duckhunt
Well-known member
Good luck
Vanish and Firetiger's 2023 Journal
- Thread starter vanish
- Start date
Zero check complete!
Now consuming am adult beverage at a local establishment before setting up camp. I wasn't going to make it before dark, so figured there was no rush. Been meaning to stop here for years. Has a distinct lack of antlers compared to the one places I have visited a few times before.
Some archery elk hunters commiserating in here.
Will be in glassing position at daylight and hopefully have some big giant bucks to share... but I'll be happy with bucks.
Dad and buddy arrive midday tomorrow.
Now consuming am adult beverage at a local establishment before setting up camp. I wasn't going to make it before dark, so figured there was no rush. Been meaning to stop here for years. Has a distinct lack of antlers compared to the one places I have visited a few times before.
Some archery elk hunters commiserating in here.
Will be in glassing position at daylight and hopefully have some big giant bucks to share... but I'll be happy with bucks.
Dad and buddy arrive midday tomorrow.
Gellar
Well-known member
Funny that you updated this today as I was thinking about you. I saw a VW van with the vanity plates VANISH figured it was you! 
the van would have looked better with an elk rack on top! GOOD LUCK!
the van would have looked better with an elk rack on top! GOOD LUCK!Funny that you updated this today as I was thinking about you. I saw a VW van with the vanity plates VANISH figured it was you!
I was daydreaming about strapping an elk rack on my popup camper. I'll need to find a deadhead to do that this year though!
I've considered doing that vanity plate before, but who would I be kiddin!?
Argh, lost reply!
It was 26 degrees this morning. It is 72 as I type this.
The morning scouting session did not produce the desired results. Two bull moose, two pronghorn and finally, after over two hours one small buck mule deer. Not even a doe!
We won't be going home empty handed though!
It was 26 degrees this morning. It is 72 as I type this.
The morning scouting session did not produce the desired results. Two bull moose, two pronghorn and finally, after over two hours one small buck mule deer. Not even a doe!
We won't be going home empty handed though!
Attachments
I have one bar of signal so I'll try to do a series of short posts.
Saturday afternoon
I made a trip back to town because the grocery store was already closed at 7pm. I then moved camp because in the daylight I was not happy with my location and the dubious leveling job the night before.
Saturday afternoon
I made a trip back to town because the grocery store was already closed at 7pm. I then moved camp because in the daylight I was not happy with my location and the dubious leveling job the night before.
My buddy got stuck in traffic and we didn't make it back out to a glassing location until after 5pm. We saw 2 bull moose and 4 bucks, with one of them being mature but not large antlered. He's a 4x4 but has weak backs. The light was bad so I don't have a good photo.
As I guessed this buck went over the top as the sun hit him. Needed to see him earlier.
We continued watching the other buck and just as I thought I might go "take a closer look" as it seemed he was staying put, he quuckly made a big move across the ridge and into a side canyon.
Morning total was 7 bucks, 2 bull moose and 2 pronghorn. No stalks made though!
We continued watching the other buck and just as I thought I might go "take a closer look" as it seemed he was staying put, he quuckly made a big move across the ridge and into a side canyon.
Morning total was 7 bucks, 2 bull moose and 2 pronghorn. No stalks made though!
The evening session yielded only 3 small bucks ( and more bull moose ). Dad saw only a handful of does all day.
Monday morning was the same 3 bucks. We decided to try still hunting a section and only turned up 2 does and of course, more moose.
Monday morning was the same 3 bucks. We decided to try still hunting a section and only turned up 2 does and of course, more moose.
My friend had to leave midday Monday so it was just me glassing. I found a group of 5 does, shortly thereafter joined by the trio of small bucks. They fed across the ridge 300 yards in front of me.
Just before dark, I caught a buck pop over the top, 900 yards away. Before I could get the spotter on him he disappeared. Panicking, I threw the binos up and caught a deer appear and disappear again. It had bedded down.
These deer were quite near where we saw the split beam buck the morning before, which had me thinking it might be the same pair. Looking at the satellite map, I had a pretty solid idea of where they were bedded. A plan was hatched for the morning.
Just before dark, I caught a buck pop over the top, 900 yards away. Before I could get the spotter on him he disappeared. Panicking, I threw the binos up and caught a deer appear and disappear again. It had bedded down.
These deer were quite near where we saw the split beam buck the morning before, which had me thinking it might be the same pair. Looking at the satellite map, I had a pretty solid idea of where they were bedded. A plan was hatched for the morning.
As my dad and I were having our morning coffee, I told him I was climbing the ridge that morning with the intention to be within a couple hundred yards of where I had bedded the deer. If I saw a deer in that spot I was shooting.
It took quite a bit more time to even get to the ridge than I estimated, so I was a little behind schedule, but the wind was even more in my favor than I expected. I figured I would have until 730 before they left that spot, and I was 200 yards away at 710. However, the bedding spot was not visible from my location, as it appeared to be a small bench just over a steep lip on a rounded protrusion.
