A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS AS THEY SAY, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU CAN NOT GET OUT THERE TO SEE IT FOR YOUR SELF…
Outdoor Photography: Specially For Hunters, Fishermen, Naturalists, Wildlife Enthusiasts by Erwin Bauer.
“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” – Ansel Adams
It’s official.
My 2015 archery pronghorn antelope has officially scored 73 Pope and Young inches.
I took this great buck with a Samick recurve bow and a Fred Bear razorhead on a self guided hunt in Moffat County Colorado.
It’s not always about the trophy, but, then again, sometimes it is.
Pronghorns Rock!
How many more months to antelope season?
Posted by Michael Patrick McCarty
You can see the story of my hunt HERE.
Obtaining a Desert Bighorn Sheep permit from almost anywhere in North America generally requires a towering casino jackpot of luck, and that may be the easy part of any sheep hunt. However, it takes much more than wishful thinking and a lucky roll of the dice to harvest a really large trophy ram.
Don Waechtler took this stunning specimen in the Sheep Range near Las Vegas, Nevada in November of 2015, while hunting with Jim Puryear of Nevada Guide Service & World Safaris.
This is not just your average Desert Bighorn ram either. With a green score of 169 inches, it just may meet the Boone & Crockett minimum score of 168 inches when officially measured early next year. No doubt there may be some finger crossing here and there while Don waits for the end of the required 60 day drying period. But hey, what’s an extra month or two to matter when you have already waited thirty years for a tag?
Either way, it is a big game trophy of a lifetime, and proof positive that not all things that happen around Las Vegas stay in Vegas. Sometimes, you get to bring your winnings home.
Congratulations Don!
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*We have some copies of “The Desert Bighorn” in stock, as well as other sheep and sheep hunting titles for sale. Please email for quotes and availability.
You Might Also Like To See Some Interesting Colorado Bighorn Sheep Pictures HERE
*Don Waechtler, aka Slim, is a master taxidermist from Glenwood Springs, Colorado. He has been in business for over 35 years, and I highly recommend his work.
**Don is now retired, but I understand that he may do some work on a limited basis. Congratulations, Slim!
You Can find More Information on Nevada Guide Service HERE
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Watch the full video below.
Posted by Michael Patrick McCarty
You Might Also Like To See Some Photos of Bighorn Sheep in The Fryingpan River HERE
Bobcats have always been hard game to come by, but it can be done.
They are rarely seen by the average person in their day to day activities, even though they are all around us. If you don’t believe that, just ask a bobcat hunter.
Here are a couple of cats taken while predator calling in northwestern Colorado.
The first cat responded to a mouth call at a first light morning in 1984; the second cat was taken with an electronic caller on a cold winter night a couple of years ago.
I would say that the weapon du jour has changed just a little bit over time, though perhaps the tactics are roughly the same.
Bobcats always make me wonder just what else lurks out there in the middle of the dark…watching…
Posted by Michael Patrick McCarty
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Some call it luck. Some call it skill.
I know Mackenzie, so no doubt there was quite a bit of skill involved on this hunt.
Those young guys can sure throw the hindquarters around too!
Congratulations on a fine Mule Deer trophy.
Until next year! See you on the mountain.
Posted by Michael Patrick McCarty
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You have a clue that it’s a big one when you can’t fit it into a selfie.
I don’t know about you, but this is the biggest trout fillet that I have ever seen. No doubt there is a bit of an optical illusion going on here, but then again, maybe not…
There will be more than a few meals out of this fish, either way. It was caught in Colorado, but I’m afraid that I would not have a friend for very long if I told you exactly where.
This one is heading for the smoker after a proper brine and soak. I can almost smell the swirling woodsmoke now, teasing the recesses of my epicurean memory. I remember too, just how much I love a fresh trout dinner.
Perhaps it’s time to grab a fishing pole…
A SIMPLE BRINE RECIPE WITH MAPLE AND GINGER
Mix well, and brine fish for 6-10 hours. This should be enough liquid to cover 8-10 pounds of fillets.
Posted by Michael Patrick McCarty
MISSOULA, Mont. (By The Boone and Crockett Club)
Perhaps the largest elk ever produced in the wild—a Utah bull taken in 2008 by a hunter on public land—has been confirmed as a new World’s Record. The official declaration was made today by the Boone and Crockett Club.
A Special Judges Panel determined a final score of 478-5/8 Boone and Crockett non-typical points, an incredible 93 inches above the B&C minimum score of 385 for non-typical American elk and 13-plus inches larger than the previous World’s Record.
With official data dating back to 1830, at 499-3/8 inches it is the only elk on record with a gross score approaching the 500-inch mark.
The giant bull has 9 points on the left antler and 14 points on the right. The larger antler has a base circumference over nine inches.
The Boone and Crockett scoring system, long used to measure the success of wildlife conservation and management programs across North America, rewards antler size and symmetry, but also recognizes Nature’s imperfections with non-typical categories for most antlered game. The bull’s final score of 478-5/8 inches included an incredible 140 inches of abnormal points.
“Along with measurements that honor the quality of the animal, Boone and Crockett Club records also honor fair-chase hunting,” said Eldon Buckner, chairman of the Club’s Records of North American Big Game committee. “Through our entry process, signed affidavits and follow-up interviews with the hunter, his guides, and state and federal officials, we were satisfied that this bull was indeed a wild, free-ranging trophy and that the tenets of fair chase were used in the harvest.”
Posted by Michael Patrick McCarty
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Just a friendly (or unfriendly) mountain dog, or otherwise lovely example of Mountain Man Chainsaw Folk Art.
I was surprised to find this standing post at an old miner’s cabin near the edge of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness in Colorado, while hunting for mountain goats on the high peaks above.
You never know what you will find out there in them’ woods…
Photo by Michael Patrick McCarty
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July 12, 2015
As you can see, our two friends from the previous week have found some company. It’s a boy’s club for sure.
This view was taken through a spotting scope at twenty power and may not be the best photo. However, I can assure you that there is one big boss billy in this group.
How many more hours to opening day?
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Posted by Michael Patrick McCarty
