Idaho '08. . .a wingnut & jason adventure

[wingnut]

Well I finally got the pics loaded and am ready to tell the story and I promise to get the whole 10 day adventure told before Monday.

A long year has finally passed since we left the mountains in Central Idaho and we are flying low headed north.  Unfortunately as we left the little storm in Houston has hit our area and we buck 40 mph winds all the way to Oklahoma.  Not a problem for the diesel, just a problem for the mpgs.

Our departure was timed so we would end up between Amarillo and Denver the first night and so that we would make it into Idaho the second.  We like to arrive in camp around noon.  It gives us time to setup and go out that evening to glass and listen from the high areas.

I won't bore you with two days on the road so we will fast forward to arrival in camp.  The spot we had last year, was occupied by a trailer, no hunters just a trailer.  But the bigger and better spot 250 yds up the road was ours for the taking.

Here is camp as we unload our gear:

 

Two hours later, we are set and Jason is splitting some firewood that the previous campers left for us.

 

Here is the small kitchen:

 

and the shower:

 

[wingnut]

We decided that we still had time to hit the hill at 5:30 and saddled up and headed up the skid by camp.  The plan was to climb the hill to the top where there is a 360 degree vista and lots of elk country to watch.

We didn't make it that far, 200 yds out of camp, Jason whispers; DEER!!. And then BIG BUCK!!.  I look up the hill and there stands a beautiful 4x4 mule deer about 26" spread and long tines.  He is maybe 22 yds and did I say uphill.  Anyway after one slow crowhop, I had a shot.  Now I swear I was looking at the crease of the shoulder, but Jason said the shot was good. . . .if I was looking at the rack.  I hit both sides of antler and went flying up the hill.  The deer followed shortly.  Dang it's not right to test a guy only 15 minutes out of camp.

We looked for the arrow and tried to relocate the buck until darkness fell.  It was only a short walk back to camp though.  LOL

[Winterhawk1960]

Cool Beans......keep 'em coming.

Winterhawk1960

[rastaman]

Now that would have been too easy! L.O.L.!
Can't wait to see the rest....

[wingnut]

The alarm went off at 5:30 and I was up building a fire and getting coffee on shortly there after.  As soon as the coffee boiled, I kicked Jason and rolled him out.  We are hunting out of camp today and headed down into the bottoms.  This is where we had multiple bull encounters last years so a good place to start.  We don't have shooting light at around 7:15 and headed out about 6:45.  A quick walk down the road past our old camp and we were headed down the river to the bottoms.

We set up just off the river and started to call as it got just enough light to shoot.  Nothing!

Moved up the wind and hill 200 yds and setup again.  Nothing again!!

We repeated the process til we hit the ridge 600 ft above the river.  Not one response and no fresh sign.

We worked back towards camp and cut a few deer tracks and some really big bear sign.

Back at camp we fixed some chow and talked a bit about what we saw this morning.

Here are some pics from on top of the ridge:

 

 

Mike

[RookiePaul]

Thanks for taking us with you on your hunt.  I am enjoying this tremendously!!

Paul

[Steve H.]

Everything, including the kitchen sink.  Just like your fly out moose hunt, lol.

[Charlie Lamb]

Looking forward to the rest Mike.
     

[Chris Surtees]

Been looking forward to this one! Can not wait to hear the rest of it.

[shawn]

I have been waiting for this post. I am sitting in my reading chair awaiting the rest of the story.

[wingnut]

WE headed back up top in the evening but took the truck this time and went over to the back side on a road we'd never taken before.  About 400 yds down the other side Jason whispers "GROUSE" at the top of his lungs and we slide to a stop.  Bailing out of the truck and grabbing bows and flu flus in a well oil routine.  We almost cut bow strings and throats.  There were birds everywhere and they were booking for cover.  I almost got drawn on a large male before he ducked into the berry bushes, another eludes Jason and we try to sneak them up the hill.  First you'd spot one and then it would flush.  Jason drew on one going straight away but it veared behind a tree before he could loose.

I counted 7 birds flushing out and not a shot.  We went down to the truck and Jason said that the birds he'd seen were below the road.  So we got grouse small and snuck into a good spot to only miss seeing one 10 yds away.  It finally flushed and 3 more went with it.

We drove on down and found that this road was a pass to another creek road access.  We drove uphill til the road petered out and turned back.  It was time to get back too the top and hike up to see if the elk were there.  On the way back we found about 20 doug fir rounds someone had cut but left behind because it was a little punky.  We filled the truck and as we were finishing two guys pulled up on one of the quad things.

