2015 Rifle Mule Deer

Colorado is a rare state in the sense that a Mule Deer rut hunt with a rifle is a possibility more than once or twice in a lifetime as it is in several other western states. This possibility was granted to me this past fall and the anticipation began to grow as soon as I saw the “successful” behind deer in my draw results.

 I love hunting Mule Deer. Something about where and how they live connects with my personal idea of western big game hunting. Mule deer are also my favorite animal to rifle hunt for some reason. I prefer a bow on most species of big game but something about taking to the mountains rifle slung on my back with cold air in my lungs and snow underfoot fulfills some childhood feeling of hunting adventure that I dreamed of as a kid growing up in eastern South Dakota.

For this hunt I was joined by my friend Keenan who had done this hunt a few times prior but was the first chance we had to accomplish it together. I had scouted the area quite a bit through the year and pretty intensely a few days prior to the season. I formulated a 5 day game plan as that is how many days are available during the 4^th rifle season here in Colorado. So on day one Keenan and I met up at the agreed trailhead to begin the hunt.

A major snow storm had hit the day before 4^th season making absolutely ideal hunting conditions for this hunt. I was so fired up about it I couldn’t stop smiling. “The table was set” I kept thinking “it’s teed up about as well as it can be” I kept telling people.  In many ways it is critical to success because the snow will push most of the deer to lower elevation where glassing is easier and more effective. It is a rut hunt so finding as many big bunches of does that you can before the season can greatly increase your chances of finding a big buck as they move into those groups to breed the does.

Opening morning we hit the trail early and pushed into an area that was mostly large rolling sagebrush hills with scattered pine north faces that we have consistently found deer at in the past. After hiking about 2 miles we ran into two does and a buck feeding above us on the hill, they did not see us. The buck was a smaller 3X3 both of us decided to pass on but had a good moment watching them meander along in the fresh snow. Even the younger bucks look so impressive late in the year with their swollen necks and winter coats. We continued our hike and began ascending a hill to check the basin on the other side.  Before we made it to the top we spotted more deer. Scanning them with glass we spotted a good deer. He was a solid main frame 4 big and beautiful in the sun against to snow we watched him feed for a moment then bed down just shy of 200 yards in plain sight. I was perfect Keenan wanted to take him and found a big boulder rest his rifle on and take to shot. I looked on through my Bino’s as he touched off the shot and the bullet hit true with a thud. The deer shot out of his bed and quickly crashed again. Just like that on opening morning Keenan was tagged out.

High fives and smiles were plenty as it was Keenan’s largest deer taken yet and had gone down in a very textbook fashion. This was a hunt to be proud of. We snapped some pictures and broke him down for the haul out. A truly great feeling swept over me as me as we began hiking out with heavier packs then we came in with. What a perfect day it was, snow on the ground, sun shining, hunting deer with a good friend in the mountains. In my eyes it’s close to what perfection looks like. One tag filled one left to punch.

 Keenan headed for home that night as he had a meeting the next day that he couldn’t miss. He was to meet up with me again the day after to help me with my effort.  Day two was to be a solo adventure for me.

I started the second day in a place I had planned on hunting day two if it came to that and I only showed up about 10 minutes late to be the first party on the trail that morning. I was bummed because I was very early…..but not early enough apparently. I kicked around heading to another spot but it was getting to the point where if I did make a move I would be showing up to the next spot late. I decided to slow play it.

I had a good view from the trailhead at this location so I just set up and started glassing.  As daylight broke I began to pick up deer. Several small herds were in this area and finding them was relatively simple with all the fresh snow. About an hour in to daylight I heard KAWAM! The unmistakable boom of a high power rifle, deer blew out everywhere!  My heart sank but I kept hanging in there figuring they would stop somewhere in view possibly or maybe some other deer would cycle my way from a different drainage, as it turned out the latter proved true.

