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Hunting Illustrated Magazine Volume 13, Number 4 www.huntingillustrated.com Subscriptions and Questions 1-435-528-5080 editor@huntingillustrated.com
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Fresh Sign — Editorial Staff News, Facts and Fun
The Dueling Duo — Grange & Spomer What About All These Wild Horses?
Celebrity Hunter— Josh Dahlke Cam Hanes - Archery Icon
Fitness — Jimmy Herman
Strengthening Legs and Lungs
Product Watch — staff New Gear
Mule Deer— James Smith
Mule Deer Displacement
Elk — Doyle Moss
Five Fool Proof Ways to Kill Big Bulls
Predator — Les Johnson
Making the Shot, part 2
Archery — Matt Smith More Than Inches
HUNTING ILLUSTRATED.com
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s n m u l o C Braggin’ Board
Bringing Home the Bacon
The Griz Chronicles Grandpa Jones
Mule Deer Watch — Michael Burrell Fair and Balanced
Nuge Factor — Ted Nugent
South Texas Queen of the Forest Rancho Anejo
s e r u t Feaî ° 48 52 56 60 66 70
Photo Story — Travis & Zack Boughton Montana Antelope
Her Monster Elk Tamara Baker
Red Meat, Red Wine and Red Stags Eva Shockey
High Altitude Therapy Kevin Butts
Father, Son and Son Jake Selby
Return to the Hunt Liz Buebe
WARNING!
Some of the photos in this magazine portray action performed by professional hunters or riders under controlled circumstances. We encourage safe practices in all outdoor activities. Hunting Illustrated withholds all liability for any damage or injury sustained while duplicating actions in photos.
Cover
Cover photo: Vic Schendel On the cover (upper left): Cam Hanes On the cover (lower left): Eva Shockey
Early Fall 2014
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EDITORIAL Fall is the Best Time of Year!
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eaves are changing, temperature gauges are falling, campfires are burning, and big bulls are screaming. Hunting season is finally upon us. This year feels different than most for me; I have some incredible tags this year. I will finally get the opportunity to hunt a big Yukon moose and will be going south of the border for an attempt at a giant mule deer; but despite having those on my calendar, the hunt I look forward to the most is an easy-to-draw muzzle loader elk tag in Colorado...and it is not even my tag. What makes this hunt different is it involves one of my three boys. To be able to see my sons and my wife enjoy the outdoors and hunting makes the hunt a success before it is even begins. We will have a few buddies along who also drew tags; and my good old dad, “Grizz,” will be along to tend the fire and flip the burgers. Spending time in the brisk fall air around a campfire, trading stories with family and friends, is what I look forward to the most these days. Sure large racks, record book animals, your trophy pictures in hunting magazines and all over Facebook is exciting; but for me they are the bi-product of why I hunt. I hunt for the camaraderie, for the memories and for the experience. I have had friends come and go over the years, from college buddies to work associates; but the friends that I stay in contact with every year, rain or shine, are my hunting buddies. It’s my way of life. Speaking of hunting buddies, Eva Shockey is back this issue with more tales from the field. As you may know, we awarded an elk hunt to our subscription drive winner this past summer and it just happens to be 15-year-old Kali Tuttle from Syracuse, Utah. When I asked her what her favorite part of our magazine is, of course she said reading Eva Shockey’s stories. She really looks up to Eva and enjoys reading about her hunting adventures. Eva comes from strong hunting genes and is walking in her father’s footsteps all the way. Thanks for your example Eva and Jim. All of our HI editors and staff live and breathe for the hunt and the experience. We have a new fitness editor that we are adding to the HI family; fitness guru and hunting fanatic, Jimmy Herman, will be giving us all tips and tricks that will help us get in shape and ready for our next hunting adventure. Oh, by the way, did I mention he is the fiddle player for Carrie Underwood? When he is not making music, he is either exercising or hunting. Glad to have you aboard Jimmy. Here at HI magazine we strive to not only entertain you but also help prepare you for the field. Jimmy will aid us in doing that. As you grab the gun and head for the woods this fall don’t forget to ask yourself, “Why do I hunt?” Be Fierce, Hunt hard!
Managing Editor: John Mogle Art Director: Matt Mogle Copy Editor: Liz Buebe Field Editors: Courtney Crane, Matson Tolman, Matt Smith, Matt Mogle Contributing Editors: Liz Buebe, Matt Smith Josh Dahlke, Grant Mogle, Courtney Crane Columnists: James Smith,Ted Nugent, Scott Grange, Ron Spomer, Les Johnson, Michael Burrell, Matt Smith Contributing Writers: Liz Buebe, Kevin Butts, Tamara Baker, David DeAustin, Jake Selby Illustrators: Courtney Bjornn, Richard Stubler Advertising: (435) 528-5080 ads@huntingillustrated.com John Mogle Courtney Crane Subscriptions / Questions: (435) 528-5080 Submissions: Send your hunting stories and photos, Picture of the Week / Braggin’ Board Photo Story and Parting Shots to: Hunting Illustrated PO Box 1045 Gunnison, UT 84634 editor@huntingillustrated.com ©2014 Hunting Illustrated LLC PO Box 1045 Gunnison, UT 84634 Hunting Illustrated is published quarterly with additional bonus issue, $24.95 U.S. /$34.95 Outside U.S. Printed in U.S.A.
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The Latest News and Insights
Ban on Hunting in Zambia Lifted
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The ban was found counterproductive
he ban on hunting in Zambia, enacted in January 2013, has been lifted! Jean Kapata, Zambian Tourism and Arts Minister, announced August 21st that the ban was found to be counterproductive to the conservation needs in Zambia. SCI Foundation Joe Hosmer is quoted as saying, “Like most range states, Zambia relies on hunting revenue for most of their conservation funding, so maintaining sustainable hunting is crucial to their wildlife’s survival.” The ban on cat hunting will remain in effect until further studies can be conducted and a survey on lion population numbers is completed. SCI is a main contributor in this effort and is funding a Zambia Lion Project to help complete this survey. The objective is to gain valuable information that will encourage the development and promotion of practices that will ensure long-term sustainability of cat populations. To quote SCI President Craig Kauffman, “Regulated, sustainable hunting gives additional value to wildlife and ensures
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that governments dedicate the necessary resources toward wildlife management.” Jean Kapata admitted: “We lost too much revenue following the ban on hunting and the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) had a lot of financial problems.” She also indicated that hunting fees would be raised, without providing details. ZAWA had opposed the ban because Zambia’s wildlife tourism had not yet reached the established norms of surrounding countries; it was felt that the ban would affect the tourism industry, which has proven to be true. Applauding the decision, spokesperson for ZAWA, Readith Muliyunda, said, “Hunting will be conducted under laid down conditions and strict supervision from ZAWA. But the ban on big cats still stands.” As expressed by Adri Kitshoff, Chief Executive Officer for the Professional Hunters’ Association of South Africa, the symbiotic relationship between hunting and conservation programs is not truly appreciated until it is gone. She indicated that raising the ban could be seen as a vote of confidence in the concept of sustainable utilization, adding that where hunting was allowed, wildlife flourished. “This is because it creates incentives to look after game, provides an additional source of revenue for conservation practices and is another deterrent against poaching. Hunting and eco-tourism are the only means by which communities within conservancies can make a living off the land. Without these, the communities will see no value in the wildlife and will be in constant conflict with the animals,” she said. “Photographic tourism on its own is not enough given its limitation to areas of dense populations of game and scenic beauty. Hunting complements eco-tourism by attracting visitors to areas where the game is scarce, adding to the challenge of the hunt,” said Adri.
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by Editorial Staff
Where’s Our Mule Deer?
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They use to be here
very year, thousands of hunters travel to the hills of the Rocky Mountains in hopes of harvesting one of the true icons of the west, the Mule Deer. However, the dream of harvesting a mature mule deer buck is becoming harder and harder to accomplish. The number of mule deer all across the western U.S. is rapidly declining, a fact reflected by a massive 36% population drop in the Centennial State of Colorado from 2005 through 2013. Overall, the mule deer population is down 1015% all across the west. No single factor lies at the root of the problem, but a myriad of reasons can be pointed to, that give us an idea of what is taking place. Brutal winters followed by extremely dry summers, loss of habitat due to commercial and residential development, the boon of predator populations like coyotes and mountain lions, habitat expansion from other species like elk and whitetail deer, and years of overharvesting have all taken their toll on mule deer populations. So while most of the hunters out there only take notice every fall when they aren’t seeing as many bucks as they did years ago, there are people out there earnestly working to make a difference. All across the west, actions are being taken to reverse the downward spiral, including: 1) Critical winter and fawning habitat protection; 2) Predator Management initiatives including coyote population control and increasing mountain lion and black bear harvest quotas; 3) reduction of roadway mortality rates through highway permeability projects and migration corridor protection programs; and 4) application of new technologies to monitor population rates and set sustainable harvest quotas. How can you help? Fill out harvest surveys - One of the biggest factors in creating harvest quotas and understanding populations is yearly harvest surveys that all hunters are asked, and sometimes even required to fill out, regardless of harvest. Taking 10 minutes to fill out yearly surveys is one of the quickest, yet most effective ways to make a difference. Attend wildlife advisory meetings – Many of the state’s most important regulations are discussed and brought to light in public wildlife advisory meetings. Knowing the voice of those in the hills is key to the success of these meetings. Get Involved! – From habitat improvement projects, to understanding the issues at hand, hunters and conservationists alike can only help if they are involved in projects and aware of the what’s going on in the hills around them.
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NUMBERS 2005-2013
36% drop in mule deer numbers in Colorado
$1.3 million
committed to 5-year mule deer research project
375,000
Wyoming mule deer population. Down from 500,000
1.2 Million acres
Number of mule deer habitat acres improved in Utah over the last 6 years.
Early Fall 2014
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Staff
The “Smart Bullet” Is Here! But, Is It Worth It?
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he Smart Bullet is a term used to describe several theoretical and prototype bullets. In 2012, Sandia National Laboratories announced a selfguided bullet prototype that could track a target illuminated with a laser designator. The bullet is capable of updating its position 30 times a second, and hitting targets over a mile away. Another smart bullet is one that can transmit data about the location into which it has been fired. There is also a prototype of a smart bullet that will “self-destruct” if for some reason the target isn’t acquired, thus removing the inherent danger if fired near a populated area. Researchers at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, have created a prototype USA with funding from Lockheed Martin. The bullet (projectile) has a sensor inside of it that can send wireless data up to 70 meters. In July, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) conducted successful live-fire tests of .50-caliber bullets that were capable of in-flight guidance. The bullets are tracked and guided with an optical guidance system that compensates for factors such as weather, wind, and target movement. As the agency explains on its website, “For military snipers, acquiring moving targets in unfavorable conditions, such as high winds and dusty terrain commonly found in Afghanistan, is extremely challenging with current technology. It is critical that snipers be able to engage targets faster, and with better accuracy, since any shot that doesn’t hit a target also risks the safety of troops by indicating their
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presence and potentially exposing their location.” The use of a smart bullet is obvious with the military in mind; however, one has to debate the veracity of the bullet in the hunting arena. There are basically two types of hunters... the subsistence hunter and the trophy hunter. It isn’t likely that a subsistence hunter will be willing to spend the per-bullet-cost for a guided trajectory; whereas, the trophy hunter, who may already be spending $10,000 or more on a hunt, will probably find the additional cost for a smart bullet, worth the price. It was expected that anti-hunting groups would oppose such a bullet; however, interestingly enough, the NRA, the Humane Society of the United States, and the Safari Club International have all supported legislation opposing the usage of smart bullets. Most hunters are not able to spend all of their time in the outdoors, and have to work normal jobs and careers, thus making it difficult to get in enough practice of essential skills like accuracy, tracking, and being inconspicuous. Wild animals definitely have the “home-court advantage!” But that is where the challenge and sense of achievement lay. As one hunter said in a blog, “Why not just learn how to shoot?” Smart bullets would change the playing field dramatically. As Rick Sinnott stated in the Alaska Dispatch, “Hunting would become less about hunting and more about killing.” (Should Recreational Hunters Use Laser-Guided ‘Smart Bullets’? March 20, 2012.) Rick Sinnott had a final comment in his article that bears repeating, “No matter which type of hunter one is, under the best of circumstances the act of hunting is a spiritual experience. Magic bullets can only cheapen the hunt and leave hunting vulnerable to claims that it isn’t fair or it doesn’t show sufficient respect for the game animal.”
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Brought to you by Boone & Crockett’s On-line Trophy Search www.boone-crockett.org
Largest Typical American Elk of 2012 Hunter: Jesse K. Richardson (picked up) Location: Sanpete County, Utah Year: 2012 | Score: 413 1/8”
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Early Fall 2014
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Courtney Crane
GO BALLISTIC
T
.300 Remington Ultra Mag
he .300 Remington Ultra Magnum, also known as the .300 Ultra Mag or .300 RUM is a 7.62 mm or .30 caliber rifle cartridge introduced by Remington Arms in 1999. The .300 Remington Ultra Magnum is one of the largest commercially available .30 caliber magnums currently being produced. It is a beltless, rebated rim cartridge, capable of handling all large North American game, as well as long-range shooting. Among commercially produced .30-caliber rifle chambering, the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum is second only to the .30378 Weatherby Magnum in cartridge-case capacity. The .300 Remington Ultra Magnum is a member of the Remington Ultra Magnum cartridge family, based on the .404 Jeffery, via the Canadian Magnum cartridges. As these cartridges feature wider bodies than the belted magnums, which are based on the .375 H&H case, these cartridges have greater case-capacities than their
corresponding full-length belted Magnum cartridges, such as the 7 STW, the .300 Weatherby Magnum, .340 Weatherby Magnum, and the .375 Ackyl Improved. The .300 Remington Ultra Magnum cartridge was conceived as a long-range hunting cartridge, and in this it excels over most other cartridges. It is able to launch bullets of good weights and sectional densities at high velocities and remaining energy to take game cleanly at longer ranges than lesser cartridges such as the .30-06 Springfield and even the .300 Winchester Magnum. It is an excellent one-gun cartridge for hunting all North American game species, though the cartridge is considered to be overly powerful for smaller big game species such as pronghorns, whitetail and mule deer. The cartridge comes into its own for larger deer species such as elk and moose. The .300 RUM is considered an excellent cross-canyon cartridge when hunting in the foothills or the Rockies where the opportunity for long distance shooting can present itself. Due to the excess power and energy that the cartridge can bring to bear, and the very flat shooting capability of the cartridge, the .300 RUM makes a firstrate choice when hunting African plains game.
Early Fall 2014
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WINNER! Brady Stephens. Great pics,readers! Keep ‘em coming!
Scott Grange
Ron Spomer
THE DUELING DUO Views from both sides of the fence
What about all these wild horses?
CON?
By Scott Grange
No Wild Horses or Burros, Thank You!
I
n the 50’s, 60’s, and early 70’s, a pair of magpie legs would fetch $.25, red tail hawks were fair game and feral cats were shot on sight. As a result, pheasants and chukkas were abundant; and unloading a carton of .22 shells at jackrabbits took half the morning. Today, the only pheasants to be had are on farms; and a $75 carton of .22 shells, when you can find one, will probably last you, your son, and grandson several years. Fifty years ago, wildlife agencies had not yet been infiltrated by the out-of-touch, anti-hunting bigots who infest today’s bureaus. As a result, predators were kept in check, a key element of the North American Wildlife Management Model, and wildlife biologists and managers were allowed to manage all wildlife populations including wild horses and burros. I once knew a Wyoming game warden that would shoot a wild horse on sight if he felt the biological carrying capacity of the region he was responsible for was in jeopardy of being over-harvested. I can talk about it now because he has passed away. And make no mistake about it, no one loved the land, or the wildlife that inhabited it, more than this man. Spomer mentions that wild horses evolved on what is now the North American continent which presumably would make them a native species, worthy of protection. What he failed to mention was the
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horse that evolved here was the size of a large house cat or small dog with toes rather than hoofs, a far cry from today’s specimen. And yes, it fell into the black hole of extinction at the end of the Pleistocene period, about 10,000 years ago. Today’s horse was introduced or reintroduced, depending on your view, in the late 15th century by Spanish conquistadors. In my book, that makes them illegal aliens, much like the Canadian gray wolf that was dumped on us and not worthy of protection from the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, a law that was jammed up the patoot of western states by a wellmeaning but ill-informed Congress. Wild horse and burro populations have exploded due to poor management and bureaucratic red tape. A recent letter to Jake Albrecht, Chairman of the Utah Wildlife Board, from the BLM, stated that $43 million in caretaking expenses were spent in fiscal year 2013, for horses and burros that have been removed from the range. It went on to say that there are currently 49,000 animals in short- and long-term holding facilities and these facilities are at near capacity. And the figure that took my breath away...the BLM will spend $46,000 of your tax dollars per horse to gather and care for that animal during its lifetime if not adopted; which is not likely to happen due to the ridiculous rules, regulations and restrictions (red tape) that one has to deal with during the adoption process. There are economical ways to deal with the bulging populations of wild horses and burros; but, save-theworld, bleeding-heart liberals won’t allow it. They believe all wildlife can go unchecked and live happily ever after; even though they continue, like the rest of us, to eat away at the very habitat these
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animals need to survive. They cannot, nor will they ever, grasp the concept of proper wildlife management. We as stewards of this planet have a moral obligation to manage wildlife, including horses and burros. Sometimes proper management means not allowing certain species in fragile environments. Such is the case with wild horses and burros. These animals should never have been allowed to populate the desert areas of the west where all other wildlife suffers because of the havoc they reap on the environment. It’s time the BLM takes the proverbial bull by the horns and does the right thing by totally eliminating these illegal aliens from the landscape before it’s too late.
