Pro Mo's 2025 hunting adventures

[PRO MO]

Opening day 2025 MT.
No where near the level of excitement i normally have, i think i'm worried about being out of shape, the whiff on my nevada mulie still on my mind, and a bad bout of shoulder/biceps tendonitis has made it damn near impossible to even level my bow the last two weeks. It was feeling a little better friday night when i pulled into camp so i shot a couple arrows, not wanting to overdo it. felt OK. Turns out, things all aligned. First, the spot we wanted to hunt was closed due to a fire, so plan B is much easier hike elevation-wise, just longer. Did much better than expected fitness wise on our morning hike. Heard one Bugle on the hike in, buddy decided it was too far and was near a closed trail so he didn't want to pursue.
Made our way up to my trail cameras and found the one on the wallow to be much less exciting than ever. Cows moved out in mid-August, and there was only one small 5-pt bull in there two days ago. Scrolling through all the pics in the last year, i think i saved 20. The second camera was messed up - not sure if its the camera, the card or the reader, but they weren't showing up on my phone, and scrolling the pics on the small viewer on the camera the dates were all jumbled mixed up, missing - and there was nothing worth saving. So i cleared the card, reset the camera, and put it all back - all while not removing it from the tree. Obviously, as i do every single time, i brought the wrong keys for the card. i already broke one camera just to get in, and the second i left the cable loose enough to open without removing it. Idiot... One day, i'll bring the right set of keys...

 

[PRO MO]

After looking at the cameras, and checking the other wallows and water sources we figured nothing has been here since that bull 2 days earlier. We decide to go back down to where we heard the pre-dawn bugle hoping he'd be getting out of his bed mid-day and would maybe give us a location. We called, ate, and napped where we thought the bugle was and heard nothing more so we decided to go to plan C. We hike out back to camp, shoot our bows - which i was surprised the shoulder actually was feeling much better, hydrated, and decided we'd take a quick nap and head out to plan C at 2:15. Naturally i woke up at 2:45 and scrambled to get ready and go ASAP.
On the way up we spotted a nice bull and cow moose. We took a couple pictures of him and kept going. About an hour later, we came across a meadow on the edge of the timber and spotted three bucks feeding. One of them immediately stood out to me - noticeably larger body, nice frame, and he' still in velvet. Without hesitation, i decide that buck needs die.
One short stalk later, i'm on the edge of the meadow, and see the bucks feeding still, i step out, my buddy whisper-yells "32 yards", the buck lifts his head, i draw, he turns perfectly quartering away and looks at us, i watch the arrow go in right where i had my 30 yard pin, and see him start to run off with the arrow sticking out of his farside front shoulder. There's blood pouring out, he disappears into the timber, bucks running every which way, we hear crashing. He's dead not 30 seconds after the shot, "didn't go 40".
We try to be patient, but i know he's dead so after about 5 minutes we work our way across the meadow, into the timber and see him laying there dead as could be. When i shot, i'm pretty sure the velvet was still fully intact, but crashing through the timber it started to sluff away. as i dropped it off to get euro'd two days later, it was pretty much completely off. Pretty stoked to get my first velvet muley, even if he is only a 2x4.

 

[PRO MO]

Had a real crisis on what to do back at camp with the meat. should i make a 3 hour round trip to get it in a friend's walk-in cooler, should i just hang it, should i bone it out and put it in the cooler with ice? i decided to hang most of it and throw a full hind in the cooler. Didn't get down into the 30's like it did the night before, but it still got plenty cold.
Next day, we head back up, spot 3 bulls at first lite a looong way away. they were all playing grab ass in the meadow like you'd hope bulls would be this time of year, as we got closer they got further into the timber though. Never heard a peep from them. Saw one very large bear that made me think initially was a griz, but it was just a huge black bear, and saw a handful more deer. good start to the MT szn, now just need to get some elk to cooperate.

 

[kiwi hunter]

That moosie looked nice. Great shot.

