2007 Wyoming Report: Craig’s Story
Evening Hunt-10/8/07
By Craig Wyosnick, with ever-so-helpful commentary by Master Kibitzer Bill
After looking at Bill's map (not believing his landowner status) Not Craig's first mistake. - Bill
and talking to Charlie, I finally figured out after 5 years that a fenced in section of Crab Claw Draw was really owned by Charlie and not Orchard. Charlie explained to me that it was fenced so he could leave horses there so they could use them on their cattle drive, but found it be too far from the corrals so he stop using it. Anyway, it always look like good deer country to me and was not getting hunted by us or Charlie's family, so I decided to hunt it for the first time. I took off from camp in my truck and headed to Brown's Hill Road and to the red gate. That is, South Gate (according to my accurate and trustworthy map). - Bill
Map of the Crab Claw area. Click here for larger map.
I parked my truck east of Lookout Point and hiked to the lower portion of this new area. I crossed Charlie's fence and sat down to begin to glass a small bowl. I immediately find a buck feeding about 450 yards away. Once again my idea where bucks should be is proven right! Hoo, boy! Gratuitous self-congratulation. - Bill As I glass this buck I noticed he appeared to be heavy horned, so I get out my spotting scope and take a look. Yes, he was heavy; in fact, he had the biggest bases that I seen in 5yr's of hunting Charlie's place. However, he had a goofy rack with a kicker point on one side making him a 5x4 with eye guards. He would not score well, but I liked his mass. I seem to be able to always find and shoot goofy looking bucks 'Struth. - Bill on Charlie's place And everywhere else. - Bill for some unknown reason, so I decided if I got a chance I would shoot him to keep the tradition going. That's even weaker than the "the stalk was so good" excuse. - Bill As I continued to glass this buck, two more bucks appeared and begain to feed near the buck. For the next 2 hours until dark the big buck would never get closer than 425 yd's from me which is too long of a shot for me. As proven more than once. - Bill One of the smaller bucks came within 200 yd's from me, go figure. Additionally, the big was starting to act rutty because he really began trashing a bush with his horns for a good hour. I never considered trying to get closer due the open terrain and fear of spooking the other bucks and blowing the big buck out, so I sat watching until dark and then eased my way out towards the truck hoping I would not spook him.
10/9/07 - Morning Hunt
I planned to go back to find the buck at Crab-Claw Draw. The previous night at camp, Bill and I looked at his map and figured out where I should be by first light. Bill punched in the GPS coordinates on his spare GPS, and give me the unit to use.
Left camp early morning, and arriving in the dark and parking where I'd had the previous night, I begin to hike towards the GPS spot. Had to admit it was nice to have the GPS coordinates: it helped when hiking in the dark and in an unfamiliar area.
After about 35 minutes of hiking, I arrived at the spot well before first light, perfect. Sitting down to wait for it to get lighter, I begin glassing, but couldn't see any deer yet. As it got a littler lighter, I soon realized I wasn't where I wanted to be. I hadn't correctly read the map, and I found myself looking into a different bowl then the one where I'd seen the buck last night. Bummer. Making the best of it, for the next hour, I sat and glassed, and figured out where it was I wanted to hunt. I hadn't seen any deer, so I packed up my stuff and started to work my way towards Crab-Claw Draw.
As I walked, I spotted a buck feeding at about a 1,000 yards. I stopped, sat down and got out my spotting scope and bingo!! It was the Goof-Ball buck from last night. However, he was feeding towards Orchard's Fence, not good. But between me and the buck were a bunch of serviceberry bushes. I figured if I crawled, I could use the bushes as cover, and there might be a chance of getting within 500 yards of the buck.
After about 35 minutes of crawling, I finally made it to the last of the serviceberry bushes which provided cover. I stopped and glassed, hoping I did not spook Goof-Ball. But I could not find the buck: now I'm bummed because I figured I had blown the buck out of the draw. Glassing for another 20 minutes or so, the buck stood up and began feeding again (it just amazes me how bucks can lay down in tall sage and disappear). I pulled out my rangefinder: the distance - 450 yards, no shot. Hoping for a closer shot, I figured I could wait all day if I had to; however, Goof Ball had other plans. He crossed the fence and continued to feed. For the next 3 hours I watched the buck feed and bed down just inside Orchard's property, bummer.