At about 8:30 AM a herd of about 30 deer came slowly feeding over a ridge that was about 3 miles from where I was glassing. My heart picked up a bit when through the mirage in the spotting scope I could see a larger main frame 4 towards the back of the group doing his best to keep all the does together. Two other smaller bucks trailed as well. Shortly after they came into view the does slowed down and began to bed. The deer were on a broken timber and sage north face that looked like it had a couple possibilities for approach. I sat there and studied as much as I possibly could on their exact position and snapped a couple pictures with my phone so if I got mixed up when I got close I would have some macro reference on where they were bedded.

                I left the truck loaded and ready at 9:15 AM as it turned out I had 3 ½ miles and a little over 1000 vertical to complete in the snow to get there. By noon I was on the last ridge I figured I could blow over without negative consequence so I shut it down and began to pick the trees apart. A series of finger ridges that were about half-timbered lay before me and I picked through them methodically before moving closer to where I figured the deer bedded. I was worried about straggler centuries that could be bedded in any one of those cuts before I could get to the fold with the bigger buck in it. I did find two deer that I was able to skirt by dropping down the hill out of there view. After I gained the elevation back and poked my head over the final bump at about 2:00 PM. There they were! Feeding and bedded throughout the area of about two football fields I began to sort through them to find the deer I had seen. For a minute or two nothing and then Bam! There he was. Upright and feeding he stepped out from behind some blow down he looked awesome. Swelled neck and thick winter coat and dark horns he was the deer I had seen. I sat behind my rifle on the monopod and took the 150yrd shot. He bucked and headed downhill the thud immediately following the shot let me know he was hit and I tried to keep him in sight as he stumbled downward. I couldn’t but it was of little consequence as after a short tracking job, there was my Buck! I was Ecstatic, two mature bucks in two days on public ground! What a hunt!

As I got to the deer and was able the take a closer look I realized this was probably my largest buck to date and he had the body size to back up his headgear. This was going to be a physically challenging pack out over rough snow covered country on my own. If you are going to hunt in the mountains consistently you have to be at least in part a masochist. I was about to get my fix….

I broke this deer down in about an hour and was headed back to the trailhead at about 3 PM The first hour of hiking out  was down a pretty steep grade which sounds great until you add 100 lbs and 3 inches of snow to the equation. This descent blew up my calves and began the fatigue.  From the bottom in was a two and a half hour climb back to my pickup and with having packed out half a deer the day before out of no easy country this haul became excruciating blisters formed on the back of my heals that ended up nickel and quarter sized on my right and left feet respectively.  About half way up the pull my left thigh started cramping fearing that if I stopped I wouldn’t be able to get going again I massaged it as I poked along, I must have looked ridiculous…  About 300 yard from the truck the other one went and I applied the same technique and got to my truck at about 6:30 PM completely ruined…  I had never been so glad to be done with a pack out.  I have done longer hauls out than this with not nearly the same effect. My suspicion is I had not done a good enough job of rehydrating or caloric intake from the day before coupling that with hauling too much in one load over the snow had just destroyed me. As I drove away that night the Gatorade in my truck never tasted so good and I still wore a smile even if it was a weary one. What a great two days to be alive.

Spot and Stalk Colorado Black Bear Hunt

I am of the sort that likes to keep variety in my big game hunting. I like hunting different animals and different places. Adventure, Exploration, and learning are a huge part of why I hunt. The other tendency I have is that different years I get obsessed with different species and different types of hunts. Honestly, I envy people who are so focused and driven on one animal of one type of hunt. Logistically and consistency wise it would be so much easier to give all your energy to one process. That is just not the way I am wired. The only consistency in desire that I have found as a constant is that there is usually one animal and I never know what that will be until it happens, that will consume all my excitement. In 2017 it was Black Bear…

When tag draw deadlines drew near I dumped my 6 bear points on a unit that didn’t take near that many but that I knew held a ton of bears. That is a pretty safe bet in Colorado because this state had the genius idea to put wildlife management decisions in the of a public vote which led to Colorado not allowing baiting, use of dogs or a spring season…This does three things. One pisses me off every spring because I can’t do a bear hunt in my home state. Two makes black bears incredibly hard to hunt. Three leads to a “shitpile” of bears. So we end up with a lot of negative interface between humans and bears and keeps bears over carrying capacity in nearly every GMU in the state. Way to go….