 

[PRO MO]

weekend warrior - second week.
Spotted a couple nice bulls on private about 4 miles away saturday morning. had a wolf run by at about 500 yds. Saw another way off in the distance, and while trying to re-find him, my buddy spots a big bull walking - alone - to a wallow. We watch him wallow, and head right back where he came from. Took him until about 9:00-9:15 to bed. Get a good mental picture of where he's bedded and take off. I eventually get to the two dead trees that i had marked, and notice the lightning struck tree we thought he was by is actually another 200yds uphill. So the 50 yard circle we thought he was bedded in now could be much, much bigger. The wind is pretty steady, blowing slightly across my face uphill. So i sneak back down, circle up another two hundred yards and pop back over the ridge and start slowly moving down. I figure since the wolves in the area, and he's alone, there's no chance he's going to give me any bugles to give his location away. Working down the draw, the wind is pretty perfect. i sneak into where i think he's gotta be, and see a fresh rub. i start glassing through the trees and don't see anything. take a step, and immediately see antlers through a thick bushy tree. He's bedded. I can't see his body at all, just flashes of antlers. i grab my rangefinder, and start to lift it to me eye. As that happens, i feel the wind hit my neck. i see the antlers turn my direction, then get way taller as he stands up, then the antlers turn and dash off. i see the bull pop out about 100-150 yards below me, trotting away. big, big 7x7. probably the biggest bull i've ever been that close to.
I ranged the tree that was blocking him at 40 and the tree behind that at 50. he was right there. i don't know if i was too aggressive, not aggressive enough, should've waited for the wind to be perfect instead of pretty perfect. I don't know. My buddy who was watching this from a distance watched the bull run onto the private by where we saw the other two big bulls. DANGIT!
Sunday, we go to the same spot and all we spot is 6 wolves working on a carcass where i saw the second wolf the day before. Not sure what it was they took down, but we didn't see any glistening antlers, so at least we know it's not one of the three bulls. We know on the surrounding property there's bulls, but it is unbelievably quiet. It's gotta be the wolves, but at some point they have to fire up regardless of them.
Rifle season opens today on wolves, so i was planning on being out there today with my rifle in case one of them messed up, buuuuuut instead i had to be an adult and take the kid to school. So, i figured i'd come to work and give an update while i'm in town. Would've been a good morning to be hunting, cooler, rainy weather moved in over the night. Maybe i'll sift through the emails and head back out...

 

[vanish]

Thermals are always a dice roll at that time of day. Either wait him out until you're more certain they're steady, or if you are short on time accept the fact that you'll probably get busted and yolo anyway.

 

[PRO MO]

Thermals are always a dice roll at that time of day. Either wait him out until you're more certain they're steady, or if you are short on time accept the fact that you'll probably get busted and yolo anyway.

I was thinking that, but i just can't figure out the right answer. could've sat back and kept glass on him until the evening, but then wouldn't have had enough time to get to him. could've got way above him and waited for him to make a mistake, but the only vantage above would still potentially get a gust that carried my scent to him. Could've stayed a little further up and ripped a bugle, you'd think at 80-100 yards he'd have no choice but to come investigate, but with wolves/pre-rut action not sure that would work. Could've went and set up at the wallow he was at earlier in the morning, but no guarantee he'd go back there. there's other water around. i don't typically hunt bulls in their beds, but this seemed like the right opportunity, obviously it was not.
Just hope the wolves move off (or get de-alived), the cows come in, and one of the bulls gets fired up to the point they actually make a mistake that i can capitalize on.

 

[PRO MO]

This wasn’t my pic, so don’t judge the quality. Even through the blur you can (kinda) see this bull is good.

 

[vanish]

I dont think there is a right answer. Each approach has its risks.

 

[PRO MO]

was able to get out again yesterday. only saw 3 wolves, and watched them chase three smaller bulls half way across the county. no bugles, no sign of the big bulls.
was pulling my bow out of the truck last night to put it in the garage, and noticed some fraying on the string. Not sure what i caught it on, but that string i bought in August is toast. Archery shop ordered me a new one, but said it'll probably take 1-2 weeks. I have my backup bow, but i don't have it set up, or even remember if i have the extra parts to equip it with sight, rest, quiver. Going to have to dig through the storage units and see if i got rid of them or not. pretty sure i do, i hope. If not -
Anyone got some left handed archery equipment in or around bozeman they would sell or loan out???

 

[PRO MO]

I tracked down everything to get my old bow setup, and spent most of friday morning getting it back together. I forgot how much lighter the ol' carbon defiant is compared to my mathews. also, way, way more vibration, but it'll do. i got stuck at work until 5:30 then headed out to glass/sight in my bow. didn't spot or hear anything, but got the bow sighted. not as confident as i should be, but it'll do.

