A wonderful weekend!

Our good friend Karl arrived last Friday to join us on our annual opening day pheasant hunt.  He makes the trip each fall and we all really look forward to it!  This year was no different and it turned out to be a great weekend.  The weather was perfect...  The kids were happy to be along...  and we even found a few birds.  Karl is an outstanding shot and luck was with him as far as the birds flushing where he could shoot at them. 

Here are a few pictures of the fun!!!

Dane with "his" bird!

Sleeping cutie!

Karl, Grits, and their birds!

Dane and "Grandpa" Karl as he was affectionately named by Dane!

The "traveling circus" (sometimes I think this describes our family perfectly!!!)

Then Sunday we went out to chase antelope...  I had an either sex permit and a doe permit, and Clint had a doe permit.  It was a beautiful day and there were actually a fair amount of antelope.  Unfortunately, I was acting like a total rookie and between leaving my safety on, and the wind I wasn't able to seal the deal on any critters.  Poor Clint made a beautiful stalk on a herd and then some guy came and parked on a neighboring ridge.  Antelope are notoriously skittish and quickly took off when they saw the vehicle.  Clint was moments away from being able to make a shot, so he was understandably cranky about the deal.  Dane had a great time and caught numerous grasshoppers (which he took with him each time we got back in the truck).  I think Clint probably is still finding them! 
Monday we woke up to rain so we decided to get some things done around the house.  Karl was going to come hunting with us, but decided to head back to Washington since the weather was so bad.  Then mid-morning the rain cleared off and the sun peeked through.  So, we took advantage and headed out to see what we could find.  Well, I lucked out and we spotted a buck bedded down that we could put a stalk on.  With some encouragement from Clint (I was feeling a little less than confident after Sunday) I belly crawled out to the edge and was able to get a good shot on a beautiful, mature buck.  He was obviously an old warrior with scars all over his neck and face.  One of his cutters (a part of their horn) was completely broken off.  What an amazing buck with great character. 

Clint was wearing Kimber throughout the whole hunt!!!  Hunter orange, camo, a baby sling, and a pink blanket!  What an incredible hubby I have!

He had the neatest ivory tips on his horns.

Clint offered numerous times, but since he had Kimber I went ahead and packed out the buck.

Then we found a few does bedded down.  Clint was able to make a great stalk and harvested this beautiful doe. 



Montana Remodel

When you drive I-15 from Great Falls to Helena you pass the beautiful town of Ulm.  The hunting around this town is pretty good and the Missouri River runs right through the middle.  The people are all very nice and generous.  All in all, a nice town, except for one little thing...  Here is an example of classic Ulm architecture.

 

In case it's not clear, there are two trailers that they have hooked together lengthwise.  Now, they are putting up a stick frame around the whole thing.  Pure genius!!!!

Last weekend, we had another nice weekend.  On Saturday we had our friends Mike and Aimee over with their 3 kids.  We had a great time and the weather was perfect so we actually decided to bar-b-que. 

Then Sunday morning we got up and headed to Holter for some fishing.  Dane was stoked!  As always he had a wonderful time and was just busy the whole time.  Kimber was pretty good, but is getting a little independent.  She loves to stand (with us supporting her, of course).  She wants to see everything and if she can pick it up, she shoves it in her mouth.  Since getting done with the tummy issues, she is pretty happy and it seems like every time you make eye contact with her she smiles, giggles and coos. 

I do look forward to when I can wear her on my back though.  She is pretty good in the sling, but sometimes wants a little more freedom of movement for her arms and legs.  Here she is sleeping in the sling... I took this picture looking down at her.  What a princess!!!

 What a great day on the water!!! After trying a few different things, Clint figured out what was catching fish and we ended up landing about 11 trout.  Most of them were nice fish, including this one that Clint landed!

