Hunting with the Hedge 2020-21

[HH~]

9-28 Oct 2020

Just an update. Out of high country of IDaho and Montana. Long hard hunt over several weeks. Was in on 9 bulls kills “ i think”. Lost count after hauling out first couple. None were of my doing.

One of the wildest multi state adventures in 35yrs.

More to follow:

HH~

[Allyn T]

Sounds awesome can't wait to hear more

[HH~]

Was a very good and crazy hunt out west. Put in 5000 miles on my old GMC 4x4 not to mention the miles on my boots. No 4whlr in my camp.
I left 3-4 days early so I could poke around out west and camp etc.

1st nite I stayed on a friends private in Yankton, SD right on the Missouri river. Just a really nice farm where the Jim river enters river. Nice bluff and he had a SD state cabin they were tossing brought in and I stayed in it. Saw some raccoons and a few small whitetails moving thru the river bottom that morning. Weather was great but a little smoke still in the air from fires out west.

Next day I camped on my buddies ranch in Rapid City, SD. Stayed in his pole barn had wood stove cranked up. Dog stayed with me. Had all kine whitetails come out in morning to eat pumpkins he had growing in the patch. We packed up last stuff and moved out for Montana.

We cut thru WY but stopped in Bell Fourche, SD for a minute then drove into Broadus, WY up on Powder River. Then Jumped on 212 and went thru the Reservation to Lame Deer then right to Little Big Horn Battlefield. Coming down hill with the flag on Last Stand Hill waving was a nice Buck Antelope in the fire break standing on the hill. Keeping an eye on our fallen I reckon.

Kicked around in Billings of a minute then went on into Columbus, MT and down on the Yellowstone River to make camp for the nite. Was on road into the Absoraka's or Crow Nation. The crow got one hella deal when the got their land. Prolly some of the nicest in MT, Past Red Lodge on WY border. Nice Mt's good herds and good water. Got a deal for not fighting the USA. Think those peaks are the tallest in MT and all Crow lands.

[paulc]

I'll bet our fellow native American citizens don't think they got a great deal from America....just saying. Paul

[HH~]

Guess you never been to the Absoraka. BTW i am native american and im sayin. Crow did not fight USA.

More high country hunt to come...

Shawn~

[HH~]

So, after leaving Columbus MT headed over past Big Timber, Divide and jumped on 15 to 43 and went up the Bighole river up the the Bighole National Battlefield where we fought the Nez Perce which then skinnied up the east side of divide to Canada. Very purty place and hella trout river. Croos over into ID at Chief Joseph Pass and down into Salmon Idaho.

Got into are hunt area just north of Challis and 20mile 4 wheel into are camp up at 6750ft. Nice area in USNF with BLM on lower side. Mostly douglas fir and lodgepole pine and sage brush all the way up to 8500ft. The elk were not in there this season in great numbers. Small family herds and bachelor groups of bulls here and there.

Hunted here for 12-13 days and had had plenty cows go by me and had one decent opportunity at a 6 by herd bullat 15yds but he was in thick fir on a steep slope. I did not shoot. The fell'as we know from Idaho Falls took 5 bulls out while we were there and a good time was had by all. Snow on top in small amounts every two days that would melt in sun. The quakies were dropping leaves fast.

I may go back early next year if the weather turns colder earlier.?

Good Hunting
Shawn~

[HH~]

Pulled out of IDaho and went back over Chief Joe Pass in the teeth of the blizzard. Got halfway up at the 93/43 split and it was whiteout and stayed that way all the way to camp in the Big belts. Had about 22" snow and drifts to 6ft in places. Got camp shovel out to place tent in. Cut some Doug Fir and stove was cranked. Got ready for early morning in the oat field's where the herd had come down too.

HH~

[HH~]

03 Nov 20

Vote Day

Was out early saw several deer. Big lone doe came 0730hrs let walk thru think a buck may be trailing. No to be.

Hunted river bottom. 1630hrs two doe came in but were coverd up purty well. 1700hrs a big bobcat walked down deer trail toward river. I knew something was moving down hill as a gray squirrel was screaming. Bobcat was getting the riot act. Then, down same trail a big feral cat came right down bobcats trail.

Right at dark the coyotes cut loose across river to be answered on ridge by their buddies.

Good day on the hunt.

Shawn~

[HH~]

04 Nov 20

Did hunt this morning. Loaded 2000 rounds of 45 ACP. Figger i may em soon!

