My buddy, Ray, called me on Monday, August 5, 2019 to inform me that he had drawn a 2-year-old bison license at the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Northeastern Montana and to see if I had drawn. I congratulated him and checked my email. I had also drawn the 2-year-old bison. After our mutual astonishment at our success, I remembered that I had also applied for the 5/6-year-old bison. Could I have drawn both licenses? We agreed this was not possible, and I checked again. This was unbelievable; I had also drawn the 5/6-year-old bison license.
I didn’t need the meat from two bison, nor did I have the freezer space. I could return one license or allow a buddy to shoot one. I contacted another buddy, Rod, and he indicated that he was interested in the 2-year-old. I would retain the 5/6-year-old license.
I also drew a whitetail buck license for West River South Dakota and a rifle bull elk license for the JarbidgeWilderness in Northeastern Nevada. After a bit of shock at my luck, I contacted Huntin’ Fool to talk with Isaiah Joner. He recommended Blaine Jackson with Cottonwood Creek Outfitters. Without hesitation, I called up Blaine and Jason Molsbee and booked the hunt. I decided to hunt the first six days of the season on horseback from spike camp in the Nevada wilderness.
I started my trip to the Jarbidge Wilderness three days before season on October 18, 2019. I drove from Denver to Wells, Nevada through a heavy winter storm. The Jarbidge Wilderness was engulfed in a blizzard. I took my time traveling to base camp on the 19th. I arrived in camp and settled in. I met Danny and Dano (father and son) from Alabama, Ian from Las Vegas, and Tom from Reno.
On the 20th, we had breakfast, geared up, and got ready for a 13-mile horseback trip to spike camp. I saddled up with a guide, a packer, and six horses and off we went toward God’s Pocket about four miles away. We made it to a high point and could see several elk about a mile away working up a ridge. It was very windy on the ridge, and the snow had accumulated. We moved to get onto the ridge and ahead of the elk that were moving up. We rode along a ridge and looked down into a bowl that had a herd of elk. The lead bull was bugling. We dropped off the ridge and toward God’s Pocket creek. We moved down the creek a bit, and the horses were jumping over it to the other side. Then the horses scrambled up toward the ridgetop.
As soon as we topped the ridge, the guide could see bulls coming and they were close. I jumped off and pulled my rifle out of the scabbard and let the reins hang. The guide pointed out the elk coming up the ridge. I could make out a spike, a 4 and a 5-point. We were in thick timber. A 6-point turned toward me with muscles bulging and water vapor blowing out his mouth and nose. He was coming straight at me and was close. My guide advised me to shoot, and I dropped him with one shot in the neck. He fell backward, slid a bit, and was still. There were seven bulls, and I had taken the biggest one in the bunch. Now it was time for me to move on to the next hunting phase.
I contacted Robbie Magnan, the Director of the Fort Peck Game and Fish Department, to determine the best time to hunt bison. I was interested in hunting December 2-3. Robbie indicated this was a good time as bison hair would be long and it be before they started rubbing.
I planned to spend Thanksgiving week with relatives and hunt deer on my way to Montana to hunt bison. On Friday, November 22nd, I drove from Denver to South Dakota, hoping to get in a quick evening whitetail rut hunt. I arrived at 3:08 p.m. and immediately saw a 5-point buck bedded with a doe at 300 yards. I was going to take him when I noticed a herd of about 12 exhibiting rutting activity. I glassed this herd and found a larger 4-point at about 500 yards. I grabbed my gear and went afterhim. As I moved in, he was chasing another good-sized buck and came closer. A doe spooked and ran right past him. He stopped and stared right at me at 200 yards. Worried he would bolt, I quickly deployed my bipod, hoping to get a standing shot. As soon as I was set up, he took off on a dead run. I shot him at 250 yards. He face planted, and his backside flipped over his head. It was 3:15 p.m. and I had just taken a very good whitetail buck.
Blizzard Ezekiel hit western South Dakota on November 30th. Rod and I were to travel on December 1st and meet in Wolf Point, Montana. With some white-knuckle driving, I was able to arrive on time.
The next morning, Robbie picked me up at the motel at 7:00 a.m. sharp and we were off to hunt bison. I indicated that I was interested in getting a trophy bison and showed him a picture of one taken by a tribal member last year. Robbie said, “We can do that.” We arrived at the Business herd and noted about 50 cows and young bulls. The mature bulls were in the badlands, hard to access, and very difficult to get out, so we would hunt the pure Yellowstone herd.
We looked through a dozen or so herds for a suitable bull with none sighted. We then located a herd of five mature bulls in an area with rolling hills. There were three older bulls with worn down horn sheaths and two trophy bulls. Robbie pointed out the best bull and asked me if I wanted to keep looking. They looked good enough to me, and the stalk was on.
Robbie led the way, and we moved under the cover of the hills, drawing closer to the bulls. A herd of about 30 cows and young bulls ran off. Robbie motioned me to crest the hill and take the bull far to the right. I moved in, and the bulls came into view. My level of excitement rose even higher. I set up with the bipod and lost sight of the bull. I moved forward and set up again and had him mostly in view. The bull showed me his backside and kept spinning around. The sun was very bright and shining in my eyes, casting a dark shadow on the bull. I couldn’t get a good shot. The bulls started to move and then ran off, joining the cows about 600 yards away. I had missed a great opportunity at a close shot and now the bulls were in flat country and mixed with a herd of cows.
We watched the bulls for about half an hour. The cows ran off, leaving the bulls. The bulls started to settle down. We moved around to the opposite side of the bulls and moved in for a shot. We were at about 200 yards with the bright sun to my back. Robbie said to take the same bull that was now second from the left. Using my .300 Win Mag with 180 grain bullets, I broke his leg near the heart. This anchored him, and I put two more in him near the first shot. We moved closer, and he spun around, so I put another in his lungs on the opposite side. He was down. I walked up on the bull, and he was huge. Robbie indicated my bull was 2,100-2,200 pounds on the hoof, had good horns, and was a 9-year-old breeder bull. I had my trophy bison.
Rod made it just in time to take pictures with my bull. The next day, it was time for Rod’s hunt. We traveled to the
area of the Business herd and located a herd of about 50 a mile away. We moved closer and started our stalk. After about 15 minutes, a shot rang out and a bull moved into the herd. After a painfully long 15 minutes, Robbie stood up and the herd ran off. One of the bison was lagging behind the herd. Rod dropped three more rounds into the area near his heart and the bull went down. He had taken a nice 3-year-old bull.
My bull’s horns had 15.5" bases, 19" length, and a 30" spread. My taxidermist green scored my Plains bison at 125.5". To qualify as a trophy, a bison must score at least 118".
What a great year! I had taken the largest bison, elk, and whitetail of my 49-year hunting career.
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