They were shooting funny looking bows and I noticed they both had exactly the same equipment.

Anyway we talked a bit and they said their group of four had already taken 3 bulls and were out after the fourth this evening.  Off they went and we headed out our way.  I asked Jason where he wanted to go and he said that we should follow the quad tracks and see where they were headed.  The roads only go to a few places up there and the guys were not very clear when I asked where all the elk were.  LOL

We followed the tracks up til they turned up a dead end track.  We knew they were hunting high so we went high too.  Very high!  After parking the truck we headed up and in the next 500 yds gained 600 ft in elevation.  No lie, Jason checked the GPS from the crown (not the top) and found the truck 500 yds away and 600 ft down.

We started into some pines on top and saw lots of fresh deer and elk sign.  We set up and cow called a little.  Waited 30 minutes and decided to climb a bit further.  After 300 or so yards we jumped a muley and setup again.  We repeated the routine til darkness fell on the mountain.  We grabbed the headlights and checked the gps for the route.  An hour and 1/2 later we hit the road and start up to the truck.

On the way down the mountain we ran into another fellow that was hunting the ridge.  His party of 5 had also taken 3 bulls and the other four guys went home.  He was living out of the truck up on the mountain.

He also said that a couple of guys riding a quad had pushed the herd over the top the day before.

We headed to camp to fix a dump cake for desert.

[wingnut]

WE decided to hit Rusty's ridge behind camp in the morning.  He had hunted last year a lot and saw deer, elk and bear nearly everytime out.

We left camp in the twilight of early morning and pushed up a quad track on the other side of the river.  A half mile up it turns up the ridge and climbs fast.  I was trying to get to Rusty's hide half way up before light and to start calling from there.  Jason split and went down the ridge to setup on the wind and I slipped behind the brush that Rusty used last year.  As I went to sit on his stump, a cow barked towards where Jason was.  Then another to my left.  Dang it we had stumbled into the herd in the dark.  I saw two cows cross in front of me at 25 yds like ghosts through the mist.

Jason came up as I calmed the herd down with cow and calf calls.  They were answering now about 75 yds up the hill.  The wind was good so we decided to dog them a bit and see if we could get close.

The hill breaks into a large timbered flat.  Nice country with thicks and breaks.  Almost ideal for a bow and call.  The elk were feeding now and we could hear them crunching and walking ahead.  The wind was not as good on the flat so we tried to circle down to get a better setup.  When we slipped back up, the elk had moved down and winded us.  Game over!!

We headed back over the flat to meet the 4 track and ran into a covey of ruffs.  Again the spooked out of a tree before we could shoot.  Dang I think we have figured where we fit on the grouse smarts chart.  We can shoot spruce grouse (fool's hens) but the ruffs and blues have our number.

Down the hill we walked watching for deer and birds.  I rounded the corner and there he was about 16 yds broadside.  I had a BH on the string and drew to anchor.  The arrow was away and it was a center kill zone hit.  Off down the hill it goes and Jason and I just looked at each other.

We waited a few minuted but could here flopping in the woods about 20 yds ahead, we knew he was down.  Jason quietly stalked over and put another arrow in as it tried to get up.

Here is our prize:

 

and the posed pic with the bow and stuff

 

[Bjorn]

Way to go guys! Looks like fun!!

[wingnut]

Forgot to mention; don't leave a ziplock full of granola bars out on the kitchen table overnight.  A coon got into ours and ate 5 of the 200 cal bars.  I bet he had a buzz going for days.  LOL

After getting back to camp I cleaned up, fixed some b'fast and settled in for the heat of the day.  Temps had been hitting 85 degrees and boy the elk don't like it any better then I do.

Jason was laying on the bed listening to a book on his ipod and I was puttering around.  Decided it was time to hit the facilities and walk out of the tent.  I saw something move on the other side of camp about 25 yds away near the shower.  Then saw it again. . . .BEAR!!.  I got Jason's attention and he grabbed the camera.

 

 

We decided even though he was small we should run him off so I did my big bear routine and he did this

 

We backed off so he could come down the tree and threw a few rocks in his direction to move him along.

He was in camp every night after that.  He's a second year cub but too young not to have mom around.  The bear dogs were working the area hard and I think they got mom without knowing about Jr.