So as I prepared for my Colorado fall spot and stalk bear hunt I chose to focus my efforts on lower county 6.000-8.000 feet where the largest concentrations of bears exist and where I knew I could get large views of places that held a lot of berries. My plan was simple, get to a great glassing location well before daylight and scan large ravines and cuts near water that had berries growing in the shoots coming up out of the creek bottoms. Once I found a bear I would formulate a plan to make my approach and take the shot. As I scouted digitally I lined out 5 different large drainages that I would focus my efforts on and hope to find my bear. These were places where I knew I would have big unimpeded vistas of rolling broken country along each creek.

Colorado bear season begins on the first few days of September and this year it was the second which means it’s still summer. Highs in the 80’s and 90’s are most common and most years it stays pretty dry. Because of this, I decided to focus my energy on morning hunts where temps would be in the 50’s. I assumed that a several hundred pound creature wearing a pretty remarkable parka would not be moving all that much in the 80-degree evening temps we were experiencing at that time.

Day One:

I worked in early to my chosen spot that day well before light and got myself set up on a ridge where I could glass 4 different brushy drainages that held berry bushes. The drainage dropped off below me about 500 feet and abruptly rose on the other side nearly 1000. I could see more than a mile to my left and about ¾ of a mile to my right. The sun began to allow me to see I methodically picked apart the side hill across from me looking for a bear to chase. That day, however, all that as in the cards was seeing a few deer and watching pretty wonderful sunrise hit the hills across from me. As the heat and the mirage picked up I gathered my things and made the sweaty hike back to my truck. No bear that day but I assumed this hunt would a marathon not a sprint and honestly I was excited about the time I would get to spend outside behind the binoculars.

Day 2:

This day started much like the last I was even in the same drainage just upstream about a mile from where I had been the day before. This walk in was quite a bit longer but there was more of the vegetation I was looking for in this location than where I had been the day before. As dawn broke I went to work with my glass memorizing every inconsistency in nature’s pattern looking for the animal that would bring the intensity of my day up exponentially. I love hunts like this where you basically exist in a state of relaxed focus and at any moment you can get hurled into a frenzy that can tax your mind and body many times to the point of extreme fatigue. This day would be all about relaxed focus and I was grateful to seven deer and two coyotes that gave me something to look at other than greenery that day.

Day 3:

On day 3 I was joined by Tyler because the shop is closed on Mondays which gives us a chance to go use all the cool gear we sell. This day I choose a different location altogether. This one would provide a chance of seeing an elk as well which Tyler had a tag for. Our plan was to glass for the first hour and then move up this ridge we were on to check several basins on the back side of this area where elk often bed then make a huge loop back to the trailhead and eventually the truck. This days approach to our glassing point was much further than what I had done in the few days prior. The thought being that if we got something there were two of us for the pack out and we could get a bear or an elk to the truck before the 90-degree heat had its way with it.

