After a scary start (see
http://www.thestalkingdirectory.co....arrow-escape-in-Montana?p=1178924#post1178924) we set off on the Elk hunt, within 2 hours of opening we had several Elk in our sights, but they were all cow's and spikes, although i could shoot a cow Elk, i couldn't shoot a spike in the district, so i left them.
The temperature was crazy high for Montana this time of year, which made it difficult hunting, 10-12 hour days on the mountain up to 9000' produced no success, we got close, 30 yards away, from what looked like a bull, until we realised although it had forked antlers it didn't have brow tines, so it walked.
I did spy a really nice bull elk, i tried to get to it the next day, but it entailed a 4 hour hike around a private section and through the timber, only to find a shear cliff stopped me, damn it!
The following day i tried again from another direction, but it had left.
I had more luck with the Whitetail, i stalked through the timber one evening and found a nice spot and sat down, after an hour i decided to just shift position as my backside was getting a little numb, as soon as i moved a caught glimpse of a doe racing across the clearing, followed by a buck at full speed, i had to run about 30 yards to find a spot where the would cross a narrow opening, she crossed, but the buck stopped, a really nice buck, a split second later the 30-06 180 grain Nosler Partition was on it's way, 176 yards, i heard the 'thud' and knew the shot was good as it lunged forward and dove into the thick timber. It went about 50 yards and fell under/over a tree, next day we packed out the meat on our backs.
I'm glad i didn't shoot the small mule deer buck i had seen a few days before.
They get into some crazy places.
My friend was not having such good fortune, but on our last day of hunting i spied a herd of Mule deer, only problem was they were in the same field as around 25 Antelope, and we had to approach into the Antelope because of the wind, then i realised one of the Muleys was a small, but legal buck, sniffing the does as the rut was approaching, but the does weren't interested.
The next problem was they were heading from BLM Public land towards a house and private land, so there was nothing to it but spook the Antelope and go forward.
So off the lopes ran, followed by me, i waved my arms and 'barked' at the deer (they had never seen a crazy Englishmen me thinks!) and they stopped, i beckoned my friend to run as well, he dropped to the ground and experienced his first encounter with a prickly pear cactus (he will be plucking those things out of his knee's for months!) but the previos range was 325 yards, with a quick guesstimate of 275 and his 300 wsm did the business.
He had 19 minutes of legal light left on our last day of hunting!
Any questions please ask away.
Cheers
Richard