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The Fat Blob Incident
Includes 20 Full Length Feature Articles plus Bonus Bits and Short Jokes
Available Free ONLY to Team Sarcasm Members
Deer Hunt 08
Opening Day: From Miserable to Moose
It turned out the large animal was a bull moose! I'd never seen any moose in this area before so I was excited when I identified the scoop antlered bull. It was obvious from his continued calling that he had to be following a cow and sure enough a few moments later a cow moose appeared at the base of a group of trees.
Now, I'm not sure what it is, but I swear moose are somehow cosmically attracted to me. I always have close encounters with moose and this time was no different. Even though the bull was at least a half a mile away when I first spotted him, I was just sure he would be coming my way. I mean, they always do. It's part of that cosmic attraction I was telling you about.
So, I parked on a rock with my camera in hand and waited. Sure enough, within about 10 minutes both the cow and the bull moose walked within 40 yards of me! The poor cow looked ragged and worn from trying to get away from the love struck bull that had obviously been tailing her for quite some time. She paused more than once to catch her breath as she made her way up the hill in front of me. The bull, who had initially been quite a ways behind, used that time to catch up and start making his advances on the cow once again.
After a few moments, the cow again tired of the persistent bull and she passed back behind me and slipped into the trees, hormonal bull in tow. I knew there was a spring located there and I figured the ragged and worn cow was ready for a refreshing drink. As I snuck up to the edge of the trees, looking to see if I was right, I found the happy couple drinking deeply from the small pond formed by the emerging water. So, I clicked a few more pictures. Here's the best one of the bunch.
While playing with moose was fun, I wanted to get back to the deer hunting, however, so I headed back up the trail toward where I left my 4 wheeler. My mind was debating on what area I would try hunting next as I closed within a couple hundred yards of my parking spot.
However, my mind should have been on peering ahead into the trees. Then maybe, just maybe, I would have seen the big buck that was bedded there before he jumped and ran.
As it turned out, however, the big boy caught me by surprise. I believe I surprised him a bit, too, however as he was only 20 feet away when he jumped! Suddenly, everything I was working for was right in front of me and I snapped immediately to attention.
This was a mature, smart buck, however. He may have let me get a little too close, but he executed his escape right when there was a large pine between us to cover him. I saw a flash of deer hide, a splash of white, and a large rack go bounding away. I turned and ran back down the trail following his movement. I saw him again, this was definitely a big buck! He was at least a 4 pointer, possibly more, with thick, high antlers --- and I do mean HIGH antlers!
Excitement took over. He was running, but I had one chance. He was heading toward a small clearing. I ran back down the hill, circling to the side of the clearing. As soon as I could see into it and up on to the ridge above us as well, just in case, I planted my myself down between some large sagebrush and waited. Right about then, the storm that had been coming and going with rain off and on all day decided to cut loose with snow and ice instead. The air grew thick and white and for a moment it felt like there was nothing in the world but the forest, this one buck, and me.
With the sudden burst of low visibility, I decided to move forward. I figured if I couldn't see very well then neither could he. Perhaps, I'd get to within shooting distance of this buck after all.
As I moved down through the clearing I had been watching, I cut his track. I had been right, he was headed for this clearing, and he did cross it. I just hadn't gotten there in time to meet up with him. His tracks showed he was still on a dead run. I must have scared him good.
I followed the tracks for a long way through the thick trees, and guess where they headed? Right back down to the same spring where I had seen the moose!
Unfortunately, I lost his track as he crossed by the spring. There were just too many tracks around the area, and I simply couldn't tell which way he had gone.
So, I set about climbing back up the same hill again, trudging my way back to my 4 wheeler with one more big buck lesson burned into my brain! Hunt hard ALL the way back to where I parked and worry about where I'm going next when I'm done going through where I'm at!
Had I been paying greater attention, who knows? I just may have had a shot at that big boy right there in his bed!
All in all it was a fun weekend, but I didn't manage to see anymore bucks the rest of the day. Oh well, I had been within 20 feet of a real nice one, and I had learned another valuable lesson that I'm sure will pay it's dues in the future.
Meanwhile, I got to travel through some beautiful country, get close to a few animals, and see some interesting sites. For the whole photo set of the trip, in full size, click here.
Besides, this was only the first week. I've still got the rest of the month to go back and try again!
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