My oldest friend and hunting buddy of 20 years 'finally' made another journey to Montana to take advantage of all the state has to offer; and capitalize on the opportunity - he did (lucky bastard)...
After no less than fifty emails, a dozen phone calls, and a week of pre scouting, I managed to find upland bird-lands and put my friend on wild pheasants no less than 30minutes after he stepped foot off the plane...
Of course we had a little help...
A brand new Browning Citori Featherlight, never before fired took a fine handsome rooster on its very first shot!!
Not a bad start too what would end up being an incredible trip...
As if the almighty above was helping us along we were blessed with incredible weather, multiple points, and lots of cocky roosters to break in the new gun; as well as my old (pump)...
Both girls performed well and while Mocha flushed a few premature; we still connected and she retrieved better than ever.
Still, God lover her, Suzie was a natural once again and worked her cute little tail off to put us on more birds than I ever expected to find within such close proximity to home and handled them so well even I was in awe by how far she's come along.
Yup it was a good day and only the first of five as elk and mule deer awaited us on the ridges beyond the skyline...
A few birds for the freezer and bison steaks for dinner and we made our way to XX to hunt for big game for a few days..
As a reminder of how out of shape I am, my old buddy passed me uphill once and we barely hunted together from then on...
Still I thought I did pretty well, and even though I nearlly had two heartattackes and a stroke I managed to see some game, just nothing big enough to shoot.
Old "eagle eyes" however, spotted this handsome buck from over 400 yards and put on a text book stalk, belly crawling thru knee-high sagebrush to close the distance to 280 yards; then made a clean shot dropping his first muley ever (on the first day)...
A dandy buck by south Florida standards and impressive still for a first muley in anyones' book..Good eats and back strap and tenderloin for the whole family was shipped home before he was; some more hunting still 'to do'....
(Part Two tomorrow)....
Moe
