cheesy
10-04-2013, 04:30 PM
I'm back.
First, this was my first hunting trip since 1972. Second, first time I hunted in the Rockies. Third, first time for mule deer.
I left last Friday with my brother, brother in law, and brother in laws' brother. Those three hunt together quite a bit. Me, I've been too busy but made time this year. We had gotten free use of a two room cabin on 88 acres in NW Wyoming that bordered Shoshone Nat'l Forest. Electricity, wood stove, no water, a small barn and an outhouse. As it was next to Windy Mtn., we called the place place Camp Windy. It lived up to its' name the days before the season opened.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/P9280546_zpsb10b0c53.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/P9280546_zpsb10b0c53.jpg.html)
John and Joe making breakfast.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/P9290549_zpsd775fc8d.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/P9290549_zpsd775fc8d.jpg.html)
Although I spent evenings in my camper, the big wood stove provided a lot of heat at night for the other guys. I have a 0F down bag, so the low temps didn't bother me.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/P9290548_zpsccb43606.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/P9290548_zpsccb43606.jpg.html)
We spent the first couple days exploring the area. It was some rough country. There was a major forest fire here in 1988 and the area is still recovering.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/P9290552_zps99f0e5e1.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/P9290552_zps99f0e5e1.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/P9290554_zpseb934d78.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/P9290554_zpseb934d78.jpg.html)
And we weren't alone.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/P9290550_zpsb2177ca3.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/P9290550_zpsb2177ca3.jpg.html)
Besides Black and Grizzly bear, we also had wolf and coyote sulking about.
Opening day was just about perfect, clear and no wind.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/20131001_065212_zpsbcf9daa8.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/20131001_065159_zps5e16fad0.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/20131001_065147_zps6d1e9d5d.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/20131001_065147_zps6d1e9d5d.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/20131001_084028_zps5a6d4462.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/20131001_084028_zps2315f3a9.jpg.html)
I was using a Ruger M77 MkII 7MM Remington Mag. My rounds.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/P9300558_zps1b6b0f64.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/P9300558_zps1b6b0f64.jpg.html)
Although I've owned the Ruger for at least five years, I'd never fired it. So I wasn't sure of what to expect. I found out less than 15 minutes after setting out on our hunt.
My brother, Dan, set out southwest of the cabin. John and Joe went southeast, and I went due south. Soon after entering the forest, I caught movement ahead and uphill from me. There was Bambis' dad, not 100 yards from me. 8 points if he was anything. But he was still uphill. I crept about 25 yards closer but the 9000' elevation was playing havoc with me so I decided to shoot from there. Sighted through the scope, squeezeeeeeed the trigger. Bright orange muzzle flash and a very loud BOOOOOMMM.(kind of like a smallish Howitzer) Aaaannndddd, I missed. Should have waited until I caught my breath and steadied. But, I look up where the 8 pointer was and I see some thrashing around in the brush below where the big guy was standing. I climb up to the brush and spy a 4 pointer laying on it's side with a bullet hole between the 5th and 6th rib. Not how I planned it but I'll take it.
As I was field dressing my deer, I heard two separate shots east of me. John and Joe getting their deer. We arrived back at the cabins within a half hour of each other.
Two of the deer.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/PA010562_zps20e22cdf.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/PA010562_zps20e22cdf.jpg.html)
John and Joe relaxing while waiting for my brother.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/PA010560_zpsc1914248.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/PA010560_zpsc1914248.jpg.html)
Dan didn't get his deer until near sunset but got the nicest one. He got a 6 pointer, John and I got 4s and Joe got a spike. All in all, not a bad haul for one day. We skinned and quartered until dark then put the meat on ice until we could butcher the next day.
The other three have a system for butchering, so I stayed out of their way to keep all my appendages attached, and vacuumed packed everything.
Joe, John, and Dan butchering. We started at at 8am and were finished by 3pm. A long day.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/20131002_091714_zpsbe53c52a.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/20131002_091714_zpsb55f11b7.jpg.html)
My job.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/PA020565_zpscaf26ce9.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/PA020565_zpscaf26ce9.jpg.html)
My other job was Chief Cook, so I kept the guys in coffee and chow while they were working.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/20131002_091742_zps99c25372.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/20131002_092604_zps8e28ec66.jpg.html)
We bugged out yesterday morning, Thursday. John and Joe took the northern route back, I-94. and Dan and I took the southern route, I-90.
What we ran into in the Bighorn Mtns.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/PA030566_zps1afe22ac.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/PA030566_zps1afe22ac.jpg.html)
Took us almost 4 hours to get through that. We arrived at Dans' place at 3am this morning. We swapped my trailer over to my Jeep and I headed the next 100 miles to my place. I stopped at my shop and transferred the meat to my freezer there and boogied for home. I walked in at 5:50am. Slept a few hours, unpacked, and wrote this up. I figure I'll be dead to the world by 7pm tonight.
