Our season of memories and successes...more harvest pics!

[Mark Baker]

Okay, guys and gals, here is a quick update.  We only had a couple days to hunt this past weekend, but we made the most of it.   We got up to "camp" Friday eve, and sat adjacent to an old homestead alfafa field, hoping to take another whitetail doe, and possibly locate some elk.  

Kory sat a stand about half-mile north of me, and had a good view of the critters that decended a ridge into the hayfield.    Plenty of deer, as always, but just before dark, two raghorn bulls came down the ridge and sparred just above the hayfield.  

I enjoyed plenty of company in the form of whitetail deer, but no shot opps....although I could clearly hear the bulls above my position sparring, I was'nt treated to a visual, like Kory was.  

There was a lot of activity in general that evening with the approaching cold front.    

The next morning we awoke to about 3 inches of white stuff, and it still coming down hard!  It snowed most of the day.   (thought I was kidding about the snow, eh?)

We both sat stands on the creek bottom in the snowstorm, but deer or anything else for that matter, were not moving at all.  

 

That afternoon, things cleared up, as you can see, and we went back up to where we saw the elk the evening before.   Kory wanted to try and intercept the elk, hoping they would meander down again.    I sat the same stand I did the previous evening.  

Here is my view from the stand.....aspens are glowing neon this time of year, and with the new snow, it was really beautiful and peaceful.  

 

[Mark Baker]

About ten minutes after I snapped the pic from my stand, a real nice...shooter...buck fed out from the beaver swamp just south of me, and across that very view at about 50 yards.   He was a heavy 4 by 4, good mass and fully mature.    I would have been tickled to take him.   He eventually made his way to within 30 yards, just into range, but a screen of branches halfway between nixed any shot chances.   I watched him and for a half hour or more.   Later, another 4 by 4 came right under my stand, and did his hock-urination thing right under my nose facing me as if to say ..."I dare you!".   He was just a 2 1/2 year old, though, so I justwatched the show.   Off in the distance, while he was in spitting range, two other bucks began sparring, and it was fun to watch his reactions to the sound, this early in the season.   He showed genuine interest, and it caused him to move off in that direction some ways, before heading into an oat field adjacent to the hay field.  

Kory took a ground stand, along a fenceline and waited for the elk.

The bulls did feed down past him, well before dark, but they stayed 20 yards across the fence on some property we couldnt access....and Kory had to just enjoy the show for the rest of the evening.  He was within 30 yards for some time in a tricky wind.   The area the bulls - 3 of them this time - were feeding is a small pasture that jogs into the ranch.   We can hunt three sides of this, and the bulls will eventually come into our area, but not before dark this time.   They don't know how lucky they were.  

Next morning dawned cold and clear, and we sat once again for deer, as we had to go home right after the morning hunt.   Here is a pic of me checking tracks in the crunchy snow....and check out the view of the Crazies...is it any wonder why I love hunting and living in Montana.  It never gets old!

 

[Mark Baker]

I'm off tommorrow for the last weekend of bow season, and our last chance for elk in this area.  Plenty of bowhunting coming up, though.    I'll update again next week.   Thanks for reading guys!

[Rusty Izatt]

Great stories Mark. I will be heading up into the Crazies Friday after Ryley's football game for one last try before the season ends.

Rusty

[McGeeM]

Loved the story and the pics, Mark. What a great place to be this time of year. You've got snow and today is our first day of not setting a record for heat in the last two weeks.

[Osagetree]

Most excellent!

[Jeff Holchin]

Blessed are those who live and hunt in Montana!  Great story and photos.

[Mark Baker]

Thanks a bunch, guys.   That's why we all like this time of year, is'nt it?   Magic happens.

[Mark Baker]

Got back late last nite, and what a way to close out the archery only season here!    

I got up to the ranch too late to locate and sit a new elk stand, so I sat a whitetail stand that had'nt been utilized as yet.   A great stand, all in all, and I killed a good buck from it the last day of general season last year with my selfbow.   It was'nt to be this nite, however, as my chances were interupted by the local coyote trapper on his rounds.

Next morning, an ill-east wind  did me in, and only spooked several deer that were potential candidates for fatal perforation.   I spent the rest of the day on Friday, taking down, and relocating one ladder stand, then erecting another hang-on.  

Evening found me in the new ladder stand location.  It really was just an adjustment from the previous stand location from last week where I'd seen the big buck, and Kory had tried ambushing the bull elk.   Kory and Boone  were unable to make the hunt this weekend, but my partner Fish, and his son Riley were scheduled to arrive just in time for the last hour of the evening hunt.   They were gonna meet me here, and so I left the other stand up, a short 50 yards distance from where I now sat, for Fish to sit in, and Riley would go to the north end of the property and sit there.  

