Edited Oct. 8, 2013

Suddenly it’s Saturday morning of the hunt…man o man time sure flies fast.  It’s like I said in earlier posts, it takes 365 days to get here but it’s over in what seems like a day.  Well, we will make the most of it.

The three kids and Hot Spark are in for a real good time today.  They have only heard the stories of past hunts and they are all very excited to live it.  The alarm clock in my trailer went off at 5 a.m. and I think I should have set it for 4:30 just to be able to get some things done before they came knocking!  I didn’t anticipate what happened, but it was alright that they came over to Grandpa’s trailer to make sure I was ready to go.

Dry Dog, 3 Guns, Magpie and I had just about finished our first cup of coffee, when a light knock, knock, knock came on the door…I yelled…you don’t have to knock, just come on in…and in they came…all three of them!  Eyes big and bright and ready for the days activities.

I told them as they were coming through the door, “This is a mans trailer and we treat it like a mans trailer, so if the smells don’t suit you, you don’t have to stay.  It should smell like Blackpowder, because that is what we are shooting”!  The only one who made any comment to that was McKenzie and she said “It sure DOES smell like blackpowder in here, and I like it”!!!!

Well, they stayed a short while and because of the way they were all bundled up, decided it was too hot and left to go out by the fire with the other hunters.

The sky had cleared of any clouds and the temperature dropped into the low 20’s during the night, which gave everything a coating of frost about a quarter inch thick.  To say it was cold was an understatement and so I bundled up with all the clothes I had brought to the hunt.  If I was to get cold today, it was my own fault, the only thing left I could do was crack open some of those hand warmer things and I would wait until I just couldn’t stand it any more to do that.

Because of the cold and the fact that the young’uns were not used to it, they were forced into the back seat of the truck until things warmed up.  That put Grandpa in the back of the rack, all by himself.  Everyone else in camp wanted to have seats in warm vehicles for this mornings hunt, and they were smart to be thinking that way.  Grandpa needed to be where the grandkids were and to sacrifice a warm seat is what I had to do.  It wasn’t that bad.

When the light was right to be able to see our sights, we left camp and proceeded to see deer right away.  I think the deer were anxious to come out and play after so many days of wet conditions.

This doe and fawn could care less that we were so close, they continued to feed while we stopped and looked at them.  Others were more skittish and ran off quickly.  We had high hopes of seeing a buck we could shoot and even though we did see bucks during the day, none of them were close enough for a shot.  So for that part of the hunt the kids didn’t get to see how good a shot Dad or Grandpa are, maybe they will get to see that tomorrow.

The trip was to cover ground that Weasel had told them all about for as long as they have been alive.  Places like Crushed Canteen Crossing, Monument Peak, Otter Creek, the old cabin and the trailer.  To do this will take more than just today.

Conner had told me to keep a close eye out for grouse as well as deer while we were driving around and old Grandpas eye was peeled for more than just grouse and deer; he was looking for rabbits too.

As is usual in the Rack, when an animal is spotted, the riders tap on the side or top of the cab in order to signal a reason to stop is in order.  The driver then makes as gentle a stop as the tap indicates the need….in other words, a light tap or two signals a slow down and stop soon…a series of hard and rapid pounds means, go ahead and slam on the brakes, cuz there is a deer really close!

Going down the road a Snowshoe hare ran out from under a bush and around the backside of a pine.  I pounded hard on the side of the truck and the Weasel hit the skids and baled out expecting to see a big old buck standing somewhere close by.  I whispered it was a rabbit and for Conner to get the shotgun and go find it.

It took awhile for the kids to get out of the back of the truck and the shotgun loaded, but it finally did happen and I directed him to where the rabbit ran.  Soon, I saw the young hunter raise the shotgun and take the shot!  A yell of “I GOT HIM”!!!!  echoed through the land!  A prouder hunter could not have been found.

I think Dad, Mom, Sister, Brother and Grandpa were pretty proud as well!  Everyone wanted to get into the act and congratulate him on such a big rabbit!  It will eat well!  Maybe next year he will tag his first buck!?!

Well, the day went on and warmed up enough for the three youngsters to come out and join Grandpa in the back of the rack.  They were very excited and the two older ones maintained the bouncing and jostling, but after a couple of hours, young Cody was getting “bobble head” pretty bad and I asked if he would rather ride in the front of the truck where it was more comfy…he jumped at the idea and was soon fast asleep!  Preparing for his long night around the camp fire I’m sure.  I think mom was in that same state of mind.

When one is not a hunter, or maybe when one is just beginning to learn how we hunt, it gets boring rather quickly and the eye lids get REALLY heavy, causing your state of consciousness to drift into dreamland…we all have had it from time to time.  The one that has to exempt from such a thing is the driver!

We traveled up a road and made a stop to glass into the brush.  I immediately saw three deer and one was a very big buck.  Had things not played out exactly as they did we would not have seen it lay down.  Once it did it was impossible to see it.  We made a plan and Conner and I would go up a road parallel to where it was laying and about a mile up the hill.  Weasel will drive the rig up the road and onto the same hill as the buck was laying.  Conner and I would then come across country, skirting the tree line and come into the bucks bed area and hopefully scare it out and up into Weasels waiting gun!

This took us a couple of hours to do, and we chased out over 20 head of deer and one coyote, but no buck.  He must have let us just walk on past in that thick brush.  It was a good refreshing hike and I think Conner learned a thing or two about what “real” hunting is all about.  The sneaking along trying to be as quiet as you can.  The listening as deer bound out and then stop close by without you being able to see them and then suddenly there they are less than 20 feet from you sneaking along to get out of there.  And then the finale when all the deer have made their quiet move away from you and then they are faced with going somewhere fast because they have gone to the edge of the brush line and you are still pushing them from behind!  It was a really fun push that we made but that big buck didn’t get that big by being stupid.

And so, there you have the end of that day’s hunt for the Rack.  No shots fired!

And for supper it was a welcome Steak that treated our pallets!

Tomorrow is Sunday and traditionally we do a drive around in the morning and come back to camp around noon to clean up and caravan out of the mountains and back to our homes.  Maybe Bears Butt should use a different weapon in the morning.  It seems his traditional rifle isn’t bringing him much luck!

Bears Butt

Oct. 6, 2013

I did not get a picture of him and his buck, but Wapiti shot a buck on this day.  No, it wasn’t a big buck, but it was legal and that is all that counts!  Any buck shot with a muzzleloader is a trophy, in my mind and his was a good one!  Congratulations Wapiti!  That will make for some mighty fine eating!

If someone has a picture of Wapiti and his buck please send it to me and I’ll include it here!  Thanks!

Oct. 8, 2013