Looks like a great season.  Thanks for taking us along.
-Jay

Down to the last few days of the season, these last few days, and now, the general season is over.   For us it ended on a high note...a great thanksgiving, although the wind hindered us the whole time.   For those not familiar with the Livingston, MT area, we got some wind here, let me tell you!   Winds this past week have been in the 40 to 50 mph range, constant, and gusting to 90 at times...that's no exageration either.  

I have been hunting hard to fill an antlerless tag, to fill up the freezer, and it's been a hard year around here finding does.  There just aren't many!   One thing though, the does got bred fast, and the bucks were prowling again.  Great news for Kory.   Thanksgiving eve found us in a favorite stand, and Kory rattled in a nice buck, only to miss it when his upper limb hit the climbing ladder.  

The next morn found him in the same stand, and he rattled in 7 bucks, and took this half-rack (busted) buck and made a great shot on it.   His buddy, "Cheese", and don't ask me how he got his nickname, we've been "mentoring" some this year, and he was with Kory when he killed this buck.  

Awesome thread!

I finally got a break on the last morning when this young yearling walked into my shooting lane.   He flunked the "stupid" test 3 times, and it was his undoing.   First time was when I shot him and my arrow glanced around his ribs!  In the pics you can clearly see the path of the blade as it shaved hair....I could hardly believe it, as I hit right where I was looking.   Stupid just walked a few steps and began urinating.....hmmm.   I pulled out another arrow from my new quiver that Tim built....doh!  I grabbed a judo...stupid me!   As I fumbled for another arrow, I clacked the shafts together, and the sound was clearly LOUD...but the deer did'nt move, just looked at me....stupid him!   Finally he began to walk off, now broadside, and I was racing to get the arrow on my string.   Thinking this may be my last opportunity for another year, I stopped him with a "blah" noise...something I never do, and stupid him, he stopped, allowing me one more shot.   He was dead in less than 10 seconds it seemed.  

I was glad to get him, as he is as big as a doe, and with the lack of does around, this young buck was perhaps a better prize anyway, and legal with an antlerless tag.   So here he is, and then some other random pics from the year.  Thanks again for looking, everyone!

       

Always, without a doubt, one of the threads I've come to look forward to every year! Always outstanding stories, always outstanding pictures!

Congratulations to the Fabulous Baker Boys            

I like too!!

Very nice!  Thank you sir!      

Well done Mark!!

That's a great season Mark!  Congratulations, and thanks for the fantastic thread once again this year  

thanks Mark for the post you sure live in an amazing place. congrats to Kory too

Great thread, lots of fun to read. Really neat what you did with self bows.

Good stuff. Congrats to you all.
Makin'bows and puttin' em to good use. Great job.
I sure do miss MT. I need to get back sometime.SOON.

CTT

Mark,
When I was a cop, I always said that if the crooks weren't stupid, we would seldom catch them. Looks like your little buck met that criteria, as well.
Way to end your season in the plus column.

Great job and a nice way to end the season.  Thanks for sharing it.

      Thanks for taking us along.

great job on the bows pic and critters!!

that was fun.

Great thread Mark. Since we spoke I missed a big 4x3, had a 5x5 at 4 yards no shot and stuck a tree trying to shoot a 4x4--all in an hours time! Did manage to get a blue grouse. But it was still great to be in MT again.