Kurt's Deer Hunt  (11/23//2004)  (11/20/2004) (2005) (2006) (2008)

11/23/2004

Yep, it's hunt#3. Got a license to shoot only female mule deer but that will be good enough. The 3AM thing is starting to take its toll as I can hardly stay awake for the ride North.

Today we will be hunting up by the Missouri Breaks. The Missouri Breaks is a beautiful area WAYYYYY up in no mans land and damn hard to get to. It is also a wildlife refuge that contain many kind of animals to hunt.

I know. What kind of wildlife refuge allows hunting?

This is the place to come if you want solitude or to hide out from the world. Anyway on with the story.

Unmarked, dirt roads across some of the wildest ranch land I have ever crossed is the only way into where we are headed. Once we had to decide if we were going to cross the river or turn back but that was a no-brainer, onward ho! across the river we went. Wish I had my fishing pole.

This will be the short version cuz I have to bake bread today.

There I was, standing on this undercut cliff, just like an old west Indian picture, looking down into one of the prettiest valleys I have ever seen when I spotted it. The sun had just came out 10 minutes earlier and it was turning into a pretty 30 degree day and IT was moving towards me.

It is still an IT cuz I don't know what IT is yet. I decided to whip up the trusty binoculars for a quick view and try to hide behind something at the same time. I still needed an extra deer and I still have that elk license to burn.

I damn near fell off that cliff when I spotted one of the largest buffalo I have ever seen. A buffalo, In the wilds on North Montana, say what?

I couldn't hunt anymore cuz all I wanted to do was watch that magnificent creature. He made his way up the valley to right below where I was standing maybe 100-150 feet above him. He looked up at me after awhile and took a couple of steps up the hillside and I decided to get the hell out of there. Last I saw of that buffalo was him coming up the hill and me running for the fence line. Under the fence and back to where the truck was sitting. Safe at last. Now he can't come in here and stomp me to death. Oops! There is no gate on the fence and he can come into where I am.

Luckily I did not see him anymore or see and deer until almost sundown and then on private property. The hunt was a bust. My butt is draggin' and I'm taking a rest.

Kurt

11/20/2004

My tired eyes were closed and I was thinking "what time is it". 2:59AM, the clock read as I opened my sleepy eyes and crawled out of bed. The alarm was set for 3:15AM so I thought I might as well get up now rather than lay there waiting for the alarm to go off.

My body ached and I wished I had passed on going to the Mannheim Steamroller concert Friday night. Three and a half hours of sleep is not going to be enough for the day ahead but I will have to make due. Oh, by the way, the concert was wonderful.

"Looks pretty light outside for this time of morning" I thought as I peaked out the living room window. SNOW, we weren't supposed to get snow last night and if it did snow it was supposed to be gone by this morning. Oh well, a couple of inches of snow will help us track deer during our hunt.

I stumbled around the house trying to dress myself and find all my hunting gear. I will need light and heavy gear as it snowed 2 inches last night and it's in the 20zzz. The coffee is on and "WHERE THE HELL IS MY DEER LICENSE". Terror strikes as I look for today's most important piece of paper, the license. An hour later, I am not dressed, have not eaten anything, am getting picked up in half an hour by my hunting buddy and I still can't find that stupid license. I decides to do the thing I dread the most, wake up Mary and ask her where it is. "I don't know" is the answer from under the bed covers and I leave her to her now interrupted sleep.

"I can't go without the license" I am thinking as I slip on my hunting pants to go look in the truck for the second time. Hey, what's that in my back pocket, Why, here it is. DUH!

4:30AM and Carol, my deer hunting and fishing buddy, shows up with her 4 wheel drive Toyota truck ready to go as I finish my one and only cup of coffee.

The trip to our spot for the day is a two and a half hour trip. We will be hunting between Jordan and Sand Springs Montana which is around 190 miles North North East of Billings and has some of the best hunting in the state. We left Billings, heading North up to Roundup then to Winnett for gas then on to Sand Springs for the first hunt.

"Wow the roads are still icy and snowy" Carol says while trying to keep her trusty pickup between the lines on the road. We can't travel at our projected speed which means we will get a late start and the sun will already be up when we arrive. This is not good. After a quick bathroom stop at Roundup and getting that all to precious gas in Winnett, we headed for Sand Springs.

Wait a minute, back up, I just have to tell you about the gas in Winnett. One pump, takes credit cards and sits outside of a repair garage. If you don't know the pump is there, you don't get gas. Now let's continue.

"DEER" I yelled as I hung on for the crash that was about to happen. A large, no, a VERY large buck jumped out onto the road right in front of the truck and tried to play tag with our now to small of a vehicle. We should all drive those Hummers in Montana with large deer rams on the front. "Whew", that was close we both mutter as we narrowly miss that MONSTER animal.

