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BIG BUCKS IN BIG SKY
COUNTRY!
By: Ron Wilson
October 23, 2006.... Wyoming, Big Sky
Country at its best, no smog and it seems
like you can see forever! It has been years since I was there and like
California things have changed.
As a youngster I can remember big herds
of deer, elk and antelope. They are still there but not in the numbers I
remember.
I think I saw one of the reasons for the
wildlife decline. It’s the Wyoming open range law where they let sheep
and cattle wonder all over the countryside eating everything in sight.
One of the biggest problems I believe is the thousands and thousands of
sheep that eat everything wildlife eat. At least that’s what I observed
in the area that we traveled in.
My son Donald and I traveled all over the
high mountain ranges and from the highest peaks to the highland desert
there were huge flocks of sheep eating down the summer and winter forage
that should be left for wildlife. When a winter hits harder than normal
the deer, Elk and antelope numbers decline because they can’t get enough
to eat and the once great herds of wildlife get smaller.
Where is PETA (People for the Ethical
treatment of Animals) when you need them. Its just the opposite with the
herds of cattle and flocks of sheep as the ranchers feed and take care
of their animals during the hard times so that there numbers increase.
The Governing forces in Wyoming should
get their bean counters working to figure out what brings in the most
money for the economy of Wyoming, hunters who spend millions and
millions of dollars on licenses, gas, food and lodging or grazing fees.
If Wyoming managed there land better for
wildlife they could probably double their out of state hunter dollars by
not having to refuse so many hunters each year who want to come to the
state to spend their money.
That’s my 2 cents worth, now on to a
great week spent with my son in the great outdoors of Wyoming!
We started by working on my grandchildren, Nicole and Dericks, land
inheritance the day before the deer season opener. We reseeded alfalfa,
planted a few trees, mended fence, filled in some potholes on the road
and worked on a pond for the animals to drink out from. Now it wasn’t
all work as we were looking forward to do some mule deer hunting also.
Opening morning of deer season, before
daylight, we were parked on a ridge overlooking 200 acres of alfalfa on
the property. At the break of day Donald got all excited as he saw
movement in his binoculars. It wasn’t deer but Elk that had quit feeding
and were starting to move uphill to the protection of the trees. He
marveled at the herd bulls management of his cows and the white ivory
points on his rack as he shook his head letting the other bulls nearby
know to keep there distance.
An old cow elk lead the way and the bull
fell in line in the middle of the 72 elk herd that had 15 younger bulls
that brought up the rear.
I was glassing to the right of the truck
when three deer crossed a coolie that I was looking at, horns, horns and
then the last one looked like he had a whole bush on his head. "Donald
there went three bucks that just went over the knoll", I said. Donald
and I went down the road a little ways, Donald spotted a couple does and
a 3 point buck going up the hill. "That’s a nice buck", he said, "but
not what we are after". I could tell that he did not believe me, he must
of thought the old man was not only blind but now he is imagining things
to.
 We
went back to the truck and went back down the hillside to the main road
and headed north toward the border of our hunting area. We past into
Idaho and then back into Wyoming, I think it was Salt Creek road that he
turned onto. We snaked through the canyon then headed to the peak. It
stated raining and I started wondering if we were on the right road as
we quickly ran out of hunters. The road got slippery and at one point we
slid off the road and through the sage brush. We climbed back up on the
road and Donald decided we should put on some chains. He only had one
set so he put them on the front to help steer.
We then saw some sheep herders standing
outside a tent and Donald went up to talk to them. It seems they were
from Peru and Donald said he got no information but they had some horns
hanging up. I bet that’s what they had to eat, poached wildlife.
After a little praying and some fine
driving by my son we made it off the ridge. Donald said, "well pop, we
sure as hell won’t be on that road again when it’s wet and raining". I
agreed 120% on that! On the entire ridge top drive we only saw three
deer, one a nice forked horn buck and several thousand sheep.
Day two of the hunting season brought more elk, passed up more bucks and
did more work on the property. Never realized how much walking there is
to spreading seed with a hand grinder.
We headed back toward Cokeville, the
closest town to the property, then turned in the middle of town and
headed uphill to another area Donald was told about. Lots of hunters on
the road. Donald picked a spot a local had told him about where a big
buck was hanging out and we went for a walk. I stopped a couple hundred
yards from the truck and could not believe all the traffic. In an hours
time there were three quads, eighteen trucks and one car that went by.
Donald came back around the mountain and said he was within 20 feet of a
nice forked horn buck but could not get close enough to the other two
deer he was with to see what they were. They were in the dense woods
where he found them bedded down.
That evening Donald spotted a big buck
above the property feeding on the steep hillside and his three 500 yard
shots were all misses.
Day three we saw more elk but no deer. After safe light Donald headed
down south of Cokeville. The area looked to be a high desert plains and
possible winter range for wildlife. We crossed it and followed a power
line to a mountain range where we climbed to the top of a hill and down
a ridge. Donald got out and walked to the edge overlooking a valley
below. When he got back he asked me, "what I was doing", "just
enjoying being alive" I said. He said, "you should of at least got out
of the truck and walked down the road a piece because I jumped a big
buck".
