Yep, we went hunting again this morning... I was assigned the job of drive master, that is the title I prefer, Larry said I was his heard dog for the day...

The morning started off pretty un-eventfully... we reached the bottom of "deer draw" Larry then worked his way up the east side to the saddle, I hung back gave him a 20 minute head start. My job was to walk a big circle around the ridge to the west and drive deer towards him in the saddle, hence "drive master" As I made my way up the west ridge to "gobblers knob" (gat a turkey there a couple years ago) I had almost reached the top when I looked up and there polking out of the tall grass was the head and neck of a elk calf. She just watched me and did not react at all... I watched her for a few minutes then decided that I need back to my job. I took another couple of steps forward and all hell broke loose... 3 cows stood up in the grass on the knob looked at me - then they beat feet out of there - stupid route though I could have easily got a shot off at em... Anyway with that excitement over i continued on my route. I got about 2/3rds of the way up the ridge and Larry shot. Now Larry is a very good shot so I knew he had his deer down so I just turned and starting walking back to the truck to get the atv... I got about 1/2 way down the hill and he called said he had shot a buck but could not find him.... First thought in my mind D - - - PowerBelts... He shoots 295 copper covered HP's with 90 grains of T7-3f from his TC Hawken. Anyway he said he found the iniatial blood pool but could follow it. Both of are old and our vision is not what it use to be but he can not see small spots of blood on the ground - a color problem - I still can see it and see it well - so back to the top met Larry at the shooting site - lots of blood there - then I started following the blood trail. 30 yards later in the thick brush there was his buck - but he jumped up and started to walk off... I raised the White thinking I could at least take a shot - but Larry said he had and dropped the deer with another PB.

It was not all the PB's fault though - shot placement was not the best high in theleft hip. The PB penetrated through the hip on the left entered thecavity between the two hips and from there your guess is as good as mine... it did not comeout and we did not find it in there...

Anyway 'nother 4x4... we have declared the rest of the week as a truce on deer and will resume when the late controlled hunt elk season opens. We both have a doe tag left and I have an elk tag... so now we need the 21st to get here...