PRO?
By Ron Spomer
Save Our Horses
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enderhearted folks are always advocating for the care and well being of dogs and cats. Too bad they don’t do the same for horses. No one wants to see domestic canines and felines reduced to scrounging food from dumpsters and sleeping in alleys. So they give them safe havens, homes where the pets are fed, cared for and loved. That’s a wonderful example of humans taking responsibility for the domestic animals we’ve created. But why do we force, by law as well as public opinion, tens of thousands of abandoned, domestic horses to eke out a living on drought-
cannot. This enables them to remove not only delectable ground cover, but also protective brush and small trees, depriving native wildlife of nesting and escape cover as well as food. At desert waterholes, rare and fragile at best, horses trample, roil and foul what would otherwise be oases for more delicate native wildlife. At 500- to 800 pounds on the hoof, horses intimidate and drive off smaller, native ungulates. With wild lands consistently shrinking under the onslaught of human development, energy development, and agricultural needs, to encroaching suburbia —twe no longer have the space to indulge romantic idealism of what the world should be. We must deal with the hard reality of what is. There are about 9.6 million horses in the U.S. That’s more than all mule deer, elk, pronghorns, wild sheep, sage grouse and desert tortoises combined. Most of those horses are privately owned, fed and cared for. Forcing 50,000 to fend for themselves in fringe habitat is cruel to them and all other creatures that depend on that habitat. Horse lovers complain it’s cruel to round up excess feral horses year after year; but leaving them on the land, uncontrolled, assures such round ups will continue indefinitely. Either that or tens of thousands starve, destroying the land in the process. I have a better idea. Let’s bring our forgotten horses in from the cold. Move them onto lush, green pastures in the east or southeast. Eliminate BLM roundups once and for all. Free the 30,000 noble, ‘wild’, unwanted horses, annually imprisoned in small holding pens. Let’s reassume responsibility for all our domestic horses, tame and feral. Wild Horse Arguments, Pro and Con
southern U.S., doing $1.5 billion in damage each year. Should we leave them alone too? How about Asian carp in the Mississippi? Zebra and quagga mussels? Wild horses don’t cost us much. They’re wild and fend for themselves: Congress appropriated $71.8 million to the Wild Horse and Burro Program in fiscal year 2013. Gathering and removal cost $4.3 million. Holding costs totaled $46.2 million. Adoptions cost $7.5 million. 2,671 horses were adopted at a per horse cost of $2,808. We can take care of excess horses in holding pens: Sure, if you like the idea of locking them up. As of April 2014, there were 48,194 ‘wild’ horses and burros in BLM corrals and pastures. There isn’t that many wild horses, and they roam over 30 million acres. How much damage could they do: Plenty. The BLM has determined the current free-roaming horse/burro population exceeds by 14,000 the number that can exist in ‘balance’ with other public rangeland resources. There’s plenty of room in the West for horses and all native wildlife: Tell that to desert bighorn sheep. Fewer than 20,000 of them survive in seven western states, and the BLM doesn’t spend $72 million managing them. Why are we allowing twice that number of invasive, feral, domestic horses to usurp native wildlife habitat? Sage grouse numbers are so low that they’re about to be listed as an endangered species. Why? Rangelands controlled by the BLM are chronically degraded by overgrazing and invasive species.
Horses evolved here, so belong: So did dire wolves, American lions and smilodon (saber toothed cat) that preyed on them. Since we haven’t reintroduced those ‘control species’, how can nature limit horse numbers? Starvation? Should we reintroduce African lions or Canadian gray wolves to the sage lands and let them tear wild horses to pieces? Horses have ‘acclimated’ to the desert west and are doing fine without our coddling, so leave them alone: Feral hogs, another escaped domestic farm animal, are thriving across much of the
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ILLUSTRATION: COURTNEY BJORNN
stricken deserts and grasslands? Why do we subject them to limited forage, minimal water, parasites, no veterinary care, brutal fighting for herd dominance, searing summer heat and bitter winter gales? Horses so treated in a private pasture would get the owner cited for animal abuse. As best as I can tell, the sad condition of feral horses in the American West results from a shortsighted, if not subtly selfish reordering of reality in order to accommodate a romantic myth. It’s a beautiful myth, but ugly reality. To sustain our concept of the majestic, noble, wild mustang, we condemn the land and dozens of native mammals, birds, and reptiles that depend on it, to destruction at the hooves and mouths of ever-increasing numbers of aggressive, dominating horses. Herds double every four years. Here’s the brutal history: Horses evolved on what is now the North American continent. A long, strong, fossil record supports this. Some spread into Asia via the Bering land bridge just as moose, caribou, wild sheep and elk spread from Asia to North America. But the horse family died out here during the Pleistocene extinction about 10,000 years ago. It reappeared in the 1500s when Spanish conquistadors brought over domesticated warhorses that escaped and started feral herds. Native American tribes and western cowboys regularly captured and tamed horses from these herds. Novelists and movie producers spun lovely stories of hope and redemption around fictionalized stallions and the humans who saved, tamed or defended them. Today the ‘wild’ horse is a metaphor for freedom, survival, rejection of authority, and the spirit of the wild. It is a standard component in romance novels. Unfortunately, in the real world, ever-growing numbers of these horses are making life hell for less sturdy creatures like pronghorns, mule deer, bighorn sheep, tortoises, sage grouse, meadowlarks and more. Feral horses are an invasive species; herbivorous predators with a very real impact on the land. Because they have both upper and lower incisors, they can eat tough grasses and browse where native wildlife
Early Fall 2014
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Cameron Hanes - Back Country DIY Icon man who looks at a row of hurdles and begs to add more before jumping. He possesses the innate ability to deliver a matter-of-fact type of encouragement that’s matched with infectious motivation. If it sounds like I’m embellishing the amount of “epic” contained in Cameron Hanes, you’re mistaken. Consider the cult-like following of people who routinely drive from 100s of miles just to pump iron or run The Mountain with him. When we wrapped up this interview at 11 p.m., I strapped on my shoes and ran two miles (far for me) in the dark before bed. No kidding. Cam has earned a reputation as being the first person to popularize the synergy between athlete and hunter. He doesn’t do it to fill an untapped glamour niche in a small industry budding with wannabe camouflage stars. That’s what I expected to learn, but it’s definitely not the case. Instead, the reason Cam “ramps it up” every single day is simple: He strives to be the ultimate predator. Question: Before we get down to the nuts and bolts of the Cameron Hanes machine, let’s talk “elk.” After all, this is the Elk hunting issue of Hunting Illustrated, and there’s no doubt you worship wapiti. Why do you love elk and elk hunting so much? Hanes: Where I live, every hunter dreams of killing a 6x6 bull elk. They’re on belt buckles. They’re on silhouette sculptures on houses. It’s like the holy grail of hunting. For a long time, I didn’t think I had what it took to go into the mountains and kill a big bull elk with my bow. By the time I killed a 6x6 in the wilderness by myself, I had been hunting for eight years. It changed my life. The respect I have for a mature bull elk is second to none.
W
ake up at 5:30 a.m. Eat. Shower. Arrive to work at 7 a.m. Continue working through lunch. Get to The Mountain at 3:45 p.m. Run The Mountain until 5:15 p.m. Shoot bow. Get home by 6:30 p.m. Eat. Hang out until 9 p.m. with family. Go to gym and lift weights. Go home, catch up on “stuff,” get a few hours of sleep. Repeat. I asked Cameron Hanes (aka “Cam”) how it affects him when he diverts from this daily routine—a routine that many folks have criticized as being “over the top”—and his answer was sharp, “I don’t.” After speaking with Cam for more than an hour one evening, I found it plausible that this guy was born at 15,000 feet and raised by wolves. He’s the kind of
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Question: From struggling to kill one big bull to now consistently killing a mature bull each year with your bow, you’ve come a long way in your elk-hunting evolution. Tell us about your roots as a hunter. Hanes: I started hunting with a rifle when I was 15. My dad didn’t hunt, but my parents were divorced and my stepdad got my brother and me into rifle hunting. I did that for a few years and had success. My friend, Roy Roth, began bowhunting and convinced me to start when I was 19. I put down the rifle completely and I’ve bowhunted ever since. Question: How long did it take you to kill your first animal with archery gear? Hanes: I missed 16 deer with my bow during my first year
of bowhunting. My first bow kill was a spike bull elk. It was my first year as a bowhunter, but it took me 18 straight days of hunting to kill that bull. I was supposed to be going to college, but I had to drop all my classes because I couldn’t leave the woods until I got it done. Question: Speaking of academia, you developed quite a writing career as editor at Eastman’s Bowhunting Journal, and you’ve authored some books. Are you an English or Journalism graduate? Hanes: I’ve always liked writing. I wrote an English paper about the first spike buck that I killed with a rifle when I was 15. My teacher told me I should write for the school newspaper, but at that time all I cared about was football, basketball, and baseball. I took a lot of writing classes throughout the years, but I never got a degree because it was difficult to stay focused on college. I had to balance family with bowhunting. I felt like I could still write without advanced training. I thought I could share stories that people could identify with. I wrote a book called Bowhunting Trophy Blacktail in 1999, and then Backcountry Bowhunting in 2006, which is now in its eighth print run. I have to feel inspired about what I write. With my website, books, and now Facebook, I can write what I want and connect with the people I want to connect with.
Josh Dahlke
Question: You specialize in hunting way off the grid. What drew you to backcountry bowhunting?
Hanes: When I first started bowhunting, I couldn’t afford premium hunts. I was just a wilderness hunter, so the farther I could go in and the harder I could hunt in the most rugged country, the better my odds of success. Plus, I’ve always been drawn to things that are hard. When you’re back there in the big country by yourself, fear is real. People in this day and age aren’t used to being alone. When you put yourself in the wilderness where there’s nobody, you find out who you are. I like testing myself, and backcountry bowhunting always offers that. Question: That type of hunting isn’t just something someone jumps into blindly. How did you learn to hunt safely in no-man’s land? Hanes: I learned to go into the backcountry by trial and error. I would drive all the way to the wilderness and maybe pack in for a day or two, and then drive home. Eventually, I would stay for a week at a time—that’s where the real training started to come in. I realized you can’t be too tough back there. Question: Yes, you live by the “Beast Mode” mantra 24/7. Explain why you believe modern hunters should embrace their athleticism and full physical potential.
During the past 4 years, Cameron Hanes has killed 11 6x6 bull elk with his bow. As you read this, he’s probably chasing his next trophy across a mountain. Early Fall 2014
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Hanes: The Mountain is just outside of town. It’s about 1,100 feet of vertical gain in a mile and a half. The Mountain will take all you’ve got. The faster you go, the more miserable you will be. Rain, sleet, snow, or 90 degrees—I’ll be pounding out there. Question: How do you react to failure in the field? Hanes: If you buy a tag and go into the mountains, your goal is to bring an animal home. For me, failure is devastating. Sometimes, I feel like I need counseling to get through it. Dinner always tastes a little bit better when you’re successful. When you’re not, something is missing. That’s one of the reasons I train so much…because I don’t like failure. I don’t even like to think about failing, but it’s part of the deal. Question: If it doesn’t sting too much, would you mind telling the story of one of your most frustrating hunts? Hanes: I was 12 miles into the Eagle Cap Wilderness, Oregon’s largest wilderness area. I had been busting my butt. It’s hard country—country that breaks tough men. I had been back there eight days when I snuck up on an elk herd in a dry creek bed. A bull came in, pushing a cow. He was the biggest bull I’d ever seen. I lost it and blew the shot. That hunt still haunts me. I can still remember sitting there, on my knees, as the herd ran off in a cloud of dust. Physically, I had what it took, but I couldn’t mentally put it together. “Train hard. Hunt easy.” That’s one of Cam’s many mottos that he lives by to maintain a “Beast Mode” lifestyle—both on and off the mountain.
Hanes: I think, over time, it was just a realization. A lot of guys can hunt hard for a day or two, but after a week they’re basically not getting anything done. I figured out, if I could hunt as hard as I could on Day No. 8 as I did on Day No. 1, I realized I was going to be a beast back there—I could be deadly. Every day you’re out there, you become more honed-in to the animals. If an animal makes a mistake, I capitalize. The human body is a machine … you just need to take advantage of it. Question: What does your physical training consist of, and do you ever think you push it too far? Hanes: I lift weights, run The Mountain and shoot my bow every day. There’s no variation. It’s just what I do. There isn’t a limit to how much I need to prepare for bowhunting. Sometimes, I get beat up for how much I put into it. People say it’s a “waste of time,” or they tell me, “You don’t need to run a marathon to kill an elk.” Sure, you can get lucky, but if you want consistent success, there is no limit. I don’t really worry about what everybody else does. Question: What’s up with “The Mountain”?
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Question: Are there any hunts on your bucket list? Hanes: There’s nothing like killing a bull elk with a bow. I don’t think anything is ever going to replace that. But I like challenges, and I love new adventures and experiencing new cultures. This year, I will hunt Cape buffalo, African lion, and leopard all with a bow in Tanzania. I get excited for any hunt and I take them as they come, but I’d be happy just hunting elk every year for the rest of my life. Question: Do you have any final words of wisdom for aspiring “Beast Mode” bowhunters? Hanes: You can dream big in bowhunting, and with hard work you can achieve those dreams. If your goal is to kill a big bull out West, you can make it happen if you work your butt off. I can play basketball every day and never make it to the NBA. I can play football every day and never make it to the NFL. A lot of dreams just aren’t realistic for people. Bowhunting is an attainable dream. If you have a legitimate love for what you’re doing, that’s what shines through. I’m not special—I just love the bow and arrow. Editor’s Note: Learn more about Cameron Hanes at CameronHanes.com. While you’re there, browse his online store to order one of his books or inspirational T-shirts. You can also visit Cam’s YouTube channel to see some incredible video footage, including a near-death Dall’s sheep hunt. Check out HuntingIllustrated.com to see more intriguing Q&As from this interview that didn’t make it to print.
