Somehow, brother John talked me in to doing a little hunting while I had a few days off. -25c sounds like perfect weather for hunting even the quads wouldn’t start!! Had to use the exhaust from the trucks to warm them up to get them to fire!! Then a slow chilly drive to the top of the hill only to see a monster moose at 690 yards downhill!! What to do? The bugger didn’t give us much time to figure out a game play before he run away!! Spent the remaining part of the day trying to stay warm. Returned the next day only to see him again but this time 800 yards!! It’s pretty clear that he is a big moose for a reason!!
Well after Matthew’s success he didn’t really have much interest in the rest of the season. That didn’t stop me from camping, quadding and a little bit of walking with a really sore knee!! First, out to 316 with the trailer for some scouting around Bogey Lake on leased land. The weather has been so nice that the animals aren’t having to move!
Meditation!!
Brother, John, came out quite a bit for the scouting of the Leased Land but not much for action.
Russ Fletcher’s Leased Land
After about 4 days in 316 it was time to move up to 318 on the north side of the Red Deer river for elk. The nice weather continued through the weekend. Very nice for quadding and sitting around the fire but the animals aren’t having to move. I did see one really nice whitetail buck that didn’t see me but after stopping and thinking about the work to get him out by myself, I calmly watched him walk away. A very smart move at 4 in the afternoon, alone!!
Camping alone is a lot of work but so satisfying!That’s a nice fire 😀No snow the whole month of November
Another season under my belt and still no luck with Elk!! Other than Matthew’s deer being sick it has been another fun, enjoyable and memorable year. I look forward to 2022 and maybe a little more luck. 😔 I know, John has talked about bow season for Elk in 2022. Damn that would be so much warmer for camping!! Let’s hope it all works out and John buys a crossbow😀
Wow another chilly night! Trailer has frozen water again this morning! Okay, enough whining!! Time to have a quick bite to eat, start the truck and head out for the morning hunt. Down to the end of the pasture we go. In the distance we see a few bucks to the west. We then drove out of the farmland and headed west down the blind line into the coulee. Well I’ll be jiggered, there’s two bucks in the same place as they were last year. But as luck would have it, we don’t have permission for that quarter. So we sat there waiting and waiting and waiting for them to make the wrong move. Either to jump one of the fences to the south or to the east where we had permission. 3 o’clock in the afternoon and still no luck! Then a local farmer come along and gave us permission to enter the south coulee. Earlier in the day we seen a nice 4 x 4 muley done there. Low and behold as the farmer walks back up the coulee we begin glassing around again and we spot the 4 x 4. By this time of the day Matthew had enough, no lunch and wind is howling and cold. Matthew’s patience has run out!! He opened the door and he states “ I’m going to get him!” So as I stayed in the truck piercing through my binoculars I watch Matthew sneak up to within 258 yards. I’m talking to myself by this time telling him shoot shoot shoot! But nothing.… Then all of a sudden I glass back and Matthews trying to get closer. Offering a little bit more cover were these great big sandstone rocks which helped a lot. Matthew disappeared around the edge of the rocks so I returned my attention back to the buck. Still talking to myself shoot shoot shoot. Then finally the shot that I’ve been waiting for. Two seconds later down the buck went! Matthew, the new proud owner of a nice 4 x 4 buck, makes his way back to the truck. I couldn’t wipe the smile off his face! It’s been many many many years coming and he finally got the opportunity to do it all by himself. I asked him earlier, before he went after the buck, if he wanted support and he forcibly said no! Oh and shooting a deer at 4 o’clock in the afternoon makes for a long night. Also, the wind hasn’t stop blowing!! It’s still a cold wind straight out of the south. We drag him out of the coulee and back to the farm. We called Henry to come out and operate the tractor (or in this case drink beer) for us as we skin and wash this thing. Obviously taking breaks in between to have a beer by the fire to warm up our fingers. All complete by 9 PM and it’s beer time or should I say bedtime? Oh, have I mentioned the wind?! It’s still blowing!
Nice 4×4 😀Matthew’s FIRST KILL
NOVEMBER 16, 2021
UPDATE ON MATTHEW’S MULE DEER BUCK – IT HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR CRONIC WASTER DISEASE!!
Oh my God it was cold last night! The water in the trailer froze and the furnace run most of the night -12°C. Then the wind decided that it should blow!! Wow what a chilly day even around the fire. Well time to call it a night and be ready for an early morning tomorrow. Matthew should be here around 6 AM since he’s the one that has the mule deer tag this year not I.
Well I’ve spent the last week getting the trailer ready. I worked hard on Joanne‘s quad making sure it’s ready to go. NOT!! The engine just apparently does not want to work for me!! So it will be staying home. The trailer is all loaded and my quad is all licensed with insurance. Time to head to the farm …. two days prior to the hunting season. If all goes well this weekend maybe a couple beers with the bros!
Well, we embarked on our adventure westward, cruising down the Coal Camp Road to set up camp along the picturesque Red Deer River. It was a picture-perfect spot to set up camp! Our week was filled with quad rides and strolls through the hills, but despite our efforts, we only managed to catch a glimpse of a few deer. As for the elusive elk, they must have pulled a disappearing act because there wasn’t a sight of them anywhere in the vicinity!
Things took a hilarious turn on Friday afternoon when I stumbled upon a massive bear print in the muddy terrain. Lo and behold, come Saturday morning, Mr. Bear was in the back of my truck, eyeing up my prized mule deer head that I needed to send to the government. Talk about unexpected guests! Thankfully, our decision to sleep in and pack up early spared us from a potential grizzly encounter. Imagine the chaos that would’ve ensued if we had been face to face with a curious bear on a Saturday morning!
Despite the unexpected wildlife shenanigans, we had an absolute blast camping, quad biking, hiking, and hunting. It’s safe to say that this adventure will be etched in our memories for years to come, with plenty of laughter and stories to share!
It was an eventful day, but I finally got him – a magnificent 4 x 3 mule deer buck in Hehr’s. Our pursuit began when we spotted him at 9:30 in the morning on land we couldn’t hunt, so we patiently waited for his move. He darted back and forth across the coulee, presenting a challenging target. After several attempts, I managed to take seven shots before he finally stopped and succumbed.
Although Matthew had the chance to take a shot, he opted to let me handle the situation, which led to a bit of a scramble. Now the buck is skinned and hung up, awaiting our attention tomorrow. After dealing with him, our next adventure awaits as we plan to venture west of Sundre in search of a bull elk.
Exciting news this year as I’ve been drawn for mule deer hunting around the farm! Our strategy is to set up camp in the yard and head out on the first day to bag my tag. We’re starting our adventure on Friday after work, intending to stay until my tag is filled, or at least that’s the plan.
Once my tag is secured, we’re contemplating either assisting John with his moose hunt or possibly venturing west of Sundre for a bull elk. The decision will be made on the spot, depending on circumstances and opportunities. Regardless of the choice, we have a full week of vacation ahead, and we’re determined to make the most of every moment!