I dropped my pack, extended my bipod to kneeling height to account for the tall sage, and eased my way forward. This was going to be a way closer encounter than I was hoping, assuming the deer were still there.
I was circling towards and up, looking mostly to my left, when I caught movement in my peripheral in front. There was a buck barely 30 yards away looking in my direction. Only the top half of him was visible.
Without much thinking, I lifted my rifle and shot off hand. The buck disappeared for a second, then I saw a couple bounces and disappeared over the ridge. I bolted downhill to try to keep eyes on him, and after a few seconds saw two bucks staring at me from the bench, only neck up visible. Thinking of a follow up, Which one did I shoot???
They didn't give me any more time than that before dumping over the edge. Once again, I sprinted ( as best as possible on a sage covered slope ) down the 50 yards to keep eyes on them. Upon hitting the lip, where other than a couple small aspen stands there isnt much for hundreds of yards, the deer were already seemingly gone. Shit.
I check a few other views and turn up nothing, so I guess I try to find some blood. Maybe chasing hadn't been a great idea? As I turn back up the hill, I immediately see a dead deer 50 yards above me.
Huh...
Apparently, this forky had decided to climb the ridge and join the other two deer bedded up here after I left last night, as this was one of the deer in the big group. Maybe my plan was a bit aggressive. Tag filled though, time to pack him off the mountain.
Yeah, almost forgot that Nalgene up there. It had been filled with iced tea, which was appreciated.
I jumped the split beam buck I was looking for and his buddy in the aspen patch a couple hundred yards downhill.
It took about an hour to get him back to the truck. I was pleased to not try to hurt myself during that time.
Let me know if you want to hear the @TOGIE version of the story.
It took quite a bit more time to even get to the ridge than I estimated, so I was a little behind schedule, but the wind was even more in my favor than I expected. I figured I would have until 730 before they left that spot, and I was 200 yards away at 710. However, the bedding spot was not visible from my location, as it appeared to be a small bench just over a steep lip on a rounded protrusion.
I dropped my pack, extended my bipod to kneeling height to account for the tall sage, and eased my way forward. This was going to be a way closer encounter than I was hoping, assuming the deer were still there.
I was circling towards and up, looking mostly to my left, when I caught movement in my peripheral in front. There was a buck barely 30 yards away looking in my direction. Only the top half of him was visible.
Without much thinking, I lifted my rifle and shot off hand. The buck disappeared for a second, then I saw a couple bounces and disappeared over the ridge. I bolted downhill to try to keep eyes on him, and after a few seconds saw two bucks staring at me from the bench, only neck up visible. Thinking of a follow up, Which one did I shoot???
They didn't give me any more time than that before dumping over the edge. Once again, I sprinted ( as best as possible on a sage covered slope ) down the 50 yards to keep eyes on them. Upon hitting the lip, where other than a couple small aspen stands there isnt much for hundreds of yards, the deer were already seemingly gone. Shit.
I check a few other views and turn up nothing, so I guess I try to find some blood. Maybe chasing hadn't been a great idea? As I turn back up the hill, I immediately see a dead deer 50 yards above me.
Huh...
Apparently, this forky had decided to climb the ridge and join the other two deer bedded up here after I left last night, as this was one of the deer in the big group. Maybe my plan was a bit aggressive. Tag filled though, time to pack him off the mountain.
Yeah, almost forgot that Nalgene up there. It had been filled with iced tea, which was appreciated.
I jumped the split beam buck I was looking for and his buddy in the aspen patch a couple hundred yards downhill.
It took about an hour to get him back to the truck. I was pleased to not try to hurt myself during that time.
Let me know if you want to hear the @TOGIE version of the story.
Last edited:
Lab
Well-known member
Great work!
In the future, I must make sure not to schedule three back to back weekends of hunting that are all different species and weapons. This was not my most enjoyable CO season. I am very much looking forward to the OK archery hunt.
Still no CWD test results on the forky.
No hunting this weekend as FireTiger is in a pickleball tournament. She was kicking herself a bit watching the reissues knowing the conflict she created. Her hunt doesn't start until the end of October, and most likely I will be at home watching DD. She's casually trying to find a friend to go with her, but our usual suspects all have conflicts thus far. Tbh, I don't think she'd mind some true alone time as she has had very little in the last 18 months.
Still no CWD test results on the forky.
No hunting this weekend as FireTiger is in a pickleball tournament. She was kicking herself a bit watching the reissues knowing the conflict she created. Her hunt doesn't start until the end of October, and most likely I will be at home watching DD. She's casually trying to find a friend to go with her, but our usual suspects all have conflicts thus far. Tbh, I don't think she'd mind some true alone time as she has had very little in the last 18 months.
