2017 Hunt Report and Meat Pole Contest - Win a $300 or $100 Gift Certificate

Looks like the real deal! Very impressive.

Had the hunt of a lifetime with one of my sons in Mongolia in August. We hunted Altai and Gobi ibex, two distinct regions. The first was in the Altai mountains at around 8-9000 feet in mountains that look much like Colorado, though the section we hunted had no forests. The ibex there were very abundant, and we were able to take fine trophies the first day, though it was a long day that started at 6am and we didn't return to our ger until 1230am. Our guides spotted the ibex that morning, and we were able to hike to a point where we could see them by 1pm. It was a group of about 40 males which included some large shooters, but they were bedded down in rocks and vegetation where most were not visible. It took many hours of glassing and stalking to identify the biggest ones and to get into a position to shoot. My son and I split up so the guides could get us each on a trophy billy. It was about 7pm when we were both able to shoot, coordinating by radio. I took an 11 year old 45.5" trophy with a broadside shot at only 115 yards as a result of our careful stalk. Seconds later my son got a 42" with beautiful hook curved horns from about 275 yards. The first picture below is the ibex I took, a few minutes before I shot. The second is my son's.


The Gobi hunt was about 8 hours drive. We descended from the Altai mountains, crossed severe and bleak Gobi desert plains, sands, ravines and rocky ridges. Our destination was a small desert mountain range that rose to 7500 ft peaks from a broad desert basin around 5000 ft in elevation. The Gobi mountain range looked more like Nevada than Colorado - rocky, steep, and less vegetation. The rocks have a dark patina on sun exposed sides. The ancient Mongolians carved many petroglyphs in these rocks, reminding us that ibex and argali have been hunted here for thousands of years, a heritage we perpetuate.

We saw many ibex in the Gobi mountains, with the males keeping together in small groups of 3-4. We spotted a shooter in one of these groups the first morning at about 900 yards, and my son and his guide carefully stalked for an hour around the opposite side of the mountain to get to a range of about 250 yards where one shot from his 7mm Rem mag took a trophy 40" Gobi ibex. For Gobi ibex, this is very big, and it had a nice mass at the base. The guides were all very proud of this animal, and my son's shooting prowess.


The second day we glassed many small groups in the morning, but none were shooters. In the early afternoon we spotted a large billy on a distant skyline, and began the long stalk. It took a couple hours to get to where he had been, but by this time he had disappeared. One of our guides spotted a group of three walking our direction, so we settled in and waited. The trio included a nice trophy, which I took at about 170 yards. The old guy was quartering into me, and presenting the autonomic plexus shot recently described in LRH by Nathan Foster. I've never taken this shot before, and could have waited for a broadside, but he was standing still and my rest was rock solid. It was an amazing result. The billy dropped in his tracks. He was a 10 year old that measured 39", smaller than my son's but maybe also gold medal class.

Having concluded our ibex hunt so quickly, we added on Mongolian, or white-tailed, gazelle the next day. We hunted on the desert plains, where my son and his guide trailed a herd camels to get close to a group of gazelle. Though that stalk was unsuccessful, it was reminiscent of the ancient way Mongolians used camels to stalk close to gazelle long before rifles. We each took a nice gazelle by 1pm that day.

Quite an adventure.

The start of the 2017 bow hunting season is upon us here in Wisconsin. The temps have been well above normal for us. This is the first year that my daughter will be able to hunt and we were out opening morning last weekend. We passed up a couple deer and she missed a nice turkey. As soon as the bolt left the crossbow she know what she did wrong. She was so excited she lifted here head and tried to see where it was going hit, and if she made an impact, resulting in a miss.

It is truly enjoyable to be in blind with your kids when they are jumping around and are super excited for the hunt. When the turkeys came in she was out of here seat moving all over the blind, saying; Dad can I shoot, Dad, Dad, Dad, can I shoot now, now, now. I am sure many of you have been there. I wouldn't give up those moments for anything.

