ND Mulies for Team Tricycle

[DonBo]

Tough call Scoot.

[rkhinrichs]

scoot- a technique i have used before is called the "bed buddy" system. right before you go to bed boil some water, and put it into your nalgene! make sure it is dry before you put it into your sleeping bag as well. place by your feet or core. wrap it in a sock(so you do not get burnied). it should give off heat for up to 5-6 hours

[NoWiser]

scoot- a technique i have used before is called the "bed buddy" system.

Wow, my mind automatically took that in an entirely different direction. I'm glad you gave an explanation.....

[Scoot]

rkhinrichs, it's funny- I'm familiar with that and a few other techniques for keeping warm at night while camping, but for some reason I really foolishly just decided to crash and try tough it through the night. In hindsight, it was just plain dumb. Oh well, nobody ever accused me of being too smart!

NoWiser- I had the same thought!

[rkhinrichs]

ok good!

[sticknstring]

Too bad you had to pull out (who's taking that one?)! Will you still be posting some updates how the other guys did? Can't get enough ND scenery!

[Scoot]

On the way out I took a different path than the one we'd come in on. The route was very easy going, until I got to a 50 yard long bentonite clay face. The snow on the clay face was starting to melt and I knew from past experienced that the clay would get "slicker than cat snot on a door knob". Keeping one foot on the grassy hillside, I planned to push down with my other foot to see just how greasy it was. If it was too snotty, I was going to have to backtrack and find a different route.

I lightly pushed down with my left foot to test the clay. Instantly I was on my butt sliding down backwards with my off leg jacked underneath me and behind my back. I swear I was going 30 mph after going five feet down that clay face! My bow had already slammed down as my left hand slammed to the ground in the fall. Sincemy bow was already down I pushed into the clay with it as hard as I could. I then stuck my trekking pole into the side of the clay. Instead of stopping me, it merely jacked my whole body up in the air, as if I'd gone over a speed bump. Once I landed I again jammed my trekking pole in and managed to get myself stopped. I still had almost 100 feet to get down and the entire way was steep and all clay. I carefully slid down to a little bump in the clay using my bow and my trekking pole to slow me. I got to a reasonably flat spot and gathered myself. After catching my breath and making sure all the pieces were still attached to my pack and my body, I stood up. BAM! I was instantly on my butt and sliding at 30 mph again! Again I got stopped and managed to make it down the rest of the way on my butt, with my trekking pole and bow keeping me from getting completely out of control and smashing into the rocks that awaited me at the bottom of the clay.

It was scary stuff! That bentonite clay is a man killer when it's wet! I knew better, but thought I'd be able to test it and say "no thanks" if the going was too bad. No such luck. After my initial fall I was only about 30 feet from the top, but it might have just as well been ten miles because there was no possible way I was going to climb even a few feet, let alone 30. Here's a picture of the type of clay face I nearly died on.

My poor bow took a whoopin' too! Here's a shot of one of the limbs. I spent over half-an-hour cleaning it when I got home, but it still was dirty. The clay is like thick grease and doesn't want to come off for anything!

I spent 45 minutes glassing this area on the way out. Man, being out in this country is truly a wonderful thing and I'm so lucky to be able to get to spend time looking over and being in places like this.

One final picture from the trip out-- I passed by the creek that was in the bottom of the big draw and saw the handy work of a beaver. Apparently this beaver was a big bowling fan!

I got to the truck before noon and had the idea of going over to another area I liked to hunt. I knew there were deer there and a buddy's bro-in-law had shot a dandy there the day before with his rifle. He also said it was the smaller of the two he stalked that day, so I knew there had recently been a whopper there. I looked at my clock and realized if I hustled back, I'd be able to hug and kiss my kids that night and get to tuck them into bed. I hit the highway and headed home.

[Scoot]

Too bad you had to pull out (who's taking that one?)!

[huntnfish]

I'm sure the decision to leave wasn't an easy one to make but I bet your kids were happy to see you walk into the house. There's no better thing in the world than that. That slide doesn't look like any fun at all. At your age you need to be more careful. Could've taken out a hip!

As always, great story.

[sticknstring]

I can't believe you decided to "climb" down that clay cliff! The bow model lived up to its name - what an experience!

[harvey lee]

To bad the hunt ended early for you coot.

