Hello, Hunters!

Our hunting season started with a blast as Richard Z. took an 11 1/2 year old ram to complete his World Slam.  Hats off for him!  Next, Andre Ost came back for his second sheep hunt and scored on a 6 1/2 year old ram.  Now he wants that big billy on Big Horn Mountain.  Mark McNally wants to hunt sheep in the unlimited area again next year, for one of the five big rams that gave us the slip.

Archery hunters Don and Gary were into big bulls and different bulls everyday, hunting on foot from the Holliday camp.  Brian Hall got the job done on his first bull, his second archery hunt with us.  He thought this hunt was more relaxing, without the grizzlies and wolves he met on his Gallatin hunt.

Ed Christensen drew a moose tag for the Elkhorns.  His wife Cathy came along for the entertainment and to photograph. Ed took a big 39 inch bull up Jenkins Gulch on the third day of his hunt.  I don't think there could have been a better place to take a bull.  Congratulations, Ed!

Then antelope season struck with full force from Flordia.  Too many bucks and too close for hunters who could not resist shooting right away.  Doug got his 15 inch buck at 30 yards.  Ken and Bill let their bucks get further away, and took a 14 incher and a 13 incher.  Jim Petrina took photos and looked at bigger bucks, and says, "look out for next year, you big bucks!"

Rifle season opened up with great luck for father and son Brian and Neil Wessner, as they both hammered 5 point bulls and Neil took a nice 3x3 whitetail buck.  Pete C. took a raghorn bull and cousin Kevin passed up on 9 spike bulls for a chance on a 6 point--a cow stepped in the way!  Galen Peterson got a shot off at a rack bull the last day, no luck.  That's elk hunting, Galen.  Mike Kreatz's long bull elk drought continued; next year maybe will break his pattern.

Our second week started with Russell and Jenny, also "Coach" Don and Charlie.  Jenny got a nice 4x4 mule deer buck right off, and then their hunt ended early with bad news from home on the second day of the hunt.  My old friend from high school, Coach Don, got a nice 4x4 buck with good eye guards and came real close to getting his bull.  Charlie and his horse were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The third week started early with Bill and Allen; both of them waited till the last day of their hunt to connect.  Allen got a raghorn bull that morning, and a 4x4 whitetail in the afternoon.  Bill had a 6 point bull at 100 yards.  Bull was faster than Bill, who looked pretty scarey, I guess.  I've never seen a bull disappear so fast.  Later in the day Bill got a nice 5x5 whitetail buck.  Jeff Golla settled for a 4x4 whitetail after seeing lots of big bucks not close enough.  Jeff thought the fishing was great with his nice 20 inch brown trout.  Peter L. worked hard all week to get a shot at a big bull; they were careful to stay out of his range.

Fourth week Tim and Drew B. stopped harvesting cotton to hunt mule deer and elk.  Drew shot a big muley on the first day.  Tim looked over a young bull, thought maybe he should grow up.  Tim also got a nice muley.  Jason Cromley got a nice 6 point bull in the heavy timber, standing in his bed.  Jason thought that was a proper way to take a bull.  Then 2 days later he got a big 5x5 whitetail buck on the east end.  Jake and Drew E. tried to make a run on two bulls and got pinned down by a couple cows.  Chris W. took a 4x4 whitetail on the east end of the ranch.

The last week of season saw deer in full rut.  Ford, Greg, Glenn, and Ricky were into deer everywhere.  Ford got a nice 4x4 mule deer.  He and Greg worked hard for bulls, but luck wasn't going their way.  Ricky and Glenn saw 150 head of elk with a huge bull about 300 yards from our boundary.  A credit to their sportsmanship, that bull will be bigger next year.  Ricky took a nice whitetail buck.  Glenn's mule deer buck had a terrible day, running into a barbed wire fence and then winding up in Glenn's crosshairs.

On the last afternoon of the season, after everyone had gone, my son-in-law Don and I finished off the year by taking a couple of cow elk.  Packing them out the hard way, on foot, I reminded myself all over again why use horses!

Our season was mild and mostly dry, easier on horses and hunters.  We appreciated our new cookhouse, no drafts!  We are negotiating on some additional area for next year, more elk opportunity. 

My thanks to our crew this fall:  Jerry, Danielle, Bric, Tom, Everett, Mary Z., Jake, and Brad.

Thanks to all our guests who made this season another good year of hunting adventures and friendships.  Best wishes to all for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  We're looking forward to having you hunt with us again.