In the first hour of the day, we spotted a few deer and one smaller 4x4 elk that was about 700 vertical up the ridge we were sitting on in the path we were planning on ascending to make out loop out and back to the trailhead. Without seeing any bears we decided to head up the hill and see if that small bull was a satellite to a larger herd and hopefully a bigger bull. As we hiked up the ridge I remained diligent in peering every place I could down into ravines on both sides of us. About 300 feet up the ridge I saw something dark in the bottom and pulled my binoculars to my eyes and was shocked to find it was a bear! He was about 200 yards below me and completely asleep under a tree in the grass. I have never in my life found a sleeping bear but I guess there is a first time for everything….I quickly stopped Tyler who was ahead of me and began to try to get a shot. As I knelt down to rest my rifle on my pack I would lose the bear in the oak brush. So I stood bad up and tried to find a window. There were no trees to rest on and we didn’t bring along enough tripod for the job. I typically hike with a monopod trekking pole but of course, had forgotten it that day. I move 75 yards to the left, no shot. I move 150 back the other way, no shot. All the while this bear slept below me. Finally, I just decided to sneak down to about 100 yards and shoot him off hand. I crept down the hill inching closer and closer taking my time not to kick anything loose or crunch the dry vegetation at my feet. As I got to 100 yards I stopped and shouldered my rifle. After giving one more look for cubs I put the crosshairs where I wanted them and touched the shot loose. The bullet hit him square and he stood up abruptly I sent another round and this time he backed into cover as is to plan an attack on whatever was assaulting him. Not long after he charged down the drainage and crashed into the bottom. I had my bear.

As I walked up on him I really didn’t know what sized bear he was. He just kept getting bigger as I got closer. It was not until I put 6’ 5’’ wingspan from the tip of his tail to his not that I realized he was well over 6’ long. I had shot a beast. I was blown away by the size and scale of him as I sat next to him. He had a jet black coat with no star and sported a huge scar that crossed most of his face. He was awesome!

After a celebration, pictures, and the breakdown we loaded him in our Mystery Ranch Metcalf’s and headed for the trailhead.  It was a hot pack out….on steep unshaded ground but we made decent time and just basically plugged in for the workout moved it out until we were to the pickup.

This hunt had not disappointed and it was fun to have it happen in the fashion it did. It was also great to share this hunt with Tyler and really lucky he was there to help me pack out. When I took the bear to get sealed the biologist figured he was 7 years old and his skull measured 19” for the mountains he is a giant and I could not be more grateful that I got him. 

Scouting Picks

Just some boys of summer.. I found a few nights ago.

Western Hunting
Mountain Hunting
Sitka Gear
Minox Optics 
Deer Hunting
Mule Deer Hunting
Archery Mule deer 

Sitka Gear Pre Sale Sale

Visit us at Gannett Ridge to Pre Order your Sitka Gear today. 

2014 Bowtech 360

New 2014 Bowtech 

Our cutting edge technologies are all packed into the fastest flagship bow we have ever produced. At an unbelievable IBO/ATA speed of 360 fps, the RPM 360 is scorching fast without compromising the attributes you have come to expect from our Center Pivot Extreme and OverDrive Binary Cam technologies. Featuring the new Bridge Lock pocket for precision and accuracy, and trapezoidal I-beam riser for strength, this bow has the balance, feel, and extreme tunability you want, we just turned up the heat! You need to shoot this bow to believe it.

Bowtech Carbon Knight Overview

2014 Bowtech Carbon Knight

Here is our long overdue video overview of the brand new Bowtech Carbon Knight.

Bowtech Archery
Western Hunting
Carbon Knight

Josh Wyoming Elk 2013 - Pic of the Day

Picture of the Day

I 

The Bowtech Invasion is ready...

Bowtech Archery

Easton Arrows 

Montec Broadheads

Gannett Ridge

Carbon Rose 2014

Bowtech has raised the bar again with the all new Carbon Rose from Bowtech Archery. The lightest fastest full size women's bow on the market.

Smooth, comfortable draw cycle and light mass weight are just what you've been asking for, without sacrificing the performance you need in a hunting bow.


Bowtech Archery

Mass Weight 3.2 Lbs
Let-Off 80%
Draw Length 22.5-27"
Kinetic Energy 62.19 Ft - Lbs
Axle to Axle 30"
IBO Speed 302
Brace Height 6.75"

Stop by the shop and test shoot one today!

Icebreaker Hunting Clothing

 

 

Icebreaker Merino has long been the industry leader in Merino clothing in the outdoor industry but until just this year their high quality clothing wasn't available for hunters except in solids.  

