Trad Gang
Topic Archives => Memorable Hunts => Topic started by: elk ninja on September 25, 2007, 04:34:00 PM
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After a whole year of going over last years hunt in my head, what I would do different, where I should go, trying to guess the rut using the "Old Farmer's Almanac" and moon phases, praying, thinking, talking with anyone and everyone I know who successfully hunts elk here in Idaho and two scouting trips, it was time to load up the truck, hook up the trailer and head for the mountains... I was going to meet up with a couple other Trad Gangers. I had never met either one, but having opened up my elk camp to any 'gangers, I was game for all those who could make it. I sweated the details all year, hoping to really get into some elk. I re-read every elk hunting book I have, borrowed some from the library and read and re-read those too.
Long ago I decided on my time period of September 13th-27th, mainly because the rut should be going regardless of the weather by that time, but also because it was going to be a new moon, and I figured that with the extra darkness we might be more likely to see elk during shooting hours. The area I choose is a special area to me, across the highway from a Lutheran summer camp I spent many summers at... in some of the most beautiful country anywhere in the world. The aspens would be golden, the mornings crisp, a good chance of snow, and an almost 100% chance of rain at least once during the week....
I was able to get away and up to the mountain a day before the rest of the crew. I quickly set up my little backpacking tent, threw out the tupperware boxes, dressed in my hunting clothes, strung my bow I had made a few months prior just for this adventure. After marking my camp with the GPS, I was FINALLY heading out after a long year.
Lots of photos to come, my camera is downloading almost 200... I will try to post and write about the adventure so that those of you who can't make it out for your own elk adventure can live vicariously...
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Lookin forward to it Mike
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Bring it on Ninja dude! :thumbsup:
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Anxiously waiting...
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Cool! I just returned from an elk hunt and now I get to turn right around and go back! Can't wait to come with you......
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Anxiously awaiting the story and pictures!!!
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Sounds like another good campfire story.......I can't wait for this one.
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Can't wait:)
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Come on Ninja let's go.I really wanted to go on this hunt but, wyoming lopes kept me away. Ben
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Bring it ON, lets see the pics and hear the tale.
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You know, even the SLOWEST computer can download 200 pictures in less than 5 minutes...
ON WITH THE STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:goldtooth:
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By my calculations he is back a bit early...I wonder if that means anything?
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Sorry guys, it is taking forever for my computer/ connection to download these into photobucket.... I also forgot my church had a members banquet tonight, so I didn't get to work on the downloads much tonight. Tomorrow night I'll at least get some more done....but I do have a softball game also tomorrow.
On with the story!
Now, where did I leave off?
Oh yeah, heading out on my own the first day, my own little opening day. Temp was about 80 degrees (F), wind a little swirly. on the way in, I had to put out some little "chortens" or piles of rock at the forks in the road in. Our camp choice number one was taken, the only other group on the mountain. So on the way out for the afternoon/ evening hnt I had to place one more pile. My arms are full with my bow and a bunch of rocks. I then headed south from camp, ghosting through the trees, pausing for long breaks to glass and watch. The terrain is, here at least, a gentle slope to my left, flattening out into the valley floor to my right, wind in my face, sun at my 3:00 or so. There is a bit of an opening on my right, I am hoping the edge cover will produce some elk sign, maybe a well used trail leading from the timberline down into the valley floor. Just a finger meadow off of the floor, the opening looks promising and as it narrows I pick a pine tree to sit underneath and let the evening develop. My back is to the tree and the wind seems to be both dying down and becoming a bit less sporadic in direction. I see nothing but a squirrel and some birds, but enjoy the evening quiet. It usually takes me a while to slow down after the drive and the stress of work/ everyday life, so I relish the time spent in "my" mountains. I head back to camp, cook up some grub and watch the stars. Fellas, if you haven't been in a "dark" area, an area without any light pollution, I can't tell you how amazing it is to look up, to see a million stars, see, actually see, the milky way.... there aren't enough words, cameras don't capture the wonder.... I used to lay on my back for hours and look at the stars, get up to take a leak, and lye back down, the other way and feel upside down. If you haven't experienced this, put it on your list of things to do. Amazing. I slept well until the dogs woke me up. At first I thought it might be wolves, it wasn't coyotes, and there were a lot of them. 5? 8? 10? I couldn't count, but I knew if it was wolves, I was out of luck this year, on this mountain.... but then I put it all together, it was the sheep dogs! Earlier I had seen a shepherd's wagon aways down south of camp.
I woke up early and prepared a leisurely breakfast of oatmeal and coffee....
