Mulie Madness... (Pictures, obv.)
09-20-2008, 07:49 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 6,006
Mulie Madness... (Pictures, obv.)
Is what I wish I had run into. Unfortunately, the big boys in the high country refused to show themselves. Six days of hiking, driving, and glassing yielded little in the way of bone - unless of course you count the bones near a cougar den I ran across. [&:]I don't have much of a story to tell other than I hiked a LOT and took some pictures for y'all. I ran into a TON of does, one 150"+ whitetail, and a herd of big horn sheep.
Here's my trip in pictures;
Day 1;
We rolled into camp probably around 11:30 Sunday night, so we spent most of the first morning getting everything settled.
After getting things settled, we decided to drive around the mountain and do some glassing.
Day 2:
Early on the second day we were there, I hiked up a drainage that I had seen the previous day. I wound up stalking this young 2x2, finally closing the distance to 17 yards before he knew anything was amiss. He wasn't legal, so I watched him for about 20 minutes before finally sitting down to glass.
Seeing nothing worth pursuing, I decided to hike further up the drainage. I found this cliff littered with sign.
As we're not allowed to even have a firearm with us in camp during archery season, we brought along a couple slingshots to kill grouse with. They work well.
Not finding anything worth sticking around for, I humped it back to camp around mid day to meet up with dad. We drove into a 'remote' canyon where he knew of an old hunting cabin.
I spent the evening glassing this draw.
The sunsets up there were absolutely gorgeous. I took several pictures of them.
Day 3:
The third day was much of the same. A lot of hiking and a lot of glassing.
Day 4:
The fourth day revealed a whole lot of the same.
We hiked to an old base camp my dad knew about and scouted around some.
While I didn't run into any bucks, I did manage to snap this picture through my spotting scope. I counted ten in all, one of which was collared.
Again, the sunsets were almost worth the trip themselves.
Day 5:
The fifth and final day I was we were there left me scratching my head wondering where all the Mulies had gone. It used to be that you could walk a half mile in any direction and run into them. Not so much this trip. Whether it was the heat or the lack of water in the area, I don't know.
Thre free range cattle sure did look good though.
Greg snapped one, so I figured I would too.
Well guys, I wish I had a better story for you, some horns to show for all the hard work I put in, but I don't. I had a blast and am looking forward to the next opportunity I have to head up north. I hope you enjoyed the photos, I know I promised you guys some good ones.
I'll likely add more photos later, after I unpack my dad's camera and upload his pictures to my laptop.
Here's my trip in pictures;
Day 1;
We rolled into camp probably around 11:30 Sunday night, so we spent most of the first morning getting everything settled.
After getting things settled, we decided to drive around the mountain and do some glassing.
Day 2:
Early on the second day we were there, I hiked up a drainage that I had seen the previous day. I wound up stalking this young 2x2, finally closing the distance to 17 yards before he knew anything was amiss. He wasn't legal, so I watched him for about 20 minutes before finally sitting down to glass.
Seeing nothing worth pursuing, I decided to hike further up the drainage. I found this cliff littered with sign.
As we're not allowed to even have a firearm with us in camp during archery season, we brought along a couple slingshots to kill grouse with. They work well.
Not finding anything worth sticking around for, I humped it back to camp around mid day to meet up with dad. We drove into a 'remote' canyon where he knew of an old hunting cabin.
I spent the evening glassing this draw.
The sunsets up there were absolutely gorgeous. I took several pictures of them.
Day 3:
The third day was much of the same. A lot of hiking and a lot of glassing.
Day 4:
The fourth day revealed a whole lot of the same.
We hiked to an old base camp my dad knew about and scouted around some.
While I didn't run into any bucks, I did manage to snap this picture through my spotting scope. I counted ten in all, one of which was collared.
Again, the sunsets were almost worth the trip themselves.
Day 5:
The fifth and final day I was we were there left me scratching my head wondering where all the Mulies had gone. It used to be that you could walk a half mile in any direction and run into them. Not so much this trip. Whether it was the heat or the lack of water in the area, I don't know.
Thre free range cattle sure did look good though.
Greg snapped one, so I figured I would too.
Well guys, I wish I had a better story for you, some horns to show for all the hard work I put in, but I don't. I had a blast and am looking forward to the next opportunity I have to head up north. I hope you enjoyed the photos, I know I promised you guys some good ones.
I'll likely add more photos later, after I unpack my dad's camera and upload his pictures to my laptop.
09-20-2008, 08:35 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 4,487
RE: Mulie Madness...
Great pics Dan. The scenery would worth the trip itself. I am jealous, but I think I would be lost having to hunt those wide open spaces. But it sure would be awesome trying my luck.
09-20-2008, 08:57 PM
#7
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 6,006
RE: Mulie Madness...
ORIGINAL: TEmbry
Great pics...that kind of country would be worth the trip in itself. Maybe you will get into them better next year.
Great pics...that kind of country would be worth the trip in itself. Maybe you will get into them better next year.
Taking a week to a week and a half off to hunt bears with Kyle will make it pretty difficult to get any more time off to hunt here at home.
Swing out here in 2010 and you can come too.
09-20-2008, 09:11 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location:
Posts: 3,465
RE: Mulie Madness...
ORIGINAL: Washington Hunter
If I go next year it'll only be for two or three days.
Taking a week to a week and a half off to hunt bears with Kyle will make it pretty difficult to get any more time off to hunt here at home.
Swing out here in 2010 and you can come too.
ORIGINAL: TEmbry
Great pics...that kind of country would be worth the trip in itself. Maybe you will get into them better next year.
Great pics...that kind of country would be worth the trip in itself. Maybe you will get into them better next year.
Taking a week to a week and a half off to hunt bears with Kyle will make it pretty difficult to get any more time off to hunt here at home.
Swing out here in 2010 and you can come too.
From the looks of those ridges...id better start exercising now for a 2010 hunt. lmao
09-20-2008, 09:13 PM
#10
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 6,006
RE: Mulie Madness...
Well I'm not joking, bud. You get out here, buy a tag and chip in for gas and food and we'll hunt.
And yeah, you better be in good shape. I thought I was in good shape here at home, but I was huffin' and puffin' coming up out of some of those draws. My legs still feel like rubber.
And yeah, you better be in good shape. I thought I was in good shape here at home, but I was huffin' and puffin' coming up out of some of those draws. My legs still feel like rubber.