caddisguy
10-14-2014, 03:06 PM
Last week I posted about blowing a shot at a spike from the side of a stump Saturday Oct 4th. On one hand, though the rifle slid a little bit simultaneously with the point-of-no-return, I still felt it should have hit the deer. On the other hand, the deer walked away into the treeline like nothing happened and there was no blood at the sight or the path it took do the treeline.
To summarize, I marked the exact spot he stood when I took the spot, as well as the path to the treeline. Waited a while and went in... no blood, no nothing. I spent a good 3 hours, weaving my way through the maze of Christmas trees, half expecting to have a bear or moose mow me down. Sure enough a small brown phase black bear--maybe 60lbs--dashed by me. After hours and searching and no sign what so ever, I was certain I missed and with a pretty small bear and maybe a sow around it's probably time to go.
Chapter 1) When your heart sinks
I went to the same area this weekend. On Saturday afternoon, we decided to push the tree line from the other side and spook them out into the cut block. I saw some fresh bear sign which made me a little bit uneasy weaving through all these 10-15 with limited visibility. I started thinking of the bear from last week. Was there a big sow around? Are these grizz in the region? I passed through some more trees, still about 50 yards from being out of the bush and there it was, right at our feet. It was the spike buck from last week. I'm 98% certain. In fact, I probably walked within 10 yards of it last week, if it was there. Fairly big spike with tiny slivers up top. Something dug a good trench and covered him up and even packed it down pretty good. Just guessing by the parts that were exposed that it was around half eaten. Meat hanging off the ribs looked fairly fresh and it didn't seem to smell much at all. The one eye that was exposed was fully in tact. Decided to get out of dodge and leave the way we came rather than continuing on to push the treeline incase something was going to defend the carcass. Figured he didn't get charged coming in that way, so we should be ok going out that way.
Now I'm driving myself nuts. What happened? Did I actually hit it? Maybe a gut shot? I'll never know? If the eye was still in tact, the meat looked fresh and it did not smell bad at all, how long was it dead? The one eye that I could see hadn't been picked out by anything. Wouldn't birds have picked the eye out? I would like to think that I did not hit it, but it seems like quite a coinsidence that it is the one I shot at. I suppose it is possible someone else shot it on a later day. He did have a habit of hanging out in the same old slash every morning... strictly predator is another possibility. What do I do? Do I cut my tag?
Chapter 2) The Storm
On Saturday night, we were hiking back to the jeep. It was getting dark fast and there was a storm coming in. We started getting pelted by hail and wind. The lightning went from being close to right over us. Being on the plateau, I wasn't sure whether we were better off close to the trees leaning over in the wind or out in the open under the lightning carrying a rifle. Made it back to the jeep which had trees bending over it. No time to let it warm up... gotta get off the top of this mountain... turned the key, flipped on the lights and hit the gas. Took the top off a tree that came down in front of us. The frame of my room rack snapped it off, but the broken off whacked the side mirror so hard it broke the plastic. Looking back on it, that very exciting and downright awesome.
Chapter 3) Sunday
The deer seem to be moving around all day. Maybe the storm the night before kept them bedded down most of the night. I think the hail and rain were brief, but it was fairly windy most of the night. There were does everywhere and most were not bothered by our presense. Some would walk up pretty close to us and were perfectly relaxed. I wasn't very interested in finding a buck at this point. I still feel weird after finding the spike in the bush and not knowing whether or not I contributed to that. My girlfriend on the other hand really wanted to get her first deer, so I tried by best to me enthusiastic. We watched some moose for a while but decided to call it a night and road hunt our way down the mountain. On the way, we spotted some does that looked familiar. A two-set and a three-set of does we saw separately were now hanging out together. There was a 6th deer. It was a spike at around 40-50 yards. I stopped "There's a spike! Go get him!". It was just staring at us, but by the time she got out and loaded her 30-06 the spike was on the move. He kept moving further away and would only turn around when his vitals were obstructed by obstacle. He made it all the way to the treeline without giving an opportunity. We only had a few minutes of decent light, so there was no point trying to stalk it down.
Chapter 4) Moosed Opportunity
I woke up Monday morning feeling ill. Got some caffiene in me and started driving back up the mountain thinking it would pass and I would feel better. Nope. Made it to the top, got out and proceeded to heave on the side of the road for some time... the upcoming 5 hour drive home becoming more daunting and seemlingly impossible. I turned around and noticed the 3 moose from the day before we watching me a ways up the hill. I got in the jeep and pulled ahead and off to the side of the road. I needed to rest for a couple hours before the long drive. The bull moose came down... eventually 40 yards or so. He was massive. I think I could have could have fit the jeep through this antlers. I watched them for as long as I could before I had to pass out. Left the girlfriend on moose watch. Apparently they hung around for quite a while. I made the long drive home. A 5 hour drive can sure seem like 20 when your stomach is up-side-down. Thinking about how cool those moose were got me through it.
I don't want to get into stories about injured deer or what people have seen out in the bush, but I am interested in what you guys think happened with this spike, knowing that he walked away like nothing happened, no blood trail, carcass claimed by a bear but smells fairly fresh with eye ball still in tact a week later. What should I do? Do I cut my tag and buy another? I half thought about notifying someone about the carcass because of the bear hazard, but realize bears claim carcasses all the time and it is unlikely anyone would ever hike in there anyway, coupled with the fact it is probably fully consumed by now. Stories about storms, or falling ill during a hunt could be interesting to add though.
I doubt I will be back to Region 3 this year, but I'll hunt 2 a little bit. I'm bummed. I feel like crap, being sick, about the deer, my odds at success for this season tanking. I thought for sure Region 3 any buck would be a gimme. My optimism has taken a toll. I'm trying to psych myself out into hiking into my Region 2 spots to check the cameras. Maybe after some days of not hunting the urge will come back.
