Are you kidding me?
By David BlantonThe first trip of the year is now in the books, and at this rate, it could be a long season! Michael and I were hunting with Seven J Outfitters in Wyoming where we've been going for 11 years now. I've had a lot of fond memories up in the Black Hills with Jeff and Deb Smith. But the memory I have from this past trip is really not that fond!
Of course I'm kidding. Sorta.
Michael and I had a great time filming an episode for "Road Trips" for next year's season. We really enjoyed just hanging out and spending time together on the road. As a matter of fact, coming up pretty soon is the Merriam's Madness Tour '08 from Seven J that will air on Road Trips.
We shot our bows on the range behind the lodge with a lot of anticipation for the upcoming season, watched college football (including that awesome game between Tennessee and UCLA)! Wow! That got us fired up about college football. Watched as my Georgia Bulldogs were knocked off the #1 slot due to an unimpressive performance.
First morning out in the stand, Dan Johnson and I were sitting a few hundred yards off an alfalfa field and at 7:20, I looked up about 70 yards away and saw an awesome buck headed back to bed, just taking his time. This deer would score about 150 inches. Man, that got Dan and I fired up!
Then the weather turned awful! Lots of rain, the wrong winds, etc.
Meanwhile, Michael went out and did what he does best — he smacked an awesome 145" 9-pointer! In full velvet! And it's a great hunt, too. Of course, with Phillip Culpepper running the camera, what else can I say!
Well, Dan and I stayed with it, battling the elements and we just could not get close enough to a "shooter".
Finally on the last evening of the hunt, guide Kenny Morga, put me in a stand that was "hot"!
Dan and I had several smaller bucks come by us almost immediately after getting settled. Then, at 4:30, a group of four bucks appeared, heading our way. One of them was a really good looking 125" 10 pointer and he was going to give me a shot at 23 yards! Awesome!
Not!
I commenced to come to full draw and got plum rattled! Let's just put it this way. It is a great miss!
I did everything wrong. I didn't take my time, didn't pick a spot, didn't execute a good shot, etc. And believe me, as hard as I tried to wrestle the tape out of Dan's hand so I could destroy the evidence, it was no use.
So, I guess I'll be eating yet another serving of humble pie! That stuff is hard to wash down.
Now, I'm headed to New Mexico to elk hunt near Cimarron. Can I redeem myself?