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Jimmy Herman
FITNESS
Exercises and Tips to Make You a Stronger Hunter
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person can’t expect to harvest an animal as well conditioned as an elk in their backyard, and not condition themselves for the same demanding terrain. Elk evade predators daily. They run the same tree lines, valleys, and draws every day and hunters still come up empty handed most days. If you want to increase your chances of tagging out this fall, you need to get in the mindset of becoming an ultimate predator. You have to go to where the elk are. Go the extra mile over the ridge to cut that bull off. Efficiency equals effectiveness. Being effective gets you positive results. If you’re running out of steam and there’s a bull climbing the ridge above you, by the time you get to where that bull was, he’s already long gone because you alerted him with every exhausted cough and wheeze. When it comes to being a successful mountain hunter, all aspects are crucial. It’s one thing to be comfortable shooting at 80 yards on the practice range, but you have to be honest with yourself and ask, “If I have to cut a bull off by hiking for a couple miles up, down, and thru the mountain draws and be fast, yet quiet, will I be able to make that same shot if that bull presents it to me?” I would bet that with most hunters, given that situation would say that they’d be dicey holding steady at 30 yards. You want to simulate as many realistic possibilities you could face while preparing yourself for your hunt. If you don’t normally run or do any sort of cardio, I suggest you start today! Set that treadmill incline to as steep as you can handle without going below 3-4mph for at least 10 minutes to begin with. After about a week, add weight to your treadmill workouts. Take your pack with you and add dumbbells or plates in it. You want your heart and lungs under load each workout. Eventually you want to be able to sprint with a weighted pack. This is going to become easier every day with consistency. In the real world of elk hunting, you’re going to be hiking trivial terrain at
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Want to steady your shot? Try this recommended workout followed up by a shot with your bow. Rinse and repeat. You’ll see great improvement day-by-day.
much higher altitudes so with every few hundred feet you climb, the harder your lungs and heart will be working to get that needed oxygen into your body. Get used to carrying weight. If not before, commit the last 30 days before you begin your hunt to acclimating your body to the extra pounds. Take your wife, kids, and/or dog on some hikes and carry your pack with added weight. Use dumbbells, the dog food bag, a box of nuts & bolts from the garage, whatever has good weight to it, yet compact enough to fit in your pack. Make sure to vary the weight each time you hit the trail. And don’t take the easy path! You want to start training in what you will be wearing on your hunts. I always train wearing at least my Minus33 base layer. You’ll be sweating on your hunts so get used to sweating while you train. There is no easy path when you’re miles back in the wilderness, so don’t take the flowery, groomed trail because you’re not feeling it that day. If you don’t condition your body to the trials ahead of you, how do you expect to beat, ultimately, your opponent that is at his peak physical condition, in his own backyard, fighting to stay alive? You reap what you
“Get used to carrying weight. If not before, commit the last 30 days before you begin your hunt to acclimating your body to the extra pounds. Take your wife, kids, and/or dog on some hikes and carry your pack with added weight.
sow. The harder the work, the greater the reward. Here are examples that I have come up with that will give you an immediate indication of where your mountain fitness level is at in the beginning and where you should start setting your own personal (realistic) fitness goal for the upcoming elk season. The ideas are for both the avid gym goer and the home gym junky alike. Whether you already know your way around the gym or if you’re relatively new to the fitness madness, here’s how to take your regular leg and cardio workout another step farther. If you train at home or don’t have access to a gym, all you need is: a hill, a backpack, and some weight (refer to weight examples explained earlier). Start off with a set of weighted lunges and climb up and down the hill for 20 yards each way, followed by a minute of hill sprints. This will definitely get the blood pumping and you’ll feel it in your lungs, legs, and glutes. This will be tough in the beginning, mind you. It’ll get easier the more consistent you are with it. For the avid gym rats, superset your weight trainLunges are one of the best exercises to prepare your legs for the mountains. The author recommends beggining with 20 lunges, followed up by pushups and a one-minute sprint.
ing with cardio. Make sure you wear your pack with weight that is challenging yet manageable for the cardio portion of these workouts. Change things up by doing your normal leg routine while incorporating 3 minute grade training on the treadmill (1 min walk / 1 min sprint / 1 min cool down at an incline that is challenging for you) between each set of your leg workout. Here is another great challenge for anyone, beginner to veteran. This can be done on any outdoor terrain of your choice. I like the challenge of doing this on a hill. Select 3 – 5 arrows that you have your utmost confidence in. These will signify the number of sets you are going to be performing for this exercise. Perform this exercise wearing a weighted pack. Begin with 20 lunges. Immediately follow those up with a maximum set of pushups and then a one minute sprint. Without rest, grab the first arrow, your bow, and take only one shot starting at 30 yards. Be aware of your heart rate and do your best to calm yourself, hold steady, and make the most patient and relaxed shot possible. Repeat the entire exercise for as many arrows you selected at the beginning and move each shot back 10 yards with every arrow. This will most likely be the closest simulation to any situation you will face in elk hunting. If you expect to harvest a beast, train like a beast. Follow Jimmy Herman’s hunting and tour adventures with the Carry Underwood band at www.JimmyHerman.com Early Fall 2014
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Staff
PRODUCT WATCH
New Products for Serious Hunters Eclipse 125 Grain Werewolf One of the new broadheads this year is the Eclipse 125 Grain Werewolf Revolution. These heads feature 1075 spring steel, the ferrules are 1055 spring steel. They are spot-welded and copper brazed. Then heat-treated to a Rockwell of 48-50 and Teflon coated. www.eclipsebroadheads.com
Kuiu Ultra Merino 145 For the 2014 season Kuiu debuted the Ultra Merino 145 Base Layer. The ULTRA Mernio 145 lightweight collection is an incredibly comfortable blend of wool and nylon providing a next to skin or layered option for the highly active hunter. Naturally anti-microbial, moisture wicking and thermo regulating, the 145 is an ideal choice for hunters needing a long term effective solution in a wide range of aerobic conditions and temperatures. store.kuiu.com
Mtn Ops Blaze Ignite your body and mind with a boost of sustained energy and mental alertness. Blaze™ fuels your body by increasing energy, sharpening mental awareness, and enhancing performance. At the same time it suppresses your appetite and burns fat, making it the ultimate outdoor performance supplement. Our formulated blend of all-natural, scientifically proven ingredients energize and boost metabolism. getmtnops.com
Yeti Hopper 30 YETI’s are known for being indestructible and keeping things cold. And the Hopper 30 is no exception. It’s the first 100% leakproof portable cooler that’s built for the long haul and is insulated to keep ice for days. It’s reliable. It’s convenient. Easy to carry and designed for those on the go. It’s well-suited for a weekend at the ranch, a BYOB dinner at the Salt Lick, 18 holes on the golf course, or a day on the water. Not your ordinary softsided cooler. And like all YETI products, built for the wild. yeticoolers.com
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PRODUCT REVIEW
ScoutLook: Download And Dominate
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he most successful big game hunters obsessively study their prey with every available resource. If you embrace modern tools for planning your hunts, ScoutLook is tops. You’ve been watching him for weeks, plotting your approach to strike when every stalking detail is perfect. His rack is wide and high—just the kind of buck you’ve long sought for that empty spot on your wall. He’ll also help to fill the uncomfortable vacancy in your freezer. The opportunity you’ve been longing for finally arrives. You’ve done your homework. You’ve saved your strategic setup locations in ScoutLook, and today the time and weather conditions are dead on. You pull out your smartphone and check your ScentCone one last time before slamming the tailgate on your pickup and marching past the horizon into his bedroom. A few short hours later, you’re rubbing your hands on his textured tines and burning this special memory into your mind. A Weather Service For Carnivores ScoutLook is a free service dedicated to providing serious hunters with tools to make the most of their time afield. At its core, it’s a robust weather forecasting system with all the atmospheric predictions you expect from a modern weather service—temperature, cloud cover, pressure, humidity, precipitation and more. But there’s much more meat to ScoutLook than you’ll find from any other mainstream weather company. ScoutLook is owned and operated by co-founders Cy Weichert and Bill Little, two avid hunters from the rolling hills of Upstate New York. The birth of ScoutLook was in their whitetail
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ScoutLook Co-Founders Bill Little (top) and Cy Weichert (right) are avid big game hunters who wholeheartedly support our hunting heritage—in their business and personal lives.
hunting camp, when the two men wanted to choose the best treestands for their morning bowhunt. After listening to a semi-reliable weather forecast on an annoying radio, and after sorting through an unorganized pile of hand-written notes from past hunts, they decided: “There must be a better way.” Cy and Bill spent the morning exchanging ideas via text messages. That’s when they chose the name “ScoutLook,” and conceptualized a comprehensive weather system built specifically for hunters (and fishermen). It would need to be deadly accurate and contain specialized tools for planning hunts and managing hunting properties. This company would stand alone in a weather industry dominated by liberal leadership and a lack of respect for sportsmen’s rights. ScoutLook would be cultivated as a lifestyle brand that represents an unflinching support of hunting, fishing and responsible stewardship of God’s greatest resources. ScoutLook Today During the past 4 years, more than
another, offering a seamless experience. All of ScoutLook’s mobile apps are available for Android and iPhone users. Check Your ScentCone
Co-founder, Cy Weichert
ScoutLook’s ScentCone Wind Map is arguably the most popular tool among big game hunters. You can check your ScentCone on the website, or in any of ScoutLook’s hunting apps. ScentCone enables you to see a visual wind forecast at any of your saved hunting locations. ScentCone shows exactly where your scent will blow, based on prevailing wind direction, for up to 72 hours into the future. It’s perfect for planning stalks on massive mule deer or treestand setups for mature whitetails. Take into account your knowledge of the terrain along with the prevailing wind direction depicted by ScentCone, and your odds of staying undetected by bucks will increase substantially. Checking your ScentCone can mean the difference between collecting a trophy or burning a tag. Once you start using this tool, you’ll never stop. When you gear up for your next hunt, don’t forget to load your quiver with arrows or your rifle with ammo … and your smartphone with ScoutLook. For more information about ScoutLook and a detailed overview of its resources, visit www.ScoutLookweather.com.
750,000 people hunters have adopted ScoutLook as part of their arsenal—a close second to a gun, bow or a pair of boots. ScoutLook’s unique hunting tools are spread across mobile apps and a website at ScoutLookweather.com. So, what’s the big deal? DeerLog App Among ScoutLook’s hunting apps, DeerLog is the flagship. Originally sold for $3.99, the app became free in 2014. “By offering DeerLog for free, now every hunter can access our best resources with no barriers,” explained Bill Little. “Our mission is clear: We want to help people hunt smarter.” DeerLog lets you save exact hunting locations (treestands, ground blinds, bedding and feeding areas, travel corridors, etc.) to a free account. ScoutLook provides pinpoint weather forecasts for each saved location. A simple logging feature allows you to record deer sightings and automatically capture the weather conditions when you save the log, making it a priceless tool for patterning deer. All of this is done through quick, convenient touch-screen navigation. Land managers and biologists are also thrilled with DeerLog because it tracks buck-to-doe ratios and average buck age. In today’s era of Quality Deer Management, this information is critical for monitoring and managing deer herds. Once you register for a free ScoutLook account, you can view all of your saved locations and data within the apps or on the website. Both platforms “shake hands” with one
ScoutLook’s ScentCone Wind Map allows users to see 72-hour visual wind forecasts at specific hunting locations. For big game hunters, it’s a critical tool for choosing effective setups.
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James Smith
MULE DEER Mule Deer Displacement Hunting Mule Deer When There is a High Density of Elk.
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t is no coincidence that Utah is harvesting more elk in recent years. With the lack of mule deer and the increased popularity of hunting them, Utah and other surrounding states are faced with the dilemma of harvesting off some of the elk herds that they so diligently expanded in recent years. Thirty years ago, many states, along with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, decided it was time to expand the elk herds due to their overwhelming popularity. Fast forward 30 years and elk seem to be everywhere, including in states where they were virtually
non-existent in recent past. Along with this huge increase in elk over the last three decades, came a huge decrease in mule deer numbers. Is this merely a coincidence? Science and statistics say otherwise; why are many wildlife managers still on the fence about the studies that have been completed? As an avid mule deer hunter, I hunt numerous western states. Over the last decade I’ve witnessed elk populations expanding into new territory and seemingly displacing the local mule deer. Idaho is the state where I’ve witnessed the most extreme displacement. It all started for me in 2004, while on a mule deer hunt
in the southern area of the state. Mule deer numbers were great! On average, I was seeing 75-100 deer a day, while elk were a rare sight. Over the last 10 years I have hunted that general region a number of times and have been fortunate to harvest some great deer. However, I have seen the deer numbers steadily drop to a fraction of even a decade ago. On the flip side of the coin, I have seen the elk numbers go from a rare, occasional sighting, to literally small herds consisting of 50-200 a day. Deserts and canyons, where only the majestic mule deer previously roamed, are now Photo: Vic Schendel
“...Elk seem to be everywhere, including in states where they were virtually non-existent in recent past. Along with this huge increase in elk over the last three decades, came a huge decrease in mule deer numbers. Is this merely a coincidence?”
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Photo: Michael Burrell
riddled with the sights and sounds of elk. Some wildlife officials say there is no specific or direct correlation between the increase in elk numbers and the decrease in deer population; however, based on direct observations in the field, you’d think there’s a reasonable, scientifically based explanation for this disputed correlation. Numerous studies that investigate elk and mule deer behaviors and interactions have been conducted. One such study was performed at the Starkey Experimental Forest in Oregon. It collared elk and deer to study their relationship to each other, as well as their reaction to traffic on roads. What they concluded was that the elk traveled farther from the roads
as the traffic increased and closer to the roads when traffic decreased. Opposite to elk behavior, deer would move closer to the roads as the traffic picked up and farther away when the traffic slowed. Just the opposite of what any man-fearing animal would do. Why? Possibly because of the elk presence and the competition with them? Its common knowledge that deer tend to move out of an area when a significant number of cattle are introduced. Logically, the same can be said about the effect of elk herds on deer behaviors. Now that we’ve established a correlation, are deer in fact being displaced? And does this explain the rapidly decreasing deer populations in areas with high densities of elk? Of course it does! When you take
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any living species and put it somewhere less desirable, it’s overall population will eventually suffer dramatically. The mule deer is no exception. Mule deer, for the most part, are very selective browsers with limited diets. They have small stomachs and need highly nutritious food to survive. When the elk displace them to somewhere other than a highly nutritious food source, the deer become less healthy, experience a higher mortality rate, and resultant lower fawn recruitment. Spread that out over a ten or twenty year period and there you have it…a dramatic reduction in deer and an equivalent “explosion” in elk. Sure, the deer hunting is still decent in that region of Idaho; but with less overall
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The deer are still out there! It just takes a lot of hard work and scouting to find big bucks. Here’s a great representation of the big muleys in Idaho.
numbers, it’s getting harder and harder to locate a mature trophy. Some will criticize Wildlife Management for the over-population of elk in these areas. However, most of this deer displacement is, in fact, due to the reintroduction of the wolf, which in turn resulted in elk displacement…a “cascading effect” if you really think about it. Add the ever-growing elk numbers in these units, with the excessive doe tags issued, and you can see why Idaho’s mule 34
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deer numbers in the southern part of the state, are in trouble. Some states have recognized this trend and are starting to take a proactive approach to the over-expanding elk herds and displacement of their mule deer. Utah and Colorado, for example, have expanded elk hunting opportunities while cutting back on the mule deer hunting opportunities. Historically, Idaho is a great state for mule deer with outstanding genetic potential and traditional winter range to sustain healthy populations. Unfortunately, unless appropriate
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actions are taken, mule deer numbers will continue to suffer and many mule deer enthusiasts will pursue other states. In conclusion, if you are seeing high numbers of elk you might want to change your location. More than likely you are not going to see the number of deer you are expecting. Mule deer typically don’t like elk in their back yard. Added noise, activity, and competition for food will drive the mule deer to less than desirable places. So look for your next deer where the elk are less plentiful.
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Doyle Moss
ELK Five Fool Proof Ways to Kill Big Bulls Learn them and hit the mountains!
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love elk, elk hunting and anything there is to do with elk. I am an elk junkie through and through. There is nothing quite like hunting these four-legged, massively racked creatures. When the taste, smell, and sounds of autumn hit the high mountains, I know it is elk season. Mud flying, nostrils flaring, bugles roaring, horns racking, cows chirping, and antlers locking mean only one thing...get your gun. Over the term of my guiding career, my hunters and I have been very fortunate to be a part of some giant bulls hitting the dirt. Team Mossback has put close to 100 – over 400” bulls on the wall. One of those is the world record “Spider Bull” taken by Denny Austed in central Utah in 2008. The bull scored an inch shy of 500”, which still is mind-boggling to me. With my obsession of the wapiti over the years I have learned a few things that help me and my team be successful.
bull, the “better” and “best” units are the units that you should pursue. If you have the money or the points, focus on the “best.” There are several companies out there that do the research for you and will handle your hunt application process, as well as help you determine the “better” and “best” units. One of those companies is Hunting Illustrated’s own hunt application and research guru,
Jon Crump of Hunter’s Trail Head. Part of their business is doing the research, state-by-state, to help their customers know where to find the elk. This will get you going in the right direction. Also, don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and call outfitters for advice on the good areas. Today’s blog sites, Facebook, and the worldwide web are phenomenal sources to help you with your re-
Hunt Where They Are Before the hunt even begins you need to know where the elk are. What I mean by that is you need to do your research. If you want a 400” bull, do not apply for units or buy tags for units where this realistically is not possible. In Utah, for example, there are several units where a 400” bull is not genetically realistic. On the other hand, there are several units in Utah that consistently produce 400” bulls. The elk units in Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico are similar to Utah in good, better, best-type quality. If you want a 400”
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PHOTO:DOYLE MOSS
The author is renowned for guiding Denny Austad to the #1 elk of alltime - the Spider Bull. Few have as much experience as Doyle in finding giant bulls.
