Idaho Success!

[strictlyRUM]

Just some teaser pics. The rest of the story will have to wait until the kids go to bed.





I was sliding down the hill every I would raise his head. I would have to reset the tripod and try again. All the while I had in the back of my mind...."You have no head light you idiot! You left it in the tent. Its going to be dark in minutes." So I have some lack luster trophy shots. Here are some other pics. Most of them not so hot either but they do give you an idea. Everyone should have a hunt like this once in their lives. Wolves, bears, giant bulls singing you to sleep every night, visions of giant bucks keeping you awake. Snow, rain, hail, sun. It had it all. Story to come! Here are some more pics.
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[strictlyRUM]

Ok Guys, I guess I will start from the beginning and hope to keep it somewhat on track...... After living in Idaho for a little stint I was able to get my lifetime resident license. I dont have to pay for a nonresident hunting license each year. I can just put in for tags. So far I just used it for sheep and goat. This year I am entering my third year in engineering school and need to be focussed. No more November whitetail hunts for the next two years. Since I have a license I put in for a hunt that I thought I would never get. IF I did get it I would be able to hunt without interfering with school. In early June we found out my wife had drawn a tag here in Oregon on her second choice. It started Sept 12. Perfect. Not a great hunt but a great time to be in the woods. The best part is its close to home and she keeps her preference points.

About 15 days later I get a text and it says to check my computer, Idaho results are up! Although it was more colorful language. I went to the computer and it said I drew Unit 44 Deer! Holy Crap! I yelled. The wife just groaned "NOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!!! So the dancing and freaking out started. You see I have been a lifelong Muley Junkey but nearly everyone around here focuses on Elk. I have had my chances at big bucks throughout the years but in the past 5-10 years as I find myself slowing down and hunting smarter I have not had ample opportunity that I had 20-25 years ago. The deer just are not there like they used to be in Oregon anyways.

This would be the first real muley tag I have ever had. A real chance at a mature animal. Waaahooooo! I was scrambling to figure out how I was going to do this. I had been in the unit a few times in the past just to take pictures of real Muledeer. I was beautiful. I was in no means familiar with it though. So I started the google kung-fu and google earth. Not a whole lot of resources out there. I did have a Rokslider that spent hours of his own time helping me out though. I am forever indebted. He walked me through "bucky areas" glassing spots, general trends. Just what I needed. Just the way I like to think of an area. Since the landcruiser took a dump on me on my way over on the first try this was going to get rough. I tried to tie things up here while making contacts and internet scouting. I spent countless hours on the stairmaster and eliptical. Not as much for physical training, but more mental. I would get into this zone or place in my head and just picture myself on the 13th day and a decent typical 150ish buck standing there and I am not pulling the trigger. This hunt was not about the "typical." The kids would be in school and wife working so I would be going at it alone. I allotted 13 days if needed in the opening days. Another 5 or more at the end if we couldnt get it done the first go around.

My internet plee left me with two new friends. Only met through Rokslide. One of which I have followed his meanderings throughout the last few years and the other a completely unfamiliar name. JimmyG had also drawn the tag. He came in with offers of trading info and camping near each other so as to not be hunting solo the entire time. I said sure.

Since I didnt have rifle capable of the long distances and high winds that were more than common in this area I quickly scrambled to get something together. I ended up with a 26 Nosler. It is the new Montana Rifleman XCRII. Although I knew I didnt want something that overbore I was having problems finding a 264 Win or brass either for that matter. Well this rifle practically fell in my lap and brass was soon ariving at the door. Getting it to shoot was another issue. I will have to save that for another story. I did get dope out to 1000 verified for wolf control purposes. Even though I had my drops verified and finally got the gun shooting a decent group, I wanted to make this hunt personal. I have killed animals out past 1000 yards on numerous occasions. about 5 I think. And at least that many between 500 and 1000. I can shoot. I wanted to have a true "stalk" be end all in this story though.



So September 13 rolls around and I leave my family for the Idaho hills.



Its about an eight out drive so I dive into my "rations" the wife had put together for me. A vacuum bagged peanut butter and honey bagel anyone?



I get in late on Sunday. Get a motel and prepare myself for the days of tent and truck camping to come. I had spots I had been to but the first morning was spent following leads from one VERY helpful Rokslider. This is the first thing I see as I step out of the truck at "glassing location one" as I marked it down on the GPS.

