Took a day off
10-21-2007, 10:04 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Utah
Posts: 53
Took a day off
I've got a Desert Bighorn Sheep tag this year and have spent preety much every opportunity in the desert looking for sheep.
The forecast this week end was for 70% snow. Knowing the sheep wouldn't be moving, I took the opportunity to go fill my deer tag.
I picked my daughter up after school and we drove the 2 hours to the trail head. My hunting buddies had picked up my horses and packed camp in earlier. So we hiked the 7 miles in and joined them at camp just about dark on Friday night. It was a warm night, (warm before the storm) But the wind blew and the wall tent fluttered all night. We got up and headed up the hill in the dark. Every 30 yards or so I would stop and huff and while catching my wind, scan with my binos to see what I couldn't see with my eyes in the pre dawn light. Pretty soon we spotted a nice batchlor herd of Bull Elk. No trophys, But 4 nice 4-5 point bulls. A few minutes later I spotted a bigger bull on another ridge.
By time we climbed the 2000 feet to the ridge top the wind was really blowing. I looked to the North and could see a curtain of snow moving across the mountains about 10 miles away. I knew we would see the storm before long. I decided we wouldn't see any deer on the ridge line in that howling wind. They would all be down deeper in the canyon out of the wind. So we dropped back down another ridge. Periodically sitting and scanning the far side. About 11:00 am I spotted a doe moving through the brush with my Bino's. She would ghost in and out of sight as she moved though the oak brush. Pretty soon I spotted a buck, I put down the binos and picked up the rifle and couldn't find the deer. Again I picked up the binos and scanned and soon found the buck. Up again with the rifle, just as he walked behind a group of brush. My daughter sitting next to me was carrying my Lazer rangefinder, So I told her to range the deer for me. 276 yards. I could see therewas more than one deer behind the trees, I was holding on the far side waiting for the deer to come out. Out stepeed a buck. I counted 4 points and let him have it. Should have waited for the second buck, he was bigger.
I shoot a 270WSM with 140g Barnes TSX bullets. It hit a little farther back than I planned on. Entered between two ribs, clipped the bottom of the lungs, punctured the diaphram, and passed through the liver and exited between two ribs. Deer ran 30 yards and piled up. Very little damaged meat. Bullet performed flawlessly.
Storm rolled in just after I cleaned the deer. Grabed the horses from camp and packed the deer down to the truck, Rode the horses back to camp for those who were staying and we hiked out. By time we got out of the canyon and in the truck,6 " of snow had fallen. We were wet and cold, but happy. I head back sheep hunting this afternoon.
.
The forecast this week end was for 70% snow. Knowing the sheep wouldn't be moving, I took the opportunity to go fill my deer tag.
I picked my daughter up after school and we drove the 2 hours to the trail head. My hunting buddies had picked up my horses and packed camp in earlier. So we hiked the 7 miles in and joined them at camp just about dark on Friday night. It was a warm night, (warm before the storm) But the wind blew and the wall tent fluttered all night. We got up and headed up the hill in the dark. Every 30 yards or so I would stop and huff and while catching my wind, scan with my binos to see what I couldn't see with my eyes in the pre dawn light. Pretty soon we spotted a nice batchlor herd of Bull Elk. No trophys, But 4 nice 4-5 point bulls. A few minutes later I spotted a bigger bull on another ridge.
By time we climbed the 2000 feet to the ridge top the wind was really blowing. I looked to the North and could see a curtain of snow moving across the mountains about 10 miles away. I knew we would see the storm before long. I decided we wouldn't see any deer on the ridge line in that howling wind. They would all be down deeper in the canyon out of the wind. So we dropped back down another ridge. Periodically sitting and scanning the far side. About 11:00 am I spotted a doe moving through the brush with my Bino's. She would ghost in and out of sight as she moved though the oak brush. Pretty soon I spotted a buck, I put down the binos and picked up the rifle and couldn't find the deer. Again I picked up the binos and scanned and soon found the buck. Up again with the rifle, just as he walked behind a group of brush. My daughter sitting next to me was carrying my Lazer rangefinder, So I told her to range the deer for me. 276 yards. I could see therewas more than one deer behind the trees, I was holding on the far side waiting for the deer to come out. Out stepeed a buck. I counted 4 points and let him have it. Should have waited for the second buck, he was bigger.
I shoot a 270WSM with 140g Barnes TSX bullets. It hit a little farther back than I planned on. Entered between two ribs, clipped the bottom of the lungs, punctured the diaphram, and passed through the liver and exited between two ribs. Deer ran 30 yards and piled up. Very little damaged meat. Bullet performed flawlessly.
Storm rolled in just after I cleaned the deer. Grabed the horses from camp and packed the deer down to the truck, Rode the horses back to camp for those who were staying and we hiked out. By time we got out of the canyon and in the truck,6 " of snow had fallen. We were wet and cold, but happy. I head back sheep hunting this afternoon.
.
10-21-2007, 12:32 PM
#3
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Utah
Posts: 53
RE: Took a day off
I'm in Utah. Here are a couple more pictures.
Sunrise before the storm
It didn't put down enough snow to stay, But it was misserable for a few hours. See the two bulls crossing the far ridge.?
Sunrise before the storm
It didn't put down enough snow to stay, But it was misserable for a few hours. See the two bulls crossing the far ridge.?
