Deer, Moose and Elk all close on the 30th so today was my last day of the 2010 hunting season. (I will hunt Yotes all winter, but that's just not the same...

) I have to say that I had a
Great last day.
I had a 150-160 class Whitetail broadside at 70 yards first thing this morning, but decided to let him walk. (If I was going to shoot a stinky rut buck, it was going to be a monster or nothing at all) About an hour later, I had a 130-140 class Whitey at about 300 yards. No problem for the 270 if I had decided to take him, but I didn't. (Tough sticking to only shooting a monster when so many quality mature bucks were on the prowl) Then I saw two cow Moose, neither had calves as I have a calf draw for that area. Throughout mid day, I saw many small Whitetail and Mule deer bucks and that kept it interesting.
At about 4 pm I walked a trail that came out into a field that I have taken quite a few deer in. I immediately spotted a mid sized buck feeding, I watched him for several minutes and glassed the far tree line looking for his uncle. I glass over too my left at the tree line I was on, it has a little area that jets out into the field, kind of a little swampy spot that the farmer leaves alone. Low and behold, there is another deer standing there at about 200 yards. I can tell he's a buck and a mature buck as well, but with the scrub brush and tag alders right behind him, I really can't tell just how good a buck he is. I watch him for a few minutes as he watches me as it turns out. I just can't get a really good look at his rack in the fading light with that background. Finally he walks back into the bush and I never really get to tell just how good he was. He was well out past his ears, but I couldn't count points or really tell for sure how tall he was. Only thing I could tell was he had a great chocolate brown rack and was a very big bodied northern deer. I walked back to my truck and called it a season. I hope that big boy makes it till next year, I want another crack at him...
I did get a cool pic of a Grey Owl today. I've seen this fellow several times in the same area over the last few weeks and finally got the camera out fast enough to get a pic of this great bird.