great thread,
Ernie
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Awesome hunt Jeff. Thanks for taking us along with you.
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That was awesome Jeff!!! I couldn't leave this thread once I started reading it, now I am way behind on things I should have already had done today. :D
Thanks for taking us along! :thumbsup:
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I finally got the chance to read this thread also. Great hunts & great pictures!
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Its all fun and games huh Jeff?
Thanks for sharing....looks like you had quite an adventure in some beautiful scenery.
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Thanks, it was my pleasure to share. It WAS all fun and games, Terry, but now the reality of an office in a high rise in downtown Charlotte is sinking in fast.......2 hours stuck in traffic this morning......lots of city slickers all around me......deadlines.....gotta work the night shift this weekend.......
Not to worry though, I spent all day planning some more adventures for next year. Let's see, there's Georgia hogs, Montana antelope, Wyoming moose, New Mexico elk, Arizona deer, etc. Now I feel better!
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Jeff,
Can't wait to hear more around the campfire. Just wish my knees could keep up with yours!
Thanks for the story and look forward to chasing GA hogs with you soon!
Steve