I remember the bentonite clay well from a elk archery hunting trip I made to the Missouri break's in Montana in 1998. We camped for 2 weeks along the Missouri river about 7 miles down from the landing we put the boat in at south of Glascow. That stuff was worse than grease and darn tough to wash off gear when one got home. I believe I have one set of field glasses that still has some clay residue in the rubber cracks on the glasses. Almost impossible to get it all out.

We hunted in the Charles M Russel natyional wildlife refuge that year, beautiful country.

[Scoot]

I've never been in the Breaks, harvey, but I sure would like to get there. I keep hearing about the "gumbo" out there. It sounds like if it rains the whole world screeches to a hault as that stuff becomes a huge mess. In a couple years I should have enough points to do a MT hunt in the Breaks- we'll see.

[Scoot]

Could've taken out a hip!

Nate, you snot-nosed punk! Back when I was your age we didn't make fun of our elders- we showed them respect!!!

[Scoot]

I can't believe you decided to "climb" down that clay cliff! The bow model lived up to its name - what an experience!

There was definitely no decision involved on this one! I tried to be really careful and I fully expected to backtrack and go around, but once my foot slipped out from underneath me, it was all over!

Yes, the bow name was certainly fitting!

[Scoot]

The day after I got home Jake text me and said they'd seen a good buck on the walk back to the truck to restock supplies. However, they didn't get a crack at him. The next evening I got a text from Gabe- Jake had taken a buck.

He was a nice buck! It's probably not the buck Jake had dreamt about before the season started as both guys wanted to hold out for a whopper. Usually we see a whopper or two and get within rifle range of them. However, that didn't happen this trip and Jake was pleased to shoot this guy. While Jake was working on his deer Gabe went into a different area and hunted. At the end of a long, difficult day Gabe too shot a buck. Unfortunately, the weather had taken a turn for the worse and the temps had dropped a lot. The battery on Gabe's camera had gotten too cold to work and the same thing had happened to his cell phone, so he couldn't even get a cell phone picture. I still haven't seen a picture of Gabe's buck, but I know he shot one. One the deer were taken care of the guys got on the road as the weather continued to get worse and worse. They got out of there, but it was slow going on dangerously bad roads.

In total it was a very tough trip for Team Tricycle. That being said, both of the guys with the tough-to-draw opportunities filled their tags on respectable bucks and we all got to spend some great time in God's country. It was a fun learning experience. I learned one very valuable thing- I'll never, ever do a backpack hunting trip when the temps are predicted to be as cold as they were this trip! I'll happily hunt in bitterly cold weather, but I love coming back to a warm house at the end of the night and sleeping comfortably. I'll keep my backpack hunts to Sept and Oct from now on...

One final picture from the trip- my favorite. I woke up to use the facilities one evening and had to dig out my camera. The full moon over the top of the tent was too cool for me to not take a picture. I hope you enjoyed the story and I hope you have a great rest of your bowhunting season.

[HooknHorns]

Wow, that stinks. I give a ton of credit to you. Totally unselfish and don't know anyone that would do what you did, giving up your hunt to see your friends make it through their hunt. I don't know you but I'm darn proud of ya. Your friends are truly lucky to have you along.

[harvey lee]

I've never been in the Breaks, harvey, but I sure would like to get there. I keep hearing about the "gumbo" out there. It sounds like if it rains the whole world screeches to a hault as that stuff becomes a huge mess. In a couple years I should have enough points to do a MT hunt in the Breaks- we'll see.

The locals told us that if it rain more than a 1/2 inch while we were where we were hunting, it would be 3 days before we could get the truck out of the boat landing where we unloaded the boat to get to our camp on the river. Lucky for us, no rain hit for the 2 weeks we were there. It was a 7 mile boat ride to the spot we camped along the river. Fishing was not too bad either.

[Scoot]

Cool! This is an elk hunt I'd love to do because I could actually get my dad to come along and be our camp cook! He'd run us to and from spots and do a bunch of fishing during the day. He, and we, would absolutely love it!

[sticknstring]

Happy to hear they got to let the rifles ring out and bring home some meat. Always a plus when you run into rough weather!

[Cheetah]

The locals told us that if it rain more than a 1/2 inch while we were where we were hunting, it would be 3 days before we could get the truck out of the boat landing where we unloaded the boat to get to our camp on the river.

Been there, done that. I suspect I know what boat landing you were at too.