Saturday morning was a complete failure. Again, no sign, can't spot any bulls - even on the adjacent private propety, and worst is i don't hear a single bugle. Saw one lone wolf skylined about a mile onto private. I think they chased all the elk out of this area. As much as i hate leaving this spot, but need to try something different. Spent the afternoon hanging out with the family, and made a plan for sunday.

On my way out, i went by a little special draw area, and glassed it just for fun. saw about 50 elk in a meadow, 3 big, big bulls, and probably 4-5 other smaller bulls. They are chasing cows, fighting, screaming, everything. Sure wish i had that permit this year, instead of the year that most of the unit was closed due to a fire until october. It was good to see anyway, got me excited to get back to hunting rutty bulls.

Plan was to go on a 10 mile wheeler ride into where we saw the bulls the first sunday of the season, and hike in before daylight. it's nice country to hike through, way flatter than where i normally hunt. i get approximately 1.3 miles in, and spot some bulls feeding out in a meadow. all three are small raghorns. i sit and watch them until daylight as they fed closer and closer. right at legal shooting light, i ranged them at 150yards. they fed toward me for another 5-10 minutes before changing course more into the wind. i try a couple cow calls, and they look my direction and continue to feed. right before they make it to the timber, i hit them with a bugle. they look my way then continue to feed into the timber. i watched them work all the way around me, walk down the trail i came in on, and disappear over the hill. not a peep from them at any time. not a peep from any elk. Pretty frustrated, i don't really want to play spot and stalk with elk right now. i want the fired up screaming excitement like i saw the night before. i hike around this area before it starts to get too deadfally, and decide to go back to the wheeler and glass. Spotted a few more elk, a nice 4x4 buck, and have a little bull moose run right to me.

Here we are 9/21, supposed to be peak rut, and i've heard one bugle in where i can hunt - and that was opening day. I don't know what to do from here. might just go back to where i stalked the big bull, and hope the wolves chased them around in a circle back to where they were. maybe i'll just switch to wolf hunting mode. maybe i'll go back to where i went opening day - it's usually a pretty active rutting area, but with the cows vacating the area seems like it's not meant to be up there. Maybe i go to plan D, or plan E. Maybe i just quit hunting elk until rifle szn (not gonna happen).

 

[PRO MO]

had a tough one last thursday - spotted some bulls wednesday night and refound them in the morning, watched them from a distance disappear into the timber around 9am. figured out the wind and put the sneak on. 3 bulls - 2 raghorns and one big busted 5pt. I stalked a bull in this same patch of timber last year during the heritage muzzleloader season, so i had a pretty good idea where they'd be, and sure enough they were right in the same spot. i couldn't help but make a little noise busting through the thick timber to get in there, so i let out a couple soft cow calls to try to offset the noise. the two little bulls got up and started looking my direction, and then started moving off. i cow called some more and got them to come back and start working up hill towards me. as i'm watching them, i hear the third bull crashing through timber to my right so i let off a very sharp, loud cow call and i see his antler tips in the timber. They stop and turn back my direction, and then he starts walking uphill to get my wind. I ran about 50 yards uphill to cut him off and get into a clearing he was heading towards. i range the far tree at 40, the closer tree at 30. He comes right into the opening and i hit him with the little "MEW!". he stops in the middle of the opening quartering away from me. draw, anchor, release everthing feels perfect. through the sight i see a arrow flight that looks slightly less than perfect, but still impacts right where i was aiming - center of the belly angled towards the farside front shoulder.
I don't know what happened, but it seems to me like that arrow hit a rib, then must've hit another rib and went angling off as if i hit him perfectly broadside. The arrow looked like it maybe penetrated 1/4 of the way probably less. WHAT THE SHIT, everything felt perfect! i watch him run off down hill, then just before he goes out of sight, he veers north - towards private. Everything is crashing down. i watch him cross the fence, and don't see him again until he's on the other side of the draw on the private and he's walking up a bald face. I see blood, no arrow, and he seems like he's hurting. i watch him disappear over the horizon and start making phone calls.
2 hours later, i finally get permission to go chase him. Very grateful that they allowed me to do that, i know i wouldn't want people walking through my property if i had that ranch. i hadn't been able to find any blood on the public land side, but when i get to the other side of the draw - about 1/2 mile from where i shot him as the crow flies, i see copious amounts. i track the very dark blood for aobut hour and a half / two hours, before it disappears. it was hot, it was already about 4 hrs since he probably passed through, and the blood spots were getting less and less obvious. i also had a little detour i had to take after running into a snake on the blood trail, it's been well documented on here my thoughts/fears on snakes, and i actually thought i handled that pretty well i only cried for a few minutes. i made circles around where i last saw blood going out all directions but couldn't find anything. He seemed to be pretty determined to be going north. So i go north to where there's a big bowl of timber. i glassed, i tracked, i crawled through the timber for another couple hours finding nothing. i decided to go back and retry looking for the blood since the shadows have changed since i was last there. on the way back i went throught the only other timbered draw in the area and turned up nothing. i spend another hour looking for blood and still nothing. what a damn shame. on the hike out i text the ranch manager if i could come back tomorrow and keep looking and look for birds. He does not respond.
Friday morning, i had to take the kid to school and swing by work to handle a couple things. by 9:30 i'm on way back out there to at least glass if i don't hear from the manager. he texts me back as i'm about out there - and asks me not to go wandering through the timber potentially bumping out all their elk/deer, but i can go in and look for birds. So i go and wander around the open areas glassing and looking for birds but not finding anything. The ranch manager said he'd go in a few days look and would bring me back the head if they find it. i don't care about the head, but ok.
Big takeway from this is that i don't think i'll hunt bordering private that close again if i'm hunting with something i can't make a quick follow up shot on. i wasn't right on the fenceline, but straight line 150 yards is too close.