 

[MuleyFever]

Sweet. Congrats.

 

[Juan_ID]

Hell ya, awesome buck congrats Jason! Looking fwd to the rest of your pics and story! Better not tell anybody about that little honey hole!

 

[Shrek]

Wow ! What a cool buck ! Congratulations !

 

[realunlucky]

Lack luster? Just drooled on my phone. Tuned in for this write up and more pictures.

 

[realunlucky]

Hell ya, awesome buck congrats Jason! Looking fwd to the rest of your pics and story! Better not tell anybody about that little honey hole!

Well maybe just me. Hey it was worth a shot

 

[mtnwrunner]

Awesome buck---a wall hanger for sure.

Randy

 

[strictlyRUM]

Ok part 2.......

So the first day I am there....Sept 14

I am awoken to my alarm on my phone. Howling winds and rain. Just nastiness. I like it! Although mule deer tend to not care for it. When it breaks it will be great. So I hike out to the end of the "Knob" as I called it. Ive had more than a few chuckles from that...... I am not sure why? Anywho I glass for the morning. Well what I could between blowing clouds and rain and herds of elk keeping my attention. Here is the view of the nest.


Here is the view FROM the nest....


When things broke it was pretty cool. Although did I mention that this was my 40th birthday and my wonderful wife wanted to make sure I felt "special" so she went on facebook or some such nonsense and called to the masses to keep me showered in texts. I got perfect reception on the "knob" so it was constant for hours.....BUZZ.......BUZZZ........BUZZZ. I finally had to turn it off. After 40 texts wishing me a happy 40th and good luck on the hunt. I felt "Special." Slightly annoyed, but very "Special."

Mostly saw Elk and a few deer and two bear. I tried to set up a tent but the 30-60 mile an hour winds made that impossible. So the cab of the truck it was. Elk screamed all night and the winds rocked the truck as though god himself was trying to keep the tylenol PM from doing its job! I fell asleep though.

 

[strictlyRUM]

Sorry guys I ended up getting sick. I was greeted with arms wide and snot flying when I got home. I think my body was worn down that I got hit pretty hard. Anyways I am not dead and I will attempt to make it through the rest of this.

Day 1 of the hunt - Sept 15 Teusday

The day started of nasty. Winds and rain/snow/crap. I hit the trail at 530 am. I made it about half mile up the trail and the cars started to roll in. I had a King Ranch ford make it in and park at the trail head about 615. I was way too far up to go back down and ask him what his plan was and he was late in my opinion. So I charged on. The guys in the truck decided to set their alarm so the animals wouldnt take anything. After a couple horn honks I knew I was in for a treat. As it got light I couldnt see too much so I hunkered down and glassed between clouds. I edged my way out to the end about 100 yards at a time. 5 hours later the fog started to lift and the sun broke out. Just in time for me to see the gentleman from the Ford down below me about 300 yards. Ugghh. So I started back to the truck. He then started back. Oh this is fun. I sat down and watched him walk right through the middle of the drainage that I had been watching. 16 bucks blew out of there! He even saw a few of them! None of any real size. A couple were in the 150-160 range but not what this area is noted for. When I got back to the truck I was greeted with a very friendly guy and cigar smoke. We talked for a while and went our different ways as it started to spit snow again. While I was at the top I watched around 60 head of elk running back and forth with 11 branch bulls and 5 of the 320+ variety with two of them possibly in the 360 range. With all the action I had watching cars and trying to field just bucks with 10 power binos I knew I needed to switch things up a bit. So I tore down into Boise and bought a 20-60X80mm Vortex Razor and checked over some private on my way back. With all the elk in the bottom I wanted to try and find one of the 10 archery elk hunters so I stopped by the bar and asked around. No archery guys but I did run into some other Oregonians and some of the BEST townfolk I have had the pleasure of dealing with on a hunt. I tell you Fairfield Idaho is a friendly place.

Without an elk hunter and nothing of interest on the private I headed back up to my perch to give it another go. Little did I know that the gunshot I heard on opening morning was a local guy putting the hammer down on a buck that was green scored at 258 and change. So day two was more of day one. Cars, fog, rain/snow/crap and a few ok bucks.

So for the record....