Upon our arrival at Sand Springs we found temperatures in the 20zz and no snow on the ground. I am kind of glad about the no moisture on the ground because it changes the dry Montana soil into a sticky substance called appropriately, Gumbo. This stuff sticks to everything like cement and sets up like it as well.

We stop by the closed area ranger station to pick up our permission slips to hunt a section of property called Pasture two and find them in a box on the stoop. There are 5 pastures in all and the area covers miles and miles of open, hilly range with a few wheat fields scatted about. Our mission now is to find this pasture as the maps provided are sketchy at best. On the entrances to property, owners post a green sign that says "Block Management, The block number and other assorted bits of information".

After a few stops at the wrong property we finally find our spot. We noticed a truck driving down OUR pasture road, something under the block management agreement which is a No-No. Most hunters in Montana abide by the rules established so all hunters get a fair chance at game. On the other hand, some hunters abide by no rules and will ruin a good hunt.

The truck disappears ahead of us as we start our trip down the pasture road. "This looks more like antelope country instead of deer country" I am thinking as we drive onward. One thing every hunter needs is a GOOD pair of binoculars and I am the proud owner of such a pair. This makes spotting far away game possible and keeps one from shooting other hunters in the area.

"Couple of deer on that hill over there" Carol says. We stop the truck and decide to put the SNEAK on them and see if they might head our way as they appear to be on property which we do not have permission to hunt. One thing about binoculars, they make things look closer and the hike into a good hiding sport took my breath away and left me wanting an ATV or horse or little red wagon to hunt from instead of all this hiking.

We watched the deer for awhile and decide to leave because they were heading higher into the hills instead of down to where we were. It's now about 9:30AM and the day starts to warm up with a brilliant sunshine, blue skies and slight breeze that kept me wearing my winter cap. "Let's hunt some of the other block management" Carol says as we climb into the truck.

Reading state block management maps is like going to school for the really dumb. The map has circles and squares. The circle areas are "call ahead" areas while the square areas are "sign in at the gate and hunt" areas. Some areas are reserved hunting while some areas are all welcome areas. Try to find one of these areas using the state map can make one feel really stupid.

For those who do not know Montana, it is a VAST area with very little population, few road signs and most roads made of packed down dirt. All country roads lead to nowhere and somewhere at the same time. All country roads look alike after awhile and one can become really confused in the daytime and totally lost in the dark.

We finally found a walk in area to hunt so I jumped out of the truck to sign us in at the gate. As I was doing the paper work, Carol was trying to get my attention by talking through her driver side window that will not roll down and banging on it. I see her pointing behind me and turn to see a nice buck in the ravine a couple hundred feet behind me. The deer just stood watching me so I decided to finish signing in then shoot the deer. Just then a pickup truck came rumbling down the road, flew passed our truck and onto the property without signing in. Now we are pissed.

I am writing faster as the buck has left my sight and I know those jerks spooked him good enough that he will be on the run. We have to find the buck and shoot before he is out of sight. "There he is" Carol says as I scan the side of a large hill in the pasture. The shot will be a long one, probably five hundred yards or more so I drop the legs on my Bi-pod and lay on the frozen ground.

The action on my rifle runs smooth this morning as I slam a round into the chamber. Pop goes the caps on my scope, click goes the safety as I now have a good bead on the deer heading higher into the hills. "If I get this kill it will be a miracle" , I can hardly see the animal with my scope. DUH!, I forgot to reset the scopes power setting from an earlier hunt so I did not have full power on, only the minimum. This stayed this way the whole day.

POW, the first shot lands at the feet on the fleeing deer. "That wasn't bad" I think as I slam another round in the chamber." Maybe a little higher and I will be right on this time" I am thinking as my finger squeezes the trigger. POW and the second round falls short as well. "Damn, That deer is moving faster than I thought so I'll have to adjust for that". POW and the third round falls short. In defiance and to say back to me, "Bite me!", the deer now stands on top of the far away hill giving me a profile shot that I should be able to make. "Steady now and aim a little high", POW, the fourth round leaves the chamber to hit it's mark. With a "HA-HA" and a "see ya later" the majestic buck strolls over the rim of the hill. "It was a long shot at best and the day is still young" I say to myself as we head onto the property to hunt for that deer we know is on the other side of the hill.

Many people think deer hunting is easy.  See a deer and shoot it and sometimes it goes just like that. Other times, they can just disappear from the face of the earth. This one did the disappearing act and although we spent an hour looking for that animal we could not find it. Behind the hill was mostly open range with a few ravines running through the property and that is all. Sometimes it is just best to stop and watch as deer are so well camouflaged that they can literally be no more than a few feet away and be unseen. Nothing so we move on.

More circles and squares to hunt as the two of us pull out THE MAP. We decide to find the SAYLOR RANCH as we have permission to hunt that area. North turns to South and East Turns to West as we try to read the stupid map. The sun is the only thing we can use as a reference point now as the map appears to be wrong and this way turns to that way.

