Every year around the end of October I go back home and help my Dad gather up the cows. I always pack a rifle on the horse and this last trip was no exception.

Anyway here's a few pics.



The trip out. Toyota country....grin


Pitstop, Steely should approve...


Camp.



First morning.


Freddy.


Later that morning...


Sharing.
[img]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/montanasam/Roundupwhitetail2008048.jpg[/img]

Cows.
[img]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/montanasam/Roundupwhitetail2008046.jpg[/img]


Day 2 and a fresh pony.
[img]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/montanasam/Roundupwhitetail2008065.jpg[/img]

Was exploring and busted this guy out of a draw.
Bailed off the horse just as he stopped to see what woke him up.
Took a second to think if he was worth packing out as we were about 4 miles from the trail and the pickup.
[img]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/montanasam/Roundupwhitetail2008054.jpg[/img]

Not exactly whitetail country but what the hell.
[img]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/montanasam/Roundupwhitetail2008055.jpg[/img]

Timer.
[img]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/montanasam/Roundupwhitetail2008060.jpg[/img]


I gutted him and went back to chasing cows. Came back the next day and with my Dad's help we packed him out. Took about 4 hours down and back on horseback.

The ponys was a gettin' pretty wore out.
[img]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/montanasam/Roundupwhitetail2008073.jpg[/img]


[img]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/montanasam/Roundupwhitetail2008074.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e78/montanasam/Roundupwhitetail2008072.jpg[/img]

NICE!!

I'm jealous. Great photos!
Thanks for posting!

very cool Sam! thanks for sharing!

Very nice Sam. Didn't know Alaska Amber was done there.

I like the deer, glad to see it packed out WHOLE. Hope you didn't shoot it in the shoulder..........

How many of them beefs are yours?

Thanks dudes.

Scott, I was aiming for the shoulder but missed by about 6". Don't tell Varmint.


None of those cows are mine Bear. My old man does run a few yearling steers for me each year though(different pasture/area).
Helping with the roundup is a little way I try to pay him back.

He really has to twist my arm every year....grin

Nicely done Sam....

But I thought it was BEER for the horses........grin

haha!

That's what I was thinkin'.......

Hot MILF's taking their kids Trick or Treating like it...

You're livin' good, Sam..

Sam,
Way to go! Great pics also....

Need any help next year?

It was a rough trip but we managed John...grin

Ain't there a song about whiskey and horses?

We could always use another hand Roads!

Found three 4X4 mule deer racks(left them lay), but this was close enough to the truck to pack out.

You were supposed to tell me the next time you left so I could come down and, well never mind...........grin

Oh yeah, forgot all about that.....laughin'!

Halloween would have been perfect, I LOVE Butterfingers........

I do love seeing hunting pictures where everything/everybody doesn't look like they just came out of a swimming pool.

Nice job, Sam.

Where 'bouts is it at?

MM

That's great! Congrats on the good buck too.

Sam-great pics and a wonderful days ride I bet!

Well done

Dober

Very nice whitetail, and what a great way to take him!

I help a buddy in South Texas every spring working calves and fall shipping steers - it's big country, but brushy as can be, so pretty different from your country, for sure.

Grateful my buddy still ropes and drags calves for spring work - really fun and good for the horses.

I really like the way that whitetail is put together - lots of character with the stickers, good mass, good tine length, good spread - he's one of those that just has it all - really pretty buck!

DJ

Oh yeah, and your ponies may stay fresher if you keep 'em sober!

Grin...

DJ

Very cool hunt and pics, thanks for the share.

The weather was perfect for the 3 1/2 days we were out there. Actually it could have been 10 or 20 degrees cooler but the wind wasn't blowing so a guy sure can't complain.

We were out in the Breaks.
Been riding out there for almost 20 years now and I still head up the wrong coulee once in awhile. Maybe it's Jack's fault?

He's a fairly chunky buck DJ, and I'm glad to have bumped into him.

Thanks again boys.


Anybody into the elk?

Holy schit Sam, that's a helluva whitetail! Nice going dude.

Sam-looks like the Green Hornet stuck again...

I got elk, had a super opener looked at about 300 head...grin
Had 9 in our group, all could of filled if they'd of chosen and 4 actually did.

Dober

Thanks bud.
He outta look good as a Eurohead.

Good deal Dober!

You gonna snoop around for a deer or did you already get one?
Brad out in the hills?

Thinkin of one more trip for lopes this week, I have an idea where I might find a decent one...grin

Then the following week for venado with the lil lady and then the last week or so after a decent bull. I had an A9 and filled that on the opening morn so the freeze has some protein in it between the elky and the 4 lopes keeping company.