Day 1-28 bucks total, One doe and fawn, one bear
Day 2-12 bucks total, 8 does or fawns, two bears

 

[strictlyRUM]

Day 3

I was meeting up with JimmyG fellow rokslider on day 3. He had a 28ft hilton in tow, and convinced me I needed a solid bed for a couple nights. James is one class act. Offering up everything to a total stranger. When he left he even offered to leave me his four wheeler and trailer. Super nice dude. I did a little cruising around Wednesday mid day and found many more bulls and a few more OK bucks. Animals were moving at all hours. It was cold and they were hungry. It was awesome. After meeting James we loaded up and headed up. I stopped at one area where I saw a high racked 3 point. Huh thats weird he is still there. We get out the spotting scopes and start sizing him up just in time to see him get shot! That was cool. We go to see if we can put our hands on it to test our field judging and James offers up his 4 wheeler to the guy because there is a 4 wheeler trail in the bottom. Did I mention how nice this guy is? Anywho, while they are dinking around I am glassing up deer everywhere. Even what looks to be a heavy 160+ buck about 2 miles away. By the time they get done and back to the road we only have about an hour and a half of light left. Just enough for James to show me a couple places he had looked over during the summer.

Day 3 count 10 bucks 1 of interest for later inspection. Lots more does.

The 3 point

 

[strictlyRUM]

Day 4

Snow


We start up high and glassing the areas I had wanted to. Not too much moving. People are starting to pile in for the weekend and deer are starting to lock down. This was the last day of forcast weather for us so I decided to try and keep up a decent pace and poke around for some other areas that may have deer being pushed into them from the pressure.

BINGO! second place we check I look over and instantly recognize a pot belly and swinging head gear. He was feeding through the trees just as the sky was opening up to sun. I put glass on him and knew it was a good buck. I dont have pics from the first time I spotted him because he was in a good spot for a stalk. I loaded up and made the plan to drop down and come up on an apposing ridge. I am good out to 1000 1200 yards and have killed quite a few animals at these ranges. This was a special tag though. I wanted to make it more personal. I made a promise to myself that I wanted to be under 400 yards or have a good stalk to get under 500. Either way I had this guy dead to rights right there.728 yards an NO wind. I think it was the only half hour I was in Idaho that there was not a hint of wind. I made the plan to pass the shot and come in about 3-400 yards from the apposing ridge.

Well as I was about half way there another storm blew in and he squirted out over the top to avoid the rain and lightnening that were coming at us. The rest of the day I kept replaying it. I should have shot I told myself. No you did it right. He will be back. I guessed this deer to be in the 28+ wide with a matching sticker off each side and double GNARLY eyeguards. He was easily a 180 deer. Thats all I wanted. The next morning I was going to be on the apposing hill looking for him. James wife was showing up the next day so we made plans to split after one more moring hunt together.

 

[strictlyRUM]

Day 5 we are on a knob looking about 1000 yards away on an apposing hillside. As it gets light I spot him!



We watch as the sun is approaching fast. With him bed right on top of the ridge I figured he would move as soon as the sun hit him. I was right. The second the sun lit up his whole body he stretched and exited in seconds. Right over the other side. Not wanting to stir him up I at least had a direction. I went back to camp and looked at maps and tried to anticipate his move.

That evening I was back on my perch looking for his. Right at dark I see him as he stands. Just long enough for a few pictures as he went back over the hill the way he came? Weird.

On his way out.

 

[strictlyRUM]

Day 6

Without a better plan I head back up to the area and see if I can find him bedded and make some sort of move. He has yet to use the same bed and keeps working his way up the hill. I spent the first hour just scanning and cannot locate him. In fact I dont even see any deer. The herd of antelope that has been on the top of the hill is gone. The herd of elk that moves through about 8 didnt come through????? Nothing. That is weird? Then a baby bear comes sprinting by me at mach 90 and doesnt even act like he sees me? I thought to myself. Self..... Maybe there is a big bear on the dead cow in the bottom on the other side of the ridge? I sneak over and look down on this dead cow that appeared the day before. As I glass down there I see it is nearly devoured. Thats weird. Yesterday it only had a few areas chewed on? I catch movement and I notice 2 Coyotes moving in fast. Man those are big coyoties. I watch for a bit thinking I want to shoot one but I dont want to set off the entire hillside. Then all of the sudden out of no where there is grey fur flying everywhere. WOLVES! Three wolves came in and started attacking the coyotes. Instant adreneline rush. WOLVES! I have a tag in my pocket and bullets in the gun! WOLVES! Holy crap. I drop down as the two males run over the hill chasing coyotes. The female stood sentry over the kill. I range check the scope get down on the scope and nothing. Just glare. The sun is coming in at such and angle the scope is just white. CRAP! I move around a bit but cant really find any different position. So I elect to just watch through the binos and wait for her to move. She takes off and I get her in the scope a few times but not long enough for me to pull the trigger.

