2019 found me working out of state, so when I found out that I had drawn deer and elk tags, I knew I wouldn't have any spare time to scout.
I didn't want to waste time setting up and tearing down the wall tent for deer season, since I have family that lives right where I hunt, so I didn't get there until Friday afternoon. I stopped to glass for a minute where I sometimes see deer, and as soon as I looked into the binoculars, there were deer, including a couple of bucks. After talking to the other members of the hunting party, including the ones who live there who hasn't seen many deer during the summer, we decided to hunt for those deer on opening morning.
After waiting for it to be get light enough to see, some of us started into the hunt, with the others waiting down the hill. About 45 minutes into the hunt, I saw the group of deer across the draw from me. I actually thought about passing on this guy for a minute, but after thinking about the last few tags that I have passed early shots on bucks like this and ended up regretting it, I decided to take him. One of the hunters in our group shot a smaller buck from the bunch, when they ran over the ridge.
Each day that passed made me feel like I made a good choice. I spent the week trying to find a buck for the other members of the group, and we only saw two tiny tiny bucks.
After a quick two weeks back to work, I came home for elk season. I like to stay at home for this tag, because of the different places the elk sometimes are, and to have the conveniences of being home.
On this hunt, a family member from out of state drew the tag also. We had time to scout the area for one day, just so he would have an idea of what we were getting in to.
Lots of glassing and covering country, from as soon as you can see, until you can't see, found no sign of the elk. After 2 1/2 days, including the one scouting day, and a lot of good hearted ridicule from everyone in the group questioning my sanity for thinking that elk would even be out in this terrain, I spotted some elk.
After a blown stalk, and running out of light that evening, we decided to return in the morning. Fortunately for us, we didn't spook the elk to bad the evening before. The elk were almost exactly where we had left them the night before.
After waiting for them to bed down in the brush, we started on the almost three mile stalk. As much as the terrain looks as flat as a table, it's far from it. We had to continually change our plan of attack because of the cover that was available. Finally, after several hours, we got as close as we could, and one of the cows spotted us.
It was now or never, so we made our attack when they all stood up. I got this four point bull, and the other guy got a cow.
By the time we got done taking care of them, it was 3:00 AM.
