Ollin Magnetic Digiscoping System

Idaho deer - First time for everything

It was a pleasure to meet you Oscar.

Thanks all for the good luck wishes.

As mentioned, we have bumped into other hunters and a guide but that comes with hunting public land. It is really no big deal and the added pressure could end up in someone's favor..

This is the first hunt in a month long endeavor for Randy. He will barely make it back home for Thanksgiving so keep the positive thoughts and feedback coming.
 
Good luck bf. just because your barely going to make it home for thanksgiving cause your hunting your butt off doesn't make me feel sorry for you.
 
Good luck Big Fin! Must be awful to have to hunt a solid month.
 
Thanks for all the good wishes. It almost happened this morn.

Right at daylight, Longbow says, "Look at that bull on the ridge." I scan over his way, trying to locate the bull. Before I can locate the bull Longbow corrects himself and days, "Holy crap, it's not a raghorn, it's a buck.”

A quick plan is made. I wil match up to the head of the basin and set up with the camera. Longbow and Jereep will go down the basin, them work their way towards me and the camera. Idea being the deer wil top out at the end issues basin where they did the previous times.

I was set up and ready. I waited and waited and ......... Nothing but lots of does. Then finally, about 500 yards down the basin, the 4X3 and his does cross east, right near a two track. I sit stil, hoping the big bucl is continuing up the basin. Nothing comes.

I drop down toward where the buck had crossed and stood above, hoping to catch movement in the drainage below. I see them sneaking through the aspens. I run forward to an opening, but it is to late. The does cross as I get there.

The big buck of the morning still has not appeared, so I go back to my rock and wait. Finally Longbow and Jereep emerge. They tell me the 4X3 was at the bottom of the basin. Each were within 200 yards as he fed away. The big buck jumped up in front of Jereep at 75 yards, then crossed the ridge in front of him.

Longbow also saw the buck cross in front of Jereep. They say he was only 23" or so wide, and almost as tall. I wouldn't know, being 500 yards yup the basin from where the action was happening.

So close, but yet so far. Why those deer exited to the east and west, rather than coming down the heavily used path I was sitting on, is beyond me. Such is hunting. Just when you think you have them on the ropes, they escape unharmed.

Time for lunch and a better evening plan. Dang, not even one bit of footage to go with the situation. The deer were where the camera wasn't.
 
Trying to push these deer to Fin was like herding cats.

The bigger buck from this morning was actually quite a bit taller than he was wide. I spotted him on th skyline at dusk. He was facing us head on and due to the rack being taller than it's width I truly thought I was looking at a rag horn bull.

Lots of rigs rolling in this afternoon. It's going to get crowded shortly. Desperate times call for desperate measures so this evening we are going to try a spot down low where we have not been yet in hopes of getting away from other hunters. Hope it pans out.
 
Found the tall guy right at dark. Hope he keeps feeding the same direction so I can ambush him in the morning. Passed on a 3X3. Not sure why I passed, but I did.

Tired from glassing and need to get up extra early tomorrow. Will try to give a better update tomorrow.
 
We saw the 4X5 with his herd this morning. The wind was blowing at least 30 knots. The group grazing the pattern we had seen before. Randy and camera man Dennis were in position to cut him off. Jerry was at a high spot keeping eye on the herd. Still a little early for good filming light.

Suddenly the herd was sent on the run by another hunter who had not seen them. Down into the bowels of the same aspen patch as yesterday.

It was decided that I would try the same push as before. We put Jerry at a vantage point so he could see where the deer exited if they did not head Randy's way. I started the push from North to South. A lone doe held tight and got behind me so I tried a deeper weave through the patch. The herd must have a 6th sense. They blew out of the aspen through a small saddle that just out of Randy,s view and he did not see them until it was too late. He hustled over anyway and got within range of a smaller 3X3 but chose not to shoot in the high wind.

After a lunch of blue berry pancakes we are headed out for the final evening.
 
We need to hear of some new ways to mess up opportunities, since we used up every way I know of in the last twelve hours. I would post the scents of the afternoon, but you would not believe them. Fortunately, all is captured on film. And as they say, the truth is stranger than fiction. I am not creative enough to make up the kind of events of today.

So, I leave Idaho with all my bullets, with my tag in tact, and move on to the next hunt, completely jinxed. I know of no more tricks. I cannot hunt any harder. I cannot push the cameras and equipment through any more.

Now, I put my shoulder to the wheel and push the OYOA wagon to Wyoming. They are trying to convince me to stay for a morning hunt, but not sure I can handle much more of this futility in one hunt. Maybe some sleep will convince me otherwise.
 
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