2017 Hunt Report and Meat Pole Contest - Win a $300 or $100 Gift Certificate

[brentc]

Well, ladies and gentlemen it has been a fantastic year full of adventure and personal bests. Best of all, my two oldest daughters got to witness firsthand the excitement we all live for.

The Spring bear season brought some great memories and exciting moments. I hooked my personal best halibut weighing 95 pounds and connected on some of the most difficult shots of my life to include a 300 yard shot with my 300 Win Mag on a black bear feeding on a steep 60 degree hillside while I was drifting in a boat down the Yukon river. The bear wasn't large, but I was excited about making the shot and I was most excited that my 13 year old daughter was there to experience it with me.

The Fall season started in early September with a four day Caribou hunt South of the Denali Highway in Alaska's unit 13. We put our eyes on at least a hundred caribou throughout the weekend and I was lucky enough to put my reticle on my personal best bull at 280 yards.

A week later I welcomed some family members to Alaska for this year's moose hunt. On the second day of our the hunt I called a bull in to 165 yards and hit him with an instant lights out shot with a 300 grain Berger from my 338 Edge. We saw several bulls throughout the 10 day hunt, but we only closed the deal with mine.

Last weekend I was able to get access to one of Alaska's most prized game animals to harvest a Bison with my middle daughter. It was a fantastic trip and it gave me a glimpse of the old west with bison stampeding through the dusty countryside. I took this gigantic bull with my 338 LM firing 250 grain Berger Elite Hunters.

This weekend brought about another opportunity in which I was to travel South to sneak into shooting range of this great bull elk. The 338 LM got a workout this October and helped me punch a couple tags.

Needless to say, my meat pole is full. I'm grateful for the opportunity to harvest these great animals and I'm more grateful that I can feed my hungry people for the coming year with the best table fare our world offers.

 

[Andy Backus]

Quite a year Brent! Thanks for sharing.

 

[sydhunter]

I have been fortunate in 2017. The year started with a flight to Christchurch NZ (from Sydney Australia) to hunt Chamois and Red Deer in the South Island of New Zealand, hunting with my brother and a local hunter friend who has a wealth of experience in the mountains.

The South Island did not disappoint, we had sun, rain, sleet but managed to bag a red stag, and three chamois bucks.

In May I went again to New Zealand, this time with three friends on a Tahr Ballot to the Adams Range, difficult hunt, with most bulls like the ones below being named Irretrieva-bulls:

We came off the mountain with one bull Tahr, and a near miss on another bull at 200m (the shooter did not see the clump of snow just in front of the bull Tahr).

However, we managed to take a beautiful Chamois Buck at another location. I did not fire a shot, but enjoyed being part of the hunt.

Late September Sambar Australia Alpine National Park
We are fortunate to have six deer species to hunt in Australia, one of the most popular is the sambar deer. I had the opportunity to hunt with my friend from New Zealand for a week in the Alpine National Park. We were too early for the rut, but saw plenty of deer including three mature stags (not yet very big in the antler department), and my friend took an animal for meat.

Let's see if I can head down again before the end of the year.

 

[Varmintnv]

Well she did it again. First

my wife harvested her first Pronghorn on opening morning. We've been swamped with work and family projects since. So last Saturday our son got married. Sunday morning found us running around crazy throwing stuff in the travel trailer so we can head out to hunt her cow elk. First morning we parked on a hillside and just watched the valley below for elk. Nothing moved. So we jumped back in the Ranger and took off. We had never hunted this area so I figured we bounce around, learn where roads went and get the lay of the land. Late that afternoon we spotted a group of elk and tried a stalk. We ran out of legal time. So we headed back to camp with a plan for the next morning. We got about 3/4mi from where we saw the elk the nite before and parked the Ranger. We snuck our way down into the draw in the dark and setup about 200yds from the last place we'd seen them and waited for daylight. When it finally got light enough to see, I found the elk 500+ yds down from us. The wind was swirling, so stalking closer was a bad idea. We waited. 6 of the 10 cows left the 6pt bull and headed our way slowly. Finally after 2+hrs of waiting, my wife found herself sitting 175yds from her target. She fired and I saw the bullet land right behind the cow's shoulder. The others began trotting to her aid and I was afraid they would run her off. So I said "Hit her again". My wife fired a 2nd shot that again hit perfectly behind the shoulder just as the others gathered around the cow. After about 3 seconds, she stumbled and fell dead. Her first elk, and her 2nd big game animal of the year. The antelope was her 1st big game animal ever. She had an awesome year! The last 2yrs she didn't even get to fire shot. Words cannot express how proud I am of this lady!