Yeah Mac was on the hill today and will most likely be in the morn as well.

Dober

Good luck!

It's a good cowboy that shares his whisky, specially with his horse.

If you ask real nice, Steely might go riding with you one of these times.

Nice pics sam. And hellofa buck.

I'm still tryin to connect with one over here. Seems the only way I can kill deer is when I'm in the ranger. Woulda took the one I got tonight home, but I had to put the parts that got ripped off the truck in the bed. Plus aint no way in hell am I goona work on a deer at midnight like that one.

Mr. SamOlson;
Thanks for sharing the fine photos and story. Congratulations on the fine buck as well.

Nice job getting it out in one piece, I've yet to manage to pull that off.

That country certainly is different than where we chase cows in. I�m not sure if being able to see them that far away would be an advantage or not. After all, if I can see them, they can see the horse and me too, right?

Thanks and congratulations again.

Regards,
Dwayne

Maybe we could set him up on a llama?



Bogger, how much longer is your season over there? What the hell did you to the Danger Ranger?


Thanks Dwayne. It's big country out there but you can cover it pretty quick with the bino's. Of course there's always a few strays up on a ridge or holed up in what little timber there is.

The last day we always have a guy go up in an airplane to locate anything we missed.


Should add that we borrowed the pack saddle from the ranch foreman. I just bear hugged the deer and surprising enough the horse stood still while I hoisted the deer to his back. My dad grabbed the legs once it was midway over and pulled it to center. Worked slick.
Had one minor rodeo on the way down but nothing too wild.

Mr. SamOlson;
Very cool indeed, thanks for the details.

The local ranchers have just finished pulling their cattle off the range here too. The timber makes finding them interesting at times, but usually an old lead cow will take the herd down to the pick up spot every fall.

I don�t know how they choose a replacement lead cow though. I�ll have to ask next time.

I believe I�ve been told that the stragglers tend to be younger and newer bulls.

Thanks again for the details and again congratulations on the buck. Interesting light color to his antlers by the way.

Regards,
Dwayne

Very nice!! IMO one of the greatest things about whitetails is the number of different places they can be found.

Unique....

But you shouldn't let your horse drink when you're driving..

Great post Sam and nice Whitey!

Glad to see you were able to upgrade the beer from the last trip (grin).

No hunting today... worked.

Put in 10 miles (+) and 3,900' vertical gain yesterday with narry a thing to show for the effort save wolf and grizzly tracks and a few flat-top elk.

Snow is NEEDED.

He'll look freaking sweet as a skull mount. I love skull mounts as opposed to a full shoulder mount. At first, I didn't even think that was a whitetail. He looks like he's got a lot of character to him. Good going.

Season closed today. Looks like I got tag soup. But its allright, I really didnt have the push to hunt deer this year for some reason. I'll be after the birds before long though.

As to the ranger.... Well there was this big 'ol doe that had her head up her azz an decided the best thing to do, would be to jump in front of this lil Ford Ranger that was headed her way.

Changed her whole outlook on life.

Hey I just looked at the Game regs for THIS YEAR and not LAST YEAR. Seems that deer season closes on the 7th now.

I'll settle for a whitetail in mulie country Pointer, should be a decent eating deer.


Freddy handles his JD alright Las, it's the only way he'll put up with me.


Brad, Alaskan's are good for something after all....grin
I bet it's tough hunting for the elk. Too warm...
Wolves can't be helping either.....Bastids.


I might go Euro on him myself Scorp. Did one several years ago and it turned out OK. His stinger points are kinda bad a.


You still have a few days Bogger. get after 'em bud!



FWIW, I skinned and butchered the buck this afternoon. That 140 Accubond out of the .270 Winchester worked great. His onside shoulder must have been in a rearward postion when I shot. Missed the blade but the uphill angle took out the vertabrae and excited above the offside shoulder. Perfecto.

I'll download a pic.

Entrance.



Exit.

Don hangs the hooves, I take the head to Christ for a blessing...

Hey, whatever works........When did he get back?.......

Noonish....grin

I always thought he'd come back at night.......for some reason.

What did he come by your job for?

Car trouble...


Out at the shop. I woke his ass up. Pirate eyes.

Come on, man, answer...... Surely he didn't take you up.......





You still here?





Dang. We're gonna miss him........

Oh good, we was posting at the same time.......

Funny!

laughing again

Helluva nice buck Sam, congrats!