Kimber slept for a couple hours out there... I made her this little bed in the bow of the boat. It was pretty nice cause I got to fish a little more and just relax. If you are having trouble finding her little face, look behind the rope... She was really tucked in there! It kept her out of the sun and wind and she seemed content.

and then the princess awoke! It became a little tough then, cause it was about 2pm and it was hard to keep her out of the sun.  She wanted to see out of the sling, but we can't put sunscreen on her yet, so I had to be pretty careful not to let her get in the sun.  She ended up fussing and being cranky at me for a bit.  At that point we decided to head in and were back in the truck about 3.  Although it was a little chaotic at times, we had a really good time and were glad that we went.

Me and the princess...

 This weekend our good friend Karl is coming to chase birds with us.  Pheasant season opens up so we are going to head out and see what we can find.  Antelope also opens this weekend and I got a pretty good buck permit.  So, if the bird hunting isn't that great we may head out to chase antelope.  We also have a few doe antelope permits...  so that should keep us busy. 

No...  in case you are wondering we don't ever slow down.  We are both still working full time, although my work has been totally awesome and lets me do an alternate schedule.  I work 3 - 9 hour days in the office and then put in my other 13 hours at home.  This enables us the flexibility that our family needs when Clint is working different shifts.  In fact he just switched to afternoons, so we will really miss him in the evenings.  I also am able to keep Kimber home with me the other two days of the week, so she only does daycare 3 days a week.  It is really great.  Clint's work is busy as always, but he is doing well and keeps such a positive attitude...  I am very proud of him! 

Well, that's it for now, it's time to go to bed.  That is the one thing that I seem to have given up lately...  Sleep.  Yes, I do miss it sometimes, but thank goodness for strong coffee in the morning!

Goat Hunt 2010!

So...  You want to be a goat hunter?

Really?

Because this is what your legs will look like after the trip we are about to tell you about!  (Believe it or not, it's worse in person!)

Last Tuesday, Sheri flew in to stay with the kids while we snuck away to chase goats in the highcountry.  Thursday morning we got up at about 3 am and headed out so that we could get on the trail nice and early. 

Here we are packed up and ready to start our treck into Avalanche Lake.  We were planning on staying our first night there and then moving camp each day to another basin.

Home sweet home!  Here is our tent nestled in a nice little grove of pine trees.  It was such a perfect spot except that Clint forgot to tell me (until way later) that he found a very large pile of bear scat about 40 yards behind the tent...  and it was not very old...  Had I known we may have been moving camp!

and this is the stunning view from the door of our tent.  Does it get much better than this???

There were critters all over, including the coyote who left these tracks.

and at night there was a little ice on the water, but it never got too cold!

When we got to Avalanche lake we promptly spotted several goats.  We were thrilled cause those packs on our backs that seemed only to hold the essentials weighed in at 40 and 45 lbs.  We were looking more seriously at the idea of a spike camp and then just heading out on day hunts.  So, we decided to hunt that basin the first day and see what we found.  

Here is Clint filling up our water with our purifier.  We were so glad that we got that purifier, cause we had to get water anywhere we could.   

The first day we got schooled by the goats.  We saw one up above us and we tried to follow it up the mountain.  It slipped away from us and went down this chute to get away.  This was just as steep and ugly as it looks. 

Here is a little pica...  Such a cute little guy! 

For our day hunts we just put the minimum on our pack frames and headed out.  That way if we got a goat we could pack it back to camp. 

As you can see, everything was super steep up and down!

After we chased the goat up the mountain and it disappeared through the chute, Clint did spot it again and had a pretty easy shot at it.  Unfortunately had he shot it where it was, we may have never been able to actually get it because it was in a really tough spot!  Then we spotted another goat bedded down, and tried to sneak up on it.   But, I blew it and accidentally dislodged a rock that started a bunch of rocks tumbling down the hill.  Needless to say the goat didn't give us a chance to take another look and quickly left us in her dust.  As I said before, we totally got schooled by those goats the first day.  So, feeling a little discouraged we returned to camp, ate a good dinner and went to sleep. 

