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Our weekend hunt

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Our weekend hunt

Postby Lefty » 09 02, 2013 •  [Post 1]

Dave pulled in at 3:59 Friday afternoon and we were on our way. Seemed like it took longer than normal to get to the camp location. I dumped my camping gear for the weekend while Dave gathered his gear
.6:40 We drove to his waterhole and set up his blind,.. that was quick and easy.
I headed for the water I would be setting at.
7:40 I pulled the SD card at the waterhole and crawled in the blind. Ive never been to the blind that late

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Lots and lots of morning doves coming in for water. First time Ive ever seen antelope from one of my blinds. It was a long slow walk back to camp.
9:50 Dave climbs under the lid of his truck I hit my tent.
5:20AM 41 degrees in my tent. We slept in. I heard Dave move in his truck, I told Dave I was too sore and tired to make the walk. I would take my truck around and glass from a hill.
I turn all but the clearance lights off and creep up the hill to wait for light to start glassing
6:10 three guys in an ATV blaze up the hill behind me. Jump out and set up their tripods,.. Hmmm Its public, and in the past if I see someone glassing from there I head a different direction
6:30 just waiting for light,.. ooops dialed my wife instead of Daves number . Oh well my wife was in a good mood considering I woke her up
The three guys are hustling back and forth,.. My guess they all overslept.. They sure weren’t social, hardly said a word to each other much less anything to me. Still seemed a bit odd wasting time on a location someone is already at.
7:15 they pull off their binos from the tripods and put on big spotters facing one direction literally 3 feet from my tailgate, then tear off down the hill,. Seemed like bad acting to me
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Later Dave and I hunted another area calling and glassing. Maybe we were too energetic and hunted too far from the truck. The heat finally got us. We both had drank all our water. On the hunt we picked up a 50 caliber brass likely from WW11 some plane dropped 60 years ago Also found a cowbell, and a few fresh scrapes. Back at the truck we pour water from the barrel and drank until our guts hurt.
Back to the blinds. We both packed in a lot of water to rehydrate. After dark Dave headed back home to take care of his Sunday obligations. I was beat, I know I was asleep before Daves truck hit the main dirt road.
6:30 First light I was glassing. 7:19 I see ears than a head. 2 spikes 4 cows 3 yearlings and two calves. The calves seemed to be having a lot of fun.
I called my wife then Dave to report.
8:30 Took a shower, well maybe more of a rinse. A bit redneck, I placed a rubber floor mat on the ground , put a garden hose in the 55 barrel of water lathered up, then rinsed off. The wind was strong enough that I was nearly dry reaching for my towel.. Put on my Sunday clothes and head for town 30 miles away.
1:20 whats that buzzing? A weed stuck in the fan shroud? ,.. The serpentine belt was beginning to shed,.. should be ok to make it home.
The plan was to glass from the hill to maybe find the elk I spotted in the morning. It was just way too hot. 106 degrees. in the shade I opened up the tent a few minutes later the temperature inside the tent had dropped to 139 degree.
I tossed a pad on the ground in the shade of my tailgate,
5:20 another redneck shower and it was off to the waterhole, I was still sore from Saturday So I drove to within ¾ mile of the water hole I leave the truck it is 98 degrees
7:20 the spike and cow stroll by at 93 yards. No interest in the water? Lots of morning doves

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9:34 PM Everything is ready for the morning I crawl into bed , 85 degrees,.. am I really in Idaho?
4:30 AM was that a cow chirp? Im wide awake, they are close 50 yards maybe 60, then all is quiet. I fall back asleep. More chirps and mews to the north. Then from a distance in the south. I dress; the elk to the north quiet down, the elk from the south are getting closer. The bull growls a few times,.. Im looking with the glasses hoping there is enough light. They are on the little ridge 180 yards away. Not many people get to be awaken by elk>
The wind picks up , my tent starts flapping the elk go quiet. I walk fast to the north a mile chancing the elk headed west to bed. Now it light enough to see where I am,.. I went too far north and west.. the wind is strong and in my favor, I get to the edge of the bedding area and wait.
7:10 it begins to rain.
The wind pelting the drops that actually hurt against my face Its still warm but Im soaked to the skin, time to head back to camp to dry out.
8:40 Im beat. I call Dave, then sleep till11:00
Pack up and head home
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Lefty
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Re: Our weekend hunt

Postby bnsafe » 09 02, 2013 •  [Post 2]

sounds like a good time. keep after em.
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