Well after hunting big bull elk for 25 days with no luck finding the 7x7 i was after deer season finally came around.

i decided i had missed enough work so i didn't take opening day off work like i normally do.

on Monday we got snowed out of work and had to work Friday to get our hours in.

i work 4 10's so i have Friday's off most of the time.

the season opened on Thursday.

 Friday after work terry and i had time for a evening hunt, but not much.

first thing we found some guys trespassing on terry's ranch so we had to run them off.

this left us 45 minutes tell dark.

terry had been giving me a hard time all week saying there was no use going i can't shoot and hit anything. he rubbed it in all week about missing elk while bow hunting.

 we peaked into the first draw and i spotted a buck bedded.

terry started ribbing me saying"we can't stalk into 15 yards from here and you will never hit him from here.

i said "lets get the spotting scope and see how big he is"

i could see his back forks were webbed and way short but he was a good buck not as big as I'd have liked but good enough.

i told terry i can shoot him in the eye from here.

he told me "you couldn't hit the bluff he was laying on from here"

i ranged him repeatedly "349 yards"

300 win mag 180 gr, yes i can do this.

at the shot we heard WHACK and the buck fell off the bluff cartwheeling all the way to the bottom of the draw.

we then heard a loud trotting and looked up i said there is a horse? no a elk? after looking in my bino i said "no its a moose"

keep in mind we are outside chugwater Wyoming wheat fields and horse tanks.

nobody had ever seen a moose out here or heard of one.

we called his mom who is 85 yrs old and born on the ranch and never even heard of anyone ever seeing a moose there.

she came out with terry's sister and checked it out.

it was after dark when we got to my deer so no in field photos.

i'll never live it down i missed my mark

but he never heard the gun go off.

he is a good buck but not a great one

here is my ugly mug with him

i liked the webbed forks and just had to show terry i can shoot.

that deer should have had eyeballs in the back of his head though.

my excuse is the deer moved while the bullet was in flight {ha ha}

Terry will never let me live it down now i can't even hit a deer in the eye at a mere 349 yrds.

never take a head shot with a side view this buck was face on the bullet exited just behind the opposite ear

 I'm sorry everyone no matter how hard i tried i just couldn't come up with a big bull this year. between bow and rifle season i hunted 25 days

 i saw one big bull on opening day of bow season 340 to 350" range but he moved his cows threw the area and was never seen again.

 the next largest bull was about 310 again the first week of bow season.

 the rest of the season i saw small raghorn and spikes i shot at a 260" bull the third week because he had two third points on one side making him a 7x6

 i hit two twigs and a tree i shot more at a rag horn 5 but again it was intercepted by a tree.

during rifle season i saw one cow and calf in 6 days of hunting.

 i'm a failure at elk this year they never got in the grove to coming to calls just the little guys and they came silent. i guess its twig soup for me this year.

 it will open up for cows in December so i may not have to eat twig and tag soup quite yet.

 it was great hunting it was just poor killin.

i saw the prettiest cinniman/blond bear it looked like it just stepped out of the groomers not one hair out of place. it may be the prettiest animal i have ever seen even in pictures.

 her cub was in a tree 10 yards to my left and she was 20 yrds to my right huffing and popping her jaws.

 i wasn't afraid i was awe struck at how she looked.

i didn't know the cub was a cub it was as big as she was and i was taking pictures of it with my cell phone.

she came out three times would look at me and duck back in the under brush.

I'd liked to have taken pictures of her but i was busy holding the release on my bow.

 i backed out telling her "its alright ma ma i'm done taking pictures"

i tried to just keep going the way i was headed but she cut around me and backed me out the way i came in.

 the whole thing was so cool i knew she wouldn't attack by her mannerisms she was alot more afraid of me then i was of her.

i never saw hide or hair of Elvis the big 7x7 i wanted to get. he may have been killed by someone last year that didn't know or care about his score if they did we would have read about it.

 i think we may have some wolves up there i just can't figure why else the elk acted so strange this year. three years ago my dad and i heard one up there.

i had a great season lost 3"in the waistline and went from the we fit game saying i was 78 yrs old to it saying i'm 32 and the yoga master. i'm 47 i guess twig soup is a

health food.

if you look close you can see the cub in the tree what can i say its a cell phone pic.