Along the way to the Saylor Ranch we spot a few more walk-in places where we quickly SIGN IN and scout for deer. This way, that way, turn back, no the other way and we have been here before are things we say, mostly to ourselves, as we travel the dusty back roads of Montana.

Finally we arrive, SAYLOR RANCH, says the very weathered wooden sign by the front gate. When you sign in there is supposed to be a map showing the ranch boundaries and any special instructions such as "Keep off the winter wheat or I'll kill you". These boundary maps are worse than the state maps. No directional markings on the maps only a mark that says" You are here". The rest is up to you to try and figure which way is North on the map.

SAYLOR RANCH turns out to be a disappointment so once again we are off to find a better spot. Having been gone no more than a minute or two, I spot a nice buck deer about 150-200 yards off the dirt road in a field of sage brush. I am out of the truck and in disbelief that the animal is still standing there looking straight at me. "Keep calm" I tell myself as I raise the rifle. The animal looks big in my scope and the dot is just behind the shoulders. Time to squeeze one off and take home the meat. The rifle jerks towards the ground and the deer now leaves my scope. "Damn", I forgot to release the safety. "Get down on one knee, take good aim and sloooowwwlllyyy squeeze the trigger" I mutter to myself. POW and mister bullet races towards the deer at 3000 feet a second. SMACK is the sound I want to hear as the bullet hits the target and I am rewarded. The deer turns to run away, Carol is out of the truck and we are both about to let fly a barrage of bullets when the mortally wounded deer staggers and falls dead.

To me, there is always a strange silence that follows a kill. It is like the minute of silence we often observe for a fallen comrade and a sadness comes over me for the life I have just taken. As I get older, the after effects of the kill becomes more meaningful as I am now more aware of the struggles these animals endure to stay alive. I am honored as this deer obeys the new law I have put into effect for all deer this year and that is " If I get within 500 feet of you, I get a free shot then you are free to run away" This deer has given me such a shot and I am thankful.

Field dressing a deer is something I have never done, this will be my first. Carol guides me as the knife starts its chore and it is easier than I thought it would be. Both of us have blood up to our elbows as the chore is done and we drag the carcass up to the truck. After a quick wash up we are pumped up for round two and it is only noon.

One thing a person needs more than water in Montana and that is gas. With gas one can drive to water. Without gas, one is screwed. Having seen no deer for a few hours and only a half tank of gas left we decide to travel to Jordan Montana to fill up. All gassed up and ready for the final push. It is 3 PM and the sun is fading fast as sunset here is around 4:30. We need to find one more deer for Carol before heading back.

We were rewarded while traveling a road we had not previously been on and spotted deer in a ravine just off the road. We now need permission to hunt so down the road to the owners ranch house we went. After a quick sign-in we head back toward the ravine. The plan is to drop off Carol before the ravine so she can sneak up from the West while I travel a little way East and stop. The idea is, they will watch me while Carol puts the the SNEAK on them. I head East and turn the truck around so I can watch the action, only I can hardly see a thing as the sun is now low on the horizon and shines brightly in my binoculars.

Five minutes go by and I decide to open the truck door so I can hear the shot. I can barely make out the area where the deer were and have no idea where Carol is. "OH! OH!" I can see six deer running form that area and do not hear the shot that means the hunt has ended. The deer are heading towards the hills in the background and far away from the original site when I hear a loud POW-POW-POW. Dust is flying as Carol lets loose. I don't see her and I don't see the deer, all I can see is dust flying where the bullets are hitting.

I watch as Carol heads towards the hills and want to shout to her, "To late, they are gone" but she is more than half mile away. "I wish I could find a road out onto that field so I could pick her up" I am thinking when I spot one up the road a ways. I know she is glad to see the truck headed her way and sad she did not get a good shot off. "They smelled me before I could get close enough" she says as she climbs into the truck. We got to get moving as the sun fades very fast and we are not really sure where we are.

It's now 5:09 PM, to dark to shoot and we are in the middle of nowhere as the darkness thickens around us. "I think we go this way or maybe that way". Again we only know we need to head South towards the highway and home. The fading light is the only thing that tells us we are heading in the right direction as all the surroundings now look the same, desolate.

A weary 10-20 mile trip down winding dirt roads and we finally reach the highway and head back towards Billings. Of course we had to watch out for deer on the highway and spotted more than our share waiting to jump out onto the roadway.

The days hunt is not over and we are planning the next hunt so Carol can get her deer. The season ends at the end of November so very few days remain. I will get a B tag that will allow me to hunt another deer and I am hoping to put two in the freezer this year.

Each year I hunt deer here in Montana I learn to more fully respect this area and the animals that call this place home. I am learning their tricks, where they like to hide, when they move and when they rest, what they eat. The Indians knew the secret of the hunt and it is something that very few people realize today. If you become a skillful hunter, the animal you hunt gives up its life to you, you do not take it from him

The adventure continues...