Ever hopeful in my wait, I ate lunch anticipating that the buck would cross back onto Charlie's land, giving me a shot. Then I noticed someone riding a horse about 2,000 yards away from the deer. It was Charlie looking for strays! Great!!! About the same, time another buck stands up: he is about 100 yards from the Goof-Ball buck. I put the spotting scope on him and holy cow!!! it is a big 4x4 typical. Well, forget the Goof-Ball buck! This 4x4 is the buck I've been looking for!
Now the ONLY problem: Mr. 4x4 is also on Orchard's property. However, I was glad to see that the 4x4, apparently ignoring Charlie's commotion, began feeding making its way towards the Goof-Ball buck. But my heart sank as I helplessly watched Charlie, in his search for strays, ride towards both deer. At first I was pissed that this was happening, but then I figured maybe, just maybe, Charlie might push them towards me...excellent!!
As Charlie drew closer to the bucks, as hoped, they jumped the fence back onto Charlie's land. But the bucks were still 450 yards away and were feeding away from me. All of sudden, I hear Chuck's motorcycle above me. Of course, the bucks hear it too, and alarmed, they take off running at 100 mph back onto Orchard's land! I could only watch them disappear over the next hill. I was pissed! After 9 days of hunting I could only watch as the 4x4 I wanted disappeared in a flash. Adding insult to injury, as I sat there, all kinds of deer ran right by me not knowing that I was there, including a nice 4x2 buck. Disgusted, I packed up my stuff and headed back to the truck.
10/11/07
Bill and I had much discussion if the two bucks were or were not blown out of Carbon County. Bill thought they'd still be in the area, I did not. However, I decided to give it the 'ol college try and see if the two bucks had gone back to Crab-Claw Draw.
I hiked in the dark, without the aid of a GPS, and arrived at my spot well before daylight. I sat there for the next 2 hours without seeing a single deer. I was thinking to myself, "See, I was right when I said that the bucks were blown out of Carbon County." Anyway, I decided that I had wasted enough time and begin walking farther down Crab-Claw Draw towards Bird Gulch. There was another area in Crab-Claw Draw where I'd seen bucks before, and I was hoping the two bucks would be in that area. No such luck, just a bunch of average size bucks.
Now frustrated I decided to cross over Lookout Ridge and hunt the Waterfall Creek side of the ridge toward Bird Gulch. I saw a lot of does and some small bucks, bummer!!! After 2 hours, I finally made my way back to the Lookout, sat down to have some water and to take a rest. As I sat there, I saw movement on the east side of Horn Gulch Ridge. Putting up my binocs I saw that they had horns!!! I immediately got out my spotting scope, and I couldn't believe my eyes - it's the Goof-Ball buck and Mr. 4x4 chasing each other around the serviceberry bushes.
I guess Bill was right and I was wrong (it really kills me to admit that Bill was right). I watched the bucks for about 20 minutes until they disappeared. I gathered my stuff and made my way to where I saw them last; however, when I got there, the bucks were nowhere to be seen. At that point, I decided to sit and wait next a serviceberry bush hoping they might come by. After 2 hours the bucks didn't show.
I decided they must have bedded down on the west side of Horn Gulch Ridge. I made my way around the west side of the the ridge, but still couldn't find the bucks. I then concluded that they must be somewhere on the east side of the ridge. With that in mind, I began to cross over the ridge, when at about 50 yards in front of me, the two bucks stand up, holy crap!! I saw Mr. 4x4 first and I am stunned - he's even bigger then I thought. Mr. 4x4 turned 180 degrees and took off running. I raised my rifle and placing the cross hairs on his butt, I let one fly. I missed. Quickly I jacked in another round, fired and missed again.
Mr. 4x4 disappeared somewhere into Horn Gulch. I am mad that I missed and let such a big buck get away. The next two hours were spent looking for blood without luck. Dejected, I headed back to the truck. It's late in the afternoon, so I decided to go Lookout Point hoping that I might find the bucks by Waterfall Creek.