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search. With the limited number of tags available nowadays, you will be surprised how many hunters will tell you about their honey holes, because the fact is they may never get to hunt there. Scout Once that special day has come and you have been awarded a coveted, limited-entry tag, it is time to get to work. Looking at maps is a great way to learn the area without even being present. Technology has made our lives easier in this arena. Google Maps is a great place to check out your area, or even better yet, download area-specific information into your handheld GPS unit. I prefer the Garmin Rhino GPS for this. I pop in an area-specific chip that has details on everything. It tells you who owns the land that you are on and even gives you the unit boundaries. This can be crucial information when hunting units where boundaries are chopped up from several different landowners. Trust me, these little GPS units can save you a lot of trouble resulting from not knowing where you are; and they also will help you find your vehicle again
when in a new area. Once you have a good GPS handheld unit, and you are ready to go to your area, get yourself familiar with roads, 4-wheeler trails and hiking trails. The last thing you want to do is spot a trophy animal during your hunt and not know if you can get to him because you are not familiar with the area. Now that you have scouted out the area electronically and know the road and trail system, it is time to get out your field glasses and spotting scope. Late summer scouting is a great time to find big, velvet-horned muleys, as well as bachelor groups of big bulls. It’s also a great time to get the family out camping; why not camp in the area you will be hunting? A key time to scout is right before your hunt. Take the time to scout your area a minimum of two days before the hunt starts. If you are on a guided-hunt, it would be well worth your money to pay the guides to prescout before you get there. Remember you’re not the only one looking for a monster animal; most likely the first hour of opening morning is going to be your best opportunity to get him. Make sure you know where he is through your scouting efforts.
Hunt the Rut A big bull is more elusive than you think. Big, mature bulls love to stay in the cool shade of the deep forest; here you will usually find them bedded in thick patches of pine trees. Not only can the shade keep their motor cool, but the pine needles make for some pretty soft beds for the 500+ lb animals. During preand post-rut, bulls will lie most of the day, only getting up to eat and drink. This usually occurs at first and last light and usually once during the day, briefly. When the mating call comes from a cow in heat, that all changes. Something clicks in the big ol’ bull’s skull and he goes absolutely crazy. They seem to go from 0 to full rut in no time; and at that time their breeding engine is wound tight. They have one thing on their mind and it is not eating or sleeping. That is why bulls can lose up to 30% of their body weight during the rut. They spend all their energy in pursuit of hot cows and many times simply forget to eat as much as they need to rebuild all the calories they are burning. This craze makes bulls
PHOTO:DOYLE MOSS
“A key time to scout is right before your hunt. Take the time to scout your area a minimum of two days before the hunt starts. If you are on a guided-hunt, it would be well worth your money to pay the guides to pre-scout before you get there.”
PHOTO:VIC SCHENDEL
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“Plain and simple...hunting the rut can nearly triple your success rate. Whether you are archery, muzzleloader, or rifle hunting, you have the odds in your favor.”
PHOTO:DOYLE MOSS
Using the right equipment can cover a variety of things from your boots, to your optics, your weapon of choice, your bullets, or broadheads. If you are hunting the rut, success could boil down to how well you blow your cow call, or how ef-
fective your elk bugle is. There have been many hunts where my hunters have wanted to call themselves. Some hunters can call much better than I; whereas others sound more like a duck, and with the squeak of their attempted call, off goes the trophy of a lifetime... never to be seen again. Some hunters buy new equipment that has never been used before until they break it out of the package opening morning; this usually ends in disaster. From breaking in new boots, to driving your family crazy from you practicing a cow chirp, it is all part of necessary preparation for the hunt. The weapon a hunter uses, and how proficient he or she is with that weapon, ultimately seems to play the biggest factor in the outcome of a hunt. If it is an archery hunt, choose a bow that can shoot farther and faster to increase your range. The same goes for a rifle set-up. Having an accurate rifle that is packable, so you can keep up with your guide, is vital; it can mean the difference of watching a bull run over the ridge while you catch your breath, or being in position to take a 600-yard shot. If you are going to show up at hunting camp with a 10-12 long-range rig, you better be able to pack it; otherwise, you are handicapped before you leave camp. The bows seem to get better and better every year, as do the rifles. Do your research to find out what the best optics, rifle, pack, pair of boots, calls, and clothing are for the area you are hunting, within your price range.
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very susceptible to hunters. Not only are they giving away their location with a screaming bugle, but also they don’t seem to pay attention to anything around them besides cows. As long as you stay downwind of them, they are fairly easy to sneak up on. During this rutting frenzy even the cows, who are normally “on point” with even the slightest sound, seem to be so distracted by grunts and all the theatrics of the bulls, they seem to let their guard down much more than usual at this time of year. What does this mean for you? Increased odds. Not only do you see more mature bulls at this time of year, you often see bulls you had no idea were around. Calling is very effective. Chirping in a big bull within mere yards is what makes elk hunting more personal and exciting than hunting any other species. Plain and simple...hunting the rut can nearly triple your success rate. Whether you are archery, muzzleloader, or rifle hunting, you have the odds in your favor. Use the Right Equipment
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Choose the Right Guide This goes hand-in-hand with choosing the right gear. The reason you hunt with a guide is for their knowledge and skills. Their product knowledge is what you are paying for. Choose a guide that is experienced in the area you are hunting. An experienced outfitter will have a history of killing bulls in certain areas every year. They will have plenty of honey holes to take you to, as well. Make sure you check previous-hunter references for the guide and outfitter. Don’t just call one; and if possible, check forums and blogs to find more information about your top candidates before you choose. You should be able to glean the good information that you receive from the misinformation that most likely will be available as well. The last thing you want is to spend your hard-earned money on a guide, only to find out that it just happens to be his first time in the area. You just paid him and are training him at the same time? Shouldn’t you be receiving a discount? At Team Mossback, I start my guides out as spotters. After they have learned the area and have proven to me that they know it very, very well, then they are given the opportunity to guide our clients in that particular area. Like with most things in life, experience leads to success. Choose a guide/ outfitter with plenty of it. Not all can afford to pay a guide for their hunt. If this is the case, make sure you have plenty of time to scout the area so you can still be successful. If you don’t have the time or vacation days from work to scout, make sure that you are putting in for areas where you have a friend or family member who can scout for you. If you show up blind to a hunt, it will take you the first four to five days just to get your bearings straight, which can cost valuable, premium hunting time. If you make use of these five steps for killing big bulls, you inevitably will be on your way to a trophy-of-a-lifetime. Last thing to remember is hunt hard. I’ll see you on the mountain.
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Les Johnson
PREDATORS Making the Shot, part 2 A continuation of methods and tips to terminate predators on the move
T
here is actually a lot more to making a shot than just pulling the trigger...at least while shooting predator-sized targets such as coyotes. Understand that I am merely trying to explain how my success at shooting coyotes came about. Perhaps there are other methods and techniques out there that can give you a different perspective or idea to try. In Part 1, I wrote about the need for confidence in your weapon, optics, ammunition, and yourself. I will attempt to expand on these topics. When I was heavily involved in calling competitions, I shot a custom built rifle with a long bull (heavy) barrel. My personal justification for this heavier rifle was the high probability of windy conditions in the areas where I called coyotes. I wanted
a rifle that I could hold firmly without as much impact from the wind when bearing the crosshairs down on a coyote that was standing or moving at longer distances. The heavier rifle weight allowed me to settle on targets quickly, with less movement of the crosshairs. The slightest bit of movement from a force such as the wind can really have a dramatic effect on where the bullet lands and thus cause you to assume that it was the gun, or the bullets, etc. You may just chalk it up to a miss, without ever looking deeper into the “real” reason for missing the target. Having a rifle that I felt very comfortable with, and knowing what that rifle’s bullet trajectory was in the wind, and in calm conditions, was critical. I know that if my rifle hadn’t fit me like a glove, my success would’ve never been
“Having a rifle that I felt very comfortable with, and knowing what that rifle’s bullet trajectory was in the wind, and in calm conditions, was critical”
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what it was. My rifle was a key component in building my confidence; but optics, ammunition, and my mental state also played huge roles as well. All those factors had a symbiotic relationship, which enabled success at a higher level. When it came to my optics, two things mattered. One, I wanted a Duplex crosshair so that I could easily and distinctly follow the lines and easily position the crosshairs for a running shot. A darker outside line allowed me to line the coyote out on the run and know that my crosshair was centered on the coyote’s body. If the coyote was a lot farther away, I could rest the crosshair lines on top of the coyote’s back, etc. Anyway you look at it, I required instant and accurate information through the scope, so that
a split-second decision would result in a kill shot. Two, I left the power or magnification on my scope turned up to 11. I used a 4x12x40; so I always left the magnification high, regardless of how close a coyote was. With the power on my scope essentially in a fixed position, I learned to comprehend how the size of the coyote would take shape in the scope at various distances. I cannot tell you how many times I would pull up my rifle and “mentally” tell myself the coyote was 300 yards away. Or, as I pulled
up and looking through the scope I would tell myself, “Wow, that coyote is farther than I thought!” So, I would hold with a little light under the crosshairs above the coyote’s shoulder. I always looked through a scope with both of my eyes open; if a coyote was really close, it was easy for me to get on the target. Once I had fur in the scope, I pulled the trigger. As an important side note...I always carried both a rifle and a shotgun to each stand; so if a coyote was really close, I usually always got the shot with my shotgun. Some terrible memories from a 1993 hunt in the Red Desert of Wyoming really, really show the importance of always leaving the optics the way you regularly use them. On that particular morning, around 4 a.m., my friend and I left Saratoga, WY, to make our trek out into the snow-covered badlands of the Red Desert. It was late February and cold, which meant that the coyotes should respond, so I had high hopes. My friend Norm had guided clients his whole life for Big Game and was a very good hunter as well; so he was used to giving orders ☺ or should I say making recom-
mendations? He happened to look over at my scope as we were bouncing our way back into the middle of nowhere and asked, “What do you have your scope turned up to?” I replied, “11.” He said, “Turn that down. You don’t need it that high. That’s foolish.” So, I turned it down, knowing that I would turn it back up once I got on the stand. As I got on the stand and began to call, I totally forgot to turn it down. As luck would have it, I called in a coyote that I have yet to see again in my lifetime. Perhaps it was God’s way of telling me to make my own decisions and not use someone else’s? I ended up calling in a coyote that was pure white. I’d say it was an Albino, but without looking at its eyes, I cannot totally attest that it was. As the coyote stopped in front of me, at about 150-200 yards, I had trouble seeing its body against the white snow. I could see the outline of its head and ears, but it was very tough to distinguish between its body and the whiteness of the snow. Once I realized the coyote wasn’t coming
Taking the author’s advice pays off in any conditions. These coyotes no longer will be a nuisance to local farmers come Spring time.
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any closer, I pulled up my rifle. I remember looking through the scope and saying, “Oh man, that coyote looks 400 yards away.” It took my mind a while to comprehend why the coyote seemed so small in the scope and then I remembered that my scope was turned down to 4 power. I could tell the coyote was nervous and wanted to get-out-of-Dodge for other reasons; so I didn’t take the time or risk more movement to try and change my scope setting. As a result, I rushed the shot and instantly knew I was going to miss my mark. I remember, like it was yesterday, not being able to confidently hold the crosshairs behind the coyote’s front leg because he looked like an ant in my crosshairs. The whole scenario has made me sick for years…☺. Like I said earlier, always shoot your rifle the way that you know it best performs. I am merely giving you ideas as to how I have done it over the years. I’ve got to move on to another subject before I cry…again and again! One key component in shooting coyotes was my ammunition. Whenever I looked through my scope and settled my crosshairs on a coyote’s shoulder, I knew my bullet would connect perfectly where I aimed. I wanted a bullet and load that would compliment my rifle, scope, and my ability as a shooter. Over the years and with thousands of coyotes to my credit, I shot the biggest percentage of my coyotes with a hand loaded, 52-grain, Hornady Boattailed Hollow Point Match Bullet. I was never a bench rest shooter; but I could get very tight groups shooting my load, and I individually weighed each powder charge so they were all exactly the same on all shells. I knew that my load was traveling around 3670 fps and I sighted my rifle in at 1.75” high at 100 yards. At 150 yards, I shot around 3 inches high, so I could miss coyotes if I was not careful, but I always held “dead on,” clear out to 300 yards. When in doubt on the yardage of a coyote, ALWAYS hold dead on. If the coyote looked like a little target in my scope set on 11 power, I would hold level on its shoulder knowing that I would get some bullet drop. Many times, while shooting
Even in harsh conditions, Les has earned the reputation for terminating coyotes, no matter the circumstances.
coyotes in Wyoming, I would try to call from higher vantage points and the coyotes would approach from a basin below. Some shots were made in the high 300yard range, but I would hold dead on because I would be shooting at such a steep angle down toward the ground below me. The higher elevations tended to make it easier for me to shoot farther. In addition to the rifle, scope and ammunition used, having my mind in the game was critical to my success with coyotes. I didn’t go out calling coyotes to have fun, necessarily. I was on a mission to rid the earth of a few predators that kill fawns and livestock whenever they can--I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to help protect the livestock and game animals so they could sleep a little easier at night without having that predator around to make their stress levels go up. As I’ve previously expressed, my mind is in the game like a professional golfer, basketball player, or football player. I am mentally focused and prepared to take the shot whenever I am presented the opportunity. Sounds goofy I know, but I take what I do very seriously. I will show how this whole article has relevance, by referring to a particular hunt in Wyoming, back in the early 2000’s. That particular day had winds like you can’t imagine. I would guess they were between 60-80 mph. I was trying to call in low areas that were somewhat protected by a hill, with taller sage in the bottoms. I was trying to key on specific bedding areas of the coyotes. I knew I would have to be close in order for them to hear my calling. After a
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minute of calling, I saw a coyote out in front of me that looked like he just sat up from where he was sleeping. His ears were laid flat and he acted like he wasn’t even sure he heard anything. The wind was absolutely at gale force. As I kept trying to get the coyote to come closer, I was under the impression that he couldn’t even hear me. He finally stood up and was standing broadside, so I decided to shoot, or shoot at him. I judged his distance at around 150 yards. With the wind blowing as hard as it was, I put the crosshairs “upwind” of him, or out in front of him about three feet. Yes, you read correctly. It was like I was leading a standing coyote. I wasn’t even sure if three feet was far enough. As soon as I shot, he went down. I had to lean sideways into the wind as I went out to retrieve him and as I looked to see where my bullet had hit; I had just hit the last rib on his body. So the bullet drift was about 4.5 feet at 150 yards, give or take some yards. How does anyone “know” where to aim in those kinds of conditions, without having confidence and total understanding of their rifle, optics, and ammunition? If you would enjoy hearing a little more on Making the Shot, Part 2, as well as watching me make a few shots on coyotes, go to www.youtube/ predatorquestTV and watch “Making the Shot, Part 2”. Until next time, I’m gonna Get To CALLIN!!! LJ Early Fall 2014
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Matt Smith
ARCHERY More Than Inches The culmination of success and hardwork outweigh the size of the trophy
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y personal growth through archery has been an interesting road. Hunting and archery for me has, without question, been a progression. Everything has been step by step. One of those learning “steps” occurred on a memorable elk hunt in Colorado. In 2009, I purchased an “over-the-counter” tag to hunt
elk on public land in the state of Colorado. This area holds a decent amount of game and typically is remote enough to discourage most hunters. I had hunted the area before and knew that if I spent enough time in the tree stand the chance at tagging an elk with an arrow would present itself. My friends Rich and Adam also had tags and were joining me on the trip. We packed our gear, put our
kids to bed, kissed our wives, and hit the road. We drove all night to get to our area, and the location was perfect. On the third evening at 6:15 pm I caught movement to my right. I could see the 5 and 6 split of a bull’s right antler heading my direction. All of the sudden everything I had worked so hard for had come down to this
The author spent countless hours, practicing his shot every day for 7 months, making sure his shot would count should the opportunity arise.
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moment. I stood up. I felt my body begin to shake. I closed my eyes and said, almost out loud, “You have shot every day for the last 7 months in preparation for this moment. When the bull gets to the water he will be less than 20 yards. You got this.” I waited as the bull came down the trail to the water. The bull moved cautiously to the water and came to 18 yards. I waited until the angle was slightly quartering away and drew. When the bull had his head in the spring my pin settled right behind the shoulder. I vividly remember taking a deep breath. I let the arrow fly and it hit the bull exactly where I had held the pin. The arrow penetrated nearly to the fletching into the bull; he spun and headed into the pines at full speed. I looked down at my watch and it was 6:17 pm. I was shaking trying to grasp what had just happened. I felt full inside and expressed thanks for the opportunity to be in these mountains bow hunting. I walked over to his tracks in the mud and inspected where he had turned and headed into the timber. I sat on the log he jumped on his way into the trees and let 30 minutes pass. At 6:47 I moved into the steep and timber covered hillside, headed after the bull. This hillside was prime elk country. The groups of thick pines allowed almost no light onto the soft black soil underneath them. I had very little blood against that dark soil. I had
moved 40 yards into the trees when I saw a welcome sign—the fletching end of my arrow lying on the ground in the middle of the trail. The rain had picked up and it was almost dark. I backed out of the trees as my nerves began to increase, along with the worry that I didn’t have much blood to track the bull and the rain would probably wash any blood that would help me find him. I needed Adam and Rich to help me find him. They had moved farther down the canyon from where I was hunting to watch a series of wallows and hope for an ambush. I remember lying awake in my sleeping bag that night, listening to the pounding rain and praying that we would find the bull. Finally, at 7:00 am, we all were back at the base of my stand and ready to find my bull. We all moved up on to the hillside following the bull’s tracks. The problem was that some of the tracks had water in them. After a mile of not finding him we decided to spread out and work the hillside in a grid system. We spaced out about 5 yards apart and combed the hillside looking for anything—blood, elk, or anything. By 11:00 am I was frustrated. I played that shot over and over in my head and realized that I should have held further back on the bull and put the arrow all the way through him. An exit hole low in his chest cavity would have provided a good blood trail. Early Fall 2014
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The author, along with fellow hunters, completely scoured the area where he thought the bull should be the next morning. After hours of searching, frustration began to settle in.