 

 

everyone knows how i love my family last week was the beginnings of hard times at home.

 my daughter in law had a liver transplant when she was 15 due to Tylenol

we have been fighting rejection issues for years

 this year the liver failed and she had a second transplant on the 9th of may

 god is on our side and the transplant went well and her recovery is going well too.

 she will be 22 tomorrow and is the mother of two little Casey is 3 and ray-bear is 10 months

 the day of the transplant was a tough day for everyone worrying and praying the prayers were heard and she came threw well.

then came the news my uncle Dwayne had died this was saddening on top of the ordeal we had just came threw. more praying and asking for gods help with the loss.

friday i finally get to go in and see jenny she is looking better than the last time i saw her. then she said something that dropped me to my knees

 she said" i have to thank your uncle Dwayne"

i said "what"

she said" he died so i can live for my babies"

it brings a tear to my eyes just to type it.

that night ray bear started running fever, we did every thing trying to bring it down

she started locking up i thought she was going to go into convolutions. we rushed her to the ER.

the docs said she was having what they called fever induced tremmers and helped us break the fever.

a few hours later she acted fine

talk about a hard on the heart weekend but with Gods grace things turned out good.

I'm doing everything i can to help Moseley and jenny i set up a benefit fund, sold my deer and elk antlers,bought a rifle and am selling raffle tickets we have silent auctions on dream catchers made from my largest elk antler and my largest deer antler pottery and some artwork at sportsman's warehouse that we will be setting up today.

i have payed 2500 out of my pocket and raised a additional 2000 predatormasters.com has really stepped up and help hunt auctions call auctions bought antlers donated fox pros,custom knives,custom calls.

George won the hunt auction then donated all the prizes back for re auction.

these two kids Moseley is 23 and jenny will be 22 tomorrow are in for financial devastation.

i have been paying their home bills out of my pocket and their out of town living.

my checkbook is now empty

they have to stay in Denver for another 6 to 8 weeks and have been there 6 weeks so far

Jens mom payed their house payment 1600 she used money she saved to buy a house for her and her young children that earned my respect.

i received the first bills for just her blood work and its over 4000 left for them to pay

we haven't seen the hospitals doctors and transplant teams bills yet i don't know how much will be up to them to pay more than the two of them have made in their short lives for sure.

 being a dad is a real tough job I've lost one grandchild and had one preemie grand child. i covered everything when Brooke was born and after 5 yrs i finally got it handled in February of this year i have it down to 19,000 which i finally was able to cover with one bank loan I'll have her payed off in two years.

this one is more than a dad can bail out and it breaks my heart.

i have set up the Jennifer Middleton benefit account and have had to start asking for help something i have never done before in my life. I'm the kind of guy who wanted to go the extra mile to make sure my kids get off to a good start but man they make it tough.

there are many things that help me, my unbowing belief in god and that he knows what path he leads me down as long as i have faith that god will carry the burdens and i must keep the faith. he shows me he is working with me. i have seen miracles first hand. he give me a helping hand every time things look bleak and restores my faith that we will succeed.

several country songs also have helped they have phrases that bring tears to my eyes they hit so close to home.

"God gave us mountains so we learn how to climb" is one that keeps me going, he knows me i just have to see whats over that next rise.

"i work like its all depends on me and pray like its all up to him"keeps me motivated and fits everything that is happening.

"the climb" reminds me that these actions will not get me to heaven but my faith just might

"on the wings of angels" is the pettiest song I've ever heard and with the loss of my uncle really touches me.

the only problem i have is my driving when i hear these songs.

 yesterday i had them cranked and was just driving and singing along when i saw the H.P.

he asked if i knew how fast i was going i didn't have a clue

92mph in a 65 $111 ooooops

 

coyote season has come to a close unless some rancher needs some help.

 that makes it elk and deer shed season.

i love hiking for hidden treasure

i've found 6 6point bull sheds so far and am heading out looking in the morning.

i'll put some pics up.

3/19/09

 shed heads

anyone like shed hunting. i love it