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