Second week

Here's the results of the second week. We had 2 1/2 days of rain and were using foot powder in places you shouldn't need to from the constant wet. It was warm too. My rangefinder went haywire from the wet and I missed two good bucks before I figured out what was going on. The third buck I was going to shoot, I noticed fit between the pins I have that made it a 35 yard shot but the rangefinder told me it was 47. I hesitated long enough that he moved into the brush before I could correct my hold and kill him. It took 5 days but I found a group of 11 bucks that ranged from 135 to over 200 P&Y. I nearly died when I saw them. It was in thick Ponderosa/oak brush forest and they were hard to keep track of. Two fed towards me finally. A huge 170 class 3 point about 33 inches wide and an old big bodied buck with lots of trash. At 40 yards the 3 point went through an opening and never stopped, but the trashy buck hadn't gotten there yet. So I let down and waited. When I moved to draw again, a chipmunk started chirping at me and both bucks stared right at me. After a bit they moved off not to be seen again. I never got on them again. It's pretty thick stuff and glassing is not an option. I saw lots of small bucks and elk and several bears. One big chocolate bear spooked when my partner and I were walking an old trail and I huffed at him and stamped my foot and he stopped. I have dentures (because I'm old enough to I guess) and I let them loose and snapped my teeth at him. He actually came within 60 or 70 yards before he decided not to fight us and postured and moved off. I guess my partner Tom (another old guy) is made of pretty good stuff because he never budged but he wouldn't take his eyes off the bear to get his camera either. He said he never saw a larger bear in his life and he's older than me!! He also called me a very sick man. Not his exact words. I had a chipmunk pick me off one more time and the deer, a doe, believed him and took off( I wasn't hunting her just wanted to relate how spooky some of these deer were). Probably because there's so many lions and coyotes and bears around. The last 15 minutes on my last day I killed a 2 point just to remember how to do it and have some meat. Nice eating buck. God's gift.
Here's a few pictures. I woke up after taking a nap at a pond a few hours walk in and had no mirror to see what I looked like for days so I took my picture. It's pretty funny so I included it too. God bless.
Mark