Man, I am tired of waiting for my pictures to upload, I am going to tease you guys once again and start posting the pictures tomorrow.... sorry to do it, but I can't post and upload at the same time.... but I promise to have lots of good pictures!
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I am looking forward to your story. I really wanted to share elk camp with you this year. Maybe next year.
Shawn
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Alright, alright...
Now, where was I?....
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3788.jpg)
After my breakfast, I headed out uphill. Straight uphill. The morning air was crisp and I was bundled in two layers of wool, gloves and my fedora. I could see my breath, the wind was still. It should move uphill as the sun rises and warms the valley floor. I climbed and climbed and climbed some more... at camp the elevation was a bit over 7000 feet, I probably climbed to 8000 before sitting under a little spruce. In front of me the Stanley valley was waking up, the alpenglow was lighting up the far peaks of the Sawtooth range across the floor, but I would be in shade for at least another half hour. I waited for my pulse to slow. Squirrels scurried about barking at the chipmunks, a blue jay called out good morning and I prayed some, reflected on the coming morning and felt alive!
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3765.jpg)
I had a close visitor who inspected me and found me fit to be in his domain, he wandered off after a while
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3766.jpg)
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I bugled and heard nothing but the woods silence. I sat for as long as my rear end could take and resumed my goal of the ridgetop. Idaho has had a very dry year, sub normal snowpacks, dry spring, hot summer. There have been many large fires throughout the state, my mountain range had been spared this year, but it is always a fear that my area will be closed from fires. The nearest fires were 100 miles away as the crow flies, but once I gained the ridge I could see the effects.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3767.jpg)
The ridge top was beautiful, I did my best to sneak over the top in the hopes that a mulie would be enjoying the morning sunshine. No luck, but it was worth the climb.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3768.jpg)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3769.jpg)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3770.jpg)
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As you can see, the aspens were just turning golden. Aspens are my favorate tree, I love how the fading sunlight filters through them like a stained glass window in a cathedral. I love how they sound like wind chimes in the breeze and how they sound like drums when it rains. The pure white of the trunks, the cool grasses under thier canopy.
With nothing to show for the mornings hunt, I wondered weither Ausable or paleface had made it yet. Ausable was coming from the San Francisco ay area, I figured it would take him10-12 hours. I did the math in my head; Knowing he was probably leaving after work the day before, he might be in camp with any luck. Paleface I wasn't so sure about. Hadn't heard from him in a couple weeks, but he was coming all the way from Virginia. I deccided I wouldn't be suprised if he showed up or didn't, and headed back down to camp.
Ausable/ Tim was there! We had never met before,but I had opened up my camp to any and all tradgangers who wanted to come.... Although I enjoy hunting solo, it would be nice to have some company at camp. I knew there were elk around, and I only hoped we could get my friends on some and life would be exciting...
Tim turned out to be a GREAT guy, I enjoyed his company, if you get a chance to meet this guy, do it. Top notch, just like every other trad gang fella I have meet...
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3793.jpg)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3794.jpg)
After a bit of camp set up for Tim and some get-to-know-yous, we headed out for an evening of hunting. The valley floor south and west of camp was flooded with sheep... the dogs don't bark much during the day though. We headed up the canyon, following Taylor creek into some aspens and sage meadows. Tim busted some mulie does, (the exact number grew as the week went on!) so we christened that particular meadow "mulie meadow" from then on. In the middle of the meadow is a rocky ridge perhaps 25 feet from the bottom of the draw to the top and we sat and enjoyed the view, scoping the valley floor and the Sawtooth range from our hides. We had to take some cool vista shots for you all to drool over (please excuse the lack of photographer skills!)...
Tim X 2
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3771.jpg)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3772.jpg)
Mike
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3773.jpg)
Looking up the canyon towards the mountains peak.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3779.jpg)
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We hunted up to mulie meadow and seeing nothing besides the does, we headed back to camp and turned south, skirting the sheep... We came to another canyon that looked promising and hiked a ways up, settled down to glass for the evening. I was farther towards the valley, hoping to ambush a big ol' bull or buck coming out of a side draw, Tim went farther upcanyon and scoped the meadows there. The last photo was from my hide under an old aspen. Here is another.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3780.jpg)
A picture across the canyon of a mountain called Abe's chair... can you see why?
