Base Camp Legends » suzee

Hunting Mountain Whitetail

suzee — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:25:59 +0000

We just returned from our annual whitetail hunt in central Idaho. This is a hunt that keeps us coming back for more even though we’ve never taken a big buck … we see the big ones but just haven’t been able to make it happen. I can’t even seem to get any video footage of the nice bucks we’ve seen… they just appear and disappear so quick! Last year a very nice mature buck came running into our setup but before we could even react he did a 360 in midair and was gone. the swirling mountain thermals must have given him a snortful of our lovely scent! It all happened so fast we both looked at each other in dibelief… not too sure if we had actually seen what we thought we’d seen! But we’ve had all year to mull over the vision of him and anticipate the chance to see one like him again! This year we were later in the rut and the deer weren’t responding to rattling or calls… so made it even more of a challenge! We also seemed to pick the wrong week for deer movement. It would clear up around 1:00 am in the morning and the deer were out moving until daylight and then bedded back down about the time it was light enough to hunt. I did get an opportunity at a doe ( this hunt is a hair tag) but rushed the shot thinking she was going to disappear any second and shot right over the top of her! On the third day we did see some deer movement in the early morning and Gary got a shot at a very nice buck, but with the open sight in the dim early morning light he missed! On the last day of our hunt a little buck came wandering through our set up, and Gary wanted me to shoot. I told him to be ready to back me up, as I’m not very experienced with a rifle. It was a good thing he was there because I couldn’t find the deer in my scope… and the window of opportunity was very narrow! As soon as I told him I couldn’t find the deer, ” BOOM”, he lowered the hammer and we had venison on the ground! Unfortunately the camera was having a lot of difficulty with the cold and condensation, so I never got any footage of his deer. All in all we still had a great time… we really enjoy making a cozy camp, and the solitude of the woods in the winter.

What’s for Dinner?… It’s NOT Beef!

suzee — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 03:34:25 +0000

After spending a year in famine… ( no venison!) this is a beautiful sight!

Freezer full of the good stuff!!

We were finally able to put some meat in the freezer with the rifle. Gary took a nice fat cow elk with his 7mm and Tom got a deer and cow elk . Todd had the best success this year taking a cow elk with his bow and a pretty 4 pt buck with his rifle… and Shanna shot her first buck, a nice 3 point! I’m sure Tom will be posting about her hunting trip with all the details, but we are so proud of her!

Shanna's Buck

Todd's Buck

End of September

suzee — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:49:13 +0000

Archery elk season closed the 30th of September, and once again we feel so fortunate to be able to experience the awe these amazing animals inspire! We could hear them, smell them, see them …. but to make it happen with a bow escaped us. In spite of often feeling frustrated we look forward to the challenge again come next September! Every time you are out there you learn so much… not only about the elusive elk, but also about your own fortitude!

Here’s a short little summary of our last two weeks of archery elk hunting!

First of September

suzee — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:09:55 +0000

It’s finally here! Bugles are begining to drift on the mountain thermals, tan bodied ghosts glide silently through the deep dark timber, and the adrenaline flows as we chase up the mountain after the majestic elk that call this mountain their home. The 2011 archery season has begun! Here’s a short video summary of how it’s gone in the first week and a half…

*Note - Tom filmed a very short clip on his little camcorder of a monster mule deer… footage is not real clear but you get the picture that this brute has some serious head gear! He never showed up again…

The Perils Of Practice

suzee — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:00:52 +0000

Well I decided I’d better tell my version before Gary gets his word in… although he could make this much more interesting and fun! … Anyways… I’ve had some struggles this year in getting back on target with my bow. In my defense I have been trying to extend my shooting range, hence there have been some arrows that have strayed a bit! But I have to admit I was rather shocked when my arrow stuck in the trim board of our carport! I couldn’t figure out how it happened so tried again… this time it bounced off the trim board! Being rather stubborn, I nocked another arrow and tried again… same result! I guess I’m not a real fast thinker… but it slowly dawned on me that at the range of 60 yards there is quite an arch to the projectory of my arrow, and since I was having to shoot through our carport the arrow was still so high when it reached the carport it was hitting the trim board! Well we now have a parctice head sticking out of the trim along with two little holes! When Gary got home I wasn’t going to tell him what had happened… but the guilt conscience got the best of me … also by this time I could see a little humor in it!

Looking at the target from sixty yards. Because of trees in the way, I have to shoot through the carport to be lined up with the target.

I added a little character to the trim board!

Well after I finally figured out that I couldn’t stand up when shooting from sixty yards through the carport I was able to have some success hitting the target! … but there are plenty of little reminders around the place to keep me humble and attest to the fact that there are some perils to personal property in practice!

