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It was my first hunt of the 2005 season. I haven't had time to be on the board much at all lately, work is keeping us hopping what with fish season going strong and Homeland security no longer allows us to leave empty returning fish vans on the ferry overnight. We've been getting over 130 hours in a two week pay period and I have been hiking and hitting the treadmill for the last six weeks solid trying to get in shape for huntin'. Anyway My 50th B-day came Saturday the 23rd of July and the season opener was the 24th so once again this year on my Birthday I could be found hiking my way to the top of an alpine mountain. This year with my son in law where we pitched the tent had a nice but spartan dinner spent a lil' while scouting for deer then some BS and off to bed about 2200 hours. Morning dawned early as it was good light by 0400 and I had two quick cups of coffee and we were off hunting. The weather was good with a slight fog blowing in and out but warm and dry with good visibility, and we had not gone far when while glassing back I spotted a very nice buck bedded down but watching us about 400 yards away. I alerted my son in law and showed him the buck who while being bedded down his head and shoulders were sill above the top of the ridge skylining his horns and making him appear to be a monster. Kasey set up to watch him and keep his attention while I backtracked and hit some low ground where I was out of his sight and I quickly closed the distance between us. I got to the last small ridge between us with out getting upwind of him and he was still in his bed watching Kasey so I shucked my back pack and belly crawled my way to the ridge top and got a very good set up on him with out him knowing I was any where around. He was bedded with his tail facing me looking back over his own back and right over me at Kasey and as I was trying to set him up in the crosshairs of the scope of my rifle it seemed forever trying to get my breath back. With every breath I took the crosshairs would leave his neck then return then leave until finally I settled down enough to hold my breath steady the gun and squeeze the trigger. WHAM, recoil then as soon as I could focus on him again I could see him all tipped over with all four feet straight up and stiff as boards. My Browning in 25/06 with 100 grain Rem Corloc's over 51.5 grains of IMR 4350 did the trick entering his neck broadside breaking it and exiting the other side nicely. I had almost made my way over to him when al the sudden my son in law catches up and passes me. Man them young guys can move. So any way I had my buck down and I started working him up while Kasey went hunting on his own. I no more got mine worked up and back to camp when I hear Kasey shoot. I called him on the radio and yep 0730 and we are both successful. So I head over there real quick and got some photos of his buck then headed back and started tearing down camp while he works his up. All in all a great morning spent with a fine young man. Oh and my Birthday? for a man just turning 50 it don't get any better, although my pack weighed 65 pounds and from the campsite to the rig took 2 1/2 hours of hard hiking in which time I only took my pack off once. Hell at fifty I'm still doing it and that ain't bad. Here's some pics of my B-day buck as he will forever be know to me. Click on the small pic to see a larger version.
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