Rich and Adam could sense my frustration and they offered encouragement, but it didn’t make me feel any better. I still had killed and, in my opinion, wasted this beautiful animal. I began to be disgusted with myself. I decided that if we didn’t find this bull that I didn’t deserve to bow hunt and that this would be my last hunt. By 1:00 pm we were tired and discouraged. We decided to pull out and look farther down the canyon and see if for some reason he ventured out of the trees. We looked for a while with no luck at all. There were so many elk using the area that we weren’t sure if the sign was his or not. We had covered the hillside and tried every logical idea that we could think of. We were spent and out of ideas. I told Adam and Rich to head back camp and that I would make one last walk. I started in a draw that cut across the hillside we had been in all day. I moved almost to the ridge and got on my knees. I was alone and in tears. I asked God to please help me find this animal, I said that I had given my best effort and wasn’t ready to give up yet. I stood up, wiped my eyes, and walked about 10 yards. I saw the beautiful tan color of an elk hide and then saw the five six split, the first part of him that I had seen when he came to water. I was ecstatic and emotional and I yelled as loud as I could for Adam and Rich. They heard me and came running. I was so excited and caught up the moment that I forgot about pictures and began to work on the bull. We began the process of quartering this massive animal and I was overcome with emotion, excitement, and gratitude. There was no blood around the bull, just one small hole in his hide and a ton of blood in the cavity. I had hit both lungs. Later I measured the distance using Google Maps, the bull
had traveled 2.3 miles as the crow flies from where I shot him. Some of the animals that I have taken mean more to me than others. This Colorado bull is more to me than the combined number of inches of his antlers. He is part of an incredible experience involving God and hard work on the mountain. With each experience on the mountain I have developed theories and adapted my gear and approach to hunting, trying to learn as I go and improve as a hunter. This year I have decided to make things ever harder and hunt with a traditional recurve from Stalker Stickbows. I have worked harder and shot more arrows to prepare for this season than any of the previous seasons. I have built and ruined more arrows than all those years combined. But if I am lucky to connect and bring home an animal, any animal, it will mean more based on the effort I have invested. Because archery hunting is the ideal give and take experience. “I asked God to please help me find this animal, I said that I had given my best effort and wasn’t ready to give up yet. I stood up, wiped my eyes, and walked about 10 yards. I saw the beautiful tan color of an elk hide and then saw the five six split, the first part of him that I had seen when he came to water.”
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Photo Story
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7 DAYS, 2 TAGS, SPOT AND STALK MONTANA WILD FOR ANTELOPE
A PRIMOS BLIND IS AWARDED TO EACH PHOTO STORY AUTHOR. SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO STORY TO: EDITOR@HUNTINGILLUSTRATED.COM
Montana Wild is run by brothers Zack and Travis Boughton.They create authentic outdoor content in hopes that it inspires others to pursue an active outdoor lifestyle. Photos: Travis & Zack Boughton | www.Montana-Wild.com
Early Fall 2014
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Photo Story
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7 DAYS, 2 TAGS, SPOT AND STALK MONTANA WILD FOR ANTELOPE
A PRIMOS BLIND IS AWARDED TO EACH PHOTO STORY AUTHOR. SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO STORY TO: EDITOR@HUNTINGILLUSTRATED.COM
Zack and Travis both had great success in harvesting good bucks with a bow. Do you have a Photo Story to share? Submissions can be sent to: Hunting Illustrated PO Box 1045 • Gunnison, UT 84634 editor@huntingillustrated.com
Early Fall 2014
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A hunt to fill the freezer with meat turns up the new #1 Washington bull elk taken by a female
A
t a very young age, my father shared with me his love of the outdoors and guns, as well as the love of a good hunt. I have a feeling that my father would have been very proud about the hunt for this monster elk. My hunting partner, Denny LeDuc, put us in for the Quality Elk Mount Adams Wilderness area in Washington State; and we were awarded the permit as partners starting September 16th to the 30th of 2013. When hunting day came, we set up camp in a mixture of sun and rain. The rain continued to be a constant hunting partner throughout the trip. I didn’t sleep much at all that night because I was so excited about the hunt. That first day I was hunting in an area called Muddy Meadow. The mountain was breathtaking with its glaciers and meadows. Denny and I started walking in at daylight; I swear I felt every muscle in my body as the day wore on. Living on a farm, I thought I was in good shape. Boy, was I wrong! At 66 years of age, I took a beating from all those hills filled with timber and brush. I had my 7mm Mag gun, a fanny pack, binoculars, and compass. I walked about two miles into the brush without seeing any elk tracks; I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy hunt. After about the third or fourth day, my body found its rhythm and loosened up. I knew I would make this hunt. Early one morning, in a meadow, I spotted a three or four point elk. My heart started to race and I lined up my shot. But as I watched the animal, I decided not to take the shot. I wanted a bigger elk. I’m not a trophy hunter, but I wanted a good hunt and a freezer full of meat. I had never let one go before and it was such a strange feeling. Had I made a big mistake? Walking through the brush, forests, and meadows, I finally started to see signs of elk. I walked into the timber and found a small mud wallow in a smaller meadow. Wading through water, with rain running down my neck, I became soaking wet as we walked for hours, before we finally found alder trees torn up by a bull elk. There had to be beds somewhere, if only I could find them! Such large animals, how in the world could they hide so well? We moved to another spot and I felt something watching me; I looked up and in the timber were some cows; but I couldn’t see them well enough to see what
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else was in the herd. Suddenly, they started to crash through the brush and vegetation. I ran up the hill; the chase was on! I tried to cut them off; but again a thought went through my mind, how can such large animals run through such thick brush and disappear so quickly? First order of business back at camp was building a fire to dry out a bit as I cooked dinner. No, I didn’t rub sticks together to start that fire! I had a great little fire-starter that did that job perfectly. I had brought a wire basket for open fire cooking, so I layered the steaks, mushrooms, and veggies into it; but when it was just about done, the blasted hook came undone, and the fire started to lick at the food that fell into it! I was so hungry after not eating all day that Denny and I started to dig the food out of the fire pit. It was gritty and tasted horrible, but ate it we did. That night we went out to listen for any bugling; we heard maybe two, which gave us a thrill. Now we had to find them. Muddy Meadows was still my favorite area as there had been signs of elk. We chose to hunt there again. The next day started with freezing rain. I had hunting boots that were heavily greased, but I think I should have brought waders! Every inch of the meadows and woods were full of water. Now I know why it is called Muddy Meadows! I began to feel like I had made a horrible mistake by not shooting that three or four point elk a few days prior. I wanted a freezer full of wild game, but the hunt was going by fast; days had gone by with no elk in sight. Just tracks, and like the saying goes, you can’t eat tracks or horns. Persistence though is what I do best, and I kept on searching for that big elk. Who was I kidding? By then, just a bull elk would have been great! Denny had just downed a 4x4 elk. I heard the shot, so I went and helped gut and skin the elk. We cut up the meat and bagged it so we could pack it out. I was happy that one of us had gotten an elk. It took most of the day to haul out the meat. Thankfully, the weather was so cold that the meat stayed cool. Now, I’m about 105 lbs and 5’2”; and hauling out that elk was exhausting. The thought that kept me company was ‘Where was my elk?’ Somewhere out there, smirking at me, I was sure. On September 27th, the rain turned to snow. It was snowing so hard that I took off a sock to put over my gun barrel so that when I went through the brush the snow wouldn’t get into it. I was still seeing tracks, but no elk. Mount Adams and the surrounding area were beautiful with that new blanket of snow. I walked in about 1½ miles and the snow and rain finally let up. There were no new tracks and I started to lose hope. I went down to the
BY TAMARA BAKER
small meadow where there was a mud wallow from a bull. There, through the brush and trees, was the most beautiful monster elk I had ever seen! It was standing broadside to me, just eating, only 50 to 100 yards away. I didn’t have time to find a tree to lean on, so I raised my gun, terrified of spooking him. My heart was dancing in my chest and I was having a hard time breathing. He was a monster! I tried to calm down so I could breathe normally, raised my gun, and put the monster in my sight. I had to take the shot free hand, and it seemed like it took several minutes to stop shaking and trembling with my breathing out of control. I knew any moment he would see me or get my scent. Finally, I took a breath and slowly exhaled, squeezed the trigger, and my bullet was off! I prayed, ‘Please, please, let me get this elk!’ He ran out into the larger meadow before dropping. I fell to my knees in shock. I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest, and I started to scream, “Denny! It’s a MONSTER!” It was the biggest elk I had ever seen. My hands were shaking; what an adrenalin rush! I took pictures with my phone, and realized the work was about to begin. It started to rain hard again and a high wind kicked up. By the time we got the monster dressed out, the water was coming up in the meadow so fast that the two of us had to pull with all our might to keep the meat out of the water. It was starting to get dark, so we cut up the meat and ribs first, taking out the head and cape.
Denny and I had an awful time trying to tie the horns onto his backpack, since they were so huge! It took us nearly 20 minutes just to tie them securely. I loaded up my own backpack and we walked about 1-1½ miles back out to put the meat in bags. We also got sheets to cover the elk so we could keep the pine needles and predators out of the carcass, securing it for the night. The meadow had already filled with about six to nine inches of water that we had to wade through. As we walked back in the next day in the hard rain, I wondered what I would find; limbs and small trees were blown down all over the place. We packed out meat all day long; the water was now about a foot deep. Thankfully, we had been able to haul the elk up onto higher ground. The rivers and creeks were running in a torrent by now, I was cold and soaked to the bone. I was basically numb from the cold, plus in a good bit of shock from the monster size of that elk. We were finally done and it was time to leave. I was almost sad to leave since it meant that the hunt was done. But, I couldn’t wait to show off this elk. We drove home and started to call our friends to come and see my monster. Nate and Anita Hamilton looked at this elk and said, “Holy Moses! Take it out of the truck!” After measuring it for points, they told me that I had to get it scored for Boone and Crockett, though I didn’t know anything about how to get it measured. I was told I had to wait for the drying time to pass; and Early Fall 2014
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Scoring at 379 7/8 B&C places this ‘monster’ as the top female-taken typical bull elk in Washington. The author says, “My friend and taxidermist kept telling me this was the elk of a lifetime; and he has seen a lot of trophy elk. He laughed and said, ‘I’d throw away my gun and stop hunting!’”
I waited for what seemed like forever! Strangers came by to see the elk every day; I was told the elk was on the Internet and was seen everywhere. My monster elk was famous and it was getting the respect it deserved. My friend and taxidermist kept telling me this was the elk of a lifetime; and he has seen a lot of trophy elk. He laughed and said, “I’d throw away my gun and stop hunting!” I went to Olympia, WA, to have the elk measured by Boone and Crockett. The elk’s right antler measured 8 number of points with a length of the main beam being 50-inches; left antler was 6 points with a main beam of 53 6/8-inches. Boone and Crockett Club records of North American big Game certified that the typical American Elk scoring 379 7/8 points taken by Tamara G. Baker, taken locality of Skamania County, Washington 2013, had been accepted in the 29th North American Big Game Awards, 2013-2015, on March 24th, 2014. What an honor! I am overwhelmed! I have the award hanging on my wall next to my monster elk. My dream came true with my trophy elk and the amazing adventure in the remote wilderness of Mount Adams, Washington State. I still get goose bumps thinking about my first sight of this elk. I was at the right place, at the right time; and the only thing I can say is, with a good shot and a quick kill... yes, my freezer is indeed full. 54
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Red Meat, Red Wine and Red Stags y e k c o va Sh
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BY EVA SHOCKEY Purpose: Make decisions based solely on whether the thing in question fits within the boundaries of the “Fun Box.” If it qualifies for the “Fun Box,” the decision is yes. If it falls outside the requirements of the “Fun Box,” it’s a no-go. Example 1: Dan wants to have a second helping of dessert. This activity falls into the “Fun Box,” so he decides it’s a good idea. Example 2: Jim invites Dan on a brutally challenging, steep, dangerous, freezing cold hunt in the most remote mountain ranges of Tageraziabianisy. Dan quickly declines this invite because this trip does not fit into his “Fun Box” category.
Eva enjoys any opportunity she gets to hunt and Argentina offers a great adventure for hunting stags.
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old, muddy, exhausting, shivering, starving, thirsty, aching. These adjectives perfectly describe my dad’s preferred hunting conditions. He has always said, “The greater the challenge, the bigger the accomplishment,” and I’ve never met anyone who lives by his word more than him. If he has the option to take the hard route or the easy route, he will choose the hard route 100 times out of 100. He is a man of self-discipline, self-control, and virtually inhuman mental toughness. I, on the other hand, not so much. I can handle rain and mud. I can handle a hard week of hunting and hiking. I can even handle being hungry, tired, shivering and exhausted - that’s all part of hunting - but the difference is, unlike my dad, I don’t seek out discomfort on purpose. Those genes must’ve skipped a generation. Enter Dan Goodenow, the Vice President of Sales for Shockey Enterprises, also known as the founder of the “Fun Box” concept. fun·box [Fuhn-boks] Noun 1. An imaginary box that encompasses all things “fun.”
Dan: “Hey Eve, how do you feel about going to Argentina on a red stag hunt this spring?” That’s all I needed - the deal was sealed. A few months later Dan and I were on a plane, Buenos Airesbound with my Thompson/Center .300 Win. Mag. packed away in my bag and grand dreams of red meat, red wine and red stags in my head. Dan Goodenow is one of those guys who seem to have it all figured out. He’s the go-to guy in our company that everyone wants to hang out with; he’s funny, he has the I.Q. of Einstein, and although he is hugely successful and hard-working, he loves kicking back and having a good time. Years ago he figured out a way to make “territory exploration” into a legitimate career, by travelling around the world and finding the best hunting areas for our company to represent. Awesome, right? In addition to his love for hunting, Dan enjoys fine red wine, a good scotch and long afternoon naps. I couldn’t think of a better hunting companion! Argentinian Culture Shock: Siestas, Malbec and Dolce de Leche A combination of jet lag and extreme excitement had me out of bed at 4 a.m. the first morning of our Argentina hunt. One of the side-effects of all the extensive traveling I do, is that I often open my eyes in a new place each morning and it takes me a moment to figure out where in the world I am. This morning is different. As I open my eyes, I immediately know I’m in one of the greatest places on earth. I can hear the red stag roaring on the hills behind our hunting camp. If that sound doesn’t get a hunter excited and out of bed, I don’t know what would. By 6 a.m. we are stuffed to the gills with our first taste of Argentinian cuisine - my hunting belt already feels tight - and we are out of camp and heading to the hills; soon after, we are all tucked down in a patch of woods, still in the pitch black, listening. Every sense I have is on high alert. The same feeling I get in Colorado on an elk hunt during the rut, I’m experiencing halfway around the world in the rolling hills of LaPampa, Argentina. The roars send vibrating chills from the top of my head, down my Early Fall 2014
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Do food and wine fit inside Dan’s requirements for the “fun box?” Absolutely! Pictured left to right: Wojo, Cathy, Eva and Dan Goodenow.
spine, and goosebumps along my arms and legs. Familiar “Jurassic Park” sensations take over as the stags throw deep chesty roars back and forth across the valley surrounding us. By 9 a.m., the light has been up for a couple of hours and we’ve spotted a few small bulls. One failed attempt at a stalk and a few close calls leave us emptyhanded. Just as I settle back into my spot against a tree, ready to spend the rest of the day out in the woods, I notice our guide, Santiago, packing up his stuff. This introduces the first major difference between hunting with my dad and hunting with “Fun Box” Dan. Up until my first hunt with Dan a few years ago, I didn’t realize there was such a thing as a lunch break and/ or a midday nap, or as they call it in Argentina, a “siesta.” My dad pushes his physical limits on a daily basis and has made a name for himself as a rough-and-tough hunter for this exact reason. However, not everyone is interested in the rough-and-tough title. Although I’m sure he’d refuse to admit it, I’m fairly sure Dan bases his hunting choices on the amount of fun they provide versus the amount of discomfort. My dad uses the same criteria, but he always makes the inverse choice that Dan makes. To each their own. By 10 a.m. we were all back in camp eating a huge lunch of red stag carpaccio, homemade pizza, and fried dove. We’re having a cold drink and enjoying the warm South American sunshine. One of the best parts about this stag hunt is that it’s in the middle of March, which is essentially when the pit of our hunting season occurs here in North America. By March, most of us Canadians and Americans have had months of long, cold winter, complete with nothing to hunt and severe sun deprivation. A perfect time to escape down south and hit the hills…. Maybe Dan’s on to something? The first day I am still naive enough to think that we are heading back out to hunt after our mid-morning meal. Am I ever wrong. People in camp start scattering once the plates are empty, and one by one I see them retreat to their rooms. Huh? Lunch break and nap time? You don’t have to tell me twice! It doesn’t take me
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long to adjust to this low-pressure lifestyle. I’m tucked into bed and fast asleep before the plates are cleared. Two hours later I wake up in a panic thinking the hunters left without me. I throw on my boots and run out the door. Nearly stopped in my tracks as I round the corner out the front door, I see everyone is back at the table... eating again! Apparently our first lunch was actually tapas and now it’s time for the main meal. “Holy Moly,” as my dad would say. The rest of the hunt pretty much carried on in this fashion. A few hours of hunting, morning and evening, stags everywhere, roaring, goosebumps... followed by food, dessert, drinks, naps, more food, more dessert, more drinks, a bit more hunting and a whole lot of fun. Hunting in Argentina definitely encompasses everything the “Fun Box” was meant to represent. On day four I finally come in contact with the stag of my dreams! When hunting for red stags in Argentina, there are so many different configurations of antlers; but generally you’re looking for heavy mass and crowning on the tops. The bedded stag has both, and he’s a monster. At 400 yards, the giant stag is bedded down in the deep grass with just the tops of his antlers poking into view. Attempting to stay downwind, we begin our stalk. Sneaking closer, we crawl on hands and knees, hidden beneath the cover of the thick bushes. The rolling hills act as natural cover for us, but our plan backfires as we get near the bedded stag; the bushes disappear as the ground quickly drops into the valley. We can’t break into the 300-yard mark from this angle,
The author looks back to the camera with excitement as she hears stags roaring off in the distance.