 

Just recently Icebreaker entered the hunting world adding Mossy Oak Breakup to many of their most popular outdoor products. 

 

The long benefits of Merino wool become very apparent to anyone that wears it in the field. With unmatched breathabilty and warmth when wet wool has long been the go to for many hardcore western hunters. But there have always been drawbacks to tradition wool clothing first is traditional wool is itchy and hard on your skin. Second traditional wool stinks when it gets wet. 

 

Merino Wool is soft, so soft most people believe it is a poly or cotton blend when first see it on the shelf. Second Merino wool is natural antimicrobial which means it actually keeps scent down and will almost never stink regardless of how long you wear in. Which is perfect for the backcountry hunter. The next generation of base layer is here and it is Merino Wool.

 

*Also our very own Sam Soholt has become the national Sales Model for Icebreakers Hunting Line. So it has to be the real deal Haha

 

2013 Elk Hunting Pics.

And more....

Sitka Gear
Bowtech Archery 
Backcountry Hunting
Western Hunting
Mountain Hunting
2013 Colorado Elk Hunt

2013 Elk Season Continued....

And even more Pics....

2013 Elk Season 
Elk Hunting 
Backcountry Hunting
Western Hunting
Sitka Gear
Bowtech Archery
Easton Arrows 
Eberblestock Packs

2013 Elk Season Continued....

Just a few more pics from our 2013 elk season....

Western Hunting
Sitka  Gear 
Eberlestock Packs
Backcountry Hunting
2013 Colorado Elk Hunting

Elk 2013 Just a few Pics from this fall so far!

 

Sitka Gear 

2013 Elk Hunting Colorado 

Archery Hunting

Bowtech Archery

Easton Arrows 

Backcountry Hunting

Western Hunting

 

That Just happened!

I'm not sure what this has to do with Gannett Ridge or Mountain Hunting but... it's pretty cool.

Ambush, a story of elk hunting and the places it takes us

Another trailer from the Hunting Film Tour coming to  

Fort Collins on the 29th at the Lincoln Center.



Sponsored by Sitka Gear 

and

Gannett Ridge Hunting Equipment your source for all the best Western Hunting Gear

There are some BIG deer starting to hit the dirt!

At First Light Guide service took this moster 242" buck on the Arizona Strip just the other day.





The hunter was the luck winner of the Arizona raffle statewide tag.

 Here is another taken with the Mossbacks on the AZ Strip

Trailer for the Hunting Film Tour, The Endless Sepember

The Endless September 2 Min Trailer from bryan huskey on Vimeo.

Sponsored by Sitka Gear
Gannett Ridge 

Hunting Film Tour coming to Fort Collins!

We are super excited to announce that the Hunting Film Tour is coming to Fort Collins! Along with Sitka Gear we are happy to help host the film tour with will feature 2 hours of great hunting movies along with gear give a ways and door prizes.

 

For more information about the show visit: http://huntingfilmtour.com/

or for tickets drop by the shop and pick them up for a discounted $8 each.

Also don't for get that there will be prizes from Sitka Gear and Gannett Ridge at the show.

They are Growing!

A few pics of a nice wide buck Josh found on his morning run.

 Now that's a boxy frame!

He has been running with a much larger buck. Hopefully we can chase him down.

Hope everyone's preseason preparation is going well. 

Preseason Training Grayrock Run

 

Rainy and Foggy all morning, but great weather for a morning run.

After the fire the grass is coming up great and with all the rain we have had all this summer.

The Clearest view I every got of Grayrock all morning.

There is always something spooky about looking off big drop off's in the fog. It's like looking into the abyss.

View from the peak.

The summit, not much of a view this morning.

Running back down through the burn and all the new growth.

I haven't run this loop for a few years but I was excited to be able to complete this loop in 1h 48min trail head to trail head with a few minutes lost for route finding near the peak.