As I am sat there, from behind the willows, out pops a different, good-sized 4x4. Where did he come from? This buck had good forks, good mass, but only 24-25 inches wide. I figured he would score about 175, which is good, but not as good as Mr. 4x4. With one more day to hunt I really wanted to get another shot at Mr. 4x4, and I felt confident that he'd gone back to Crab-Claw Draw. Leaving my options open, I watched this new 4x4 buck until dark, telling myself if this bucks gets within 250 yards, I will shot him. He never gets closer than 320 yards.
10/12/07
This was the final day I had to hunt, so something was going to die!!! I was very confident that the Goof-Ball buck and Mr. 4x4 would be in Crab Claw Draw, so I headed back to my spot before daylight.
But as the sun rose, I didn't see any deer and I concluded that I must have blown it last night when I didn't take the other 4x4 buck. I sat for about an hour. I looked off to my right, and at about 325 yards (lasered), there was a deer feeding at the crest of a ridge and it had horns!!! Was this one of the bucks that I was looking for?
I looked through my spotting scope and bingo!! It was the Goof-Ball buck. OK, where was Mr. 4x4? I watched G-B buck feed for about 30 minutes hoping his buddy, Mr. 4x4, would show up, but no luck. About this time the G-B buck appeared to be feeding back over the ridge. I had to make a decision. Because this was my last day of hunting, and because I didn't see Mr. 4x4, I decide to shoot G-B buck.
I put my gun on spotting scope tripod (makes an excellent rest), cranked up the scope to 8 power and took a shot. I heard the bullet whack; saw the buck jump straight up in the air and then disappear. I packed up my gear and headed to where I'd last seen the buck. There he was, dead as nails. Yes, that was Wyosnick with a one-shot kill!!! The shot entered mid-chest and exited out of the opposite shoulder. I was impressed with the Hornady 130-grain bonded-core bullet. This was the first animal I had shot with that particular bullet. For the next 2 hours I quartered and packed out the buck to my truck.
Even though, I did not get Mr. 4x4 buck, shooting G-B buck was very satisfying because of all the days I chased him around (the biologist aged him between 8-9 years old and was clearly regressing). His bases were close to 5.5 inches, by far the heaviest buck I shot. Now it was time to kill my lope!!
I arrived back at camp, ate lunch, and headed to No Name Butte. As I arrived near NNB, I didn't see any lopes. "Ugh oh," I thought, "Maybe the 'lopes have moved to the desert in one night, as Chucks said could happen." I got nervous thinking that I might not be able to fill my 'lope tag. I started driving towards Sage Creek, where I started to see some 'lopes. None of the bucks were very big, so I decided that even if I were to see a decent-sized 'lope, I'd take it.
I continued my drive towards Sage Creek, and as I went around a hill, a 'lope doe and two bucks ran right in front of the truck. They were about 75 yards from me, and the second 'lope looked decent. I got out of my truck, put my gun up and took a shot. The 'lope folds up like a sack of potatoes, amazing!! Another one-shot kill for a Wyosnick. I quartered the 'lope, threw him in the truck and headed back to camp. The 'lope scored around 76.5 inches with 14-inch horns, not bad for about an one hour worth of hunting.
That's it for my season, ready to do it next year.
Craig's Victory Buck
Craig's Victory 'Lope
Craig is incredulous as Bill combines two different whiskies into one bottle.
Pulling the tent down this year was much easier and Craig kept a sunny disposition.
The tent is down and stowed, and the rectangle of green grass in the foreground is where it stood.
Holy cow!
No wonder the "unexpected" is becoming the "expected" these days (Huckabee
rising to the top in Iowa, the "Surge" in Iraq is actually working, severe
drought in the SE, etc)--Wyosnick made two one-shot kills in a row!
Although I have seen the mathematics that can statistically describe the
chances of lightning striking twice, I don't think the mathematical equation
has been devised to model the probability of a Wyosnick going 3 for 3. There
just aren't enough zeros to place after 1-in-1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
etc to make it work!
Congratulations, Craig! Nice job and a great story. You and Sandy have a
knack at this.
Paul
Craig: this showed a lot to be proud of: good thinking like a deer, persistence, good shooting. - David