The Idaho deer season is starting to wind down, closes monday & I've still got a tag in my pocket, thought I was going to fill it last night but he stayed just out of range, couldn't find him this morning. Will be back out there in a few hours hoping he shows up.
I did take one of the grandson's out , he's just turned 12, thats the legal age here in Idaho. His dad had to work so I got to enjoy the day with him, I've been saying for 3-4 years that I wanted to be there when Ridge tangled with a muley buck, he gets kind of wound up & I love it when kids get excited!
Earlier in the day we had jumped a doe & a small 3X3 but couldn't get hooked up with him & Ridge was kind of disappointed. He wanted to keep hunting so we decided to hunt another little pocket where we've jumped bucks before. This is one of those little isolated spots that you would never expect a buck to be hiding in but 4 years ago me & 2 of my son's jumped 7 bucks out of the exact same spot, we got 3 of them.
As we got close to the hidey hole 2 bucks jumped up, one of them was very nice, before Ridge could get in position for a shot the buck ran up through a game trail in the rocks & a smaller buck bailed out & started running after his buddy.
Ridge got in a kneeling position & I took an offhand shot, the big buck dropped & actually bumped into the smaller buck standing below him. At first we thought we had got both of them but the smaller buck came blasting down the steep mountain side & I couldn't pick him up in the red dot before he got out into a big field.
The bigger buck was down & Ridge was bouncing all over the place he was so excited. We climbed up through the narrow trail through the rocks & there was a very nice 4X4, Ridge had whacked him through the right shoulder & the bullet had exited at the base of the neck.
Shane had just built him a custom 243 on a Mauser action the week before & Ridge had made a nice 125 yd shot on his first deer....life was good! Sharing something like that with one of your grandkids is one of life's treasures!
If only Daniel could have stayed a few more days! We really started seeing a lot of bucks once we got out of a full moon. Daniel could have taken his pick the second week.
Ridge Thompson with a very nice muley buck
One of the local business's welcoming Daniel & Julia to Soda Springs
The 2 guns that were generously given to Daniel, so many people to thank for all the gifts & cash!! A new Colt Commander & a Callshot 44 special, woopieeee!
Me & Ridge with his buck, he was one happy 12 year old, & so was grandpa!
Four days later Shane knocked off a dandy 4X4 with his custom 280, one shot, down & out at 471 yds, the 140 gr Nosler BT snuggled through a rib at a sharp angle & then lodged in the offside shoulder. This is Shane & another son Brett with Shane's buck.
Last night just at dark Brett smoked another nice 4X4, he & another son Travis had bedded the buck down yesterday morning, they went back in the early afternoon & worked into position, right before dark the buck walked out of the same spot he had walked into earlier in the day & got Chey-Tac'ed for his efforts at 422 yds.
This is the 3 bucks together with 2 of my 4 son's, along with 12 year old Ridge, great shooting by all 3 of them. That leaves me & Travis....the pressures on!
Some of the country we've been hunting.
I'm headed back out for a rematch, hope he shows!
Dick
