It Begins!!! A Mule Deer Vacation 2015

[Tim]

Morning Folks.....didn't sleep too well last night.   The gentleman next door has several elk and the darn bulls where bugling all night long.  Each day they seem to be getting more and more vocal.  I know.....a tough thing to listen to all night         The coyotes where also going nuts last night yipping non-stop.  

Mid-day usual brings some down time around the house.  Here's a few pictures of us shooting our bows.  Mark and I both are shooting one of Dan's Toelke's Lynx 3 piece take downs.  I was going to bring my Silvertip but I thought it would be nice to shoot the Lynx.

Mark's wife Donna also enjoys a few arrows.

   

   

   

[cacciatore]

 keep them coming.

[Homey88]

Great thread! I look for this thread every morning and evening! Keep them coming!

[Guru]

Great stuff bud!!!

[elkken]

Sounds like a great game of cat and mouse being played here .... keep it coming Tim        

Good luck to the cats

[Tim]

An incredibly quiet morning.  We saw 2 does and one big guy.  The buck was a good 1/2 mile away on a neighboring property enjoying some peace and quiet.

This is what it looks like after three hours of nothing on stand.  Not happy....and scheming for the evening hunt.

 

[Tim]

So our host and ranch owner has a good friend a few miles up the road.  He offered to take us up to this gentleman's home to "check it out".  All I can say is WOW!    

The home is on 300 acres bordering National Forest.  The home is on the very highest point over looking what seemed like the entires state of Colorado.  Sometimes pictures just don't do a place justice, this is one of the scenarios.

This is his back viewing an sitting area.  If the drop off the edge doesn't kill you the views will.  Just incredible!

 

The inside of the home was decorated with a lifetime of antique furniture, family photos and hunting memories.  Here are just a few photos.

 
 

[Tim]

So here's something that will really get your pulse going.  In the center of the room was a glass table filled with the most amazing collection of arrow heads I have ever seen.  All of these where found by this gentleman.  Again, a lifetime of memories having lived in both rural Colorado and Alaska all his life.  These are only the best of the best he has found.  Simply Amazing!!!

 

 

[Tedd]

Wow. That is a lot of arrowheads. I envy that guy. What a spot. I have yet to find an arrowhead, but I will someday!
Nice photos. I'm headed to wyoming next week.
Tedd

[Izzy]

As if the hunting alone wasn't good enough, you get to see a native American/hunting museum at a private nature resort. Too cool.

  Tim, Ive been doing landscaping around the new pool with a wheel barrow all week long in 90 degree heat after 8 to 10 hours of regular work and thinking about you on that trip is keeping my mind off the toil. Uggggggggg, gotta get back to work, the wife just tightened her grip on the bull whip. Ill check back in tonight. Good luck brother.    

[maineac]

What an amazing trip. and it is still in the early stages!  ENJOY the experience.  I am, thanks for sharing!

[akaboomer]

Beautiful images. I recognize the mountain in the background. Seeing this brings back many memories of my youth growing up in that area. I grew up in Naturita, just to the west, and attended a small congregation in Norwood. Thanks for sharing.

Chris

[Matty]

Ummmm those bucks on the wall are amazing.
Loving your story man. Keep it coming.

[Tim]

Another great evening on stand!  Not as far as big bucks go but the overall experience.  I got on stand rather early, since we had seen a few deer coming into the alfalfa out in front of the house.

It amazes me how many things we see as hunters that we so often take for granted.  What I had happen tonight was just incredible.  I'm in a cedar tree that doesn't have much cover.  There is a second cedar in back of me that I can almost reach out and touch....maybe 4 feet away.  I was standing up looking east half a sleep from the sun on my back.  I heard the bird land and immediately start screeching.  I peaked around my tree to find a beautiful Sharp Shin Hawk not 4 feet away.   I fully expected him to fly....not let me pull out my camera, film him for a minute and take several pictures.  The sun was bright and the video came out just ok.  I did however get several pictures, here's one of my favorites.

   

Not long after I had a doe walk up the trail towards me.  I could hear her coming as she bleated ever other step.  All of a sudden I hear the undeniable "mule deer hop"!  Pretty cool to hear and see a mom call in her young one.  The yearling just about knocked mom over trying to feed.
 
   

And the third event of the night was the opportunity to see a beautiful non-typical 2x2!  This guy came in on a mission, grunting every now and than and looking for the ladies.....if he could find one that liked his hat!  I'm not sure what he got himself into but it looks like it's going to stay with him awhile.

   

[Tim]

Here's a couple other pictures from the evening.

 

 

[Tim]

Yeah Matt.....the guy had a few sheep, a moose, several elk, a bear and a few other critters.  The mule deer with the dark, tight and high rack is what held my attention.  Such a unique animal.  

The arrow head collection was just incredible Tedd.  The gentleman was an excavator by profession so I'm sure he was in the right place at the right time to find several of them.   Good luck in Wyoming my friend!  Hope to see a nice post from you.

[ANick]

^^^  Dark rack.  Aye.  

Sweet adventure you have going, lots of cake.

Just need a little icing to top it off.  

G'luck and thanks for taking us along.

[Fritz]

Great pics, Tim! Keep at em!

[snakebit40]

Thanks for the updates Tim! I'm with you on the dark, tight and high racked buck. Very cool. Good luck this morning!  

[fmscan]

Loved the Hawk picture, hard to believe he let you get the camera out... thank you for sharing with us...