Went out tonite. Purty slow 70 degrees. In dark walking out saw a few deer moving. See what morning brings. Heat is on rut is not hittin hard in daylight. Hiway road kill confirms deeR are not moving much yet. Fine with me, got 67 days left to hunt deer here.

Shawn~

[HH~]

05 NOV 20
45 degrees 2 mph wind out of east 0545hrs.

Went to river bottom as it was going to get warm quickly. Got set up in a skinny sycamore tree in an overgrown flat on river. Was set by 0530 and waited for it to get gray out. About 0600 I stood up where I usually do for first 1.5hrs. I forgot my shooting glasses but could see purty well out to 100yds in scrub. I happened to look over my left shoulder and saw a dark shape, yep it was a deer moving my way in a hurry. Picked up bow off the hanger and got into a good position for a shot to left on trail coming under my climber. This buck came to 20yds and made a circle where a doe peed two nites ago and continued right under me. I stopped him with "maa,aaa" half a yard from straight down and pulled all the slack I could get outta that 12 strand D97 on Hind Tit and snapped the shot. The buck whirled hit behind the shoulder straight down. I could hear the arrow slice into his flesh as he darted around tree into brush and up the ridge. I saw him snap the arrow off and mark that spot in memory. Time 0615hrs.

I went and hung bow up and loaded another arrow on shelf. The new Magnus was sharp and ready for another opportunity. I have spoke to several guys, Pappy being one where fella's "just cant take it they have to climb down". I thought about and said to myself "its to early and prime hunting time stay and see what fortune brings".

After about an hour and some change I here a deer moving in the thicket off my right shoulder. Deer moving off ridge to the river. It circled around and was standing where the buck was when I first saw him. She then headed for river. I pulled out my 1980 doe grunt tube knowing she could not see thru that thicket and gave it a few "hey, who are you doe grunts". She could not refuse to see who was on the other side of the thick. She came right in the bucks tracks and stopped under me right where he was! Would be the same shot. Same same. Grabbed another handful of string and picked a spot and loosed the arrow. She spun and ran right where buck ran.

Well, waited another 30 min and packed my gear and got down. Found both shafts 5ft from each other, a good start. Found the buck blood trail and found him up ridge on the two track. Looked like he had expired very quickly and he was getting stiff already. When I grabbed him to move into a better spot to dress him I heard a deer crash out of the creek bottom that runs into river. I thought "hmmmn". I went to work on buck. While, dressing the buck I hear a loud "Baaaaaaaaaa" up creek a bit. Thought that's strange!

Buck taken care of I went to wash my hands and knife and find blood trail from doe. Went down slope and ran into a good blood trail in the over growed creek flat. I say" let me get this fat and blood off me and make a cricle up in creek with these 18 LaCrosse rubber boot and see what this noise was".  Rounded the corner and saw a funny rock. As I approached i saw red in water. My doe. Never heard a doe Bawl out a death moan but there she was.

Pretty sure I used up my good luck all in one day but it sure was enjoyable.

Good Huntin

Shawn~

[DV IN MN]

Nice. Is very rewarding when it all comes together like that. I enjoy your input on the site.

[Allyn T]

That's crazy they both went to the same spot

[HH~]

Exactly same spot. Whitetails can be so hard to figger and then sometimes you can almost see what they will do in a giving situation. Was warm out and they are all fatted up. So, I went and hunted on north side of river bottom where cool air pools in the morning/evening and they have good cover. Deer all in there when it got warm here. Rest of last week was tough hunting saw deer but could not figger what they were doing at all. Rut is behind a bit seems like all mating activity is happening at night with this warm spell.

Got deer to skin and meat to process and grind some burger today. Have four or five deer to take care of if Pappy does not take one this morning! Can be tough but Pappy has the area to make fast work of an animal. Problem usually is, good help. Had to get two deer out yesterday, sent out 6-7 texts for a quick hand and most guys were in a stand or catching up on chores after Election. They were not in to deep so I was able to get my 4x4 Trk down ridge on the old cattle two track to river.

Good Hunting

HH~

[Allyn T]

I have one guy that hunts none of my other friends do so getting help packing out isn't likely. Processing is the most time consuming part for me but I love it

[HH~]

Cant remember a time I did not take care of meat. As a kid my father would say "go down and cut 4 chops off that half a deer hanging for supper tonite". We always had one hanging from bow season on. Lots of guys like doing their meat. I like it because I know whose hands been on it . . . Gods and mine.


Shawn~