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3777.jpg)
A picture of my ugly-but-never-loose-em arrows. First time I have ever put on lung rings.... I spent quite a bit of time tuning them to my bow, tipping them with 145 grain snuffers. 4x5 inch shields for those who are curious. Don't know the grain weight, but they are pretty heavy.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3782.jpg)
and another self portrait scanning the basin ahead... (http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3784.jpg)
With the canyon wind blowing cold in our faces, and a fading light, it was time to head back to camp, empty game bags but full souls we trudged back in the dark and made dinner to nourish our legs for the next day.
Camp stove on the right, heating the water, lantern on the left, illuminating the subject at hand.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3786.jpg)
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We made plans over our evening meal to hunt north from camp the next day. I slept like a rock. We woke up and stuffed down a quick breakfast, heading out into the dark abyss. After much huffing and puffing we found a great little outcropping of granite, we settled down to rehydrate and scan the surrounding mountain...
Tim and his B-E-A-UTIFUL Griffin bow. (pick of that to follow sometime in this story)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3789.jpg)
My home brewed bow (Zebra riser, cocobolo limbs, 58" total length, 57# @ 25.5", my first really successfull bow, 3# under weight, I am mighty proud of her, though I can't wait to build some more!)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3791.jpg)
And this is what you all missed. God's Country!
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3792.jpg)
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We hiked and hunted, glassed and watched. Nothing. We figured the elk were bedded down for the day and it was time for us to do something similar. We headed back to camp and out to "town" to call our sweeties back home who so graciously allow us to hunt every year and fill our spiritual cups.
Oh, yeah, on the drive out we saw this.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3795-1.jpg)
Might be hard to see, but it is a dandy pronghorn buck. Deffinately a shooter! And bow season is open! OTC tags! Our lucky day?
Stay
tuned
to
find
out!
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Cool stuff! Look forward to the rest. Cheers, Matt
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Great pictures and story. Keep it coming.
Glenn
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It began to drizzle and the wind really picked up. On the drive back to camp we saw this....
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3833.jpg)
A different shooter pronghorn buck! We turned around for some better pictures and he took off like a shot!.... north America's fastest land animal for sure!
Rather than spooking the elk and hoping that the rain and wind were omens of cooler temperatures and a high- gear rut, I took a nap. And I was tired.
The wind died down and we began a silent stalk. We separated at some point, I continued up the canyon. With less than 45 minutes of good shooting light left, I thought I heard a bugle uphill, but I couldn't be sure. The wind was in my favor, falling as the sun fell.... there it was again! Or was it me ears playing tricks on me? NOPE! There he is, my binos were to my eyes without conscious thought. HUGE BEAST! I didn't know I could get bull fever from that far away. His polished ivory tips looked big. Too far for a photo though, lets creep a little closer.... He is in the trees now, I only saw him for maybe 10 seconds. What a beauty. All I could think about now was watching him and coming back in the morning. My hamster wheel of a brain was spinning, wind coming uphill, I'd have to be above him..... he is somewhere between 8500-9000 feet.... lets see if I can call him in to me. I found a great elk trail right near a wallow we had previously found. I hid behind a huge boulder next to the trail and a poor little sappling he had demolished. Cow calling and waiting, waiting waiting. Nothing, Time was short, I peaked and he...
wasn't there. So I gained some more eleveation and came to a band of granite protruding into the canyon.... I snuck over and what to my eyes see but two fawns and a doe mulie, 20 feet away! But I am after elk and bucks. I let them go. Now there is a cow in the same place the bull was, and I am much closer...though the photos are still poor due to the light (and photographer).
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3796.jpg)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3797.jpg)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3798.jpg)
I actually forgot to adjust the camera and took the first picture with the flash on.... good way to get busted at 400 yards!
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hey man i'm trying to do something like you've done on your own. i dont have alot of money for the guide services. it'll take me a couple of years to do it but i will get there one day. any suggestions to help me along?
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Steve, check your PMs.
So we made plans to wake up extra early and head WAY up the mountain.
Tim, carrying a flashlight (torch for some of you!), headlamp on and a moon in the upper left corner. Looking particularly happy for having such a long hike!
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3826.jpg)
I found a hiddey hole to glass from
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3805.jpg)
Alturas lake across the valley.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3806.jpg)
My bow
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3810.jpg)
You can see Alturas lake over there...
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3804.jpg)
Tim was across the canyon, glassing and relaxing.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3809.jpg)
This is the Cabin Creek basin across the valley
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3807.jpg)
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We decided to do a little exploring after several hours of sore butts and watching the canyon. Directly above my side of the canyon in "Nunya Mountain" and it has an old fire lookout as a crown. Just a few feet short of 10000 feet.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3813.jpg)
And the views from the top. N, E, S, W
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3815.jpg)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3816.jpg)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3817.jpg)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3818.jpg)
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No elk in the morning. We met up again and glassed and hunted back down to Tim's truck. Long day. Skunked again! Tim did find a beautiful watering/ wallowing hole about 100 feet from where he was glassing.... and there where a couple other water holes areound...