Mike

[wingnut]

We spent the afternoon bear proofing the camp.  He would find odds and ends at night.  Once I made a apple dumpcake and forgot to put the can in the garbage in the trailer.  He had fun licking the can clean.

He's a beautiful chocolate bear and will be a great one to have around if he makes it.  There are some huge bear in this unit that is trophy managed. (draw only)

[wingnut]

With the wind being difficult in the afternoon, we decided to go high again.  We parked and started to climb.  The wind was really coming up fast and when we cleared the trees and could see.  Jason said "LOOK at that!!"

Out towards Hells Canyon was a wall of white and it was coming fast.  We said to head for the truck and almost made it before the sleet and 40 mph winds hit.  You get wet real fast when a storm hits in the mountains.  A change of plans headed us across the unit some 20 miles to a place we'd seen a lot of deer.  On the way, jason's cellphone beeped as a text message came in.  That was weird cause there isn't cell coverage anywhere on the mountain.  Well there is now about a 100 yd area with one bar.  We both made calls home and I called Rusty.

Then off we went after deer.  The rain was letting up a little as we reached the breaks.

Working down the road, you cross open ridges and stop and glass the berry and young tree filled draws.  Stop, glass for 30 minutes, move to the next and repeat.  As we neared the end of the road and the last draw, we spotted two mule deer does feeding.  Game on.  Jason slipped down into the draw and closed the distance while I watched through the binos.  Finally he is in position, above one doe and accross the canyon from the other.  Looks like both are under 25 yds.  He slows way down and I see him pull an arrow from the quiver.  Draw, pause, release.  Looked good from here, but I can't see the closest doe now.  She runs off and he grabs another arrow.  The doe accross the draw is looking his way but not alarmed.  Draw, pause, release.  Again looks good and the doe jumped.  Maybe. .  .but no thumbs up.  He grabs another arrow and heads down into the draw.  Soon he is near where the 2nd doe was and is looking accross the hill.  Draw, pause, release. . .dang how many arrows does he have?

Still no thumbs up and I see the shoulders sag.  Time to go help find arrows.

We locate the arrows and he tells me that he shot over the first one and under the other one. . . twice.  He said he thought he was peeking to see the arrow fly causing him to drop his arm.

Well we hiked back to the truck.  The road wound through the draw and back out the other side to a water hole.  As we got 60 yds away we glassed the area again and there was another doe.  Jason piled out and off he went again.  This time the deer booked before he could get the shot.

And it was dark soon after.  Not a bad way to spend the rainy afternoon and Jason got some good practice shots in. . ..LOL

We did work on keeping the bow on target til the arrow hits in camp the next day.

Mike

[Killdeer]

Terrific read, Mike! The ruffed grice are tough, that's for sure. That gray phase you got is a beauty! Where I hunt, they're red.

Killdeer      

[wingnut]

Next morning we head up Rusty's ridge again this time we headed up right at camp and topped out before daylight.  We headed across to where the elk left the day before and worked slowly into the wind when we had light to see and shoot.  We called and glassed then moved, covering 1/2 mile of the ridge.  Lots of track and droppings, huge bear sign ( close to 5# piles)and turkey sign everywhere.

We topped out at a cattle salt lick Rusty found last year.  The area was tore up but had quad tracks there too.  Around 11 we headed back down the trail to camp for some food.  While getting camp squared away two quads and a 2 wheel bike came down the trail and exited right through our camp.  I was not a happy camper and was wanting one of those strips the cops use to stop cars to put in the river.

Anyway they waved and motored past the tent and up the road.

Jason settled me down and we started watching the horizon, weather was coming.

We casted wider that evening checking some water holes for elk sign.  A couple showed use but not recent.  We had a nice walk in the woods that evening and spent a lot of time stump shooting with our flu flus.  We both made some great shots and had some bad misses.  But we were smiling as we headed back to camp.

We decided to go to the base for Rusty's ridge in the am, so we need to get up earlier so we can drive down the road a couple of miles.

We also are going out midday now to the cell zone to make calls to home and too friends.  Called Brent Rudolf a couple of times to rub in he was not in camp. (invited but couldn't make it) and kept Rusty posted on the events.

Mike

[Shaun]

Fine telling Mike. Looks like a great part of Idaho with minor 4 wheeled mosquito problem. Nice shooting on the grouse!

[Paul/KS]

MORE! I need MORE...!
   
Great story so far. Looking forward to the rest of the saga soon...