“As I walk up to the stag, I see his true beauty close up and am at a loss for words. His powerful, muscular body is nearly drowned out by the colossal antlers balancing on the top of his head.”
so we have to change our approach. We cut back on our tracks and try to get up and around the unconcerned stag. The wind is swirling as we pop out of the bushes above him, with no clue how far the stag is from our hiding spot. He is closer than expected and hears our commotion and stands up from his bed. The stag is standing broadside at 150 yards. With my rifle up on shooting sticks, elbows on my knees, I take the shot. Thwwaaappp. Overwhelmed with emotion and relief, I hug Santiago and Dan. As I walk up to the stag, I see his true beauty close up and am at a loss for words. His powerful, muscular body is nearly drowned out by the colossal antlers balancing on the top of his head. This majestic red stag will be eaten tonight at our camp BBQ, feeding all of the staff and hunters in camp, with meat left over for months. I take a moment to show appreciation to this beautiful creature that I may never get to hunt again. All the fun in the world cannot compare to the gratitude I feel in a moment like this. Back at camp, the other hunters, who also had success, meet us. We kick back to enjoy red stag steaks over the outdoor fire pit. Moments like these make me proud to be a hunter. Proud to provide and proud to continue the natural process of hunting and gathering that my dad taught me, and his dad taught him years before. Maybe my dad’s hunting methods are different than Dan’s, or different than the average person, but ultimately, “Fun Box” or not, we
all hunt for the same purpose. We hunt for food. I am acutely aware of this as I sit around the fire. Of all the things I’ve learned here in Argentina, there are a few more cultural tidbits I am going to take back with me to North America: 1. Dolce de Leche is a Godsend. This Argentinian homemade caramel sauce can basically be used in every meal of the day. Once the cook learned of my love for sweets, he seemed to find a way to sneak this caramelly-goodness into everything I ate. After a week of this, I practically had to roll back home, but it was worth it! How every Argentinian doesn’t weigh 500 pounds, I’ll never know. 2. Midday siestas should be mandatory for everyone, everyday. No exceptions. 3. It is perfectly acceptable to eat a desert (or two) everyday after lunch and dinner. Possibly even breakfast, if there are dessert leftovers from the night before. 4. The sooner you shoot a stag, the sooner you get to drink Argentinian Melbec with lunch and dinner. Possibly even breakfast, if there is a leftover bottle from the night before. 5. Always bring a pair of stretchy pants when hunting in Argentina. 6. Most importantly, if Dan Goodenow ever calls you and asks you to go on a hunt, accept the offer. I promise you it will be the trip of a lifetime and will always, without a doubt, be well within the “Fun Box” guidelines! Early Fall 2014
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BY KEVIN BUTTS
B
eyond the rare tag, this hunt was special in a bigger way. By September 21st, we would be entering the wilderness of the Rockies, only two months after Dad had passed. This would be the first hunt without him; emotional torment was still in full effect as each continued to grapple with the grief process in our own way. Without saying so, we knew the outing would offer a much-needed sense of normalcy, yet confirm things would never quite be the same again, as the desire to radio back to the “mobile command” Dad always manned in his later years, would remain unrequited. Now the radio silence would mean Dad wasn’t just napping on the job, but was watching his boys from the greatest vantage point of all. Despite the timing, I considered myself lucky... getting my tag for the coveted Colorado Bighorn Sheep in just nine years; there would be souls in those same mountains that breached double digits in their plight for the shot. I was sure my youthful vigor was capable of conquering the altitudes and challenging geology with ease; certainly a day or two was all I needed before checking in a trophy ram. In reality, I had just been enrolled into the purely interactive coursework of a Wilderness University, and the curriculum would be humbling. I prepared like I thought a Navy SEAL would. I conditioned my body. I gathered intel from the locals and successful hunters. I tried to become the biologist’s best friend, while probing the local game warden. I read the articles, and reviewed lists of the must-have gear. I studied the custom maps and planned my recon scouting trips. I sighted
in my trusty 30-06 A-Bolt and learned angular ballistics. And of course, I had full curl rams loping through my dreams for months. My visions of a sheep hunt included amazing vistas
“My visions of a sheep hunt included amazing vistas that stretched for miles, fresh air entrained with traces of pine from the conifers below, and a unique sense of solitude. “ Early Fall 2014
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that stretched for miles, fresh air entrained with traces of pine from the conifers below, and a unique sense of solitude. As we hiked in, I quickly learned some simple truths: The views glaringly remind you the vast country you have entered will cause even the most optimistic to question the odds of being in the right place at the right time. You will not see those sights unless you climb, and any route you choose will undoubtedly have ankle-rolling side hills and cleverly placed rockslides. That fresh air you breathe will be depleted of oxygen, and it will take more of it to enrich your burning leg muscles and lungs that feel like they are bleeding from the inside. The solitude comes as you spend the day glassing distant mountainsides for animals that look like rocks, and rocks that look like animals. Day one started the same as most hunts do…early. Hunting provided just the right amount of adrenaline and excitement to counteract my normal slumber habits. We rose, checked our packs and began the climb from camp with muscles that had deviously tightened from the hike in. We found ourselves surrounded by elk at the tree line, but there was no bighorn action to speak of. As the sun shortened our shadows, we found a group of lambs and ewes down a horribly steep, rocky chute, a sure sign that there would be no
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rams in the same vicinity. The rest of the morning was spent glassing a vast basin; day one began to feel like a freshman’s initiation as my foolish ambitions of a slam-dunk slipped away. The following three days offered better results; we were now spotting bachelor groups of rams. But, by the time I had side-hilled a delightful rockslide to the knob where we spotted them, they had slipped into an unseen draw and were swallowed by the gray twilight. We made one evening trip up a mountain that had shown promise during a scouting trip, where I had watched 10 rams a month before, but saw no sheep. I returned to camp with a sense of panic as the halfway point in the season loomed. I questioned my tactics and second-guessed my instincts. My knees ached and popped during any portion of a downhill descent, providing a credible argument to my psyche against my ability to continue another week. I focused on the words of my wrestling coach, “Your mind will quit before your body does, every time.” Still, my once cocky attitude was in full retreat. On the sixth day, we returned to where we had started, intending to scour the draws where we had seen a group of eight rams. Jason left mid-day and after his departure, I had a nagging feeling about the mountain we had
explored two nights before. I had heard of a “bruiser” ram responded to the surge of adrenaline ordered by my brain; and that had been spotted numerous times, on a remote rockslide after a day of inaction, my entire being tingled back to life as of the peak; after gut-wrenching deliberation, I decided to go blood rushed through my body. after him, sight unseen. The sun was low in the sky and reflected fantastically The next morning, I reached the top with perfect off of his well-formed horns. His dark-brown barreled body timing; only three does met me there, seemingly surprised to contrasted and moved with ease over the sharp rocks. I waited see a human silhouette. I situated myself on an outcropping for followers as he crossed the slide…he was alone. Moving that offered an ideal position above the ancient rock slides on steadily, the ram disappeared below the outcropping beyond either side. Moving in any direction would offer little vantage my line of sight. I was sure that he would reappear on the point to the steep and heavily timbered slopes below me and slide to my right. Slowly I rose up and peeked over the rocks, I did not want to risk rousing any ram that might be bedded as he was about to duck into the highest-reaching pines of down below. So I sat. timberline. I hastily repositioned my rifle and squeezed the The next seven hours were a true test of my patience. trigger as soon as I was satisfied with the picture in the scope. Taking shelter among the most comfortable rocks available, I It was a solid hit and rolled the old ram twice down the did everything to pass time. I carved my name into a stump, hillside; to my surprise I saw him regain his footing through cleaned my scope, sharpened my knife, had conversations with the birds, and napped. Still, there was no other place on earth I wanted to be, as a strange feeling constrained me to stay put and wait. My instincts were eerily confirmed at 11:00 that morning when I heard the thump-thumpthump from rotor blades of a helicopter approaching from the east. Within seconds, an H-47 Chinook came roaring almost directly overhead; significant for me because Dad had flown nearly the same helicopter during his time in Vietnam. I had not seen one of those choppers in years; and added to that, the occurrence being in these mountains, on this day, and on a fortuitous heading that would cross my wandering path. It was as if my old man was sending a message, ‘This is a good spot, well done.’ I wondered if anyone would believe my story and remembered to snap a picture as the big bird flew through a gap south of Red Mountain and crossed the divide at Jones Pass. Before long, only two hours of light remained in the day. I set up solid rests at each probable angle, hopeful for evening action. While daydreaming, something flickered out of the corner of my left eye. I quickly focused in on an obviously mature ram, A solid hit sent the ram to the cliffside. His last breath was not more than 200 yards out at a inches from the cliff’s edge. Can you see him? steep downward angle. My heart Early Fall 2014
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the trees and a tussle of dust. Convinced it was a fatal shot, I gave him time to lie down and expire before I tracked him. The cagey old ram astounded me as he emerged from the trees noticeably hurt, instinctively heading toward the rugged cliffs, but moving too fast for my frantic disposition. I fired again, hitting low and smashing a rock below his belly; then fired once more and heard a thwap that verified solid contact with his shoulder. Knocked down briefly, he clamored to his unsteady legs again, and reached the cliffs! I was amazed at this animal’s toughness, but worried about his now precarious position; I did not want to see him fall from what looked like a considerable height. I watched as he stumbled one final time, thrashed his horns twice before bowing his head over an edge and taking his last breath. The hunt that was nearly a decade in the making was over. Like a kid rushing downstairs at Christmas, I hurriedly made my way to my ram, letting out many whoops
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and hollers that echoed up the drainage. When I reached him, I was overjoyed; a sense of accomplishment and gratitude took over, as I grasped the horns and stroked the coarse hide for the first time. He truly was an old bruiser, with heavy pitch on scarred horns and a notch out of his ear. This ram had exhausted a bountiful but tough life. To think that for 12 years he had made those peaks and cliffs his domain, where he must have survived countless challenges. And there I was, laying claim to this master of the mountains. He had surely evaded many hunters over the years, and a broken broadhead in the old ram’s nose suggested he had done just that, only three weeks before, during archery season. As the light faded, I gutted him quickly. Apprehensively, I decided to leave him overnight and try to recruit a team to help pack him out the next day. I was able to dupe Jason, my sister Lindsey, and an old college buddy, Travis, into pack frames the next day to make the seven mile trip with
“He truly was an old bruiser, with heavy pitch on scarred horns and a notch out of his ear. This ram had exhausted a bountiful but tough life. To think that for 12 years he had made those peaks and cliffs his domain, where he must have survived countless challenges.”
me again…substantially loaded this time. I was impressed with everyone’s shared enthusiasm for my successful hunt. Luckily, no lion had found the old ram and the birds had just begun their feast when we arrived. As I comfortably sit here, well fed, warm and dry, writing this memoir of sorts, it’s easy to forget the struggles of those eight days. Sore muscles have subsided and returned to their routine duties. The gear has been put away. The Browning rests in the gun cabinet. I am
left waiting eagerly for a friend’s excited call with news of a bighorn tag bearing their name. I will have to warn them though, that they will be afflicted with a terminal condition. Without warning, they will find themselves sitting through a dull meeting, or a snarled traffic jam and will almost certainly catch their gaze looking toward those high peaks - daydreaming of the quest. Sportsmen know it’s not just a hunt; it’s more complex than that - it’s therapy for the soul.
Father, Son and Son With three tags, this family sets out to defy the odds
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for my dad and me. Between the two of us, we have hunted or guided all over---from Canada to Mexico, and multiple states in between, not to mention the Henry’s, here in Utah, a few years ago. This hunt was the Henry’s on steroids and half the amount of pressure. Even after I got my deer, more and more good bucks would move in every day. My dad was passing on 180+ bucks that were over 30-wide! Now my dad has had the honor to harvest multiple 200-inch deer; so for him, it’s a bit easier to pass up deer like that…not easy, but easier. However, all of his big bucks are typical, and he wanted something with a big frame and a few extras. Day five started very cold and snowy. Right at first light I found a big 4x5 that was just a great looking buck; after a long discussion, my dad decided to pass on him. We decided to start moving up the canyon when I happened to look down below us; there he was, a monster buck with a big frame and extras, I could not believe this was happening! Before he could get a shot off, the buck slipped up the mountain, out of range. I got the spotting scope out to get a better look at the buck as he was chasing does around, out of range. My dad hadn’t really got a good look at him, so he asked, “Do I need to get a closer look at him and make sure?” I told him ‘no, we just need to catch up with that deer and kill him--he’s a giant,’ at which point we took off after him. As we were coming The author’s brother tagged a great mid 160-class buck early in the hunt. up the ridge, his does were It created good momentum coming out the bottom. I started to range them when dad said, “There he is!” I looked all around and said, “Don’t shoot! It’s just does out there. He should be coming behind them.” He said, “Not over there, but right here in the rocks just 150 yards away.” So we waited for what felt like a half hour (it was really only like two minutes), then we decided to get on top of the flat and that way we could see off both sides in case he was taking a different route. When we got on top, I started heading in the direction of the other does; suddenly two other does popped out to our left. We stopped and both of old on! Let me make sure it’s him!” “BOOM!” “He’s down! Holy smokes! He is down! WOOHOO!” That was the sound that rang out across the mountain on day five of the hunt. Let’s back track a little now. In 2013, we finally made the choice of what unit we wanted to hunt. Only one problem…we had three tags to fill. I know, right? It’s crazy to think that three tags in your family is a problem. The problem was all of us wanted big bucks; but unless you have a Henry’s tag, that is a tall order --- it’s doable, but far from easy. Then to top it off, my brother could only hunt the first three days of the season. Not a good deal when you have a weather dependant unit. Sometimes when you least expect it, things just kind of work out. My brother shot a respectable 4x5 that goes in the mid 160’s and he was pumped. My dad and I got up there a few days after my brother had left; the unit had done a total 180 from the week before. Deer like my brother’s, were all over the place; and now it was time to go find a giant. On day three, a buck stepped out to push some does around; he was too good to pass up. I shot my buck at 381-yards and when we got up to him I was so excited. He was a 28-wide 4x5 as well; but he had an awesome drop tine on one side and a big extra on the other; he scored in the mid 180’s and had a ton of character. At that point, the deer hunt was already shaping up to be the best deer hunt ever
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BY JAKE SELBY
The author put down this superb 190s class with his muzzleloader. Two down, one to go.
us suggested that he might have gone to gather more does. Right as we were discussing that possibility, a giant set of tines appeared out from behind a huge boulder. “Hold on! Let me make sure it’s him!” “BOOM!” The gun went off! My dad wasn’t waiting; he knew it was a great buck. When he shot, the buck went right down; it was a great shot. Now granted, it was only 98 yards; but with a deer like that, it was still a great shot just to hit it. When we got to the buck, I decided I had never seen so many grown men screaming with joy in my life. The mountain seemed to come alive; guys from all around
came running over to see the buck and cheer with us. I want to thank everyone that had a tag on that unit; it was an amazing experience to hunt like that and have everyone helping each other out. I’m not kidding when I say that it was a far better experience than hunting the Henry’s. I want to thank my family; we have enjoyed some unreal adventures together which have made us closer. I wouldn’t have it any other way. As a side note, when we got back in town, we had my dad’s buck scored. He went over 215 and was 29-5/8 wide. It was amazing! His best deer ever!