I went out on Tuesday evening and it was near 80 degrees. At 6:45pm, 5 does came out. I figured I would take one and leave the bucks for my daughter as the season goes on.

I was using a Ravin Crossbow with Rage Hypodermic 100Gr 2 blade. I selected the deer I wanted. I was not able to range her with my Vortex 1000 rangefinder through the blind. I took the shot and and instantly heard the hit. All 5 deer took off through the field and over a hill. The way they ran I thought I made a bad shot. All I was thinking was that I wounded her and I hate the though of having an animal suffer.

I went out in the field and found where I hit her. 65 yards back to the blind. I couldn't find the bolt, I was thinking that it may be stuck in her. There was minimal blood and I was worried. I went grabbed a bunch of stick and as I found blood in the alfalfa I wold put a stick down in the ground to try and determine a path and a point of reference. There was little blood to be found along the whole path. I followed her almost 300 yards until I found where she went into the woods. At that point it was dark and I lost the blood trail.

I called a buddy to come and help me find the trail and hopefully the deer. We eventually found here in the woods where she managed to get herself under a bunch of prickers and thorns. I grabbed my rope, crawled in there and tied off on her legs. We had to drag her the 20 yards out of the thorns and then over another 100 yards up to the edge of the field.

At that point we were able to verify that it was a clean pass through of the bolt. On either side there was a 2" slit from where the bolt went through. It was a clean pass through. When we gutted her one lung was gone and the heart was nearly cut in half. It was hard to believe that she made it that far based on the internal damage.

I should have take a picture of the heart and lungs. Truly amazing.

Here she is, weighing in at 150lb.


My daughter and I will be camping out this weekend and I truly hope that the bucks we have been seeing on the trail camera will come within range for her and I can post her first successful hunt.

Good luck and safe hunting everyone.

Andy Backus said:

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The Crow Res near Pryor, MT? Nice shootin'

My 2017 meat pole submission is not exotic or eventful as some of the early submissions. The story is more of home grown for those that like meat in the freezer.

We live in central Washington state which has many orchards, one of which is a small pear orchard below our 40 acre property. I picked up this boar this week by hiking the ridge behind the house and waiting for the bears to head back to the canyons at day break. I took him from 180 yds with a GAP 300WM using a Berger 215. Got him early enough to take the grand kids to school and return to take care of the bear.

lkhanson said:

The Crow Res near Pryor, MT? Nice shootin'

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Yeah it was! Thanks!

She got it done this past weekend. It was her first deer. She still had in her hair die from the schools homecoming events, shorts because it was too warm, and cowboy boots.

Shortly after 7am on Saturday morning this doe came out of the woods and stopped broadside at 20 yards. She was doing everything she could to calm herself down. She didn't want to make the same mistakes she made when she missed the turkey the weekend before. She got her breathing under control, took careful aim, and took the shot.

The deer only went about 50 yards. We found it within minutes and it was a quick ethical kill. Just a perfect experience.

The bolt entered right behind the front shoulder and exited the opposite side, just in front of rear leg.

She was more than excited to get her first deer at 10 years old. It was a great experience for her and for me.

Now she can't wait to get out in the woods for rifle season. She is trying to convince mom that she should get a full head mount if she gets a buck. I said sure but I don't think we have her on board yet. After we got it to the processor we had to go and celebrate with ice cream.

Awesome.......Congrats young lady

I got lucky and Drew unit 58 in Idaho this year. I had decided to be picky, but this goat came running over the hill around 1:00 and then stopped at 700 yards. After 2 failed stalks my father and I decided to wait him out. He was big into rutting with the does. He finally fed over closer about 375 yards. I was set up leaning against the truck sitting down with the the sticks out. As soon as he cleared, he was quartering away at 375 yards. I fired and he went instantly down. I was using my Montana Rifle Company X2 In 28 Nosler with a 175 Accubond Long Range, and my Leupold Vx 3i. This was my second Antelope this season. And I couldn't be happier with his deep curl and ivory tips. He was 15 tall and heavy. The butcher told me he is 6 years old. With a beautiful black face. Now I only wish I had more days to hunt. Pictured is my father and me.

