Deer 2020

[Hunterbug]

This year's deer hunt was kind of a mess. Now that the dust is mostly settled I can fill you all in. Our usual hunting area was closed this year due to one of the many, large, wildfires we had in Colorado. Although CPW was offering a refund on tags we decided to forge ahead with the hunt. Everyone had doe tags and we figured that this would give us a reason to scout new places. So we all rolled in to camp on Friday night. Since our usual spot was out we actually stayed in a campground this year. The unlimited electricity was nice. Friday afternoon people kind of scouted a few areas to check out on Saturday. Saturday morning came and we split up in to groups and headed out in different directions. The weather was nice and warm but a storm was expected on Sunday. I took my youngest daughter Payton and her friend Sam with me. We didn't see any deer. The kids took a page from Gitano's book and napped a bit. We all met back at camp for lunch to compare notes. Some had seen a few deer but nobody got any shots. We all went back for the evening but the same results, few deer seen and no shots.

[Hunterbug]

Sunday morning it was colder but no snow yet so we all headed out. The wind was pretty brutal. I hate the wind. I watched 3 does run about 30 yards behind another hunter from about a mile away through my spotting scope. He never knew the first one was there but his buddies must have alerted him. He shot at one of the send two but didn't get one. About noon the snow came and visibility was measured in feet so we headed back to camp. The rest of the day was spent in camp playing Uno and eating.

Monday morning it was still snowing hard so we slept in and had a big breakfast. About noon the snow stopped so we got dressed and headed out. I had Payton and Sam with me and Hunter, JP, and Colby were following us in JP's Xterra. After I got to the top of a snow covered hill Sam said that we had to go back because JP was stuck. So we went back and dug the snow from his vehicle and I hooked the tow strap up and tried pulling him out. No go. Okay, fine! Now I chained up and we put my other set of chains on his vehicle and finally got him out. As we went up the hill my truck was making a bad sound. I was convinced that the chains were a little loose and slipping. Wishful thinking on my part. My rear differential was toast. So I limped back to town and to a local shop. The guy said they would look at it the next few days and let me know. The shop was right next to camp so I went back for a bit and got some lunch. Sam and Payton took his truck out and I went with Crakalope in his truck along with Ja Dub. We saw some deer on private property and I saw a bull moose but no shots. That evening the others said they saw some too but again no shots.

[Hunterbug]

Tuesday morning was cold but otherwise fairly clear. Crackalope and I wanted to go back where we went on Monday evening. JaDub was disinclined to join us in walking back in but stayed near the truck. It was a hard walk in the snow but we took our time and got to a good glassing area. I spotted 3 does down hill from Crackalope and tried to get his attention. When I finally did, I noticed another one in front of me and moving away. I took a shot but missed. Finally, deer on public land and within range! Things were looking up. We sat at our vantage point and began glassing deer. Then the fog began to roll in and we lost visibility so we decided to go back to camp and eat. On our way out we ran across a lot of beds in the snow and fresh tracks. Good to know! While we were in camp Payton and Sam came back and told us that our spot had been opened up! The sun was breaking up the fog and we all got dressed  with new enthusiasm. We drove to a nice over look and right away we saw deer. They were on private but were feeding so we patiently watched them through the spotting scope hoping they would move to where we knew was public. There were some really nice bucks but unfortunately we all had doe tags.

[Hunterbug]

As we were glassing these deer a couple drove by and said that they had seen some deer just down the road. We sent Payton, Sam, and Hunter down to have a look while Crackalope and I stayed there. JP had to leave earlier that day because of a job interview so Colby was hanging with JaDub.

After about half an hour we heard some shots from the direction the kids went. Soon they texted that they had three does down! So Crackalope and I went to find them and help them with their deer. Payton came and found us while Hunter and Sam drug the other two out. We got Payton's deer dressed and Crackalope and I took the deer down hill while Payton went back for all the packs and rifles that people had left behind. We eventually all met at the bottom of the kill with the three deer. Hunter and Sam hadn't dressed theirs yet. So we loaded the 3 deer in the truck and drove back to where we had been watching the deer earlier. We sent the kids to dress the other two deer and then join us when they were done. Several deer had moved down to public property. Colby and Jo Dub drove up and Colby and I got ready. I took the spotting scope off the tripod and used that as a rest. I picked out a nice doe, touched the trigger on my 257 Bob, and watched her face plant in the snow. We directed Colby on getting ready and he picked out one of the does that will milling around and fired, hit. This was his first deer and he was pretty excited.

