The Hunt that started it all for me

JPhelps

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
100
Location
PeEll, WA
Until this hunt I had road hunted around my house (the only way my dad and grandpa hunted). I was hooked after this hunt. Here is the write up from back in 2007:

On Saturday we left the truck at 5:00 and began the walk up the mountain with big deer on our mind. We got up to around 4000 ft. and could start to see that there was snow on the ground. We continued walking knowing about where I wanted to be at first light. Well first light came and shortly after we seen a small group of about 6 deer filing through the timber, no bucks. So we continued up the trail.

So we arrive at the top of the hill at about 8:30 and to our surprise there was no one as far as we could see. We galssed the area and decided to take a quick water/snack break. We then split up and I continued up and he was going to walk out a ridge nearby. I started getting into snowdrifts up to my knees and decided to turn around. When I got back to where we had sat for 20 minutes there was a spike buck standing in the EXACT location we had just been sitting.

My buddy calls me on the radio and said that he had a pretty good spot to glass from. So I work my way over and he leads me to his vantage point. Well the wind was whipping about 30 mph so circled below a big rock face to get out of the elements. Well as we were walking my buddy spotted a deer, it was a buck but with the fog rolling in and out we couldn't really put any third point on it. The buck feeds back in the timber then two deer come out,both bucks. Still cant tell. After watching for a while we decide to make our way down 20 more feet and sit. As we started walking I spotted a third deer trotting out of the timber instantly I knew it was a shooter. We both darted over to the rock confirmed it was legal and my buddy shot, I got to watch the deer crumble in my scope. Now we are high fiving and working our way down to his buck when three more bucks run out of the same piece of timber. My buddy indicated that the first deer was the biggest and I took him as he headed up the other side of the chute. The deer ended up laying within 10 feet of each other.

The fun was over and know the work begun, skinned them out hung them in a tree and hiked back in on Sunday to get them. 24 miles total, 6 miles with 124 lbs on my back. I would not trade this trip and memories for anything in the world.

My 20" 4x3
IMG_0590.jpg


my buddies 26-1/4" 3x3
IMG_0592.jpg


Me with both bucks
IMG_0600.jpg
 
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robby denning

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
15,108
Location
SE Idaho
You guys did great! So glad you shared the story. Love hunting in the snow and like you stated, no one is usually around. It was a hunt just like that that started it all for me. Killed a 4 point buck in a blizzard, miles from the road, had to come back to pack him out- and it hooked me like it has you.

What state? About what dates was your hunt (the bucks look big bodied like they do before the rut in October).
 
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Matt Cashell

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Staff member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
4,508
Location
Western MT
JPhelps, I like the story, and the pictures!

One tip, respectfully: You could pull out some of the "Well"s in there.
 
OP
J

JPhelps

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
100
Location
PeEll, WA
Washington State General Season - So it was before the rut by about a month.

Yeah, the "well's" are annoying. I just copied and pasted the story. I should have fixed it first.
 
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