sacountry
Well-known member
Wanted to share a fall 2026 experience as I enjoy some venison tenderloin and wild rice for dinner. I drew a Montana muley tag this year in a limited draw district. I did all the pre-scouting, studying Onx, chatting with previous tag holders, talked to the bio, etc. Having looked at harvested deer from last year, I had my expecations set for what I wanted to accomplish. Adding to that, my dad passed in February so I was intent on using his old 30.06 BAR to get the job done. I really wanted to honor this tag with a quality harvest coupled with a sentimental twist.
With that as the backdrop, I logged 12 hunting days into a district that likely warranted more, but I enjoyed every single minute of it. I was able to share it with three old friends, see a bunch of quality deer, and just unplug for awhile. I had lined up some block management access towards the end of my hunt which I knew held a lot of deer. What an incredible day it ended up being. I've never seen so many quality deer while sitting in one spot, literally. We set up in the middle of the BMA and simply pivoted from one angle to another with the spotter, going back to a previously glassed area to see new deer walking through. I've never seen/experienced anything like it. The buck/doe ratio had to be 1:3 and the bucks were amazing. After 3 hours of giddy glassing, I decided to pursue a deer that was beneath my preseason expectation, but gosh darn his frame was like nothing I had seen.
My path to the now bedded deer would take me past the sign in box where an older fellow in a tattered Carhart pulled up on a Honda 4-wheeler that was just as tattered. In the midst of all the pre-shot thoughts running through my head, I introduced myself immediately and he did as well. He was the landowner checking on things. I pointed out the deer I was about to harvest and gave him my binos to check it out. Yep he said, that's a nice wide deer. We briefly chatted about our dads and old guns as I thanked him several times over for participating in the Block program, mentioning how much fun I was having on his land. After about 15 to 20 minutes of hearing old deer stories, I felt I needed to turn my attention back to the bedded deer. I'm sure my buddy on the spotter was wondering where I was at this point. The landowner obliged, giving me a tip on how to approach the deer and simply said "I was told by an old timer once, males have two heads and just enough blood to only make one of them work at any one time. Go get him". I laughed.
With a short walk up hill, I closed the distance to 200 yards on a deer that was below my objective, but I think in the joy of the day somewhere in my subconcious I let all that go. It's crazy how we set expectations for ourselves and sometimes reality just says "hold my beer". It was an amazing hunt. One that I will never forget.
Post script: As my buddy and I got back to the truck with the deer, the landowner rolled back up on his quad to see if we got it done. We chatted for the better part of 45 minutes about many things, again thanking him several times over for the fun we just had. At one point, my buddy gave me a beer to celebrate and handed one to the landowner. His response "I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't chew and I don't go with the girls that do" Fair enough.
With that as the backdrop, I logged 12 hunting days into a district that likely warranted more, but I enjoyed every single minute of it. I was able to share it with three old friends, see a bunch of quality deer, and just unplug for awhile. I had lined up some block management access towards the end of my hunt which I knew held a lot of deer. What an incredible day it ended up being. I've never seen so many quality deer while sitting in one spot, literally. We set up in the middle of the BMA and simply pivoted from one angle to another with the spotter, going back to a previously glassed area to see new deer walking through. I've never seen/experienced anything like it. The buck/doe ratio had to be 1:3 and the bucks were amazing. After 3 hours of giddy glassing, I decided to pursue a deer that was beneath my preseason expectation, but gosh darn his frame was like nothing I had seen.
My path to the now bedded deer would take me past the sign in box where an older fellow in a tattered Carhart pulled up on a Honda 4-wheeler that was just as tattered. In the midst of all the pre-shot thoughts running through my head, I introduced myself immediately and he did as well. He was the landowner checking on things. I pointed out the deer I was about to harvest and gave him my binos to check it out. Yep he said, that's a nice wide deer. We briefly chatted about our dads and old guns as I thanked him several times over for participating in the Block program, mentioning how much fun I was having on his land. After about 15 to 20 minutes of hearing old deer stories, I felt I needed to turn my attention back to the bedded deer. I'm sure my buddy on the spotter was wondering where I was at this point. The landowner obliged, giving me a tip on how to approach the deer and simply said "I was told by an old timer once, males have two heads and just enough blood to only make one of them work at any one time. Go get him". I laughed.
With a short walk up hill, I closed the distance to 200 yards on a deer that was below my objective, but I think in the joy of the day somewhere in my subconcious I let all that go. It's crazy how we set expectations for ourselves and sometimes reality just says "hold my beer". It was an amazing hunt. One that I will never forget.
Post script: As my buddy and I got back to the truck with the deer, the landowner rolled back up on his quad to see if we got it done. We chatted for the better part of 45 minutes about many things, again thanking him several times over for the fun we just had. At one point, my buddy gave me a beer to celebrate and handed one to the landowner. His response "I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't chew and I don't go with the girls that do" Fair enough.
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