The Weasel, Bones and I are heading back into the hunting area for a day trip, hoping to find one of the last of the bucks hiding in the trees.  Actually, hoping to find 2 bucks.

I am not so blessed as to have room inside the vehicle for more than one, if we are that lucky and so if there are two gotten they will both be tied to the top of the rig.  A rather redneck thing to see.

Wish us luck as we venture into the wilds of the Rocky Mountains!

Bears Butt

Oct. 2, 2012

Update on Yesterdays Trip

We left town at exactly the time we wanted.  All three of us very excited to get back into the mountains for more fun.

Safely arriving at the place we wanted to be just at first light.  It was a beautiful day ahead.

We were a little sleepy eyed as was the camera when I took this picture of a sky lined cow moose, but it showed us a preview of what was in store for us this day.

We continued on our journey up and over the great pass we were venturing on and into the area we really wanted to be hunting in.  Our travel lead us into an area we had never been before and on that trail we came across three Blue Grouse.  We named this new trail “Three Grouse Road”.  One can really see in this picture how the bird got that name.

As opposed to its cousin the Ruffed Grouse, which is much smaller, but just as tasty!

It’s a wonder any of these little birds are even in existence as they just don’t do things that are typical of animals that every wild predator likes to eat.  On a side note, this little guy is standing right out in the open and notice how it blends in quite well, it is this camouflage that prompted the owner of “Grouse Wing Camo” to develop his pattern.  I say he is on to something here.

Our continued travels had us seeing seven doe and fawn on our way up to the top of Rock Creek and on over into the Bug Lake area.  Once on top we started to see more and more deer.

It seems that most of the doe have two fawns but some even had more, at least that is what it appeared to be.

(sorry about the sharpness of the picture, my side kick took the picture)

Some of the doe have kicked out offspring very late and I’m not so sure some of them are going to make it.

This little guy doesn’t look to be more than a week or so old.  Why so late?  You tell me.

As the day progressed we found ourselves wishing for a hot dog and we decided that we would venture on to Crocodile Rileys camp and start a fire in his fire pit.  We found out from them that hunting had been quite good, especially this morning.  They had had 5 shots between three hunters, but did not tag any more bucks.  There is a possible naming for one of his crew from the happenings of their morning hunt.  Crock did show us the buck he downed last Sunday.

Congrats to you Mr Crocodile!

After a brief lunch we went on to our travels.  Up over and around we went until we found ourselves coming around Buck Mountain.  But no deer.  HMMMM where are they?

Onward toward Crocodile Monument and suddenly 5 deer are spotted on the ridge above us…doe, doe, doe, doe, BUCK!  Our spirits were lifted very high at this time.  How can we get on him?  No way, the area is way too open and they can go in any direction without any problems.  We watched as the spike ran off.  The unique thing about his antlers was they almost touched at the tips and they were about 12 inches long.  A trophy for sure.

We were on a road I had only been on once in my life and so we continued up that road and made another plan as to our direction of travel.  Suddenly Bones spots a deer nearly hidden in the brush….doe…another on the right….fawn.  Dang.

“There’s One”!  And the Weasel is pointing in the opposite direction of the two that Bones had just spotted.  “Let’s walk over the edge and see what it was, I didn’t get a look at its head”.

And over we walked, rifles in hand….BUCK!  And the deer was running hard away.  But like almost all muley deer, it stopped about 125 yards out and turned broadside to me.

I settled the open sights on its shoulder and touched the trigger…the rifle roared and the dust flew right in front of its brisket!  DANG!  Another missed shot.  The buck ran hard and fast up and over the top, a clean miss as attested by video from Bones camera.

Why didn’t you shoot Weasel?  I was about to, when you shot, but then, I realized I hadn’t cocked my rifle.   Another HMMMMMM….buck feaver?

At the close of the day we found ourselves at Hamburger Hill and Bones made us up a very good roast beef sandwich for the ride home.  Total count of deer seen today….91!  With only 2 bucks in the bunch!

Maybe tomorrow gang.

Bears Butt

Oct. 3, 2012

Once again we have just completed what is coined “The Shortest Week”, the week of the muzzleloader deer hunt.  On other posts I coined “The Longest Week”, and “The Longest Day”.  The shortest week follows both of those and it includes the ride to camp.

Camp Setup

The standing of the beaver sharns

And all the other things that go into establishing the camp.  So very much to do to get ready for a week of hunting deer and having fun.  And that we did.

I guess that is what makes the time go by so very fast.  We waited a whole year for the day to come and then it passes quickly and we have to wait again until next year.  All the while, as the time is fleeting by, we are making memories of our time together.

And if that was not enough we even found time to head off and do some deer hunting!  Some like to walk among the hills and forests, while others like to just sit back and let the vehicle do all the walking, but no matter how it’s done there is fun to be had.

Karma for everyone.  And some like to toss in some of their own good luck charms!

Day after day we try our best to put it all together and bring home some venison, but for most of us it just doesn’t seem to be working in our favor.  And next year we will be back to do it again.  On the flip side however, some seem to have everything working for them in one way or another.

This year it was Sackless who bagged his first ever buck with a muzz.

And even though it won’t make it into the Boone and Crockett book, it is still a very big trophy to this man!  And following up on that as a first buck, Blackfoot also put his tag on his first deer.

And from this picture you can see he really got into the cleaning of the deer up on the mountain side.  Congratulations to both of you first time buck slayers.

And of course there are the seasoned veteran buck getters.  I did not manage a picture of Mobile’s buck but it was a fine 2X2 much bigger than this one taken by the famous Dry Dog.

And so, by the count, the 2012 muzz deer hunt as accomplished by the Willow Creek Free Trappers and friends was four.  But wait!  There is more to the story behind the scenes!

The Boobin Baby Board tells another tale indeed.  What is this?  For every time you shoot at a deer and you don’t bring it back to camp, you put your name on the board and another dollar in the biggest buck contest!  Hash marks behind the name mean only one thing…another missed shot by that person…oh my.

As I counted it, 22 missed shots!  A new record for us fellas and gals!  Some of the missed shots were at the same deer that were killed, but most of them were not.  Some were at shots of very BIG bucks and one can only say it was buck fever that got in the way…or to hear their side of the story…”my sights must have been knocked out of adjustment”.  OR BETTER YET….’DAMN GERMAN CAPS’…..Whatever the reason, I can see your name on there.  On closer look, I see MY name on there!

And the winner of the biggest buck contest and the taker of all the money in the pot goes to…..BLACKFOOT!  Good job buddy!

While looking for the illusive buck, we also had other interesting times while away from camp life.

And we found some interesting things while we were out and about.

I suppose these small chairs made the ground blind a better place to wait out the bucks coming to the water hole.  I know my face would be grinning as big as Sponge Bobs on that chair if I was in that blind and a big old buck was coming my way.

And as we progressed from day to day along our hunt, the evenings fun coupled with the heat of the sun and perhaps just plainly not enough sleep, the bobble headed suds suckers gave in to the tired eye syndrome.

But for those who were able to keep a watchful eye out, they were rewarded with views of other types of wildlife that abound in the forests and the sage covered hills.

And last but not least the fabled story around the campfire the night before about a pelican that had flown its last and we all thought there was a punchline in the tale that none of us were about to fall for.

So, there is the story as I saw it and why the week was so short.  Thanks to everyone who helped make this a wonderful memory and put the 2012 muzz hunt into the books.

Until next year!  Proust!

Bears Butt

Oct. 1, 2012