Summer Wildlife In The Backyard

suzee — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 05:56:14 +0000

We have been enjoying the sights from our back deck this past month as deer have begun to pass through the upper pasture. We’ve been seeing a little spike buck, a small fork horn and a larger fork, with a tall rack. The tall forked horn definitely has the same genes as the buck that was with the three point I shot last year. A few years ago Gary found a skull and antlers up the hill behind our place and it’s obvious that it was related to these two little bucks… sometimes genetics make good bucks and sometimes they don’t! These little guys would be taken out of the gene pool on a trophy ranch… but for us we enjoy the distinctive antlers that show up every year, and we know they’re our local deer.

The tall forked horn… only a spike on the one side.

This picture was taken last year of a buck that was traveling with the three point I shot last year… looks like the same genes are at work!

Skull Gary found up behind our place… more of the same genes!

Earlier in the spring we had a pair of Mallard ducks that would come in the mornings to feed in our pond, and in the canal that runs through our property there were a pair of Cinnamon Teal that I’d spook out of the ditch every morning when I went up to feed the horse.

Then there’s always bird watching … we have Bullock Orioles that take up residence in our back yard every summer, and of course the familar favorite, Goldfinches. Another little bird that is colorful during the summer is the House Finch. I always encourage these little flying flowers to stay and then complain because I get zero strawberries from my garden patch every year!

Bullock Oriole

American Goldfinches

House Finch

A couple weeks ago I had a big surprise when I was laid back in the easy chair enjoying the view. I caught some movement up in the sagebrush but couldn’t figure out what it was… it was too small for a deer,and wasn’t a coyote. I grabbed the binocs and waited for it to show itself again. I couldn’t believe my eyes! It was a turkey making it’s way down the hill toward the chicken pen! Wild turkey aren’t real common here in our little neck of the sagebrush, so it was pretty special to see him wander through… it was a young jake who was looking for a home! I don’t know if the roosters crowing brought it into our farmyard or he just happened to come our way. Gary had a little fun with him and did some calls on the slate. He got the youngster to gobble a few times… it was sure fun!

Poor lost Jake!

Hard Ridin’ and Fast Shootin’

suzee — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 03:47:12 +0000

I just discovered a fairly new shooting sport that involves some fast paced action! This might not seem like it has much to do with hunting… but it does involve guns and people who enjoy shooting sports. When the Farrier was here the other day, shoeing our horses, he mentioned he was getting involved with the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association. As he explained what it was, I felt more intrigued and looked up their web site. CMSA has a great site with video of the action and a rundown of the history of the sport.

Fixed sight, single action .45 colt revolvers are the firearms used. They must be designed prior to 1898 or reproductions of that period.. The ammunition is black powder blank cartridges that are CMSA certified and approved to have a effective range of no longer than 20 feet. The competitor carries two revolvers each loaded with 5 blank cartridges. The course is set up with ten balloons, five of one color, five of another. The course is run in two stages, and the shooter is timed as he runs both stages. There are penalties of added seconds for each missed balloon, dropping a revolver, knocking over a barrel, etc. In the first stage the competitor shoots at five randomly placed balloons, turning their horse around barrels to show the horses agility. The competitor holsters the first revolver which is now empty, and draws the second getting ready to enter the second stage called the Rundown. This consists of five balloons placed in a straight line. The competitor runs his horse down this line of balloons firing at each balloon as he goes at full speed! They also have a competition using rifles. Check out this video of a rifle rundown! The rifles used must be made prior to 1900 or replicas of that period. They are pump, lever or revolving action. As with the revolver, the ammunition must be certified approved blackpowder blanks. In the rifle competition the first stage is shot with revolver and then the shooter holsters his revolver and pulls the rifle out of the scabbard, levers a round and fires away, all the while his horse is running all out! Check out another great video on CowboyMounted Shooting that’s put out by the Arizona Fish and Game. They must have felt that there is a connection to the hunting community also, as it gets people introduced to firearms in an exciting way. It’s great fun to watch and I hope to see a competition here in Idaho this summer! CMSA has a schedule for all their events across the country… check it out! They just might have an event near you!

Sue’s Idaho Spring Bear Hunt

suzee — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:31:37 +0000

The last day of spring bear season was May 22nd… and I’m having a hard time getting back into the non- hunting mode… Turkey ended May 25th and slipped right on by without getting a hunt in. We got the notice from Idaho Fish and Game that Gary and I were unsucsessful in our application for Moose and Mountain Goat… so I’m just trying to tide myself over until Antelope and archery Elk and Deer season starts. To help keep the non-hunting blues from getting the best of me I put all the footage together of my bear hunt this spring. It really was an awesome time to be up on the mountain. It is so green ( except in early April!..it was still white with snow!) We had a special time with a young friend Zach, who’s been interested in hunting and anxious to experience a hunt. He was able to go with us several times, unfortunately both times he was with us we never saw a bear and the weather wasn’t the best… but he stayed enthusiastic and we hope it will work out to have him with us on more hunting adventures in the future!