 

[Larson562022]

Hi,how do I start a story ?do I hit this post reply? thanks

 

[Andy Backus]

Hi,how do I start a story ?do I hit this post reply? thanks

Yes, you did it right. Now let's hear your story.

 

[Larson562022]

It's that time of the year! our young and upcoming hunters get 1st dibs on the Wisconsin white tails with the rifle,which is a great opportunity to interest them in hunting while the climate's bearable!my nefew took to the woods on a light rainy Saturday morning over looking a large set aside field, where deer love to sneak through to the orchard that the stand sits in!he made a 100 yard quartering away with his youth model Remington 700 in 243 wichester ,1 shot perfectly placed ,the buck took a few steps and tipped over!even though he suffered a slight scope ding above his eye,which it didn't break his smile ear to !it's great that we can share these great memories!thanks ,Len and Andy

 

[Larson562022]

 

[orangediablo]

kinda sucks that long range in here in the east for deer is 100-150yds in the woods. Maybe if I get a deer at 50-60 with a bow, I'll post. HA!

 

[coop2564]

Went to South TX to dove hunt and get stands ready for deer season. Dove hunting was a little slower than normal but we managed to get plenty for grilling Texas dove poppers! Last day I went out in morning to put out a new camera and change a few battery's. Luckily I grabbed my TC custom 7mmRM because in Texas with so many introduced exotics you just never know what might step out. As I start up a hill near one of our fields I see what I think is a deer rear end, so I brake get the bino's and when it pulls his head up, WOW a Free-range

Black Buck. I slide out of truck grab range finder and gun go up to cross fence, he is 267yds. Squeeze and 168gr Berger slams him. Cant believe I got lucky enough to get a freebie!

 

[tankgijohn72]

Got out to Idaho for my first hunt since a big health scare earlier this year due to multiple blood clots and partial loss of a lung. Have been working for months to get back in shape. I live 1,000 ft above sea level and was worried about the altitude. Its only 6,000 feet. Lungs seemed to handle it well. Watched about 30 deer for a couple days before season in a hayfield that was just off the national forest. Many others hunters were glassing the same deer every night leading up to opening day. I figured the only way to have a decent chance with all the pressure was to get in early ahead of everyone else. Hiked in a mile and a half to a vantage point I had previously scouted where I could see two large bowls, and the drainage that the deer had been using to access the hay field each night. Was in position 40 mins before shooting light. As soon as it was light I glassed 8 deer in the drainage below me. There was a decent 3 pt in the group. I got setup with the bipod and squeezed the trigger. The 129 barnes LRX handload I have been working on all summer struck and he went 30 yards. On the way down to the deer, I saw a nice bull elk. First I have seen in a few years. Praise God for recovery and another chance to get out on the mountain.

 

[Timnterra]

kinda sucks that long range in here in the east for deer is 100-150yds in the woods. Maybe if I get a deer at 50-60 with a bow, I'll post. HA!

Hey, 100-150yds with a Pistol is certainly long range you should try a 357 or 44 mag!

 

[Larson562022]

That would be awesome!

 

[tulsaburnside]

Yes, you did it right. Now let's hear your story.