The last buck is down and it’s a whopper! The author’s father took this giant on day 5! 215 total inches with 29 5/8-inches of width!
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Return to the Hunt
G
ary Edinger, an avid hunter and licensed guide, was logging when a tree crashed down, severing his leg just below the knee. He was alone, 18 miles from the nearest town, 300 yards from his pickup truck, and bleeding profusely. His amazing story is chronicled in, Will to Live: A Saga of Survival. Today he is back hunting. When I asked Gary why he had such determination to return to all of his former activities, he said, “I guess the way I looked at it was…there is nothing you can do about that. You have to go forward, you know. You have to try.”
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SURVIVAL, PERSEVERANCE AND ACHIEVMENT An interview with survivalist author, Gary Edinger
Liz: Why did you start hunting? Gary: Well, that’s as natural as eating or breathing! I come from a hunting family. When I was growing up, we killed for meat; but we also hunted because we really liked to hunt. My grandmother always said that if the Edinger men worked as hard as they hunted, we’d have all been millionaires. How could I not? Hunting is sacred, a religion. Liz: If you picked out experiences prior to the accident that prepared you mentally or emotionally to survive, what would you pick?
BY LIZ BUEBE Gary: My whole life…we never quit, so that was key. That was the most natural thing to pop into my head, after I quit...which, I’m actually embarrassed to admit that I did for a minute; I just felt so hopeless – I mean, why bother. My whole life I’ve always tried to see how far I could get. I grew up so small – I was just a runt. I’ve always had to go the extra distance and put in the extra effort just to keep up. So I think that was key. The experience of seeing a deer get hit by a car and get all four legs broken, (recounted in the book,) seeing her scrambling on those four stubs, trying to live, really impacted me. I mean that has just stuck in my head forever. I understand that now, how she felt that day. I always figured if a guy had four broke legs, he’d just lie in the ditch and moan. But I’m not so sure anymore. I sure didn’t. And I knew from hunting experiences and other things, you don’t die from pain. I knew the pain would not kill me. So I never focused on it. I didn’t let it overwhelm me because it wasn’t important. I knew that bleeding would definitely kill me; I knew that shock could kill me; but not pain. I think that was important, to know that, to understand that. I think spending time in wild places where you can have days of just being by yourself, discovering yourself, thinking about life and what’s really important, helped me a lot. Liz: It would have been acceptable by anybody’s
standard, for you to do that kind of connection with yourself, nature, and life, in Wisconsin – without traipsing out to the Selway-Bitterroot or getting back into hunting. Why the push to do that? Gary: Well, I just have to hunt. That’s one of the reasons I crawled out of the woods that day. And why I have to go to the Bitterroot Mountains…they are just so awesome, they are beautiful. And they are just so big; you can take days to get across that country. It’s real. The Bitterroots are so empty and so challenging; and because of that ruggedness, so beautiful and pristine. It is nature in the raw. And I just have to be there. It reinvigorates your soul. Liz: Are there other remote areas that you hunt other than the Bitterroot? Gary: I hunt the wildest places I can around the house here; but still, it’s not big enough and there is no place like the Selway-Bitterroot that I’m aware of. You’ve got the Frank Church that butts up next to it. That’s the biggest bunch of wild country in the lower 48, and I don’t know where else I could go and get that kind of emptiness, and be by myself. Nobody understands that; it doesn’t make any sense how you could be attached to a certain place, but there’s a holiness to it. It is so
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special. Another thing about the Bitterroot – it doesn’t change that fast because nobody is roading it, nobody is logging it; so except for fires, it stays the same long enough that you can develop a relationship to it. Liz: How did you prepare to go hunting again? Gary: I just kept working at it. I didn’t have to do anything mental. My lack of patience was a problem and I think not having an example. Not having somebody that I could read about who was doing what I wanted to do. I know one-legged people that go hunting, but they don’t make deer drives through a swamp, you know. I did spend some time on the Internet trying to find an elk hunter who was still going up and down mountains pursuing elk, and I couldn’t find anybody. If I had been able to have that for an example, it sure would have shored up my confidence. The thing that’s key is that I went back to logging. The therapy of 8-10 hours a day of
being a logger is unbelievable. I can’t think of any other occupation where you could get the kind of therapy that gives me the strength to do what I can do. Now, how many nuts would go back to logging…. that’s another story. Liz: If you had an opportunity to speak to other amputees and especially ones who wanted to be hunters, or had been hunters, what advice would you give them? Gary: Just go do it! I’m not going to listen to excuses. If you have a knee, if your amputation is below the knee, then it can’t be any shorter than mine. Cause if it were any shorter, there wouldn’t be any point in having a knee, because it is the shortest that you can have a functioning stump. So, I’m an example, and I know I can do it. So it’s just up to you if you want to bad enough, or not. And if you don’t want to, that’s ok. I would never judge a person that way; but I don’t want to hear any excuses. Liz: If you had to describe your most frustrating moment, getting back into the hunting, what would it have been? Gary: That moment when I was out there on that first elk hunt with Darrell, my prosthetist -- the goal was just to be there. I knew I was just learning to walk and I just had to be there. Then after getting there, accomplishing that goal, I was really bummed. I mean, just really bummed out. I was trying to figure out ‘What’s the matter with you?’ And the mountain told me the answer, ‘This isn’t good enough. This isn’t good enough. Breathing air and taking up space just isn’t good enough. You’ve got to be able to rise to the challenge,’ – and then not knowing if I could or not. Liz: Have there been any moments of danger, since you’ve gone back to hunting, which are directly related to having a prosthetic? Gary: None that I can think of. I’ve been extra careful when I go out west, when I turn the stock loose, to make sure trails are blocked, make sure I’ve got the hobbles on. If they ever get loose on me, and go back to the trailhead…eighteen miles back to the trailhead would be an awful hike for me. I take extra precaution there, and so far, I’ve kept them in camp. Liz: Do you have any other thoughts about this process that you want to share with me? Gary: A lady asked me one time, “What is it about life that made you want to live so badly? You know, what
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excites you about life so much?” And I didn’t have a good answer at the time. But a few years back, I was out in the Frank Church wilderness, packing for my nephew, and me and another packer, were coming back out after taking some elk hunters into their drop camp, about 16 miles back. So we were going back late, we knew we were going to be riding in the dark. A thunderstorm hit us right about when darkness hit. It was coal black, where you couldn’t see your horse’s ears; rain pouring down and lightning echoing up and down the canyons. We were on the side of a burnt out mountain, where every time the lightning flashed you felt like ducking, you know. All of a sudden, the lightning flashed and there was the most beautiful scene. There was Rusty, slumped over in his saddle, hunched against the elements; his mule’s ears were up and alert, as any lead animal’s are. And then the seven pack animals behind him were just strung out perfectly, ears were all drooping, their heads were down, just a bunch of soaked, beasts of burden, strung out perfectly... blackened cookie-cutter silhouettes, against the mountain, going around switchbacks. You couldn’t have flashed the lightning at a more perfect time. It was just the perfect picture. Now I should have been bummed out. You’re in a cold rain, with lightning flashing; you ought to be feeling miserable. But I was keyed up. There’s no place that I would rather have been…and then to have that picture, have that revealed to me. THAT’s why I crawled out of the woods, to be able to still experience things like that. You know, who wouldn’t rather be sitting on a nice, warm couch at that time? But I just have to be in
those places; and I just have to see those things, because who else would have ever seen that beautiful picture? You can’t capture that on canvas; you wouldn’t ever be able to catch that in a photograph, because you wouldn’t know when the lightning was going to flash. I am the only person who will ever really see that picture. There’s going to be more experiences like that, I hope. I’m not looking for any more life-challenging moments, and I definitely hope they don’t happen. But I’m not going to quit living to avoid them. You only get one shot at this. You don’t want to be 65 and looking back and say, ‘Oh I wish...,’ cause you aren’t going to get a second chance. You’ve got to stay young. If you sit down, you’re going to get old. Why get old before you have to? Liz: At the conclusion of our interview, Gary shared with me the following thought that came to him in the backcountry several years ago. When you are by yourself in the backcountry, you are not alone. I am there with you. I know why you are there, what you are thinking, what you are feeling. As you wake in the morning, I can hear the creek, just outside the tent. As you fall asleep at night, I hear the last feeble pop of the fire, before it lays down. The only thing I do not know is what you dream. I hope you go to the wild places every chance you get, so I can be there too.
While hiking deeper into the Yukon, the author locates a great shed along the way.
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Six Years in the Making
I
t was a cool, crisp August morning on the opening day of the archery elk hunt in Utah. My hunting partner arrived at 3:15 a.m. and we quickly loaded his gear into my truck. We proceeded to drive up the canyon and the temperature continued to fall as we climbed. We parked at the trailhead and loaded up our bows on our packs. Our ascent took a couple of hours before we reached a parting point in the trail. I wished Tri good luck as I raced down trail to beat the sun, reaching my tree stand within 45 minutes. I pulled my safety harness and string from my pack, tied the string to my bow, and climbed up to my elevated seat. The next two hours were filled with noisy squirrels and pinecones falling from trees. My awareness rose with every thump of a pinecone. My mind started to envision elk following
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trails below me. My daydream was interrupted with the snap of a branch. I slowly turned my head to the right, just in time to catch antler tips moving through the tall brush. I quickly turned and grabbed my new Hoyt Faktor from its hook. I quietly turned in my seat, just in time to see the antler tips materialize from the brush and turn into a massive set of antlers. I instantly started shaking. My journey to this point had taken me over hundreds of miles of scouting, hiking, camping and searching on Google Earth. I started hitting trails with my wife back in 2008, when we moved to Salt Lake City, and found deer and elk sign just about everywhere. I marked areas with heavy game traffic, water holes, trees with rubs, pinch-points, and saddles on my
BY DAVID DEAUSTIN
GPS unit. I tried to get out each weekend for hikes and hunting research, setting up trail cameras and mineral licks to see if I could locate any bulls. Once I located an area with a healthy elk population, I tried to find ways to reach it. I climbed the mountain numerous times via many different approaches; then I decided to consult Google Earth to find the easiest route. I had countless encounters with raghorn bulls while exploring this new area, but nothing prepared me for what I was about to see. The bull emerged from the tall brush. I was so in awe of his massive rack, which was unlike anything I’ve seen, that he quickly walked through my sight window, taking my shot opportunity with him. He walked past my trail camera, pausing long enough for the camera to capture five pictures of him, then continued along the trail and stopped again at 20 feet. I searched for a shot, but the brush was far too thick to send an arrow through it. I continued to shake violently. There was one other time that I had buck fever; it was early November last year and a 180” buck ran toward me. Finally, the bull took a few steps down the trail. I could hear his hooves on the rocks and I knew he was heading my way as he slowly made his way down and turned toward me. I could see his antler tips through the brush. He dropped off the trail and walked in the mud, seemingly prolonging the inevitable. Once he finished playing, he stepped back onto the trail and started moving towards me. I reached full draw and relaxed at the backstop while I waited for his final descent. It seemed to take forever, but he finally took the last five steps out of the brush and paused directly in front of me. I placed my Spot Hogg single pin just behind his shoulder and leveled the bubble in my sight. The arrow left my Faktor in a flash and the bull jumped as I saw my fletching disappear behind his shoulder; I quickly nocked another arrow and drew back as he slowly walked beneath me. I wanted to get a second arrow into him because mature bull elk are tough creatures. I’ve heard of them traveling a mile or more after a good shot; and I’ve lost an elk because he went too far after a shot and I couldn’t find him after searching for days.
The bull only went about thirty feet before he stopped and made some soft sounds like he was hurt. I was glad to see that he wasn’t spooked at all from the shot. I tried to reach around the tree to make another hit, but he was behind some tall brush, so I let my arrow down and hung my bow on its hook. He slowly walked off and I took my seat at the tree stand. I immediately started shaking; I couldn’t believe what had just happened. I sat and tried to remain calm, but I felt like jumping up and down and celebrating. I JUST SHOT MY FIRST BIG BULL! I pulled out my phone to see if I had service; I had just enough bars of reception that I could text a couple of friends that I had just hit a big bull. I received some excited responses from my friends; they, too, were on the mountain hunting, but were in search of deer, miles away. I called my hunting partner, Tri, who was in a stand less than half a mile away and told him what had happened. I told him to wait two hours and then make his way towards me. I did not want to bump this bull. Tri arrived two and a half hours later. I climbed down and we recounted the events that had happened earlier. We searched for my arrow, to no avail; so we followed the trail that the bull took, diagonally across the mountain. Within ten feet from where I shot him, we found the first drops of blood; I pulled out my trail tape and marked the first and second spots, and we continued down the path. The trail was spotty at best; there wasn’t
The author uses ribbon to track the blood trail, after making a solid hit on a great bull. Early Fall 2014
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Fresh blood leads a trail to a solid victory.
much blood, and the drops that we found weren’t very big. I started to second-guess my shot. I thought it was a heart shot; I mean, who could mess up a shot at 14 yards? We didn’t go more than 50 yards and we found a bed. After looking for blood in the bed, we found my arrow buried in the dirt. It looked as if 2/3 of my arrow passed through the exit side of the bull; the other 1/3, the fletching side, must have blocked the exit wound. That explained why the bull wasn’t bleeding much. It all started to make sense. We continued trailing the bull, this time he took a hard turn downhill. Is this his last run? We weren’t sure, but from the shot that I thought I had taken, he had to be running on empty. Sure enough, he went a total of 60 yards from his first bed and he decided to bed again. I was too excited to realize it at the time, but we had already bumped him twice. If you ever find yourself trailing an animal, back off if you find an empty bed; you risk the possibility of running him out of the county. This time there was more blood in his bed. He couldn’t have gone much farther. Tri and I followed the difficult blood trail another 80 to 90 yards and found another empty bed. We quickly lost the blood trail and there weren’t any visible tracks anymore. I was really worried that I had lost him. I went from the ultimate high of shooting a great bull on opening morning, to losing the bull of your dreams just a few hours later. I couldn’t believe it; I just wanted to pack up and go home. I ran out of water at 10 a.m. and it was now almost 2 p.m. I was worn out, hungry, and extremely thirsty; and I didn’t think I could go on anymore, let alone pack him out if I found him. I decided to follow the last bit of trail that was left; he had to have taken it. Suddenly, the trail disappeared into chesthigh brush that was so thick that you couldn’t see five feet. Tri and I decided to split up and move downhill parallel to each other. As we zigzagged downhill, I spotted the bull, bedded within a couple of minutes of walking distance. He was lying down with his antlers straight in the air; his head was bobbing back and
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forth. I could see that his main beams were good, but his thirds were short...he didn’t look as wide as I remembered. I ranged him and he was only 25 yards away; but there was a patch of thick brush in front of me, so I decided to sneak around it and try to get a shot in. I took a couple of steps, the bull heard me, turned his head, and jumped up. It was then that I saw how wide his antlers were and I was blown away! He quickly walked off and disappeared. I marked the trail that he used, backed off and met up with Tri, deciding to back off for the night and return in the morning, just in case the pressure would push him again. I returned the next morning with another friend, Robby. We started the track all over again, just in case we missed something. Once we got to the spot where I last saw the bull, we started our ascent up the hill; his tracks quickly disappeared, again. We walked along the only obvious path and came upon a drainage that descended the mountain. My heart sank. My bull had completely disappeared. Just as I was about to drop to my knees, Robby asked, “Is that him?” He looked again and repeated, “Is that him, is that your bull?” I pulled up my binoculars and saw a large tan patch and the tips of antlers, confirming that it was my bull. We jumped up and down and gave each other high-fives and a huge hug. I couldn’t believe it! WE FOUND MY BULL!! He ended up going a quarter mile, in spite of a perfect double-lung shot. After quickly taking some pictures, Robby and I got to work. We deboned the elk and put the meat in my Caribou game bags and set them in the shade. It took a couple of hours to finish working on the bull. By the time we finished, some friends had shown up to help us pack him out. I want to give a special thanks to Tri Huynh, Robby White, Matt Davis, and Matt Smith for all of their help. I couldn’t have done it without them.