To summarize, I marked the exact spot he stood when I took the spot, as well as the path to the treeline. Waited a while and went in... no blood, no nothing. I spent a good 3 hours, weaving my way through the maze of Christmas trees, half expecting to have a bear or moose mow me down. Sure enough a small brown phase black bear--maybe 60lbs--dashed by me. After hours and searching and no sign what so ever, I was certain I missed and with a pretty small bear and maybe a sow around it's probably time to go.
Chapter 1) When your heart sinks
I went to the same area this weekend. On Saturday afternoon, we decided to push the tree line from the other side and spook them out into the cut block. I saw some fresh bear sign which made me a little bit uneasy weaving through all these 10-15 with limited visibility. I started thinking of the bear from last week. Was there a big sow around? Are these grizz in the region? I passed through some more trees, still about 50 yards from being out of the bush and there it was, right at our feet. It was the spike buck from last week. I'm 98% certain. In fact, I probably walked within 10 yards of it last week, if it was there. Fairly big spike with tiny slivers up top. Something dug a good trench and covered him up and even packed it down pretty good. Just guessing by the parts that were exposed that it was around half eaten. Meat hanging off the ribs looked fairly fresh and it didn't seem to smell much at all. The one eye that was exposed was fully in tact. Decided to get out of dodge and leave the way we came rather than continuing on to push the treeline incase something was going to defend the carcass. Figured he didn't get charged coming in that way, so we should be ok going out that way.
Now I'm driving myself nuts. What happened? Did I actually hit it? Maybe a gut shot? I'll never know? If the eye was still in tact, the meat looked fresh and it did not smell bad at all, how long was it dead? The one eye that I could see hadn't been picked out by anything. Wouldn't birds have picked the eye out? I would like to think that I did not hit it, but it seems like quite a coinsidence that it is the one I shot at. I suppose it is possible someone else shot it on a later day. He did have a habit of hanging out in the same old slash every morning... strictly predator is another possibility. What do I do? Do I cut my tag?
Chapter 2) The Storm
On Saturday night, we were hiking back to the jeep. It was getting dark fast and there was a storm coming in. We started getting pelted by hail and wind. The lightning went from being close to right over us. Being on the plateau, I wasn't sure whether we were better off close to the trees leaning over in the wind or out in the open under the lightning carrying a rifle. Made it back to the jeep which had trees bending over it. No time to let it warm up... gotta get off the top of this mountain... turned the key, flipped on the lights and hit the gas. Took the top off a tree that came down in front of us. The frame of my room rack snapped it off, but the broken off whacked the side mirror so hard it broke the plastic. Looking back on it, that very exciting and downright awesome.
Chapter 3) Sunday
The deer seem to be moving around all day. Maybe the storm the night before kept them bedded down most of the night. I think the hail and rain were brief, but it was fairly windy most of the night. There were does everywhere and most were not bothered by our presense. Some would walk up pretty close to us and were perfectly relaxed. I wasn't very interested in finding a buck at this point. I still feel weird after finding the spike in the bush and not knowing whether or not I contributed to that. My girlfriend on the other hand really wanted to get her first deer, so I tried by best to me enthusiastic. We watched some moose for a while but decided to call it a night and road hunt our way down the mountain. On the way, we spotted some does that looked familiar. A two-set and a three-set of does we saw separately were now hanging out together. There was a 6th deer. It was a spike at around 40-50 yards. I stopped "There's a spike! Go get him!". It was just staring at us, but by the time she got out and loaded her 30-06 the spike was on the move. He kept moving further away and would only turn around when his vitals were obstructed by obstacle. He made it all the way to the treeline without giving an opportunity. We only had a few minutes of decent light, so there was no point trying to stalk it down.
Chapter 4) Moosed Opportunity
I woke up Monday morning feeling ill. Got some caffiene in me and started driving back up the mountain thinking it would pass and I would feel better. Nope. Made it to the top, got out and proceeded to heave on the side of the road for some time... the upcoming 5 hour drive home becoming more daunting and seemlingly impossible. I turned around and noticed the 3 moose from the day before we watching me a ways up the hill. I got in the jeep and pulled ahead and off to the side of the road. I needed to rest for a couple hours before the long drive. The bull moose came down... eventually 40 yards or so. He was massive. I think I could have could have fit the jeep through this antlers. I watched them for as long as I could before I had to pass out. Left the girlfriend on moose watch. Apparently they hung around for quite a while. I made the long drive home. A 5 hour drive can sure seem like 20 when your stomach is up-side-down. Thinking about how cool those moose were got me through it.
I don't want to get into stories about injured deer or what people have seen out in the bush, but I am interested in what you guys think happened with this spike, knowing that he walked away like nothing happened, no blood trail, carcass claimed by a bear but smells fairly fresh with eye ball still in tact a week later. What should I do? Do I cut my tag and buy another? I half thought about notifying someone about the carcass because of the bear hazard, but realize bears claim carcasses all the time and it is unlikely anyone would ever hike in there anyway, coupled with the fact it is probably fully consumed by now. Stories about storms, or falling ill during a hunt could be interesting to add though.
I doubt I will be back to Region 3 this year, but I'll hunt 2 a little bit. I'm bummed. I feel like crap, being sick, about the deer, my odds at success for this season tanking. I thought for sure Region 3 any buck would be a gimme. My optimism has taken a toll. I'm trying to psych myself out into hiking into my Region 2 spots to check the cameras. Maybe after some days of not hunting the urge will come back.