Shed Hunting

Dakota and I went shed hunting back in April and thought I would share some of the photos.  Went on a long hike for about 5 hours and found 24 deer sheds. 

Found a few brown ones from this year.  Those sure a lot of fun to find, cause you know those deer are still roaming the hills.

Weather was pretty good.  It snowed a little on us in the morning while we were walking around and we were just below the snow line.

I found one shed off a big 3 point that Dakota and I were chasing around during archery season.



The one on the right......................

Dakota and I also found a matched set.  They were laying right next to one another.

We had a great time and found a lot of antlers.  Something we have to do every year!!!



Coyote/Elk Shed Trip

Last week, went down south with Dakota to do a little coyote hunting and see if we couldn't run into any elk sheds.  Trip was a lot of fun.  Grandpa and my nephew, Kyle, joined us for a the couple day trip.  Dakota and I left Hermiston about 10:30 Wednesday night after his basketball games.  We ended up getting there at 1:30 in the morning and it was very dark.  Pulled into the camping spot we were suppost to meet Kyle and Grandpa at and got stuck.  Had to get out and turn in the hubs and put the truck into 4 wheel drive to get out.  Very wet!  So, we pulled off the road by the camp and just decided to sleep in the cab of the truck for a few hours.

With not much sleep that night, of course very uncomfortable, we were up and dressed by 4:45am.  The weather was overcast and a little drizzly but a comfortable temperature.  Started out just walking behind our camping spot along a rim and out in the sage brush flat.  Had a pretty good walk.  Didn't see any animals, did a lot of glassing, but did find this.........

Couldn't believe the elk were this high up when they dropped their horns.  There was a lot of snow on the ground up there at that time.  I was expecting to find them at a lower elevation.  Cool anyways.  Dakota and I went to the head of a canyon to do a little glassing and got to hear a bunch of coyotes singing on the next ridge over.

Well with nothing spotted, we turned back towards the truck to get the 4 wheeler and head towards the yotes.  On our way back, I spotted this.....

Thought I should go investigate.....

Not the biggest, but still fun to find.  Those two are the only ones we found on the trip.

Dakota and I chased around a coyote that crossed the road in front of us until we had to head back to camp cause Kyle and Grandpa would be there soon.  When they got there, we unloaded 4 wheelers and took a little drive.  We drove around and did some walking and did some glasssing.  Didn't see a thing.

Went back to camp and everybody shot our bows.  Even Kyle shot Dakota's and did very well.  Had a few contests, lost some arrows, then onto gun shooting.  Boys had a good time....hitting targets, cans, water bottles.  Both boys shot great.

Then back out to have a look around and call some coyotes.  Saw a few does that night, and no coyotes came into our calls.  Did I mention how bad the mosquitos were?  WOW!

Went back to camp for some dinner and shut eye.  Kyle and Grandpa slept in the back of Grandpa's truck and Dakota and I slept in Grandpa's trailer.  A lot more comfortable than the cab of my truck the night before.  We were going to sleep in the back of my truck like we usually do, but it was starting to get a little cold.  I didn't expect that for around the 1st of July.  I was thinking hot, hot, hot.

We woke up at 5am and drove our 4 wheelers around a little to see if we could catch something out.  We saw 6 different bucks just driving around.  We all snuck up on one, got within about 80 yards of him.  At 1st, he had no idea we were there.  It was kind of fun, and I'm sure the boys enjoyed it.

Did a few set ups for coyotes, had two coming in on one set, but they busted us.  Driving out to one spot to glass, we spotted a coyote out about 250 yards watching us.  Got Dakota set up fast for a shot, missed, but it was a bit far for the gun we brought.

We could only sit and call for about 15 minutes max, did I mention how bad the mosquitos were?!

Did another set up and had one coming in... but again, busted.  He ran out to about 300 yards, I stopped him with a bark, and another miss.  Again, too far.  We were trying to get Kyle on it.. he saw it originally, but once it got behind the trees, he couldn't see it again.  So Dakota shot.

Our last set up that night, we could only sit for about 5 minutes before the mosquitos started to eat us up.  We decided to call it when I saw an antelope out in a flat.  We started towards it to take a look at it.  It was a little buck by himself.  We were within a couple hundred yards of it with not a lot a cover left.  Dakota asked if Kyle and him could see how close they could get to it, and I said sure. 

Saw a few more deer that night.  Did our archery shoot and rifle shoot at lunch.  It was a good day.  It was a lot cooler than I thought it was going to be.  I sure didn't bring enough clothes.  I had a good time, and I'm sure the boys had a good time.  Love being up in the mountains.