Great pics Sam.

Love those Alaskan Ambers but I think Beltian White is my favorite beer I've tried here.

Hoping to find something similar to your whitetail in the next couple days.


Travis

LOL!!!

Sam,

Very cool pics. How old is that camp building?

Nice setting. I love the wide open....

I like your style Sam. Keep livin' that true MT life.

You're having too much fun Sam...

Very jealous.

Thanks High Brass!


Good luck hunting Travis, let us know how it goes.


Rancho Loco, left you a voicemail this afternoon bud.


Westman, it's actually two old houses joined up. Early 1900's I think.
This poor guy wound up in the basement so we 'rescued' him. Went to munching green grass immediately after finishing the Ol' Mud......grin





Kitchen. No plumbing but we got electricity a few years ago. Livin' large boys!


Front door.



SnowyMountaineer, Gmoney and JLH, a guy only lives once right?

Might as well have a good time while you can. Living in Montana makes it easy.

Hey, I think I bought my shirt at the same store that guy did....










[/quote]

You and my dad would get along just fine Don.

I dunno. He'd chew my ass because my fat ol' horse couldn't keep up.........

Ah hell Don, our horses are old and fat too.....grin

That is one stout dude!

Pretty color, the red roan. A little draft blood?

He's put together for some work!

Yeah, percheron/QH cross. All 1380 lbs. of him........ He'll work. If a guy needs to yank a foot-rot angus bull into a trailer somewhere, he's the one ya want doin' the yankin'.......

laughin', I bet!

He's a cool horse Don. Might not be the fastest dude but like you say I bet he can pull.

I'll leave tying onto a grouchy ol' bull to the professionals like yourself. Way beyond my level.


Pretty cool watching a true cowboy when the chit hits fan. Yeehaw!

I'm not goona ask about the hung over biblical looking character........

That a gamako in the background or somethin else?

Jesus had fun Bogger....grin
(One helluva finish carpentar BTW)



Two PowerCurbers.
The Fall push is picking up.

Hey good for him. One of our guys had a lil to much fun on friday. They let him outta the pen on the 28th LOL

Glad to hear that things are pickin up. Were still waitin on the damn ground crew to get stuff prepped for us. Hence yet another day off tomorrow.

You better be going hunting.

We had asphalt showing up before mud this morning.....grin
Supposed to get a little nasty tomorrow I guess.

Yea I will. Was up huntin today too. Got blowed off the damn mountain then it decided that a monsoon wasnt enough so it added snow. After driving for 1 1/2 hours with the heater on full bore, and then the raingear got hung up by the fire for bout 15mins, I could still wring out water from the sleeves LOL. The amazing part was that I didnt get wet at all!!! That stuff is awesome.

Gotta get a set of BC scope covers though. Any clues on the size needed for a 3x9-40?

The pic with Jesus really shows off the character, nice buck! I wouldn't have any trouble chasing whitetails (or muley's) in that country. I did get to chase some mulies around the north side of CMR last year. Now if I can just get drawn next year! I really like the northern plains...

Did you give Fred the beer before, or after, he packed the buck out for you?

Nice whitetail, Sam.



My dad would've said, "Nice buck--now where the hell are the cows?"


Casey

Booze and guns is always a good idea.......and your taxidermist appears to be a class act also. Nice buck though.

It's pretty neat country ain't it Pointer!


Casey, I knew my old man would be real impressed with the spot I decided to shoot the deer at.
Freddy's a true lush, time don't matter to him.....grin



I do believe I was quite sober when I shot the deer Raider. Thanks for the concern anyway.

I try not to judge a book by it's cover. Jesus is an honest man.


You are right about me though, low class all the way!

We just fried up a couple backstrap steaks.

It is the finest venison I believe I've ever had.

Maygan agreed.

Delicious, especially considering it was an older buck from out in the hills.

I sorta followed the advice in the aging meat thread and apparently it worked!

Dude... That looks awesome.

I was gonna give you some of the antelope steaks but they are a bit gamey. My dad ate the tenderloins from the goat and agreed.

I'll hook you guys up with some 'strap steaks from the whitetail instead.

We're gonna try the wild swiss hog this weekend. Life is rough....grin


The deer had the hide on for 4 days, 60-30 degrees.
Soaked the steaks overnight in saltwater. Fried hot for 2-3 minutes a side in a little olive oil.

Dang, those steaks look hella good. From the picture, you could've told me it was beef and I'd have probably not known a difference. Hoping to get me a tasty corn-fed buck this weekend, we'll see how that goes.