Well the walking began as he headed down
the hill. I drove down the ridge and watched the collies up ahead of him
as he worked his way back up to the top of the ridge. On my first stop I
watched something that looked like a brown dog in front of Donald as he
came over a sage brush covered knoll.
Donald finally made it back to where I
was watching the hillside on truck move number seven. "Where is the
truck", Donald asked. "Right there past the trees", I said. "Where did
your dog go", I asked. He chuckled and said, "when I came out of the
bottom of a coolie a doe was a few yards in front of me, I played hide
and seek with her for awhile. I was hoping the big buck was nearby".
He had a little excitement a 100 yards or
so down the hill in a grove of aspens. He said, "I was going through the
grove when a bull moose stood up 50 feet of me". He said, "I just put my
gun over my head and shook side to side and the moose ran off".
Back in the truck we headed across the
mountain range toward a ski lift. That evening we saw a small herd of
does that seemed to be migrating with a small buck or two. It was
another road that did not look fit for travel in the rain. We saw a
couple more moose and a moose gut pile on the road. Down near the ski
lodge Donald spotted a nice 4x4 300 yards up the hill feeding. "Nice
buck", he said. I looked through the spotting scope and the horns were
wide but spindly, "we still got a few days left", I said. My sights were
set for the big buck back on the property.
Day four, more elk but no deer sighted during the morning hunt. So we
did more seeding, trying to improve the habitat. The cold snap that we
were hoping for was not happening and the rain we didn’t want was coming
down hard. This could ruin all the seeding work we had done by sprouting
the seeds too early.
After lunch and a little rest we
went back to the property for an evening hunt. The wind was blowing and
the rain was falling when Donald spotted a nice 4x4 on the hillside
feeding. A cloud came in like thick fog and Donald headed up the hill to
close the distance. The cloud left and the rain can down in buckets as I
waited for the shot that I knew was coming. It seemed like an hour but I
know it was just a few minutes when a shot rang out and the thud of a
hit was heard! If you have hunted long enough you can hear when a bullet
hits its mark.
I ran to where Donald was laid soaking
wet with his gun still on its tripod and asked him where the buck was,
he said, "it ran down the hill several yards and when I chambered
another round I lost sight of the deer".
I watched Donald head up the hill the 300
plus yards to where the deer had been standing, by the time he got there
the clouds and darkness were setting in and in a few minutes it was so
dark I couldn't see him. I went back to the truck and positioned it so
that the lights were shining uphill so he could come back in a straight
line to the truck.
He said, "I thought you were down below
me at one time. I heard rocks roll but realized it was the deer when you
started the truck". I said, "we'll come back and get him in the
morning".
Day five we arrived a little after daylight, The rain was falling as we
drove in the gate. Donald spotted a forked horn buck run over the top of
a knoll up ahead. We followed our road and rounded a corner and there
were three bucks. The forked horn, a 4x4 and mister big! I hate tell you
we emptied our guns and mister big just ran off around the hillside
untouched. Buck fever, I don’t know but we sure missed him and yes we
were both excited.
We went over to look for the deer Donald
had hit the night before but the rain and wind was nasty, so we sat in
the truck and watched the hillside. Donald got tired of sitting and
said, "lets go over to the top of one of the coolies leading out of the
canyon". We got to the top of the knoll and Donald said, "pop shoot that
nice buck laying down there looking at you". I fired and the deer rolled
over, we went down and it was a 25" plus 4x4. No monster but a nice
buck. Donald grabbed the legs to start gutting the deer and the hind leg
had a fresh bullet hole in it. We were thrilled the deer had saved us a
walk by coming back down hill to us and saving us the trouble of trying
to find him.
That ended the morning hunt as we had
meat to take care off. We went back to Cokeville and ran into Game
Warden Neil Hymas. Neil validated the buck and then offered his garage
for us to skin and hang the deer. You just don’t meet people that
friendly and helpful everyday. It sure beat skinning the deer in the
rain and we really appreciated it.
Back at the motel room we had a chance to
talk to several other California hunters. A couple of them told us about
a couple hunters who ran into Peru sheepherders who sold them a moose
rack for a 6 pack of beer and $50.
 Day
six Donald wanted to wait until daylight. It seems that us arriving
before daylight was spooking the deer off the property. We arrived on
the property later than normal and saw four bucks eating alfalfa.
The deer were 300 plus yards. Donald had
his rifle sighted in for that range so he took the shot. Three shots
Broadside and the biggest buck of the bunch didn’t move, just looked
around like flies were bothering him. They finally spooked and started
running for cover back toward us across the field. Donald fired two more
shots, both of which were high. We went over to the coolies where the
deer headed downhill trying to escape. Donald ran down a ridge top as
the deer were sneaking down the ravine. A short time later I heard a
shot ring out and that familiar thud again. He had killed a nice 3x5.
We never did see the bigger buck again
but the big boy is still there to spread his genes for another year.
That evening we took our deer to be
butchered. We checked out of the Hideout Motel & RV Resort,
800-770-5845, that evening and after a little sleep we headed out and
Saturday evening we were home.
A great week spent bonding with my son
and hunting deer. We are looking forward to doing it again next year.
Hopefully my grandson will be there also with us as he lives and breaths
to be out in the outdoors big game hunting. |
