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This hunt took place in late Sept. Probley be the last high country hunt this season. We both had to work Friday and took off right after work as we had packed everything the night before. The weather was iffy with rain squalls rolling through every couple hours and lasting 20 to 30 minutes before rolling on and leaving clear skies behind. Hard rain that soaked everything in a matter of minutes. We drove hard flirting with a speeding ticket but never encountered any law officers and hit the trail head shortly before 1800 hours, got our packs on and started uphill. We had not been hiking long before we were wet from the brush and and getting rained on and wetter. We cleared the logged off unit in short order and got into the timber were the brush was not near as thick and the going easier. Hiking through the timber steadily up hill taking breaks, it soon started to get dark and I began to doubt we would make it above the timberline that evening. What with the days rapidly becoming shorter this time of year and the heavy overcast we soon had our headlamps on trying to make the alpine to set up camp. After just over two hours of hiking through the wet and dark, I called a halt and we found a good level spot to set up the tent, fixed a spartan meal ate and settled in for the night. I truly enjoy the quite time with my son before sleep overtakes us. We talk and just enjoy the warmth of our bags and the shelter of the tent as the rain falls in the timber. Morning dawned clear and we rose from the tent with high hopes for a good day hunting, and found ourselves just 15 short minutes from the timberline and aren't into the alpine for more than another 15 before we spotted deer. Three Does with a nice buck but not the one we're looking for. The day was promising as we hunted along. We saw many deer, they were up and feeding as they were not able to feed last night and probley just hunkered down due to weather. We finally made it to the very top and I split off to the left of Mike where I could fill my water bottle from a melting snow bank and drink my fill. Water bottle full I started working my way over towards where I last saw my son only to find him rushing to find me, or actually my spotting scope. He had spotted a group of 4 bucks and was excited, wanting to look them over. We belly crawled to the edge of the ridge and set up the spotting scope with out disturbing them and started to look them over. Mike was extremely excited about one in particular but we never did get a good look at him as he chose to disappear into some brush, never to be seen again. I spoke to Mike about one of the bucks being a small 4x4 with both eye guards and decided to take him. Mike decided if I was to take him, he would take the small 3x3 with him rather than hunt on. We set up for the shot and my buck dropped. The sound of the shot but was not quite gone when Mike fired and his dropped. Two quick kills, not 3 seconds apart. Mike and I have hunted together many times over more than a few years but this is the first time we have taken bucks together, side by side, and it made for a memorable hunt. I am extremely proud of my son and of the hunter he has become. He passes many animals in search of better quality ones and does not feel the need to kill everything he sees. Many times he comes home empty handed and very satisfied. He can spot and stalk deer, choosing to pass on them and they never know he was ever there after he has moved on. Here are a couple pics. The only time we got to pose side by side with our bucks. I hope you enjoyed this story. I enjoyed living it and telling it. D.E.C.
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