Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Today is the day before we head off into the Crawford Mountains for our last attempt to fill two coveted tags.  13 years of waiting for this time to complete a dream of filling a wall with the biggest or most unique buck around.

This is not a reconnoiter trip.  This one is serious (how serious is a Willow Creeker?).

Both hunters have said they will take “cactus” bucks if given the chance.  We saw some cactus’ last weekend, but they were the prickly kind growing on the ground.  Was it a sign?

We heard about a one horned buck that would have spread over 30 inches wide had the other side not been broken off.  It was said it had up to 8 points on the side it had.  We heard two different stories about this buck.  One was that the one side was growing downward around the bucks face.  The other was it was broken off about 4 inches above its head.   Will we see that buck?

We saw a buck that was pushing 30 inches and it was taken by another lucky hunter during last weekend (it measured in at 28 inches).

We spoke to the hunter who purchases the tag every year at the Sportsman Show.  This year he paid $8,000 for the tag and he claims to take 30 plus inchers every year.  Our hopes are high to perhaps see and tag a couple of those caliber of bucks.  Toss in multiple points, over and above the typical 4X4 with eye guards and we will be in a little heaven of our own.

This is what draws us to the Crawfords and keeps us coming back when tags are drawn.  Will this be my last year for this hunt?  Perhaps, but time will tell.  I personally have stopped applying for the tag and have concentrated on a bull elk tag.  Having never shot a bull elk, I would like to someday complete that dream.

The weather is looking pretty good for our hunt at least through Monday of next week.  Just keep the mud down and we will be fine.  Bring on frozen ground and it will be a bonus for our travels.

So, will the big bucks be hanging around the Veggie Bowl, or over in Hidden Valley?  Will they be up on top of Windy Ridge or down by Tipi Ridge?  We have yet to visit the short road that lead to my buck three years ago.  Maybe a big buck is lurking there.  We have also not gone to Hot Dog road, but saw from a distance many deer in that area.  We have time.

I’ll be seeing you boys in the morning!

Bears Butt

Nov. 22, 2012