Spent the whole day atop the Rockies yesterday with family and friends, we had an absolute blast! I'm still feeling it in my legs and back. We hurried up the mountain early in the morning hoping to get ahead of all the hikers and ATV enthusiast's. And as suspected, our prey was out just as early, basking in the morning sun. We spent some time getting our equipment loaded up, and started down into one of our favorite haunts.
Then wind was whipping across the peaks of the still snow crusted mountains, but our destination lay some several hundred feet below, in the green mountain valleys flowing with melted glacial water, blossoming flowers, and bird songs. As we hiked and slid to our spot, the smell of pine needles warming in the sun greeted us, and the wind backed of to a gentle breeze. The soft soil felt like a cushion underfoot, the burrows of winter rodents all around us, it was hard to keep the grin from our faces as this beauty surrounded us.
we spent no time getting to it, and found a couple chucks high above us on a rocky green face, we all got setup to shoot, and spot the carnage. I took the first shot, shooting 140 Amax's from my .260 Remington barrel in my DTA SRS Covert. The poor little guy never stood a chance, at 280yds, he stood atop a small stone, and I parked one right at his bottom. I had guessed on the wind, and had not given it enough. The bullet looked like it hit him in the left thigh area, and he fell and rolled down the steep hillside like potato. As soon as he stopped, I sent round two. This one found its way right to the middle of Rusty's tender little body, sending him airborne several feet into the sky, exposing his entrails and rearranging them cunningly about the rocks and grass nearby. I had the camera zoomed in, but to my horror, I had not recorded it properly, to my everlasting shame. I apologize to all, as it was truly one of the most awesome shots I could have captured.
A second chuck was seen milling around through the rocks near the first, Chubbles was quick to mark him through his NXS mounted atop his PCR built 6.5X47 Badger 2008/XLR beauty. He made the same wind estimation I did on my first shot, so his landed just haunch shy as well. The little guy wanted none of it, and quickly made his way uphill towards safety, but he made that fatal chuck mistake, their curiosity makes them stop and look. Chubbles sent round two, and hit Rusty's lady friend right in the shoulder neck area, putting her down nicely.
Thats Rusty on the right, and his best gal on the left. Notice his spine hanging there from under his hand.
We decide to let that particular clan rest in peace, and turned 90 degrees to the north and continued our spotting for additional chucks. Chubbles and I brought along the boys, who thoroughly enjoy every minute up there. While Burglecutt and Goathead1096 continued searching, Chubbles and I took the boys on a little hike in the hopes of getting one of the boys onto either a chuck or a squirrel or something. CBM Jr. did manage to make a couple shots on a squirrel, but the pressure got to him I think. We were on top of a windy rocky ridge, and he had to hurry into position. The wind blew his little 17hmr just left of the little guy and he escaped. We still had plenty of fun.
While we were away, Burglecutt and Goathead1096 spotted a couple more chucks, and managed to put the hurt on one of them near 475 yds. Unfortunately his location was a little farther than anyone wanted to go to see him. So we just looked at him through the scopes for a while, no pictures of him. We spent some time relaxing in the sun, and snacking on treats. Then we eventually made our way back to the truck for the ride home. Some of the best times had.