Oh, and i lost my rangefinder after the shot, so that was a neat cherry on top...

 

[PRO MO]

after that debacle, we still had plans to go antelope hunting. my step daughter has been very anxious to go on this hunt her first real hunting trip. As much as i wanted to find that bull, i had to call it - she's been too excited, put in too much work, and rescheduled other plans to accommodate this trip. So we pack up friday afternoon and head east...

Opening morning shortly after daylight, i walk out to a point to glass. My mind is still a mess from the last couple days, and i leave the packs behind, but was at least smart enough to have her bring her rifle. good thing. i spot two bucks about 600 yards away. i look back, and the truck is about 200 yards away with all of our stuff. I ask her if she wants to just go after them, or want me to run and grab our stuff. She says lets just go, so we go.
They're working away from us, and the wind is terrible, but i think if we just work our way a little to the east, we could cut them off before they can wind us. I was right - we were sneaking over the ridge and i spotted horns and ears about 40 yards away. whoops. too close. We back out and get to the next point and they've worked their way down a little further now feeding on a knob about 200 yards away. Oh, i know this because i went and bought a new rangefinder on the way out of town. Glad it worked then, because after this little event, the brand new POS quit working. Vortex is awful.

back to it, i get her rifle set up, i get little Murph the chocolate lab puppy under control and laying next to us and let her get set up. i tell her which one is the bigger one and watch her and the buck. As she's popping off the safety, the buck starts to run off. she puts the safety back on, and we watch him run off in a big circle and come right back to the same spot. she gets back on target, flips the safety off, i remind her breathe and squeeze the trigger (she said she didn't hear me). BANG. FLOP. The buck was dead before he hit the ground. Super proud bonus dad moment. i don't normally get that excited about these things but man, that was different. To make it even better, after i ran back the 3/4 mile back to the truck to get the backpacks, my plan was to just show her how we quarter up the buck, but she insisted on getting the "full experience". She helped with the caping, quartering, she helped with one backstrap, and she insisted on removing the head all by herself.

 

[PRO MO]

i was planning on packing it all out myself, but she insisted on carrying some of the meat and the head. i was also expecting her to kind of check out after she was done, but she was actually the one that pushed me on the next stalks. i was pretty content and didn't feel the need to hunt that hard after we got hers, but she kept telling me no pain, no gain, and to embrace the suck, and some other catchphrase that she uses during volleyball. We made three more unsuccessful stalks saturday afternoon and sunday but that was ok. Like i said, i was content. My excitement after the shot and her excitement after finishing the decapitation were all i needed to make it a great weekend. She's already making plans to hunt this weekend again, and also wants to get an elk and a wolf this season, so i think i might have a hunting partner again.

 

[PRO MO]

oh and can anyone tell me what kind of devil serpent that was, i thought it was a baby rattler because its head was so triangular, but now i thinks gopher snake?

 

[golfer]

oh and can anyone tell me what kind of devil serpent that was, i thought it was a baby rattler because its head was so triangular, but now i thinks gopher snake?

Bull snake.