Months before I head to northern Idaho I'm dreaming about it. I love this country full of pristine wilderness, crystal clear brooks and wild animals from the curious, untamed grizzly bear to the stealthy, ravenous grey wolf, which should have never been introduced to the lower 48. My objective: To hunt the ghostlike whitetail and mule deer in a thick heavily treed environment. Took about 3 hours to set up camp, with the help of Nick, the owner's grandson. It snowed about 4" the night before.
Next morning here I am frying thick sliced bacon on the camp stove and getting ready to stir in the scrambled eggs. The aroma alone causes me to gain about 5 lbs. or maybe it's the bacon fat and 1/2 dozen slices of bacon in those scrambled eggs!
This is one cool 12 X 12 waterproof outfitter tent called an Alaknak. That's my huntin' buddy Mike, who I call grizz because it describes his demeanor. He's the one who introduced me to hunting this beautiful landscape in 2005.
Plenty of space inside with 4 1/2 ft. sidewalls and a 10 ft. ceiling at the center. I brought 80 presto logs to burn in that stove that kept us toasty warm for 8 nights. Boiled water and took sponge baths.
Here's the event that made the hunting trip eventful in all the wrong ways! That's the block of my engine on the Dodge pick up that blew a water pump gasket 4 miles from my destination. Fortunately for me, the owner's ground I camped on, who's home is about 100 yards from my tent, is very mechanical and he new a friend in Priest River that was a great mechanic. Good thing, because when it comes to mechanical work I have 2 left thumbs and would have been screwed if I had to fix it myself.
Here's my pick up in the shop where I camped and the big guy with the go-tee is Tim Petek whose mom owns the property where I set up camp. The middle dude is Joe, a great mechanic who replaced the water pump, water pump gasket, thermostat, oil pan gasket and the battery. It took him three long evenings, toiling with my engine, after he got off work from his normal job. What a great guy!!! And don't let me forget Nick, Tim's son in the green sweatshirt that thought my tent was "pretty cooooll"! These are great people with big hearts!
Sure wish I would have seen more rubs like these. This is an activity a whitetail buck exhibits when he's sharpening up his antlers for the rut (when does and bucks mate). This display of activity was very recent along with the fresh tracks. Never saw the buck but spooked the doe as she picked up my scent and started blowing, a noise a doe makes when she's alarmed.
Nice fresh buck tracks real close to the rubs.
These tracks look like a small cougar or bobcat.
My tent at night with the lantern flaming and coyotes howling.
The next day Grizz (Mike Wideman) and I headed up to Eddy Peak on our 4 wheelers, about 12 miles east of Indian Creek, to hunt Mule deer. The following 2 pictures were taken at 4,000 and 5,000 feet on Eddy Peak, one gorgeous setting! We were the first ones up this loggin' road after the snow fall. Spectacular scenery!!! That's Priest Lake in the backround.
The following two pics are where I sat on the road all day patiently and anxiously waiting for mule deer to cross. That's about a 300 yd. stretch. Mike has shot 2 Mulies up here but none came thru today and probably because we had visitors in the neighborhood. WOLVES!!!
The next 2 pics are wolf tracks. About a month ago we came up this same road and there was a pair of wolf tracks right in the elk tracks. Those two wolves were obviously chasing the elk. Now, 30 days later, another pair of wolf tracks in the exact same area. Probably the same 2 wolves that were in here a month ago. Looks like they are making a pretty good living since they are still hanging around. When the wolves move in, the game moves out. No Mule deer. These animals should have never been introduced into the lower 48. The Feds had no idea the damage these predators have on the deer and elk. Wolves are at the top of the food chain and they can move 40 miles a day in search for a meal. They are incredible animals but so carnivorous.
The red headed lady is Phyliss Petek the matriarch who owns the 80 acres I was camped on. Jackie taught her grandkids. The lady in the blue jacket is Dawn, Phyliss' daughter-in-law and her daughter Kaylee. Great people!
The Petek's homestead
Tim, Dawn's husband and his son Nick bringing back a load of logs to keep their home warm. They told me they cut those big logs with that little chain saw. I don't think so! Pretty warm out for the 16th of Nov.
This picture is the west end of Phyliss Petek's 80 acres and as you can see the middle fork of Priest River meanders right through it. I would just about give my eye teeth to live up here. So BEAUTIFUL!
A meadow by her home with aspens that have shed their leaves
The family dog, Dixie ,who is mostly Blue Healer, became our friend once she knew we had FOOD. She loved coming in our tent to feel the heat radiating from the wood stove.
Seven days later Mike and I getting ready to pack up and head for home.
Yours truly sittin' on my 4 wheeler ready to break down camp. Miles and miles of beautiful country but eluded by the ghostlike whitetail and mule deer. So now it's back to dreaming and hoping I don't come home with another year of deer tag soup. Although wolf season is open till March of 2013, Hmmmm? Feeling very blessed to be here and Thank You Peteks!
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