Montana Whitetail Hunting Rocky Mountain Front

Wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Hopefully you’re busy with family and not reading this on Thanksgiving morning. I am truly thankful for all that I have. Some days I wish I had a newer rig, other days my house seems too small, other times I’m wishing my house in Ennis would sell. Mostly, my lament comes from not having my daughters around me all of the time. They’re elsewhere this Thanksgiving, which is tough to deal with, but I see them all the time and I am taking them to Seattle for Christmas this year. Next year, I’ll have them for Thanksgiving. So I’m focussing on the positives and I feel very fortunate today.

I also was fortunate on Tuesday when I sneaked away from the desk and cruised to the Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front to hunt whitetail deer with a great friend of mine. I wanted to hold out for a true giant whitetail but I couldn’t do it. I was still hunting through a cottonwood bottom, keeping my eyes wide open for deer and for grizzlies, which often frequent the area. I stopped at the edge of an opening in the brush and trees and ticked some antlers together. Then I used a grunt call to mimic a buck’s sounds. And then I used a little doe call. I saw a doe flash away and I took a few steps forward to see if a buck was with her. Didn’t see anything there, but when I turned to my left I saw a buck moving fast, coming towards me. I threw the binoculars up, saw that it was a good buck, but it was heading quickly for thick brush. I had to make a quick decision and raised the rifle. took another glance at the antlers and said, “That’s a good one,” and pulled the trigger.

At first I didn’t know if I hit the animal. I looked to my left and kept my eyes on a hole in the brush, but the buck never came through. So I walked forward and saw a leg in the air. Sure enough the buck was dead, a one shot kill that wasted very little meat, and only neck meat at that. An hour later I had the buck dressed and in the pickup truck and was headed to my friend’s house to hang it. Yes, I’m feeling pretty lucky today and I hope all of you are, too. Have a great day, sharing stories with your families. Me? Right after this post I’m headed out for hot buttered rum batter, and the Lions are playing football right now. I’ll watch ball all day. Later, I’m headed to a friend’s house for a full Thanksgiving dinner. Take care. GT

 

 

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