We only saw one bear the whole season, but had a great time with trying predator calling. We used wounded rabbit, fawn in distress, and bear cub distress calls. It was so interesting to see how the deer reacted to the fawn calls. We started calling in this one canyon and after about 5 minutes of calling the canyon came alive with deer… they seemed to be coming out of every bush and rock! One time we had a herd of about 27 elk come within 100 yards of us, investigating the fawn calls… so even though there’s not much footage of bear on this video… there’s lots of footage of deer and elk, and the beauty of the mountain in springtime!

Kids Know How To Have Fun!

suzee — Thu, 27 May 2010 04:45:13 +0000

A couple of weeks ago our young friend Zach came over and we took the 22 out in the back pasture and shot pop cans… I’d forgotten how much fun it can be! Awhile back Arthur wrote an excellent post about getting kids outdoors and he made the point that it doesn’t have to be some extravagant dramatic outing…kids know how to have fun with simple pleasures! Thanks Zach for reminding me of this!

Where have all the bear Gone ?

suzee — Thu, 20 May 2010 12:00:53 +0000

After Tom & Shanna’s awesome bear hunt several weeks ago I was really pumped up to get out and have my go at it a second time. We called our young friend Zach to see if he was game to go with us again. The first outing Zach went with us, we had to deal with snow flurries and plowing through deep snow drifts … so I wasn’t sure he would want to go again… but from the excited “YES! ”, I figure we have a true blue hunter on our hands!

Bear Hunter Zach is ready to head up the mountain!

It was May 1st and the weather was pretty decent when we started up the mountain. On our first set up everything felt good… but after 25 minutes of listening to wounded rabbit calls, a little voice in my head whispered “this could be a long day!” We hiked farther up the mountain, stopping to call in likely looking places… 30 minutes of squealing, whining, rabbit calls! Now I’ve heard duck hunters say that the continuous “quacking” of duck calls is music to the ears, and those who hunt with hounds get pure joy from the non-stop ”baying” of the hounds… but let me tell you… wounded rabbit gets on ones nerves!

Gary sounding like a DEAD rabbit after 25 minutes of calling!

We were so glad to see so many deer out feeding on the green slopes, and we spotted a herd of elk several canyons away. This is the same unit we archery hunt so it was encouraging to see so much game… just would like to see a bear make it’s appearance! Zach was getting lots of practice spotting game, and he got pretty excited when he could spot them before we pointed them out.

The hills were covered with deer!

Around noon when we stopped for lunch, the nice weather began to deteriorate . A frigid wind came howling up the draws and it started to sleet and hail… Zach did great to maintain a cheerful spirit!

Trying to call against the wind!

Still feeling optimistic!

We finally made our way to the spot Tom had shot his bear two weeks previous. It’s a funny thing when you’ve been successful in an certain spot you just feel it will happen there again. When we settled in to call I kept visualizing a big ole bruin crusin’ down the ridge, just like Tom’s had done… but my bear forgot his cue and never showed up.

Looking up the draw where Tom shot his bear.

Gary wanted to try one more set up in a place he’s seen numerous bears in a single day. We gave it all we had… Gary was getting numb lips from all the calling! …30 minutes of non – stop squealing and whining and we began to get a little touched in the head! Zach and Gary had a little contest to see who could make the weirdest noises on the elk call… the deer across the canyon were so confused by all the strange sounds!

It was another great day on the mountain. I have two more Saturdays to fill my tag… next outing hopefully my bear will be ready to make his entrance on cue!

Zach & Gary being "goofy"!

: Zach doing his own thing on the elk call!

*side note : I wasn’t able to get back out until May 15th, two weeks later. It was just Gary and I this time and we finally saw a bear!… trouble was it showed up 900 yards across a canyon, as the bird flies… it was 4:00 in the afternoon and we were already a good three miles back in the hills. In spite of the odds against us we decided to dive off the ridge we were sitting on and high tail it as fast as our “old” legs would go… needless to say an hour and a half later peeking up over the top of the ridge where the bear had been, there was only an empty green neadow. We decided to do some fawn in distress bleats anyway and about 10 minutes into the calling a herd of elk came pouring out of the trees above us! They were only 100 yards away and were so curious and excited by the fawn bleats… It was a great sight and well worth all the effort to experience it. A deer also came into the call… but no Mr. Bruin…but all in all it was another great day on the mountain! … May 22nd is the last day of the season… I’m hoping it will work out to go after Mr Bruin one more time!