So cool Winkfish. I just read your daughter's story to my 7 and 9 year old girls. My 9 year old sat in my archery deer stand with me last weekend for the first time and really enjoyed it. I don't think she'll be ready to hunt by age 10 but I'm hoping for 11 or 12!

Me and two buddies drew moose tags. Opening morning, by noon we had three moose down, two bulls one cow. Then the work began!
I recently got off crutches but the knee isn't working quite right so I can only shoot standing and prone.
I was threading my way through sand hills and aspen trees when I spotted a bull moose walking. I hobbled as fast as I could around the thick trees and without a high point, was forced to raise my 13lb 300 wby set up for long range and make a 200yd standing shot. I struck middle of the bulls shoulder and the 212 eldx performed excellently. The bull walked 5 steps and laid down. Good day! It's no monster but I love moose sausage and a young bull will work perfect!

Taken Sept of this year on public land in Colorado on the third night of the season. He bugled from a short distance on a wooded ridge near where I had set up for the evening. I cow called twice in response, then stayed still and quiet. Maybe 30 minutes later, this bull pushed his 8-9 cows (one calf) onto the opposite side of a meadow I was hunting which is surrounded by dense woods. Fortunately for me, after herding the cows to where he wanted them on the far side, he began moving across the clearing toward the middle and essentially whispered his bugle. First time I'd ever heard that--and clearly intended only for any cows in the immediate area. At ~116 yards, he had stopped moving in a direction that closed the distance. When he turned broadside to go back to his cows, I took my shot. Harvested with a .50 caliber muzzleloader with iron sights. Very happy I put in the practice with that rifle at the distance I needed.

Feeling good on Monday I grabbed the Weatherby Mark V ultralight six lug rifle chambered in .270 Win and headed out. It weighs 8 lb 1 oz with four rounds. I went around the end of Doe Tag Ridge to the north side, occasionally using the binos trying to see something. There was some encouragement here. I saw a couple deer tracks and also saw deer droppings. When I arrived at the beginning of Doe Tag Ridge I headed across to Buck Canyon.

I spent a few minutes glassing down into Buck Canyon. Nothing. I went down about 100 yards and took a break while eating the nuts and seeds Sue packaged for me. I drank some of the lemon juice. Being optimistic, I saved the majority of the juice in case I got a deer and needed a drink. I've been called "an eternal optimist". My legs were feeling good so I decided to go across the face of The Main Gorge to Doe Tag Ridge.

Within a few minutes I saw movement over on Doe Tag Ridge. I sat down and put the Bushnell 6500 4 ½-30X50, set on 4 1/2X, on it. I saw a deer. Then I realized I could see, but just barely, antlers. I don't remember if I excitedly said, "Buck" or just thought it that loud. Either way I got the reticle settled on the deer as it was moving what appeared to be vertically up the far side of the canyon. To my delight the reticle was moving very little. When I thought the bullet would get to the chest, the gun fired of its own volition. At least that's what it seemed like to me. I liked the hold. Instantly I saw something "white" about three inches diameter appear barely left of the spine behind the ribs. It looked like it was on top of the back from my angle. Never saw anything like that before. But then I never shot a deer from the top either. Quickly I worked the action. I saw another one following "my" deer. The second deer had to back up to make room for the sliding deer which was on its back. At the same time I took notice of the rocks and trees around the deer. Within two or three seconds the buck was still. I looked at my watch: 10AM. The excitement in my body probably would have been obvious to someone looking at me. I was quivering like a teenager after his first kiss. I was having so much fun it was difficult to steady the Sig Kilo 2000 to range the big rock next to where the deer was when I fired: 239 yards. Within an hour and a half the deer was in the pickup. The blacktail buck measured 16" from back to belly.

When skinning it I found the Barnes TTSX 110 grainer that started out about 3,450 feet per second in front of the far shoulder. It had passed through the heart on its way.