the buck story

11.17.2009
We (Buck, JT and I) started off yesterday morning pretty close to as usual as it gets. Wake up. Coffee. Trips to the bathroom. Start truck. Road Hunting in the Dodge commences.
Buck and JT dedcided upon taking the Pinkham Ridge route in the am, followed up with lunch in town and an east side hunt in the afternoon.

The AM hunt was typical of what I have experienced so far this year. One white tail running away from us.

Lunch in town was delicious. Cafe Jax is an awesome eatery in little downtown Eureka. Filling satiated and content, we took off for Therriault Pass. This pass is Buck's favorite place in all of Montana and we were all looking forward to seeing how far we could get up the pass considering the amount of the snow on the ground. Apparently there are amazing valleys that are breathtaking up that way. This summer, we shall hit it up hard core!

As we are driving, we spot tons of sign. Tracks left and right. Deer. Elk. but no visuals of real live flesh and blood animals. It was us and the snow. :(
The drive was gorgeous! Purple sedimentary rocks lined one side of the road with snow covered white pine trees surronding us. The snow kept getting deeper and Buck thought it's about time to turn around when boom, we got stuck. And stuck we were. JT(Buck's Papa) tried. Buck tried. We jumped on the tail gate. I jumped on the bumper(which by the way is a massive deer killing machine meant to save your truck. Sad to say it hasn't yet taken any lives down!). We chopped down small trees to put under the tires for traction. And then, finally we winched the truck out with the help of a now out of the ground pine tree. So, we thought, we're home free. Just back the truck up to a safe turn around spot, but bam....so sorry charlie...we're stuck again. I believe Buck is the most patient man I have met in a long time considering how many times we actually had to re-winch ourselves out of the snow. I'm telling you this people...get chains if you plan on traveling in the mountains Oct-May in Montana!
So, yeah...here's a beautiful picture of the patient one!!!LOL
Finally, after many attempts we got out and headed down the mountain. All frustrated and soaking wet, we started listening to Angry White Boy music to calm Buck's nerves.
About ten minutes, the music began to take it's affect and we began telling stories of "stuckage!" when JT says, "Deer right!" Buck and I were totally in the midst of a conversation and weren't even looking at the woods so we were a little shocked. As we backed up the truck, we saw two deer. A doe and a forken horn(translated: a Buck with small forks for horns!) So, I grab my Tikka baby girl and hop out of the truck and get into the woods. I am following these two deer through the woods and the shot of Crown Royal I had just taken(to help celebrate our escape from the deep snow) kicked in and had me on a nice buzz. Not to mention the amazing adrenaline pumping through my body. Buck and JT I think moved the truck up a ways as all I could concentrate on was the kill I was about to make.

Ok, now here's where it get a little CRAZY! I am stepping quitely through the woods, like Elmer Fudd, when I spot something I've never seen before. The Forker was porking the Doe! Yes, that's right kids, and please excuse my french, but nature has it's way of blowing my mind sometimes. My thoughts were this:
How can I kill this deer right now? If I shoot, I'll kill both of them. HOLY CRAP...is this real? Where's Buck to explain if I'm halucinating or not? What do I do?

Luckily, I didn't have to think very long, for the deer must have heard me and parted themselves and bound away into the woods. I thought CRAP I lost them, when all of a sudden there they are again. But, just as I'm moving into a better position for the kill, they move again. Dang animals, stay still. (every hunters dream)
Finally, I get a good site in my scope at both of them standing next to one another, but due to the late hour in the day, my vision was thwarted by the lack of light. I couldn't tell which deer was which. So, as I'm about to give up, I hear a rustle in the trees way above me.
It's another deer. And it's BIG!
I throw my gun to my shoulder and catch him in my scope. He is big, and he's a BUCK, I think?!?
He moves across the trees and I follow him along keeping him in my visuals. So, I start talking to myself:Is it a Buck really? If not, I'm screwed if I kill it. Breathe Kristen. You're fine. Just breathe and squeeze the trigger. Do you have a good shot? Put the crosshairs on the white. And squeeze the trigger. and BLAM!

I took the shot. And I closed my eyes. And I opened them to see my deer stumble sideways, and trot off into the woods. CRAP! Did I hit him? So, then comes the next self talk head time: Don't rush after him. Buck's coming, he heard you shoot. Stop and think about where you are so you have a point of reference. Breathe. just breathe. Did I hit him?
So, I started up the hill looking for any sign of a hit. Hair? Blood? I'm starting to bumb myself out when I see Buck walking towards me. He starts asking me the same kinds of questions I was asking myself and as I relayed my thoughts to him, I feel a little lighter. Thank God for help. The hardest part at this time is that it's getting darker. I see sign of struggle and fresh tracks so I begin to follow them. After about ten minutes, Buck and I are both thinking CRAP...no sign of blood when I hear a rustle in the bushes below us. I ask Buck, "is that your dad?" He says, there's something in those bushes and he aprroaches.
"BOO YAW! It's your Buck!"
"Are you sure it's a Buck?"
"Um, yeah and a Big boy"
As I stepped around the tree I saw in all his glory, my BUCK! A 200 lb. 4x4 Handsome as hell Whitetail Buck!!!