Congrats Ron!!! Looks and sounds like you had a blast!!

Good job Ron . I sure wish I could have been there to help cart them out.But after 6 years of refuge hunts I finally didn't get a draw, I guess I can at least creep around the swamp with my bow and see if them thar trophy bucks are still there.

For those who are unfamiliar with the refuge hunt, you can bow hunt on the refuge with a regular archery tag but the muzzleloader hunts are special draw only . So for those who misinterpreted my post I hope this clears it up.

Just in case you didn't figure where the place is................it is where you mentioned to Linda and i about how you brought a deer out of there through miserable brush, and had a heck of a time getting to the road. You may have mentioned you wished you had the boy's help, or did have help, i don't recall. One parks at the first place South of the place you, and Linda, and i first walked into, where you can't park. Just South of the residence surrounded by no hunting signs.

There are at least 2 tree stands on the larger trees at the edge. I am hoping you can at least see one of them monster bucks. Of course they will get pushed around some by muzzy hunters.

The deer i killed were found less than 1/2 mile in from the furthest West parking, on the refuge, and were easy to get to the truck on the mowed path. Your help wasn't really needed, but i did miss the conversation, and hope to see you next year. It would have been cool to glance back at the truck, and see a fella walking my way with a cart; i would have known who it was.

Hey Ron Gongrats and a good read. Man that wind must have been rough!
I noticed on your deer cart that you did the same thing as I did - put an extension handle on it. Makes it a lot easier to pull.

Thanks, I know exactly where you are talking about. I should be able to make a couple trips to look around. Enjoy that well earned venison.

The wind was awful, but it is what made my hunt a hunt to remember.

My cart is as the factory made it; i made no modification. What i did Friday morning was load one deer, and pull the cart and deer over the rough ground with tufted prairie grass and other flora, to the other deer. After the second deer was loaded i was on a kinda trail/road/path, that was mowed by the refuge staff. Once on the mowed path, i pushed the cart to the truck with them deer on it. Pushing the cart fully loaded was easiest on my back, but cannot be done by me, on rough ground.

Boy and I thought I had to work for my last deer this year!!! Deer get within a hundred yards of me and make me.

Nice work Ron. I used to think my wooded area here in Virginia was thick, wow!

Ron, that trip looks like you earned every bit of your harvest. I would think you must be in good shape w/ distances like that from one direction to the other. Thanks for sharing.

These days i can walk 2 mile one way without a lot of worry, however, any further than that and i start to stumble. This past trip i only walked a total of 5 mile one of the days, and i knew it. What happens to me is, i feel great for a long time, then of a sudden, i feel tired and played out. I try to avoid this, but sometimes i am all tuckered out, and i am 2 or 3 mile from the truck. I hate this, but i seem to do it at least once a year. These days, a walk of 6 mile leaves me in pain.

This year, i started carrying water with, and that has really really helped. Whenever, i noticed my mouth getting dry, i drank; it made me feel noticeably better. The past 5 year i hunted without water with, and that isn't good. For 40 year whilst hunting in Montana, i never carried water, because there were springs and creeks everywhere; when i felt thirsty, i drank. As i grew older, i started carrying a cup, so i wouldn't have to lay down to drink.