The author poses with his sweet DIY general season bull with a wicked thirteen-inch kicker!
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Just For Laughs
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TV Hunting Illustrated Elk Hunt Giveaway Winner: Kali Tuttle
Q
uestion #1: What were your thoughts when you found out that you were the winner of the subscription drive that Hunting Illustrated recently conducted, which gave away a Colorado trophy elk hunt with Bull Basin Outfitters? Answer #1: At first I thought it was a joke—it didn’t even sound real. I had to have my father read the email because I thought it was a scam. Once we saw it was associated with Hunting Illustrated, we knew it was real. After the realization set in, I was super excited. I couldn’t stop smiling and I barely got any sleep for days! Having to wait weeks for this hunt has been very hard! Question #2: How long have you been a subscriber to Hunting Illustrated Magazine? Answer #2: I’ve only been a subscriber for about a year but my father has been a subscriber for years now and I used to steal his magazines and read them. I’ve got my two brothers-in-law to subscribe as well. We usually renew our subscriptions to Hunting Illustrated each year at the Hunt Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah. Question #3: What is your favorite segment of HI magazine? Answer #3: I really like the Braggin’ Board section. It gets me psyched up for hunting season. I also like the feature articles that Eva Shockey writes because it’s nice to see a woman’s perspective in a male-dominated industry. Question #4: Have you hunted elk before? Answer #4: I’ve never hunted elk myself before, but I’ve
tagged along on my brother-in-law’s spike elk hunt before, and we had a lot of fun on that hunt. However, I have been going deer hunting with my father for many years now. In fact, I took my first deer last year. Question #5: What gear do you plan to use for the hunt? Answer #5: Thanks to the wonderful sponsors of Hunting Illustrated, I plan on using a Fierce Firearms .300 Win Mag with a Swarovski Z5 3.5-18x44 scope and I’ll be shooting Barnes Vor-Tx ammo in 165 TTSX. In addition to that, I will be wearing KUIU Outer Wear. Question #6: Who will you bring on the hunt with you? Answer #6: I plan on bringing my father with me. He’s probably more excited than me for this hunt! He keeps telling me that I will probably shoot a bigger elk at my age than he will ever see in his lifetime. I know I’m excited to bring him, because his birthday will be during the hunt, and I can’t wait to dedicate my first elk to him for his birthday. Question #7: The hunt will be filmed for an episode of Hunting Illustrated TV. Are you more excited or nervous to be on TV? Answer #7: I’m more nervous than excited to be on TV. I’ve never done anything in front of an audience, so this will be new to me. I’m sure Dean Billington and his guides at Bull Basin Outfitters will make it a really fun experience for me! Question #8: You are a girl and 15 years old. Do you know many girls your age that hunt? How do you think our industry can get more youth, especially young women, more involved in hunting? Answer #8: A few of my friends hunt, but no one takes it quite as seriously as I do. I think more girls would hunt if they were able to use archery equipment instead of firearms. I know I’ve had friends show interest in hunting, but as soon as I mention rifles they immediately decide that hunting is not something they want to do because of the recoil, noise, and anticipation of shooting a firearm. I also think that there needs to be more hunting clothing for women. There are women’s clothing manufacturers, but the clothing tends to either be dysfunctional for actual hunting or it’s more for fashion, i.e. pink, bright colors, large logos…
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Grant Mogle
arl and George always seemed to kill the biggest bucks. George could hit a buck at any distance as long as he didn’t have to hike up to it after he shot it. That’s where Carl entered into the picture. He was always in great shape; and always hiked higher, farther, and in the most difficult terrain to get his buck and help his dad get his buck back to camp. On one of our yearly hunts, 50 years ago, on the Manti Mountain, east of Skyline Drive, Carl killed a large buck on opening morning. As we loaded up the jeep with the big deer and headed back to camp, we were stopped by two young game wardens from the state office. Why they were down in this desolate part of the canyon was a mystery to us; we rarely ran into anyone down in George’s Fork. They checked our tags and then proceeded to pull on the metal snap on Carl’s large buck. After two or three hard jerks, Carl’s snap-tag came unfastened. The wardens then accused Carl of not closing it tightly, so he could use his tag on another deer. We all argued with them that any tag would open up if you yanked on it as hard as they did! They wouldn’t admit to yanking it too hard, and wrote Carl up for a tag violation. They went down the road ahead of us to an area we called the “Bogs.” We had been stuck in about every mud hole down there, over the years, so we knew what to avoid. Well our two “smart” wardens only had a two-wheel drive truck and they ventured out into the deepest holes and stickiest mud in the “Bog.” By the time we discovered them, their truck tires were not even visible. Carl told them if they wanted to tear up the ticket we would help pull them out. Of course their pride dictated a “No!” response, so Carl said, “OK,” and we drove around them.
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No one else was down there in the bottoms that day; so every time we drove by, Carl would say, “What about it?” And they wouldn’t even look up. So we would drive on around them. Then finally it got to be about 4 o’clock in the afternoon and the area looked like a natural disaster had struck. They had gathered trees, rocks, bushes, an old cabin roof, and anything else they could lay their hands on...but were still stuck. Needless to say, we never encountered any more game wardens in the “Bogs” over the next 10-15 years of hunting down there. Carl got his “Notice to Appear” to the Justice of the Peace in Manti. We both knew the judge quite well, because he owned and operated the local hardware store. Carl said he would like me to go with him to tell Judge Marston how the warden yanked and pulled so hard on the metal deer tag. Well Judge Marston said to us, “I know both of you are in business here in Manti, and I know you’re both truthful in your business dealings, so I have no reason not to believe your side of the story. Our dear wardens never appeared here today; so I say to you Carl, case dismissed.” End of story!
Michael Burrell
Fair and Balanced
I
dread looking at the daunting headlines in the news these days even though I’ll admit doing it from time to time if only to remind myself how fortunate I am to live where I do. The other morning I almost fell out of my chair when the Fox News eye-catching headline read, “Shrinking deer population in West spurs new push for answers, action”. This caption hit a little closer to home for me so I read on. Yeah, I know mule deer numbers region-wide are dismal at best, but it wrenched my gut to see the decline spotlighted in our nation’s top headlines. The article explains there’s been a 36 percent drop among muleys in Colorado in the past 9 years. The 36% figure really caught
my attention so I kept reading…“Brutal winters followed by dry summers, loss of habitat due to commercial and residential development, and predators like coyotes and mountain lions are factors in the decline.” says Matt Robbins, who is with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The article goes on to explain that while mule deer aren’t likely to face extinction anytime soon, the downward trend does require action now. I guess the old adage, “Good things come to those who wait,” may ring true in certain life applications, but managing mule deer today doesn’t appear to be one of them. Jim Heffelfinger, a well-known mule deer biologist, is quoted in the article, “You don’t really like
PHOTO: VIC SCHENDEL
The author talks about several scientific-backed ideas of why mule deer populations have declined and suggests ways to increase them.
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5MULE DEER WATCH5
Deer Harvest and Hunters from 1949 to 2012 Deer Hunters
Deer Harvest 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 0
Declining numbers of deer hunters and harvest in Colorado from 1949-2012. Source: Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife
big, catastrophic fires — certainly where human structures are damaged,” he said. “But we really need to open up the canopies for deer.” Other experts of one thing or another also point fingers at oil and gas development, whitetail encroachment, chronic wasting disease, and highway mortality. I finished reading the article and honestly didn’t really learn much; most of us, as muley hunters, are already involved and painfully aware of this trend and why it is occurring. But the article did force me to think again of the complexity of managing mule deer in 2014. Throughout history, when we humans have put sincere effort into making something extraordinary happen, we’ve typically succeeded: Hard work + motivation = success. For instance, we’ve flown to the moon, we’ve cured terrible diseases, and well, you’ve gotten to where you are in your life through your hard work and effort-you get the picture. But when it comes to mule deer, we have not been successful in improving our deer herds, even after years of knowledge, money, and effort. In the last decade or so, every western state’s wildlife agency has created management plans to identify factors impacting mule deer growth; and then they’ve put dollars toward population recovery. On top of that, each mule deer conservation group has worked through fundraising to put dollars and boots toward the same goal. Have these groups and strategies helped our deer herds?
I’m sure some would argue, but I would say the answer is yes--to a degree. The decline would be much steeper if it weren’t for the good people that have helped protect habitat and the deer herds. Today’s mule deer biologists have more information to help them make management decisions, through published research findings, than ever before; and as stated in the Fox News article, they’ve pinpointed the factors limiting growth. If our wildlife managers have the know-how to stop the trend, why isn’t the problem being fixed? First off, this decline in population didn’t happen overnight, and it surely isn’t going to be fixed quickly either. Also, what impacts deer in western Wyoming isn’t necessarily the same factor impacting deer in northern Nevada; the factors may differ regionally. But the fact remains the same, and I may sound like a “glass halfempty” kind of guy—a real Debbie downer, but comparing present day landscape to that of the 50’s, when mule deer numbers had peaked, it is evident that today’s shrinking landscape can no longer support the number of deer it once did. Comparing the 50’s deer habitat to today’s, would be like comparing a 1-ton crew cab Ford with a 2wd Datsun truck—there’s just not as much room in the Datsun. We will only realize some substantial increase in our herds by overhauling some of our land and wildlife
5MULE DEER WATCH5
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There are people that feel: ▪ Wild fires are bad…period (just ask Smokey). ▪ Cutting down trees (yes, even junipers) is destructive to the environment. ▪ Mountain lions and coyotes shouldn’t be hunted. ▪ They’re entitled to operate their ATV anywhere and anytime. ▪ It’s horrible to round-up wild horses. ▪ It’s horrible to reduce elk numbers that are above population objective. ▪ It’s not going to have any long-term effects on deer if hunters continue the trend of using advanced technology to increase our deer-hunting success in the field. Sorry if I struck a nerve with some of you. If you look at those wildlife species that have reached the national spotlight because of declining populations— sage grouse being a good example—the species suddenly attract added attention and new conservation guidelines are implemented. The hunting of the species becomes more and more restricted, if not non-existent. We need to keep the mule deer from going in that direction. We owe it to the iconic species to keep their population “fair and balanced” and off of our nation’s headlines.
PHOTO: VIC SCHENDEL
management policies. Until some real management decisions are changed, our wildlife agencies will continue toying with buck:doe ratios by decreasing some buck tags here and there, allowing more bucks to mature to an older age-class. An increase in buck:doe is great for the tag holder and can benefit overall herd health in certain instances, but it conjures false hope that the herd is doing well, (it’s “the herd must be doing well since there are trophy-class bucks” syndrome). When in reality it limits hunting opportunity and takes the focus away from the real problems facing mule deer. Some of today’s problems are virtually unfixable, like the weather (drought/heavy winters), and human encroachment and development on habitat (human expansion). Some of the other factors are more feasible to repair, but often it’s man-made policies and politics that often restrain common-sense management. Fire management, juniper/cheat grass encroachment, predation management, vehicle travel restrictions (or lack thereof), direct competition with other species, (elk, feral horses, whitetails, livestock), hunting seasons and weapon restriction are all factors that could use major improvement, and if managed correctly would benefit mule deer. But what we discover is that in this modern society there’s diversity in our thinking and sophistication; for every force...there is a counterforce.
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5MULE DEER WATCH5
SOUTH TEXAS QUEEN OF THE FOREST RANCHO ANEJO
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an you say, “skunked?” And “skunked” again? Poor Mrs. Nugent was about at wits end after nearly a month of bow hunting on our home Spirit Wild Ranch, with nothing to show except for a few novels read in her Primos Double Bull ground-blinds day after day, week after week. With good numbers of Aoudad, blackbuck, oryx, fallow, axis, whitetails, turkey, varmints and hogs, you would think on a 300-acre, high-fence, wildlife paradise that we would at least see some critters nearby. After all, the really brilliant folks amongst us are so quick to mindlessly presume such a setup qualifies as a “canned hunt,” or one of my favorites, “shooting fish in a barrel.” How could we possibly fail to whack ‘em and stack ‘em on an hourly basis? Of course, in a world where communist community organizers can become President of the United States of America; where a Sheila Jackson Lee actually represents some Texans; and Sunday hunting is still outlawed in ten states, it only makes sense that such loons and their loony nonsense can exist. Which is why we dismiss it out-of-hand for the laughable joke by laughable jokesters that it is; and we continue to enjoy real honest to God, genuine, fair-chase hunting on our home property and elsewhere across the land of the free and home of the brave. Nonetheless, my beautiful, deadly, “Queen of the Forest” had not had a shot at anything in a long, long, patiencetesting time, and she had about had it. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I knew I could do better than the same old flowers, candy, and a dinner out. With incredible hunting invitations by wonderfully generous friends, I decided it was time for some new scenery and terrain in hopes of getting my girl a whack at something, somewhere, somehow. Blood brother Tim Vail, and team Rancho Anejo, had been managing their new 8000-acre paradise near Eagle Pass, Texas, for a few years and had extended a kind invitation to come down for some good old South Texas deer, hog, and javelina hunting over Valentine’s Day weekend. Good friend Mark “Sky King” Frnka offered to fly us down from our home near Waco; so we loaded up and headed south to the Golden Triangle for some late season Managed Land Deer Permit hunting. Rancho Anejo is indeed a hunter’s dream. The lodge is as five-star as five-star gets; the historical deer paradise that is South Texas brush country, is on every deer hunter’s bucket list; and the staff, lead by ace guide Roger Saracho, is as good as it gets. 90
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Our first afternoon out was fun but slow with only a few doe and small bucks seen. We practiced diligently with our Mathews bows and Excalibur Matrix crossbow, and headed out for afternoon number two. Shemane settled into her Primos Double Bull blind with ace Spirit Wild Vid Cam Dude, Kris Helms running the camera for her. The nonstop flutterfest of birdlife is always fascinating, and the occasional cottontail and jackrabbit kept things lively until the does started to arrive. Shemane had her Matrix solidly on her Caldwell portable shooting bench when a handsome butterball fork horn cautiously joined the does. She is a patient hunter and was committed to wait for a nice buck for her “Queen of the Forest” hunting segment on our Spirit of the Wild TV show on Outdoor Channel.
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Kris continued to film the always-stunning wildlife orgy when movement deep inside the brush caught their attention. A huge, antlered monarch stood inside the scrub like a statue, scrutinizing everything before him. Testing the hunter’s willpower and patience, the old boss buck took forever to slowly inch his way into the open where he nervously grabbed a piece of corn before jerking his head to attention, ever alert to any danger. Kris and Shemane remained motionless, knowing all about the miraculous radar of such a mature beast, waiting for the right angle and perfect alignment of predator planets in hopes of a crack at such an incredible trophy buck. Time stood still. Finally, the old stag slowly turned to retrace his steps back into the cover, and as soon as he exposed his golden triangle to the vitals, Shemane smoothly squeezed the Excalibur trigger and the glowing orange Lumenok disappeared squarely into the pump station. You will see the moment of infamy on high definition video when this “Queen of the Forest” episode of Ted Nugent’s Spirit of the Wild airs on Outdoor Channel later this year; and you will have no control over joining Shemane with your own ever-expanding smile as she rejoices such a hard-earned kill on film. There are few moments in life when everything is perfect. When in the presence of the beast, life seems ideal. We have witnessed on many occasions when severely ill friends have been elevated above the pain and suffering
of agonizing chemo and radiation treatments. Many an injured hero of the US Military have expressed time and time again how their injuries simply do not exist when watching a magnificent game animal approach their ambush setup. In those mystical, magical moments, as we prepare to take the shot, there is no bad and ugly. There are no IRS jackboots, no gunrunning Eric Holder, and no scammer-inchief, Barak Obama. There are no demonic, animal-rights freaks, no crime, no hate, no abuse of power, no corruption, and no tyranny or illegal Obamacare. All the beasts and our pure, natural, predator relationship with these gifts from God, are so powerful that they cleanse the soul and fortify the spirit. Spirit of the Wild indeed. Kris and Shemane walked straight to the mighty buck, that died within a few yards, and a matter of seconds from the razor-sharp Muzzy Trocar, three-blade broadhead. Ultimate respect and reverence was showered on the buck and all of God’s amazing creations, from which we harvest our lifesustaining protein and gifts. To say that Shemane glowed would be an understatement. As always, much celebration erupted at Rancho Anejo around the campfire that evening, with fireworks, good food, family, and friends, and a united love of the hunting lifestyle here in America. The whole world sucks, America still sucks less; but in South Texas, with deer hanging, it don’t suck at all. The beast is dead; long live the mighty beast. (Join Ted and Shemane at tednugent.com and on facebook)
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PHOTO: KEVIN BUTTS
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