They both arrived on time to get in the last hour of daylight....sneaking into their stands.  I  was kindof excited to be  able have a  chance to  watch Fish possibly fill a tag.   It wasn't  to be however, as things developed quickly after their arrival.  

After some silent goofing around at  each other, Fish and I were suddenly snapped to reality by the crashing  of elk antlers, and then the approach...on the run...of a nice bull.   He entered the woods 50 yards north of me.   I could'nt see him as he crashed in.    

Nothing unusual at this point, elk are noisy animals.  

A small whitetail buck that had been approaching my stand was suddenly on alert and watching the  elk, which was standing right where he entered the woods.  I readied for a shot  opportunity.

Then another large crash in the elks locale, followed by several minutes of labored breathing sounds.  The whitey buck got the heck out of Dodge.   Fish and I motioned to each other with hand signals....I'm not sure he had put two and two together as of yet.    I tried to let him know that I thought Riley had  perhaps shot this bull and it was on it's dieing last breaths.  With only minutes of light left, I climbed down, as did Fish.   I told him what I thought...we decided to still hunt towards where we thought the bull was.

[Rusty Izatt]

And then?

[Glenn Carl]

Tap tap tap, and then? You have us right on the edge.

[stick_string]

WOw, lots of good stuff.  Congrats on the deers.

[Randy Morin]

Sorry I missed this thread till now Mark...like you say...it's a hectic time of year.  

Good Stuff Bud!  You really have an awesome place up there and these pictures and stories are really making me jealous!!  Cant wait for the rest.      

Oh yeah...the bows are stellar! Wow.

[Mark Baker]

Sorry guys, I really did'nt mean to leave you hanging, but the dog needed let out, and then I got sidetracked with some work, dangit!    

Anyways, Fish and I snuck forward up the creek and sure enough, I stumbled into a dead 6-pt bull.  I whistled the whistle, you know, the same one you all use to alert the wife or kids that you want them, or that the indians in the movies use just before they attack the unsuspecting trappers.....

Fish came over and there was high fives and backslaps.  Riley did indeed double lung this bull.   We decided to play a trick on the youngster and make him think he had to "track"  my deer that I'd just shot before we went looking for his bull. (He told us his story, and we acted like he was pulling our leg, and he did'nt have any idea where his mortally shot bull ran to).

To get to the point, Riley "stumbled" onto his bull as he was doing a nite search for my deer that died somewhere in this area here....right around here!  

 

 

Riley shot a 55lb Sheepeater Spirit, his own assembled and fletched cedar shaft and grizzly broadhead.   He is 14 years old.

[Mark Baker]

It does'nt get any better for a father than to experience their own kids maturing into great hunters...Fish and I have both raised our kids hunting here, and now we are reaping the rewards, sharing these times together.  I am so thrilled I was in on this one, just as Fish was there for my boys "firsts"!

[Mark Baker]

After that evening hunt, we were "informed" by the ranch owner that he wanted us to leave this particular corner alone, as he'd been seeing 3 big bulls in here, and one the biggest he'd ever seen....and he'd drawn one of the coveted either sex tags for the general season and had his eyes on that bull.   And so our elk hunting up here ends like that.    We sincerely hope John kills the big one!

Next day after a slow morning hunt, I put up some more stands in anticipation of the whitetail rut.   First evening on one of them produced some good fun.

The view NE from the stand.

 

Then a visit from this little guy.

 

 

I counted coup with the camera.   I later passed on a young doe right at last light.

[Rusty Izatt]

Now that is AWSOME. Congrats to Riley!!!            

Rusty

[Mark Baker]

The last day of the season, the ranch owner's son, who really runs the place these days, was gonna let us go and hunt THE OTHER RANCH!   I know, not one but two great ranches for hunting.   In 17 years of hunting here, I'd never been there.  It is mostly open country with beaucoup mule deer, and some elk....bordering another large ranch that does'nt allow hunting.  

We had a ball!  

Multiple stalks....we even got Jason (ranch owner) a successful stalk (he missed) on a pair of good bucks.  I myself got in 3 different stalks on good non-typicals but got busted each time with the lack of cover.

Here is some pics to enjoy.   First one is Jason waiting on a push that did'nt pan out.

 

Here is a group of bucks that let us get pretty darn close before bugging out.  

 

 

 

[Mark Baker]

All in all, a great weekend, bluebird weather, lots of game, and good times.  And still more to come.....

 

[Talondale]

Great thread.  Congrats to the young hunter.