Then JaDub came and he had one down and needed help. By this time the kids had returned from dressing their two so we sent them to help Ja Dub while Colby, Crackalope and I went down and found ours. By now it was getting dark fast and the temps were dropping. We found Colby's deer first. It was wounded and went a little way before a finishing shot put it down. While Colby and Crackalope dressed it, I went and found mine. Then we sent Colby with his out while we dressed my deer then we started dragging it out. In the mean time the kids and JaDub had returned. One of them helped Colby with his deer and the other two came and helped us get mine out. Sam grabbed my deer and Crackalope asked how he could help. Sam replied, "Stay off the trail". :D It's nice having a teenager around some times.

[Jamie.270]

Well Done by All!
Congrats to the party.

[Hunterbug]

We had six deer down in a few hours by Tuesday night. We got back to camp tired, hungry, and happy. Wednesday morning Crackalope and I headed back to the same spot to try and fill his doe tag. We got to the same spot but the deer were all up high on the private property. We sat for a long time glassing them and just waiting. I saw a coyote that was about 1200 yards off standing on a rock. I watched him go lay down until 4 does started walking his way. I knew they could see him by the way they were acting. Finally one doe broke off from the others and ran at the coyote. He ran off about 20 yards and stopped. So she charged him again and this time chased him until he left the area.

Then we were joined by a buck hunter but none of the big boys from the day before were in the area. Eventually a small group of does and small bucks moved down on to public property up the draw from us. Crackalope went up and picked out a nice doe. I was watching through the spotting scope when he shot and I saw the hit. She went down and tried to get up and he hit her again and she was done. We he and I headed down and dressed her and drug her up to the road. When we got back to camp Payton and Sam were mad that we didn't call them to come help. But by the time they would have got there we would have been done.

[Hunterbug]

But wait, there's more! :D Thursday morning it was time to pull up and head home. Only one small thing, my truck was still at the shop and I hadn't heard from them. So Sam and I went over to check and see what the deal was. The guy said that my differential was toast and they could fix it for $3800. I talked to some car people I know and they all said to just get it home. So I rode with Crackalope in his truck and towing his camper while Payton and Sam towed my camper home. We all met at Karl's to skin everyone's deer.

On Friday I called the shop and told them that I'd just tow it home. Karl said that we could rent a car hauler and use his GMC 2500. We spent the rest of Friday processing his deer with plans to leave my house at 0730 on Saturday to get my truck.

We left and picked up the car hauler from U-Haul. When he reserved the car hauler he told them what we were hauling and they said no problem. So we drive up to the shop, drop the ramps, and I get in and drive the truck up on the car hauler. And it's about 4 inches too short

So we back it off and start weighing our options. The first thing we did was to measure our car hauler and see how long it was, 12 feet 4 inches. Then I called my wife's uncle who has one and he measure his, 13 feet. So we hung around and waited 3 hours for him to unload his and drive up.

He get there and we load my truck up and it fits fine. With one tiny detail. The tongue weight was neutral. This would let the trailer do whatever it wanted. So we let all the air out of my front tires and moved the truck forward a few inches. Then we took a platform that I just happened to have in the back of my truck and began strapping everything we could get our hands on to the tongue including the ramps to the trailer, a rail road tie, some big rocks, an 8 pound hammer that just happened to be in the back of my truck, etc. and taking everything out of the back of my truck. We finally got enough weight on the tongue to tow it the 120 miles to the shop. What should have been a leave at 0730 and be home by 1300 turned in to a leave at 0370 and get home at 2200.

But it's now at the shop and I hope to have it home tomorrow or Friday.

[Hunterbug]

Well Done by All!
Congrats to the party.

Thanks. It was a hunting trip that was pure 2020 but we prevailed. :D

[sakorick]

Never a dull moment on this trip....both good and bad.

[Paul Hoskins]

Great hunt & good story. Bummer about the truck but we finally got it home.  :frown Thanks for taking us along. Sure not been much going on on THL forums lately. Congrat's. to all the hunters on this  hunt. ......Paul H  ...

[gitano]

Found out why I haven't been getting notices: Email filter sending them to spam.

Anyway...

I knew the story. All's well that ends well - except for the truck!

Congrats to everyone!

Paul

[codger]