That is quite an...interesting looking hat, Charlie.    
Kudo's on all the sage hens.

Congrats on the adventures along with the deer and sage grouse.  Sorry we couldn't get together as we went through Wyoming on the way home but it was real late and I didn't figure your 100 mile drive was worth it.  We'll cross paths again real soon I'm sure.

Drive safe going home.

Mike

I've enjoyed every minute of it Charlie, Vance and everyone else involved. Thanks for the sharing, it has helped pass the time as I wait for things to open up here.

Short comment about the hat cover... Wyoming Game and Fish requires hunter orange when bowhunting and ANY big game season is open for firearms.

They gave bowhunters a great preseason for elk and in their wisdom opened the firearms deer season right in the middle of that time... for all the good they do (very good Game and Fish department) they sure seem to have had their heads where the sun don't shine on this one.

Hunters aren't required to ensconce themselves in the orange crap... a hat cover will meet requirements... so that explains the hat cover. Keeps my Peter Brothers felt somewhat dry as well.

As this event starts to time out , it seems we want to turn our thoughts towards the Blessings that have been bestowed on us this season. I guess for me this whole story started to unfold when I first signed into TradGang.com with the user name of "Iron Bull". With many posts and Many Many  FRIENDS made through this site, we are where we are today. Thanks to ALL who have come to share in our adventure.

To say that this season had any one moment that stood out more than any other would be to short change the whole. I would just for myself like to include in this thread a few of the highlights that spawned great and everlasting memories from this season.

The most recent was a E-mail that we received, just last night from a local Trad Gang member.

Charlie and I had the PLEASURE of meeting a VERY fine gentleman named Nate Fikkert at his hunting camp this fall. Nate is a True Trad Archer in ALL ways and we are Very Proud to include him in this camp fire.

Allow us to share this e-mail with ya'all


"Vance and Charlie,

   Here are some pics of my buck, feel free to post on the web or just enjoy.  A little bit of the story, I was hunting with a rifle toting companion who was out for meat and willing to shoot any buck.  It had snowed quite a bit over night and was still pretty socked in when we woke up so we waited until the sun busted up the fog a bit to head out.  We still-hunted our way up a drainage together and saw a few deer.  I put a sneak on a doe that didn't pan out and we continued our way up.  Nearing the top of the basin we spotted a fork horn that was looking intently up the drainage.  We then saw 8 cows and calves head up and over the ridge into the next drainage.  At this time elk were still my number one priority so I told my buddy to shoot the fork horn and after we had him taken care of I would take up the trail of the elk and try to get one.

  He made a great shot and within an hour I was on the trail of the elk.  They had headed into the dark timber and by this time the snow was falling off the trees so heavily that I lost there trail.  I knew where I was (sort of) and figured I would hunt my way down the drainage and call it a morning.  I didn't go another fifty yards when I jumped a buck and a doe.  The buck had no Idea what happened and I really think he felt very secure in his bed because shortly after I jumped him I see him working back up the drainage towards me.  I knelt down, knocked an arrow and the next thing I know I am drawing my bow and the fletches hit him perfect right behind the shoulder.  He went 70 yards and faltered but I didn't actually see him go down, so I made myself wait 20 minutes and after a short trail I found him.  

   The rest of the story gets long so I will abbreviate it.  Turns out I was alot farther from a road than I thought, a bit over a mile to be exact, and if you know the Cliff Creek area at all then you will believe me when I say it was a NASTY mile, cliffs, snow, mud, shale slides, etc.  I ended up getting the cape, antlers, and boned meat out in my first trip and went back the next morning to get the rest of the meat.  I didn't sleep much knowing my meat was out there with the bears, wolves, and coyotes, but God continued to provide and the meat was not touched and had cooled out nicely."
   


Thanks Nate            

Great story guys... This has been a fun trip for all of us.... Thanks for taking the time to drag us along.... That's a heck of a buck Nate.... Congratulations........ Terry

To Charlie who started this saga, and to Vance,
CK, Terry, and Robin who all added to this long and exciting story of the hunt; thank you!
We all have enjoyed it so much.
You guys are all truly our Tradgang brothers of
the bow!

There is absolutely no other place in cyber space
where such a tale could unfold than here on
Tradgang.  Olebow

I am honored to have been apart of this adventure.  I have memories that will carry me way beyond the grave.  

I HATE seeing this thread end.

Thanks for everything Charlie and Vance.    

I know I've waited a while to post this, but, I noticed that you and I took our rabbits on the same day (course, mine was a cottontail, and not a high-octane jack). Not only that, but judging by the sunlight in the photo, we probably took ours around the same time.
You gotta understand, thats not just really cool. For me, it's a real big deal, cause you're right up there on my lists of bowhunting heros. Right there with Fred Bear, Howard Hill, and all the rest.
I guess I just want to end this by saying...congrats on the game you killed, the places and things you saw, and that perhaps on one of your future westward excursions, somehow, our paths will cross.

Vance and Charlie,

Thanks for posting my pic and story.  It was great to meet you guys and hopefully we can share a real campfire sometime.  I enjoyed sharing this adventure with you two on this site, and the others involved.  Vance, thanks for the kind words, stay in touch.

Nathan

Mr Lamb, you've inspired me!

I hate to see it end too...Thanks guys,it's been an awesome ride!!

 Here's to many more adventures          

thanks Charlie, your cyber journal was a lot of work but well worth it to us  

rusty

Rusty... The timing of your Idaho adventures couldn't be better. Now that mine is over.
I'll be looking forward to catching up on it when I finally roll into the drive way at home.

To all who've added their encouraging comments and to those who participated, I've gotta say a big THANK YOU!! It wouldn't have been possible.

It's been a wonderful trip. Time with old friends and new friends keeps a guy young... and on his toes.    :D  

I spent the last day and a half visiting people around here that I needed to say goodbye to and saying good bye to a couple of special places that I didn't have permits to hunt in... so I went there without a bow in hand.
It felt totally weird not to have the bow along, but there are just some places in my life that I have to visit.

I got out with Vance the last night of the sage hen season and arrowed one more "bomber". That officially closed the western hunting season for me and it was somehow fitting.

I've put Killy's sage hen tail feathers in the cooler and will be getting those to her.

So, anyway, the truck is packed and sitting in the drive.
It rained last night and all the smells of western Wyoming are leaping on my senses.

I'm not sure what plant is blooming here now, but it seems to be irritating my tear ducts. Dang, I'll have trouble seeing the mountains in my rear veiw mirror... I dread that veiw anyway.

Talk to you all another time.  

Travel safe Brother!CK

I feel like my trip is over too.  Adios!

When he came it was sunny and in the 60s!!

Today 33deg. with snow....Much like the feeling around here this morning.....COOL and DAMP



Bless you all for being in our CAMP          

We will all miss it as well.  This has to go down as one of the all time great threads in the history of TG.  It feels like we have all been a part of it just by reading along.  
Thanks for taking us with you.
         

Man, what a journey! Thanks so much for the inspiring photos and anecdotes!

YOU GUYS ROCK!

Have a safe trip home Charlie!

Thanks you so very much Charlie, Vance, and the other that took part in this thread.  As you all know I no longer live in the US, but I still long for Elk in the Rockies, Prong Horn in the Praires, Mule deer in the foot hills, and Whitetail in the farmlands.  Since I can not take part in these hunt at this time, I really enjoy tagging along with you.  I love Charlies writing style and with other great contributors like Vance, Curtis, and Terry adding in, it has been a great ride.  Thank you again ever so much for sharing.

James