No deer, great trip!

[Guy Miner]

Okay - up front, we didn't tag a mule deer. On the other hand my son and I spent several great days together on the trail and in the mountains. Had several does within 30 yards or less. "Rocket Buck" exploded yards from me in an incredible burst of speed and left me in the dust as he went over the 7,500' ridge at a dead run. I never even got the crosshairs on him. How big? I dunno, bigger than the 26" 4x4 I shot a few years ago by a lot was my impression, but I saw him for about a second, then he was gone. We were watched for hours by a pair of mountain goats. Very cool, hadn't expected to bump into them. Home temporarily and looking to shift our base of operations as we just weren't seeing many bucks - only one. Here's a few photos:

Old hunter with good old Kelty pack that goes back 35 years with me:

Young hunter fording creek. Smart lad brought sandals for this:

We did a lot of glassing with the binos:

Mostly focused on the gentle slope to the right of this photo:

Mountain goats - sorry, couldn't get closer:

Young hunter on the trail and in camp:

We had decent weather. Cool at night, some overcast, a lot of wind. Errant breeze carried my scent to Rocket Buck and he blew out of there. I knew he was somewhere about, but hadn't pinned down his exact location until he left the area at rocket speed.

All the good old gear worked fine, including the new, inexpensive binos. Great little trip, and am hoping to relocate us shortly, somewhere with more deer. A little disappointed at the low deer numbers where we hunted. That was the only disappointment. Everything else was great!

Guy

 

[DrMike]

Great post, Guy. Time in the mountains is time added to your life. It is the stuff of memories for you and your son. Taking game is a bonus when it happens.

 

[Guy Miner]

Thanks Doc Mike! It was a fine trip, and we're both happy we made the effort. Covered a lot of miles, gained and lost a lot of elevation. Felt good.

McSeal2 asked on the other post prior to the hunt about gear - I'm not much of a gear guy - I don't try to keep up with what's latest and greatest. Here's the basics:

Packs - my old Kelty "Serac" which I've used since the mid/late 1970's. My son ended up using a slightly older Jansport frame pack. We each took a day pack as well, nothing fancy. All the packs except my son's new day pack have been on multiple hunting, fishing and backpacking trips.

Stove - I use the MSR Whisperlight, white gas stove. It boils fast and is 100% reliable even at high altitude where I see most canister type stoves failing.

MSR water pump kept us full up on pure drinking water. My son does a great job at monitoring how much water we've got and topping us off as needed.

Food - we don't go fancy. Breakfast is either instant oatmeal & a hot drink or just a power bar on the trail. If I'm staying near camp I'll make oatmeal and even brew up a "mocha" with instant coffee combined with hot cocoa mix. If we're hitting the trail to be in position to glass before daybreak, it's just a power bar and/or some gorp on the trail.

Lunch is tuna or canned meat of some sort spread on flatbread. Surprisingly good.

Dinner is usually some kind of freeze dried glop. Stroganoff is always good as are most of the chicken & rice or chicken & noodle concoctions. We just eat it out of the bag, no dishes to wash that way.

To sleep warm we brought the Mountain Hardware tent, which although it's a three-season design, does an admirable job of keeping wind off us. The youngster rated a brand new North Face synthetic mummy bag while I relied again on my ancient North Face down bag. Our sleeping pads are surprisingly comfortable for being so light and thin. I've done these trips with and without a tent. It's a trade off. Several pounds of weight, but I like the overnight comfort.

John relied on his well-worn Vasque light hiking boots, I am happy with my Zamberlan boots. They're new to me this year and pretty nice. Very comfortable and kept my feet dry and well protected from the rocks.

Guy

 

[Hegland]

"Rocket Buck" exploded yards from me in an incredible burst of speed and left me in the dust

That'll get the heart going!

Great post Guy.

 

[Scott Spencer]

Thank you for the report, details, and photos, Guy!! Here is to hoping the next adventure produces meat for you and your son!

 

[JD338]

Guy

That was a successful hunt, regardless of the filled tags. Great photos of some beautiful country.
I am doing the same right now with my oldest daughter, we are trying to fill her doe tag.
She told me this morning she doesn't care if she gets a deer, she is having fun hunting with me.

I know exactly how you feel my friend!

Good stuff!

JD338

 

[Guest]

Great story, great pictures, and I'm sure a great trip, Guy. Very nice views you have up there.

Time with the kids in any outdoor setting is always precious. My son has decided not to carry a rifle this year (says he's not ready yet) but he'll still go to the woods with me a number of times. Going to push him a little more this year than last, hiking-wise. Nothing like what you're seeing, but always a pleasure. My 5yr old daughter is on me to take her hunting. I suspect she'll get a chance to go for a walk in the woods with me this fall, too.

Again, Guy, what a terrific couple of posts on this early hunt. I'm looking forward to the next installment!

 

[SCRUBS]

Great write up and pic`s Guy, thanks for sharing them.

 

[6mm Remington]

Very nice Guy! Isn't that fun to jump a buck like that even if you don't get him, just to know they are out there. Just seeing an animal like that makes the whole trip worthwhile. Thanks for including the goat pictures too! I'm leaving October 8 to go in on my hunt.

You guys go again, post some more pictures and stories. It can be a pain taking the time to take photographs it seems, but in the long run it sure is worth it!
David

 

[russ808]

Great story Guy. What country you guys were in. Breath taking. Question, If you guys get an deer do you gut and pack out or debone?
Russ

 

[Guy Miner]

Russ, the trailhead is about an hour's drive from my house. I treat myself to a trip up in that vicinity fairly often.

If a hunter knocks one down, and doesn't have horses, the best way is to bone out the deer and carry it out in backpacks. I can carry a medium sized boned out mule deer out myself, but on a big one it's better for me to split the load with someone, or make two trips. Quartering works too, and I'll do that if the hike isn't particularly long.

Thanks for the compliments guys - I've got to hit the hay soon, going back up the hill in the morning for another try.

Regards, Guy

 

[Elkman]

GREAT POST

Loved it great hunt, having your son along makes it all the better. Good luck on the next one.

 

[sask boy]

Hi Guy, thanks for the post and photos. It is always good when you get to spend time with your son. He looks like a fine lad being out there is the treasure and the knocking down the animal is just a bonus. Look forward to hearing about your future hunts.
Have fun and be safe.

Blessings,
Dan

 

[257 Ackley]

Guy -
Thanks for the great account of your time with the young man. You are making it extremely hard on me, knowing I have another month before any big game hunting starts for me :evil: .

 

[jmad_81]

That sounds like a great time! Thanks for sharing.

 

[cloverleaf]

Looks like a great time Guy. Keep us updated. CL