From up top of the peak, there's camp!
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3822.jpg)
And the sunset.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3825.jpg)
At some point during the week, I found out I had been granted an interview for nursing school. Unfortunately it cut my hunt short..... but there IS more to come, so stay tuned my frineds, for the conclusion to this little elk adventure.
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keep it comming im loving these elk storys!
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And...... Great :campfire: stuff so far. Keep it coming!
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Mike it sounds like you guys had a great time, sorry i wasn't able to work out the plans this time around. as i figured that's some beautiful country you guys were hunting.
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So I had to leave Wednesday mid-day to get back to Boise and prepare for my nursing interview. Tuesday afternoon hunting proved unfruitful except for some good pictures.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3827.jpg)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3832.jpg)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3834.jpg)
Tim's Griffin.... anybody tell me what weed this is? I LOVED it and want to make a bow with these vineers.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3845.jpg)
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3841.jpg)
Did I tell you the landscape is steep? Tim following an elk trail, to no avail.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3856.jpg)
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Tuesday afternnon and it rained. We tried several setups, cow calling, sitting along trails,.... nothing. It rained off and on and my wool began to smell like a wet dog...
The snow line was just above us at 8000-8500 feet
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3857.jpg)
Tim, bundled up against the advancing cold front, glassing the basin from mulie meadows
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3859.jpg)
The view across the valley of the sawtooths
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3860.jpg)
No luck Tuesday afternoon... My time was dwindling, but I was anxious to get going. My elk hunting needs had been met for the year without all the work of getting an elk down off the mountain. But there was one more morning, one more prime time to put the sneak on the bull of the mountain or some wise old cow, some "still learning" spike...
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Wednesday dawned with a heavy skiff of snow. We beat feet up to mulie meadows with high hopes of seeing some elk. Unfortunately they had different plans and we didn't see anything.
(http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/mmbackpacker/IMG_3861.jpg)
All in all a GREAT week. I learned a lot, which is always a goal. I "filled my cup" in preparation for another long year until elk season opens in 2008... because hey, there's only 347 more days until opening day!
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Good luck with the interview. I'm going into nursing also. Doing some pre req's right now and after this semester applying for nursing school. Got tired of supervising. Great story!!!
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I loved the part about the stars. I treasure the time spent alone in camp, just taking it slow and rediscovering my own rhythms, and those of the woods. The stars are always an awesome rediscovery. Without them, we would be way to big for our own good.
Killdeer
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Great story Mike. Very well done and the pics were outstanding. Check your pm.
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beautiful stories how bout the other guys in camp???
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I'm not quite the story teller that Mike is, but here is a summary of my week in Idaho:
Stumbled in to Mike's camp on Friday at lunch, after a 14 hour drive from central California (looked closer on the map, I think the western states are a smaller font size on the atlas than everywhere else!). As Mike mentioned, we wasted no time getting on the mountain and glassing/scouting. On average, I would say we spent 10 hours hunting/hiking per day - one day in particular we spent 15 hours on the mountain. Beautiful scenery and a lot of mulies and antelope, just very little elk sign in that particular area. After Mike split on Wednesday I packed up and headed north and west to the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. Set-up camp and hit the mountains to check out a few spots. An hour of hiking along the MF Salmon river I came up on the some mulies and took some pictures(I hope to post some later on). I could have popped a big doe but didn't have a tag. Five minutes later, moving on further down the river slow with the wind in my favor I look downsteam and across the river to see nothing but ivory, and lots of it - at maybe 70 yards in front of me stands my first bull. He didn't see me and I got a good look at him but no picture, I was in predator mode and wishing I was 40 yards closer. I dropped down and did a few cow calls and waited a half hour or so. I think the rapids from the river muted my calls and the big bull was just finishing up watering. In hindsight, I should have probably gone across after him, the river was only a couple feet deep. Anyway, I hunted that bull for the next two days and never saw another elk - lots of fresh sign though. That wilderness is an incredible area, I spent 8 days hunting and never saw another hunter in the field. All in all it was a great experience (thanks Mike for introducing me to Idaho elk hunting, I will send you my pictures once I get things caught up). I also learned a bunch and cannot wait to go back. I think I will meet up with my dad next September to show him this incredible part of the world.
Tim
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Cool hunt and awesome pics, thanks for sharing!!!