Dakota's Buck 2010

Dakota's 2010, Cascade Blacktail, Washington buck.  It is a 5 x 7 that rough scores 155 3/8" gross.  It was shot in a unit that the Washington record books consider it a mule deer when they score it because of the boundries.  Every deer we saw in the unit was a blacktail.  To make the books for a cascade blacktail, the minimum score is 125, so it is a very nice buck, just can't be entered into the books.  Regardless, it is a very nice deer.  This is his 3rd buck he has shot, 1st Washington buck, and 1st blacktail.

The hunt started the Saturday before at a farm across the river that a buddy of mine took us to.  We saw a lot of deer and plenty of bucks.  Dakota ended up missing 7 times at a few bucks, but the shots were very difficult.  The first couple bucks we saw I wouldn't let him shoot at because they were all running away from us and wouldn't stop.  That's how they all were, so I let him shoot at a few with no luck.  The day ended with the 7 misses and the season ending on Friday.  We would be lucky to get back out before the season ended because we had to work and my friend was going elk hunting here in Oregon, which started on Wednesday.

I talked with another friend that has hunted Washington, and he had a place that he has been hunting for over 20 years further west.  Lots of private land over there.  He said there are a lot of deer and plenty of bucks, but we wouldn't see anything real big because they are "benchlegs". (crosses between a blacktail and a mule deer.)  Washington has a 3 point minimum on their bucks, which means they have to have a least 3 points on one side to be legal to shoot.  My buddy says that we can go Friday, the last day, with him if we would like.  I told him, we're in!

So we take off at 5:00am Friday morning.  It took a little over an hour to get there.  When we arrived there, it was very foggy.  We got out of the truck, and started across an opening staying close to a fence so we wouldn't lose our way.  We walked about a mile going through oaks and trees.  We were just coming into an opening when my buddy sees a buck up ahead of us working down the fenceline.  It was a nice three point, a little wider than his ears, and a little thin horned.  He would walk up to the fence, sniff around, then move away from us down the fence.  He was looking for does and not paying any attention to us.  That was a good sign.

I got the shooting sticks ready for Dakota, he put the gun on the buck, and nothing.  I was waiting for him to shoot, but still nothing.  The buck is only 100 yards away and I'm thinking this was a great opportunity.  He finally says that the gun won't shoot.  I look over, and the bolt is up on the gun which will not let it fire.  He had got it caught on his orange vest (Washington requires you to wear one) and it made the bolt come up.  I reached over and pushed it down, looked back at the buck, and it was gone in the fog.  We grabbed our stuff and started running down the fenceline.  The buck just dissappeared  in the fog.  We saw where he had finally jumped the fence and went into a canyon.  My buddy said that was a nice buck for this area.  Could have been about the 4th or 5th biggest buck they've seen there.  He was nice, but not the big mulies I was used to.  I guess we are shooting the first, now second, legal buck we see.

So we start heading down a deep canyon.  I glass the opposite side and see a group of 8 does with a small forked horn and to the right of them, is another group of 4 does but no buck.  We continue up the other side of the canyon heading towards the deer we just saw.  We get to an opening, and the group of 4 does run across in front of us 75 yards away.  We start heading further up the canyon.

We walk about 10 yards and I happen to look to my right.  Standing there about 175 yards away, I think I see a face.  I put my binos up, and there is a buck standing there, facing us.  He looks heavy, that's all I see.  All I can say is big buck!  Compared to the one that just got away, this one looked big.  I get the shooting sticks set up for Dakota, and he gets ready.  I tell my buddy that there is a big buck over here, and he heads over to us.  Dakota asks, "Can I shoot?"  I said, "YES!"  He fires, and it goes over the top of him.  The buck then takes a couple more steps towards us!  I tell Dakota to hold right in the middle of his chest.  My buddy is scrambling around looking for a rest so he can shoot also.  Then, Dakota shoots again.  Down he goes! 

We have no idea how big the buck is, and the scary part, I don't know how many points it has.  Remember, Washington is a three point minimum.  All I know is the buck was wide and heavy.  So I turn the recorder on and this is how it goes........

My buddy said that that was the biggest buck they've seen up there in all his years of hunting there.  Love the little comment by him at the end of that video, "Holy S@#*!"  We knew he was big, but wow!  He had 5 points on his right antler, including eye guards, and 7 on his left.  It was fun picking up his antlers, cause the left side was in the dirt, and seeing double eye guards and a 4 inch cheater coming off the base of his horns.  We were all speachless.......

We had a great time as you can see.  With not getting anything archery hunting this year, him or I, it was nice that the kid came through to put a little meat in the freezer since his old man couldn't.  It's going to look great on his wall.  Just have to find a good taxidermist......... will keep you posted.

Justin