Yeah, Tyler, I forgot about that point...we were joking about counting that!   Basically we just say what he is...with extras, I guess.   It all adds character...but a guy could "count" it he wants.

   

congratulations Kory and Riley!! Mark i look forward to the updates on your season every year. Great stories and pictures.
Dick

   

Way to start a season ! Nice !

I see the makings of another Traditional Bowhunter article!!

What kind of bow is Riley pictured with?

Always look forward to this thread about this time...congrats guys!

Look forward to more bud    

   

Congrats  

Riley is shooting his Dad's old Rocky Mtn. Recurve, by John Morris...vintage 1980's.    I am actually using one for antelope myself this year.   They sure are great bows.  I still like to use a selfbow for deer and elk.  

Kory is shooting a Bridger Mtn. Longbow, by Rocky Miller, also an 80's vintage.  

Well, I'm off this afternoon for another few days...hope to have an update, I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Time for an update here.   The "Dads" strike back!   I'll upset the timeline by a day or so, for better dramatic effect.  

Last Friday, the 17th, I arrived in camp to rain wind and fog.   We've had a lot of that this year, with a bunch of lightning and thunder thrown in.  The whole state is just plain soggy.  The effect has been waist high grass, as green as June, and water everywhere...needless to say, elk hunting has been tough.    Up to this point, I had yet to even hear a bugle, thought I've been close to a few great bulls, the elk are scattered and cows, a key ingredient to good rut hunting, are scarce.  

At any rate, I arrived, unloaded, dressed up for the evening hunt....and spotted this young boar along one of the many spring creeks in the area, helping himself to chokecherry salad.   A stalk in the windy, rainy conditions was easy to 15 yards, and I decided that he was "big enough" and put a three-blade through his ribs with my selfbow.   He only went 20 or so yards and died quick.   My first bear with a selfbow.   He is your average sized Montana blackbear...pushing 200 lbs.   Nice chocolate color and around a 5 footer nose to tail.  

 

 

Now for the timeline correction.  My hunting partner, Fish, was up a couple days before I could make it.   While for him the elk have also been scarce, he put shot on this huge blackie...grandad to mine.   A true 7-footer, this is a great bear.   Of course Fish is a true bear killing machine having taken several.  

In 20 years of hunting this property we have never taken a bear here...then this year we take two in two days!   Great consolation prizes for our efforts thus far chasing elk and deer.  





Although elk have been scarce, all indications are that we are seeing a great year for deer antler growth, and I saw the biggest whitetail Ive ever seen in my life this past weekend...a true world-class stud.  Hope to see him a lot closer.....just maybe!

Wow what a nice big bear...that's a  cool thing for both of you to score on bears......      

Nice bears.  Like the color on yours and the size on Fish's.  Congrats to fathers and sons.

Mosty excellent buddy!  Congrats to you and Fish on your great bears        

Good stuff Mark.