Daddy's Girl

Today I woke up and saw the front lawn covered with 1" of snow. I was a little disappointed, but it was a really nice day and by 11 o'clock it was gone. So I asked the girls who wanted to go for a hike with me. Alma said she didn't want to go for a hike, but Saralyn said she did. So Saralyn and I went for a hike. The snow was still frozen enough to walk on with snow shoes most of the day which was very nice. It was still a tough hike for me since I carried Saralyn in the backpack carrier all day(she weighs about 27 pounds). I like to think of it as training for elk antler season.


We hiked about 5 miles and found only one little fresh-brown antler. I let Saralyn find it of course. She was so happy she found one!





Despite the long hike and very sore shouldlers now, it was a good trip for both of us. Saralyn sang songs, took a long nap, and didn't complain one bit the whole trip. Hopefully we'll go again and find more.

Got out for a 6 1/2 hour hike today and found 14 antlers, not including two old ones I left behind. Unfortunately most of the antlers were white ones I missed last year. And I didn't find any matches. However, I did find a large 3-point antler and I know its match and several other nice 4-point sides should still be out there for the next trip. Daylight savings time changes tomorrow which will give me an extra hour of daylight after work also. Hopefully, I will make a trip after work this week. (Only the nicer antlers are in the pictures below)


A pleasant, cool day.


An old 4-point



A fresh-brown 5-point


The big fresh-brown 3-point


A hidden 4-point from last year



A 3-point from last year


A fresh-brown 2-point


A 3-point from last year


A 4-point from last year


Another 4-point from last year


A big fresh-brown 5-point

A beautiful day!

I got to do a little more hiking this past Saturday. I got up at 6 am and was on the top of the mountain by 7:15 am. You could say I was determined. It was a beautiful clear day. My first priority was to find the matches to the other two big 5 points. I started combing the areas where I thought they most likely would be, but after an hour I still had not found anything. I was getting a little unsure if I would even find them, especially since there was still enough snow for them to be buried. Finally, I found a fresh little two point antler that got my hopes up. Soon after I found the match to one of my five points. I could barely see it since the antlers blended so well in with the shadows, sagebrush, and ground. I felt much better after that. That set, however, was at least 500 or more yards apart. I hoped the other side to the other five point would be closer. And it was! Not even 50 feet, but again very well hidden and hard to see. Finally I felt like I acomplished what I came to do and now could enjoy finding antlers and not having to search for missing sides.I hiked until 1:00 and then had to head home. By the days end I found 15 antlers!

The sunrise lighting up the mountains.


The other reason I love antler hunting...the awesome scenery.


Frost-covered barbed wire.


The first antler of the day, a fresh-brown little 2-point.


An old broken antler.


The first match to one of the big 5-points.




The match other one the big five points.




A big fresh-brown 3-point.


A little 2-point from last year.


A little set of fresh-brown 2-points laying on top of each other!


A fresh-brown 2 point.


A long spike from last year.


A fresh-brown 3-point.


A nice fresh-brown 4-point...now I have to go back and find its match!




My biggest antler ever! And I missed it last year laying in the open!!!




The match to an antler I found last year, not sure how I missed this one either.


The match to one of the little three points I found earlier.

Antler fever sets in

I couldn't wait to get out again, and the only time I have to hike is after work, leaving me with only one hour of daylight to actually look for antlers. So, after work I went hiking, but this time I brought snow shoes and ski poles which made the going a little easier. I still had to hurry and pretty much ran through the sage brush looking for antlers but managed to find two 2-points and a 5-point.


A 2-point I missed last year


A fresh-brown 2-point


A nice fresh-brown 5-point (I also found the set of this buck last year)

First Antlers of 2010

I finally got out the other day for a hike by myself. The snow was deeper than in January when I took Melody with me to look at the deer that were wintering. Every step seemed to sink into the snow up to my knees. It felt like wading upstream against a heavy current. I kept thinking the whole time, I hope this pays off with some nice antlers to take home. The snow was still six inches deep on the south facing slopes with a few patches of bare ground. I began my search the same place I did last year and found a nice 5 point. I barely saw it with the snow everywhere. Later on I glassed a bare peice of red ground with my binoculars and saw a familiar brown colored object. Further observing proved it to be an antler. I hurried down the hill and found the other side laying just below it. It ended up being a beautiful evening out with three antlers in the backpack and a good start antler hunting this year.


The big 5 point


The matching 3x4 point set