First, this was my first hunting trip since 1972. Second, first time I hunted in the Rockies. Third, first time for mule deer.
I left last Friday with my brother, brother in law, and brother in laws' brother. Those three hunt together quite a bit. Me, I've been too busy but made time this year. We had gotten free use of a two room cabin on 88 acres in NW Wyoming that bordered Shoshone Nat'l Forest. Electricity, wood stove, no water, a small barn and an outhouse. As it was next to Windy Mtn., we called the place place Camp Windy. It lived up to its' name the days before the season opened.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/P9280546_zpsb10b0c53.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/P9280546_zpsb10b0c53.jpg.html)
John and Joe making breakfast.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/P9290549_zpsd775fc8d.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/P9290549_zpsd775fc8d.jpg.html)
Although I spent evenings in my camper, the big wood stove provided a lot of heat at night for the other guys. I have a 0F down bag, so the low temps didn't bother me.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/P9290548_zpsccb43606.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/P9290548_zpsccb43606.jpg.html)
We spent the first couple days exploring the area. It was some rough country. There was a major forest fire here in 1988 and the area is still recovering.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/P9290552_zps99f0e5e1.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/P9290552_zps99f0e5e1.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/P9290554_zpseb934d78.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/P9290554_zpseb934d78.jpg.html)
And we weren't alone.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/P9290550_zpsb2177ca3.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/P9290550_zpsb2177ca3.jpg.html)
Besides Black and Grizzly bear, we also had wolf and coyote sulking about.
Opening day was just about perfect, clear and no wind.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/20131001_065212_zpsbcf9daa8.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/20131001_065159_zps5e16fad0.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/20131001_065147_zps6d1e9d5d.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/20131001_065147_zps6d1e9d5d.jpg.html)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/20131001_084028_zps5a6d4462.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/20131001_084028_zps2315f3a9.jpg.html)
I was using a Ruger M77 MkII 7MM Remington Mag. My rounds.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/P9300558_zps1b6b0f64.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/P9300558_zps1b6b0f64.jpg.html)
Although I've owned the Ruger for at least five years, I'd never fired it. So I wasn't sure of what to expect. I found out less than 15 minutes after setting out on our hunt.
My brother, Dan, set out southwest of the cabin. John and Joe went southeast, and I went due south. Soon after entering the forest, I caught movement ahead and uphill from me. There was Bambis' dad, not 100 yards from me. 8 points if he was anything. But he was still uphill. I crept about 25 yards closer but the 9000' elevation was playing havoc with me so I decided to shoot from there. Sighted through the scope, squeezeeeeeed the trigger. Bright orange muzzle flash and a very loud BOOOOOMMM.(kind of like a smallish Howitzer) Aaaannndddd, I missed. Should have waited until I caught my breath and steadied. But, I look up where the 8 pointer was and I see some thrashing around in the brush below where the big guy was standing. I climb up to the brush and spy a 4 pointer laying on it's side with a bullet hole between the 5th and 6th rib. Not how I planned it but I'll take it.
As I was field dressing my deer, I heard two separate shots east of me. John and Joe getting their deer. We arrived back at the cabins within a half hour of each other.
Two of the deer.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/PA010562_zps20e22cdf.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/PA010562_zps20e22cdf.jpg.html)
John and Joe relaxing while waiting for my brother.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/PA010560_zpsc1914248.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/PA010560_zpsc1914248.jpg.html)
Dan didn't get his deer until near sunset but got the nicest one. He got a 6 pointer, John and I got 4s and Joe got a spike. All in all, not a bad haul for one day. We skinned and quartered until dark then put the meat on ice until we could butcher the next day.
The other three have a system for butchering, so I stayed out of their way to keep all my appendages attached, and vacuumed packed everything.
Joe, John, and Dan butchering. We started at at 8am and were finished by 3pm. A long day.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/20131002_091714_zpsbe53c52a.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/20131002_091714_zpsb55f11b7.jpg.html)
My job.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/PA020565_zpscaf26ce9.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/PA020565_zpscaf26ce9.jpg.html)
My other job was Chief Cook, so I kept the guys in coffee and chow while they were working.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/20131002_091742_zps99c25372.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/20131002_092604_zps8e28ec66.jpg.html)
We bugged out yesterday morning, Thursday. John and Joe took the northern route back, I-94. and Dan and I took the southern route, I-90.
What we ran into in the Bighorn Mtns.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/bikamper/PA030566_zps1afe22ac.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bikamper/media/PA030566_zps1afe22ac.jpg.html)
Took us almost 4 hours to get through that. We arrived at Dans' place at 3am this morning. We swapped my trailer over to my Jeep and I headed the next 100 miles to my place. I stopped at my shop and transferred the meat to my freezer there and boogied for home. I walked in at 5:50am. Slept a few hours, unpacked, and wrote this up. I figure I'll be dead to the world by 7pm tonight.