Well now I know why there are no animals in this drainage!

 

[strictlyRUM]

Day 7,8 and the morning of 9 are the same. It gets hot. Weekenders are everywhere. Deer seemed to disappear. After a quick text session with JuanID I went from lowering my standards to looking at the map in a different way. He assured me I would regret it if I lowered my standards. I knew he was right. I had two kiddows at home that when I talked to them last they just wanted me to put my deer tag on the bear and come home. Ugghhh. I only had another day and a half but I opted to try and find a pocket or hidey hole that they were either unmolested or taking refuge from a more pressured place. I looked at the map and the areas I had see my buck, the areas I was told were bucky, and the ground in between that may house my buck or another large buck. So far I have only seen the one buck that would be a shooter for sure. I am still looking for him if I can.

 

[strictlyRUM]

Afternoon of day nine.....

I am heading into completely unseen territory. By the map and satelite I see a knob that will be right up against a hill that is the source for all the surrounding drainages. My though is that unless someone came in from the top, there may be deer in some of these pockets up against the main mountain. I hike up about 1.2 miles and 1300 ft by GPS and notice another little knob a bit further out that would open up some more area. I get out there and see two perfect little areas that are sheltered from the wind and on the correct side to get out of the sun. As the sun goes down I am scanning these areas but keep interupting my normal viewing with gian bulls fighting. I have to keep reminding myself that it could go down at any moment. I scan back over to one of the areas I liked and see a rack raise from the grass. Holy crap! that is the biggest deer I have seen yet. Stickers everywhere, deep forks, super high. Then I see another rack. Its him! My buck from the past few days. They are still bed in the grass just lifting there heads up getting ready to move.

At this point I am shaking like crazy. Two of the biggest bucks I have ever seen at 404 yards away, completely unaware. I have to try and calm myself down. Trying to get a rest off of the spotting scope, its all over the place. I am trying to get everything moved around to get a good rest. When I get behind the gun again I see them stand. I cannot hold it still. Crap! So I try and get my backpack upright enough and get back in the scope just as they walk out of sight. Holy moly I was bummed. BUT WAIT!

I see another set of antlers in the grass. I am stead and waiting for it to stand. It looks much smaller than the others though. Crabby fronts and much narrower. Do I want to shoot? When he stands he turns his head and I see junk. Not as much as the other but I can tell he is heavy and has junk off of both sides. I wait for him to turn sideways and let her rip.

He stumbles and turns around and heads down hill. I put another one in him and he gives up. I practically run over there because I am loosing light and want to cape him. Not to mention the mess of hills I have to go over to get back to the truck.

When I walk up to him I was expecting to see about a 24 x 24 160ish buck. Boy oh boy. He is a bit better than I thought. Those other deer must have been giants! The one that had the same look as this one I am betting he was a 210+- deer now that I have this one in my hands. Well it was 2.5 miles and 1800 ft back to the truck. Much different in the dark. Oh well I couldnt feel a thing. I got it caped and sent off a few texts. Had a beer with the camp next door and went to bed by 12AM.

 

[strictlyRUM]

The next day I awoke stripped down my pack and went in to finish boning out the meat. I ended up back at can by 10am. I havent ever felt so fleet of foot as I did those last two days. The hours in the gym and days prepping myself for day 10 and the decisions to come paid off.


I ended up with 60lbs of boned out meat to the butcher and that pack felt like it was only 30lbs!

I would like to thank JimmyG for offering up everything and being some great company in the middle of some hard days. Most of all JuanID. I only hope I get to pay you back for the accuracy and detail of information you shared with me. You are forever welcome here if you make it to oregon. Hopefully we will share a campfire soon. Cant wait to see pics of the new little one.

Thanks again.

 

[Shrek]

Congratulations again and thanks for the great write up !

 

[Retterath]

Congrats and thanks for the great pics and story

 

[Juan_ID]

Hell yes man, that was an awesome read! Congrats again! I only wish I could have done more and joined you on the hill... One day!