Idaho & Montana hunting trip...

[1_pointer]

Well, I called Idaho and Montana 'home' for the last two weeks as me and BOY hunted from one place to another. There was LOTS of hiking and quite abit of hunting and almost as much shooting. In 13 days we killed the following:
mule deer
pronghorn
spike elk
sage grouse
Hungarian partridge
pheasant
blue grouse
ruffed grouse
mountain lion

We could've killed a few spruce grouse, but decided to keep chasing elk. A black bear was shot at and missed along with a couple of elk and a 5pt whitetail was let go because we didn't want to have to turn aroun after driving into town to get another tag. I had high hopes for the trip and it was about all I could have hoped for. The mtn lion was by far the coolest. BOY spotted something in the bottom of a basin that looked a bit out of place. Once he got a bit closer he could see the cat laying in the grass, bailed off the ridge and worked in for the shot. He got within about 150yds and the cat never knew what hit him. About 20yds from the cat he found the cat's previous night's kill, a 3pt buck! Way too cool! I'm having trouble uploading pics to hunttalk, so here's a link to a small album. I'll try to get some pics uploaded later this week.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/tyler...done=http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

 

[Oak]

Wow, sounds like quite a safari you guys had! Did pretty well, too. I'll bet a mountain lion tag was about the last one you expected to fill!

Oak

 

[Ithaca 37]

Congratulations on the big adventure! Sounds like lots of fun. You gonna write a book about it all?

 

[1_pointer]

You gonna write a book about it all?

It'd be a pretty short book, but I'm hoping the journal entries and pics will keep the yet to exist ancestors entertained! However, I'm hoping to complete the Lower 48 grouse slam in the next two years, so that may warrant an article.

 

[BuzzH]

Pointer, great photos and congrats on the hunting.

Also, congrats on the sitka blacktail as well. I sent my deposit to AK a week or so ago. I'd like to discuss some of the details of that hunt with you sometime and ask you some questions.

Congrats again.

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

Pointer, We want a story for each species! You are doing GREAT! WTG! John

 

[dgibson]

Holy crap! Looks like a great 2 weeks.

 

[Elkhunter]

I am thinking that you had a great hunting trip and scored nicely on the game population. Thanks for the short story and the pictures. That cat is friggin cool.

 

[MarvB]

Congrats Tyler...now THAT'S a mixed bag!! What a great first time muley buck...you're one spoiled SOB now- that's four seasons worth of horn for Moosie

 

[TheTone]

Awesome trip, looks like success followed you guys wherever you went. Absolutely awesome country where you killed your muley. Southern Idaho looks better to me all the time.

 

[Big Sky]

Pointer first off, congrats on an amazing few weeks. Between Alaska, Idaho, and Montana you are living many hunter's wildest dreams. That muley is a dandy by the way and his cape is to die for. Love that perfect double throat patch. Hope you have plans to have that one mounted.

What grouse have you got left to complete your slam?

 

[1_pointer]

Nope, not getting him mounted. With one animal at the taxi, I thought my wife would want to fill her 'husband tag' and shoot me. But, I might get it done later on down the road.

For the Lower 48 grouse I need spruce, blue, and white-tailed ptarmigan. I've got one each of Greater and Lesser Prairie chickens in the freezer to get mounted and have shot sage, ruffed, and sharptail as well. Of the last three, I just haven't gotten any good mounting specimens. Once I get those done, I'd be heading to AK for willow and rock ptarmigan. I think I'm doing pretty good on that slam, beings that I've only hunted birds since last year. Now I just need to talk the wife into letting me get a dog!

 

[T Bone]

Nice work man! That a real nice muley you got. Quite the road trip you did. I'm very envious. Nice wife too to cut you loose for that long.

 

[TBinKodiak]

Congrats, that's a nice pile of animals. Obviously I'm in the wrong line of work. |oo

 

[1_pointer]

Nice wife too to cut you loose for that long.

But, have you seen her?????

 

[jkhunterid]

Congrats on a fantastic hunt.