Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Going in heavy

We couldn’t believe how we had come so close then squandered our chance on a great buck and then dumb luck offered up another buck. Oh and if things played out a little differently we might have had a chance at another buck earlier this morning.

We got the goats and went back to camp for a nap, and decided to take it easy and just sit the water hole tonight.

We left the goats in camp, they complained a little bit, but no big deal. Katie sat the water and kept watch over the draw where we saw the bucks earlier. We were both so down on ourselves.

Nothing was seen that night.

The next morning we tried Thompson Ridge again and saw nothing. We glassed back over to Slow Cow and saw nothing there either. That night from Slow Cow, we glassed back to Rough Ridge and Tommy’s Creek. Nothing.

We were dejected. The next morning, we went back up to the Thompson one more time, but to sit a different opening, nothing there either. Though we could laugh about what happened, it still hurt, and we were both ready to head home on the 4th day.

We laid out the gear, emptied the remaining water into our bladders and weighed it. Down to 110 pounds now, we were coming out light, but heavy with disappointment. It was going to be a short but [bleep] hike up the mountain. Elevation gain of almost 1,500 feet in under a mile as the crow flies. We weren’t crows, we would angle our way up. It took two hours and Ivar, the fat boy, slowed the pace of everyone a little bit. Not that we couldn’t use a break when he was panting too.

It was hard but wasn’t that bad. Glad the goats carried the real weight. Ivar wasn’t as he peed blood when we got home. He seems fine now, but that may have stressed him a bit.

Katie now tells the story as it was one of the bests hunts she’s ever been on, but still kicks herself for giving up on this buck at bayonet distance. Her other bucks were more sudden opportunities, with no significant stalk involved after spotting them. Same with her elk. Her antelope were different in that they required stalks but if you screw up you carry on, walk back to the truck and drive over the next hill and find more.

Still, how did we screw up right on top of that back? I know, I know. But I still can’t believe it.









It was a quiet ride home… The End