This year was alot of miles moving camps, dodging elements but as always the end is always rewarding. We started the trip out with the first couple guys that went out before getting a nice heavy 14-18″ on the first night followed by single digit mornings. When we got there after driving straight through we had to put on some miles to find any active animals. I think the snow may have pushed some of them down into the lower lands. I personally loved the snow being able to cross of areas and push farther into the areas. By day 4 we had put one good bull down and called a few more in close but without ending in arrow flight. On the 5th day I pulled a big herd bull back that would have broke my 300″ goal. I got him into sub 30 picked a good opening and cow called right when I got him in the opening. The shot felt great and then I saw the arrow stop on the shoulder and pop out when he twisted. I shadowed and tried to pull the bull back several times and could not get him within 50 60 yards for an open shot. The next day I got in just behind the herd and got close but never close enough to get a shot. Then when I thought I had them figured out and planed to go down to where we were right away and had extremely high hopes we were pushed out of our area due to the wildfires. We then moved to another area we never spent any time or research in and had no maps for. We stopped at a bar/grill downloaded maps and refueled the bodies and picked some drainages, saddles and faces that looked promising. We hunted the next/last few days in great areas. If we didn’t get into heard’s we were calling rag horns and spikes in or we would be in a heard until late to mid morning. (it pays to put miles on) I got an opportunity on the second to last day at a nice cow and took the opportunity. The first arrow was quartering hard but still hit both lungs and she gave me a second shot just over 30 quartering away where I was able to take the top of the heart out. We wound up having a great experience and now just waiting for my body to catch back up to work on whitetails and West river muleys. Until next time my favorite time of the year will always be chasing the sounds of September somewhere in the mountains. Good luck to everyone else going out this fall!
You may also see “monkey” in some of my photos. I take pictures for my daughter each day. I take him on all of my hunts and when I get service I send them to my wife. I was able to get a video chat in town with my wife and kids and the first thing my almost three year old asked was to see “monkey”. It has been a pretty cool little animal to carry around (although monkey probably smells like a profusely sweaty man after two weeks in the mountains.)
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