The next morning we woke up to another beautiful day and headed out.  This time we were smarter and set up in a spot where about 3 different basins came together.  After watching several goats move through here and there, Clint left to take a look into another basin while I watched for a goat that seemed to be moving towards us.  Here are some of the views we got to enjoy. 

All the sudden, I heard a shot.  One of the goats we had been watching had come out below Clint.  It is seriously amazing how fast they move.  They look so effortless and fluid just moving along, and when they decide to move they can cover some major ground.  After getting quite an education the first day, Clint had decided not to be too picky about his goat.  Last year this area only had a 25 % success rate so Clint had decided to take the first opportunity that a goat offered him.  So, here was a beautiful goat within range.  Clint took the opportunity and harvested a gorgeous mature goat. 

Here is the happy hunter when I got to him!

Well, now we have to go get to the goat!  So, we strap on our packs and prepare to make the slide/hike down to where the goat landed.  Unfortunately, after Clint shot her she had a little tumble before coming to rest almost at the bottom of the other basin. 

His goat is at the bottom of this!

Here is Clint with his amazing goat!  They are such neat critters and we have so much respect for them!  Aren't they beautiful!

Their feet are so cool and totally enable them to move with ease through the rocks!

After a lot of work, we made it up and out of the basin with the goat on our backs.  I ended up doing a lot of sliding on the other side cause it was really steep shale, and that certainly is what contributed to the extensive bruising on my legs.  But, we made it safely back to camp and this is the incredible view we got to enjoy...  Here is the reflection of the moon in a small lake by our tent. 

and this was the view out of our tent!

We ended up making it out one day early and back to our babies.  Nana and Grandma took incredible care of them, but I was happy to be home to them.  Clint and I agreed though...  it was such an amazing experience and although it was such hard work we will have amazing memories.  There are so many stories from this trip that I want to share...  but I wanted to get the basics pictures and hunt posted on the blog, so enjoy!  Thanks for letting us share our experience!  It was truly a hunt of a lifetime! 

Snipe hunting with Perry!

Two weekends ago, we had the pleasure of having Perry along with us on a Snipe hunt!  Although there weren't nearly as many birds this time, everyone got a couple and it was fun to share this with Perry.  He was really the one who started my love of hunting by taking me along when I was just a kid.  We always have had a good time together, and this time was no different. 

Here is Perry with one of his snipe!

Clint and Perry

Last weekend Clint and Brock went up to the Rocky Mountain Front to see if they could find a ewe sheep for Brock.  There were some critters, but they weren't able to harvest one.  Hopefully next time it will work out a little better!  But, they had a wonderful time!

Now we are headed out to chase goats!  Clint's mom, Sheri, will be here tomorrow and we are headed out from Thursday to Monday to see what we can find.  Sheri is going to stay here with the kids and between her and my mom, they will have a very good time!  I am going to miss the kids like crazy, but it's just not feasible to take them with us this time.  But, there will be a lot of deer/antelope/bird hunts in their future!!!

Here is Dane "helping" Grandpa drive the tractor!

First Hunting Trip With Both Kids

Last Saturday, we took the kids out to enjoy one of our favorite September rituals...  snipe hunting!

The weather was great, the kids were wonderful, there were a lot of birds, and Clint and I were both shooting well!  It doesn't get any better than that!

One of us carried the kids, the other one got to shoot.  It was a little awkward carrying both of them, but we made it work!

Clint with one of his birds.

Dane carried one around the whole time!

the "Dane" look... 

Me and one of my birds!

Dane totally got the hang of it and would spot birds all over!  Then he would tell us to get it!  We all had a great time!

Boys and their little sisters...

Dane had some "happy stickers" that he got for going potty.  Well, everyone was content so I ran upstairs to do something.  When I came back down, Dane was so proud cause he was "sharing" his stickers with his sister. 

Here is the mischievous little guy right before we went bird hunting yesterday.

Here is Miss Kimber enjoying some time in her saucer.  She loves sitting up and looking around, but we have to put something behind her for when she gets tired and wants to put her head back.  (hence the Cabelas magazine behind her)